GE 7F.05 Gas Turbine

Project type: Enterprise Application // Employer: GE Power

Product: Advanced Modeling Platform (AMP)


AMP: Redesigning a Financial Forecasting Tool
Improving efficiency, reducing errors, and rebuilding trust in GE Power’s modeling platform

THE CHALLENGE

GE Power’s forecasting tool (used to model billing, outages, and parts flow for $35B in turbine service contracts) was outdated and inefficient. Modelers relied on manual workarounds, Excel exports, and external systems just to update a model. This slowed operations, introduced errors, and eroded confidence in the platform.

Goal: Modernize the tool to streamline workflows, reduce errors, and restore trust.

THE BUSINESS GOALS

  • Cut operations and maintenance costs through better modeling and scenario planning

  • Improve modeler efficiency by 25% (reduce margin review cycles by two weeks)

  • Minimize modeling errors and manual workarounds

THE DESIGN APPROACH

We grounded the redesign in principles that matched how modelers think and work:

  • Clarity: Meaningful labels and logical structure aligned to mental models

  • Efficiency: Fewer steps for margin review and centralized external data

  • Discoverability: Key data visible, scannable, and actionable

  • Consistency: Material Design and Angular Material for a scalable system

MY ROLE

As Lead Product Designer, I owned the end-to-end UX process:

  • Understand: Stakeholder interviews, modeler observations, workflow mapping

  • Analyze: Identified friction points and defined future-state flows

  • Design: Led design studios, created prototypes, design system components, and high-fidelity UI

  • Validate: Planned and facilitated user testing and synthesized insights into refinements

THE UX PROCESS

Each 2 to 4 week sprint followed a consistent and iterative cadence:

  1. Define user and business requirements

  2. Observe real modeling workflows

  3. Synthesize findings into opportunities

  4. Ideate and prototype solutions

  5. Validate with users and refine

  6. Hand off designs for development

This structured approach turned a complex, error-prone system into a more intuitive and efficient forecasting tool. It improved productivity and strengthened trust across GE Power’s operations.

“With our current tools, it is nearly impossible to deliver a well thought out financial model in just a few days.”

— Mahesh A., OTR Modeler

“We have to provide quick cost analysis to create ideal outcomes for both GE and our customers.”

— Lisa L., ITO Modeler

OLD PRODUCT
ICAM: Infrastructure Contractual Agreement Modeling

Screen Shot 2020-07-02 at 10.20.11 AM.png

NEW PRODUCT
AMP: Advanced Modeling Platform

5 - Billing_Setup_FVM.png

 Remote observations via Skype were necessary because our users were spread across three continents.

Screen Shot 2020-07-07 at 12.16.57 PM.png
 

Scripted discovery questions prior to help guide the users through the observation sessions.

 Prioritization exercise via Miro Board

 Prioritization exercise via Miro Board

Facilitated sketching exercises based on observation results with engineers and product managers to foster cross-discipline collaboration.

 Usability test (InVision) for projected manual variable billing scenario.

 Example assumptions and questions document used during usability testing.

 Example assumptions and questions document used during usability testing.

 Prioritization exercise via Miro Board

 Prioritization exercise via Miro Board

Sample screen designs

Operational Data, monthly view

Operational Data, monthly view

Billing Setup, Op data range billing

Billing Setup, Op data range billing

Billing Totals, model view

Billing Totals, model view

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