Strength in Profit and Sustainability 

Strength in Profit and Sustainability 

Strength in Profit and Sustainability 

A scenario simulation tool for greener decision making

Timeline

Jan. 2022 - Mar. 2022 (10 weeks)

Timeline

Jan. 2022 - Mar. 2022 (10 weeks)

Timeline

Jan. 2022 - Mar. 2022 (10 weeks)

Timeline

Jan. 2022 - Mar. 2022 (10 weeks)

Company

SMBC Aviation Capital

Company

SMBC Aviation Capital

Company

SMBC Aviation Capital

Company

SMBC Aviation Capital

My role

Lead UI UX designer

My role

Lead UI UX designer

My role

Lead UI UX designer

My role

Lead UI UX designer

Collaboration

2 UI UX Designer, 2 Product Manager, 1 Design Researcher 1 Software engineer

Collaboration

2 UI UX Designer, 2 Product Manager, 1 Design Researcher 1 Software engineer

Collaboration

2 UI UX Designer, 2 Product Manager, 1 Design Researcher 1 Software engineer

Collaboration

2 UI UX Designer, 2 Product Manager, 1 Design Researcher 1 Software engineer

Context

Can a company be both
sustainable🌱 and generate decent revenue💰?

SMBC AC's Fast fact #1

🏢

SMBC Aviation Capital is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. They focus on leasing young, in-demand commercial jet aircraft to airlines.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #1

🏢

SMBC Aviation Capital is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. They focus on leasing young, in-demand commercial jet aircraft to airlines.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #1

🏢

SMBC Aviation Capital is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. They focus on leasing young, in-demand commercial jet aircraft to airlines.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #1

🏢

SMBC Aviation Capital is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. They focus on leasing young, in-demand commercial jet aircraft to airlines.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #2

✈️

They have a diverse client base that includes both traditional carriers and startup airlines. With more than 150 airline customers in over 50 countries.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #2

✈️

They have a diverse client base that includes both traditional carriers and startup airlines. With more than 150 airline customers in over 50 countries.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #2

✈️

They have a diverse client base that includes both traditional carriers and startup airlines. With more than 150 airline customers in over 50 countries.

SMBC AC's Fast fact #2

✈️

They have a diverse client base that includes both traditional carriers and startup airlines. With more than 150 airline customers in over 50 countries.

At SMBC Aviation Capital, we are committed to finding solutions on this. In this project, we'll explore how our team has proposed a redesigned aircraft leasing solution for, allowing SMBC AC to lead the aviation industry in being both green and profitable.

The Problem

The traditional aircraft leasing model often fails to meet the evolving needs of airlines, particularly in terms of offering flexible lease terms that can adapt to market changes and sustainability practices.

Current experience overview

Preliminary journey mapping of airline’s current leasing processes

The current leasing & CRM system SMBC AC is using allows airline to track assets and leases from anywhere with real-time access to their leasing information.

Allowing airlines to track assets and leases in real-time from anywhere.

Note: Data displayed is fictional for privacy purposes.

Providing detailed views of lease agreements, enabling airlines to access up-to-date leasing information.

Note: Data displayed is fictional for privacy purposes.

The Users

Who're the major stakeholders in the leasing processes?

There are several key stakeholders who play critical roles in ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

Strategic Fleet
Manager

Strategic Fleet
Manager

Strategic Fleet
Manager

Responsible for fleet planning and optimization to ensure operational efficiency.

Responsible for fleet planning and optimization to ensure operational efficiency.

Responsible for fleet planning and optimization to ensure operational efficiency.

Finance

Manager

Finance

Manager

Finance

Manager

Manages budget, cost control, and financial planning

Manages budget, cost control, and financial planning

Manages budget, cost control, and financial planning

Sustainability
Manager

Sustainability
Manager

Sustainability
Manager

Ensures that decisions align with sustainability goals and environmental policies.

Ensures that decisions align with sustainability goals and environmental policies.

Ensures that decisions align with sustainability goals and environmental policies.

Procurement
Manager

Procurement
Manager

Procurement
Manager

Oversees the procurement process

Oversees the procurement process

Oversees the procurement process

Legal
Advisor

Legal
Advisor

Legal
Advisor

Provides legal guidance to ensure all leasing agreements comply with regulations and company policies.

Provides legal guidance to ensure all leasing agreements comply with regulations and company policies.

Provides legal guidance to ensure all leasing agreements comply with regulations and company policies.

To better understand their interaction in the leasing process, we conducted a journey mapping exercise. We outlineed the key tasks performed by different stakeholders at each stage and highlights their pain points.

Brainstorming

So...where'd be our opportunity space?

