IBM Executive Compensation Planner

Year 2024

Role Lead UX Designer and Co-led EDT Workshop

Problem Statement

Within the IBM Executive Compensation Planner, there was a need to:

Centralize compensation and performance data
Enable faster executive-level decision-making
Reduce spreadsheet dependency and calculation risks
Provide scenario simulation capabilities
Improve governance, auditability, and transparency
Accelerate cross-functional approvals

The lack of an integrated system created friction in a process that required precision, confidentiality, and speed.

My Role

As the Lead UX Designer, I was responsible for:

Facilitating Enterprise Design Thinking workshops
Synthesizing stakeholder insights into clear opportunity areas
Designing executive decision journeys and workflows
Structuring the interaction model and information architecture
Creating high-fidelity UI screens (Exec Comp Tool_v3.pdf)
Validating usability with pilot managers and leadership

I collaborated closely with executives, HR leaders, finance stakeholders, and developers to ensure the tool aligned with real decision-making needs.

Project Overview The Executive Compensation Planner Tool was designed for senior leadership at IBM to streamline and structure executive compensation planning. The primary user of this tool is the CEO, along with CHROs and senior finance leaders, who use it to allocate compensation packages for executives based on performance, business impact, budget constraints, and strategic priorities.

The goal was to replace fragmented spreadsheets and static reports with a centralized, secure, data-driven digital platform.

Business Context

Previously, the workflow relied heavily on manual spreadsheets, static reports, and email-based coordination, leading to inefficiencies and alignment delays.  Executive compensation planning at IBM is a high-impact, confidential process involving multiple stakeholders across HR, Finance, and Business Units.

Design Strategy

1. Executive Decision Dashboard

Consolidated performance, compensation, and budget metrics
Clean KPI visualization
Real-time budget utilization tracking

2. Scenario Simulation Engine

“What-if” compensation modeling
Real-time recalculation of budget impact
Side-by-side scenario comparison

3. Structured Approval Workflow

Clear review and approval steps
Role-based visibility
Automated notifications and status tracking

4. Governance & Transparency Layer

Documented decision rationale
Audit-ready data trails
Compliance validation checkpoints

Key Learnings

Executive tools require clarity, precision, and simplicity
Financial visualization significantly impacts decision confidence
Governance features must be embedded into workflows
Co-creation workshops increase adoption and stakeholder trust

Key Pain Points Identified

1. Lack of Holistic View Data was fragmented across multiple systems and reports, making it difficult to see performance, compensation, and budget impact together.

2. Manual Spreadsheet Dependency Heavy reliance on Excel caused version-control issues, calculation errors, and inefficiencies.

3. Limited Scenario Planning Leaders could not easily simulate compensation adjustments before finalizing decisions.

4. Alignment Delays Approval cycles were slowed by back-and-forth coordination between HR, Finance, and Business Units.

5. Compliance & Governance Risks Inconsistent audit trails and justification documentation increased risk exposure.

6. Cognitive Overload Large volumes of financial and performance data were presented without clear prioritization, increasing decision fatigue.

Key Users

CEO
Band A Executives
Band B Executives
Band C Executives
HR & Compensation Team
Finance Stakeholders

Conclusion

The IBM Executive Compensation Planner transformed a complex, manual, and fragmented process into a structured, secure, and executive-friendly digital platform.

By aligning Enterprise Design Thinking with strategic UX execution, the solution enabled IBM leadership to make faster, data-backed, and governance-compliant compensation decisions across CEO and Band A, B, and C levels.

Few Links

PS. Some links might need extra permisions to access.

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