Case Study #6: Ford Motor Company

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Led Product Management and Business Analysis for Ford's customer commerce and dealer transformation through Cognifide UK (WPP), working with senior stakeholders in Brentwood and Detroit. Defined digital vehicle configuration, purchase and test-drive journeys across UK, European and US markets while supporting a more consistent dealer platform, reusable customer experiences and CRM-integrated workflows. Combined cross-market Product definition, technical delivery and Scrum Master responsibilities.

ENGAGEMENT SNAPSHOT

Client: Ford Motor Company
Engagement: Cognifide UK (WPP)
Engagement Role: Product Manager / Lead Business Analyst
Period: September 2016 – September 2017
Sector: Automotive / Digital Commerce
Regions: United Kingdom, Europe and United States
Scope: Dealer digital platforms, vehicle configuration, purchase journeys, test-drive booking and CRM-connected customer experiences
Capabilities: Product Management, Business Analysis Leadership, Customer Journey Design, Digital Commerce, Agile Delivery, Scrum Master
Methods & Technology: CRM and commercial integrations, behavioural analytics, A/B testing, BDD requirements, Agile delivery

CONTEXT

Purchasing a vehicle involves a long and often fragmented customer journey, from researching models and comparing options through configuration, dealership interaction and eventual fulfilment.

Ford's digital estate needed to serve different regional markets, dealer networks and customer expectations while maintaining a coherent brand and commercial proposition.

Local variation in vehicles, options, commercial rules, operational processes and dealer capabilities increased the complexity of delivering reusable digital products.

The transformation created an opportunity to connect customer discovery and vehicle customisation with dealership processes, CRM systems and downstream commercial operations through more consistent digital journeys.

CHALLENGE

Ford needed to standardise fragmented dealer experiences without eliminating legitimate regional differences.

Vehicle configuration introduced complex combinations of models, engines, colours, trims and accessories, alongside requirements for customer visualisation, order progression and manufacturing fulfilment.

Dealer-integrated journeys added further dependencies involving test-drive availability, customer information, local vehicle inventory, approvals, notifications and follow-up.

The central challenge was to connect these customer-facing experiences to commercial and operational systems while maintaining reusable Product patterns, clear requirements and manageable delivery dependencies across markets.

ENGAGEMENT MANDATE

Working through Cognifide UK, led Product Management and Business Analysis activities across Ford's customer commerce and dealer transformation.

Worked directly with senior client stakeholders in Brentwood and Detroit to align customer journeys, market requirements, commercial goals and technical delivery.

Defined Product requirements and priorities for vehicle configuration, dealer integration and purchase-related experiences while acting as Scrum Master for blended agency/client delivery teams.

APPROACH & DELIVERY

Cross-Market Product Discovery

• Worked with stakeholders across UK, European and US markets to understand differences in customer behaviour, product availability, dealer processes and commercial requirements.

• Mapped customer journeys from vehicle discovery and configuration through dealership engagement and purchase-related handoff.

• Reconciled local operational and legal requirements with reusable Product patterns, translating regional complexity into prioritised requirements for delivery.

Dealer Platform Standardisation

• Supported the standardisation of Ford's fragmented dealer digital estate through reusable, branded website templates connected to central CRM and commercial systems.

• Defined customer journeys and integration requirements to improve consistency across dealer and affiliate experiences while preserving market-specific needs.

Vehicle Configuration & Purchase Journeys

• Defined end-to-end requirements for a greenfield vehicle configurator, including model, engine, colour, trim and accessory selection, interactive vehicle visualisation, ordering and downstream manufacturing fulfilment considerations.

• Worked with Product, UX and Engineering stakeholders to make complex configuration rules understandable to customers and actionable for delivery teams.

Test-Drive & Dealer Integration

• Defined dealer-connected test-drive booking journeys involving customer identification, local inventory availability, dealer approval, booking notifications and post-visit follow-up.

• Mapped dependencies between customer-facing services and dealership operations, connecting digital interest with practical next steps in the purchasing journey.

Agile Delivery & Optimisation

• Translated requirements into prioritised backlogs and BDD acceptance criteria, collaborating with Engineering on feasibility and technical dependencies.

• Used behavioural analytics and A/B testing to guide customer journey optimisation.

• Performed Scrum Master responsibilities across blended Cognifide/Ford teams, facilitating Agile ceremonies, monitoring delivery progress and removing impediments.

OUTCOMES

• Supported the standardisation of Ford's dealer digital estate through reusable, branded and CRM-connected platform capabilities.

• Defined a comprehensive vehicle configurator Product scope, connecting customer choice, interactive visualisation and downstream commercial processes.

• Established detailed requirements for dealer-integrated test-drive journeys and operational handoffs.

• Aligned Product and technical requirements across UK, European and US stakeholders.

• Applied customer analytics and A/B testing to prioritise digital journey improvements.

• Strengthened delivery coordination through hands-on Product leadership, Business Analysis and Scrum Master activities.

WHY IT MATTERED

The engagement demonstrated how global digital commerce must balance a consistent customer experience with complex regional, commercial and operational requirements.

It also connected high-consideration consumer journeys with enterprise systems, dealer networks and technical delivery, demonstrating Product leadership across both customer experience and underlying business processes.

CAPABILITIES

Product Management · Lead Business Analysis · Digital Commerce · Automotive Customer Journeys · Vehicle Configuration · Dealer Transformation · CRM Integration · Product Discovery · Requirements Engineering · BDD · A/B Testing · Behavioural Analytics · Agile Delivery · Scrum Master · International Stakeholder Management