There are several key stakeholders who play critical roles in ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

Insight Summary

💡

While the Sustainability Officer is often excluded from the decision-making process. Finance Managers face pressure to cut costs, finally leading to decisions driven primarily by business considerations.

Insight Summary

💡

While the Sustainability Officer is often excluded from the decision-making process. Finance Managers face pressure to cut costs, finally leading to decisions driven primarily by business considerations.

Insight Summary

💡

While the Sustainability Officer is often excluded from the decision-making process. Finance Managers face pressure to cut costs, finally leading to decisions driven primarily by business considerations.

Insight Summary

💡

While the Sustainability Officer is often excluded from the decision-making process. Finance Managers face pressure to cut costs, finally leading to decisions driven primarily by business considerations.

Opportunity

🚪

Ensure the financial benefits of sustainable choices. For example, opting for long-term leases of higher-emission aircraft could lead to overall carbon emission savings and reduce carbon tax liabilities.

Opportunity

🚪

Ensure the financial benefits of sustainable choices. For example, opting for long-term leases of higher-emission aircraft could lead to overall carbon emission savings and reduce carbon tax liabilities.

Opportunity

🚪

Ensure the financial benefits of sustainable choices. For example, opting for long-term leases of higher-emission aircraft could lead to overall carbon emission savings and reduce carbon tax liabilities.

Opportunity

🚪

Ensure the financial benefits of sustainable choices. For example, opting for long-term leases of higher-emission aircraft could lead to overall carbon emission savings and reduce carbon tax liabilities.

Solution

🔑

We propose a new feature — Scenario Simulation Tool, which allow users to explore dynamic pricing models through input different parameters and compare different leasing scenarios.

Solution

🔑

We propose a new feature — Scenario Simulation Tool, which allow users to explore dynamic pricing models through input different parameters and compare different leasing scenarios.

Solution

🔑

We propose a new feature — Scenario Simulation Tool, which allow users to explore dynamic pricing models through input different parameters and compare different leasing scenarios.

Solution

🔑

We propose a new feature — Scenario Simulation Tool, which allow users to explore dynamic pricing models through input different parameters and compare different leasing scenarios.

Why the Scenario Simulation Tool?

Besides users' pain points in their everyday tasks, when we scope out, we also realized how the rules of leasing is set will influence how airlines plan their fleets, costs, and adhere to sustainability goals.

From 0 to 1, diving in to design the solution

So basiclly, how would the Scenario Simulation Tool works?

But to achieve this, it wouldn't be a straight forward process...

Let's start prototyping

HMW create a Scenario Simulation Tool that
offer flexibility in leasing and ensure airlines🛫 
to make better fleet leasing decisions for a greener future✨?

After collaborative meetings, workshops, and documents gathered from the strategic, finance, and sustainability functions, we translated the collective preliminary design into an Information Architecture.

Layout exploration

By organizing all the data gathered from the the preliminary pricing model design, we started to explore different layouts for a more constructed feature interface.

• User flow starts from 1, 2, to 3

• Lack prioritization

• making it difficult for user to understand how to use it

• The Impact part should be part of the Result

• The sense of order is weak

• The relationships between each widget are weak

• Users may find it challenging to navigate through the interface and understand how the various elements

• clear step-by-step guidance added to direct users

• Intuitive left-to-right structure

• Effectively addresses the previous issues of weak sense of order

• We also tried top-to-bottom structure for actions

• Maintaining the step-by-step guidance

• However, it takes up more space and is less flexible

• limiting users' ability to compare within three scenarios.

Design & Iteration

To iterate, we conducted 15 usability tests
with targeted airline staff during the process.

Section 1: Input Leasing Plan Scenario Panel

V1

V2

V3

Section 2: Current Leasing Plans

V1

V2

V3

Section 3: The Data Visualization Tool

V1

V2

V3

Section 4: Export Button

V1

V2

The Final Screens

In summary, we created 3 main sections 
within the Scenario Simulation Tool from 0 to 1.

Impact

50% Reduction in Decision-Making Time

It streamlined the decision-making process by simplifying complex data. Our user testing shows airlines now benefit from a 50% reduction in the time required to evaluate and select leasing options, allowing them to act more swiftly and efficiently in response to market demands.

40% increase in sustainable leasing options selected

By providing actionable insights into the impact of different leasing scenarios, our user testing shows airlines now have access to detailed analytics, enabling them to choose more sustainable leasing options that align with their environmental goals.

What's Next

Enhance onboarding experience for employee's adoption

To ensure new users can quickly learn and effectively use the Scenario Simulation Tool, we will develop comprehensive onboarding materials and support resources. Interactive tutorials and tooltips will guide users through key features, providing a hands-on learning experience.