Build Motion — Rocio Martinez

🚩 The Problem

Disconnected systems. Manual processes.

IBM partners build solutions using IBM technologies and sell them to customers through the ecosystem — but the process to build, register, and co-sell those solutions with IBM was fragmented across multiple tools. Partners and sellers tracked opportunities in different platforms, co-sell registrations were handled by email, marketplace validation took up to two weeks, and collaboration relied on spreadsheets, PPTs, and manual updates. The result was limited visibility into ecosystem opportunities, slow deal progression, and high operational overhead.

Role

Title: Senior Product Designer
Focus: Partner ecosystem, opportunity management, go-to-market workflows
Scope: Build experience redesign within IBM Partner Plus
Team: 2 squads (Mexico and NY)

Marketplace validation alone took up to two weeks, with no shared view for partners and sellers to track a deal.

🔍 Discovery

I ran a service blueprinting workshop with stakeholders and users to align on goals, surface key pain points, and build a shared understanding of the end-to-end experience.

What I found:

Two distinct user types — IBM partners and business partners — with different needs from the same journey
The highest friction sat in opportunity registration and validation
Dependencies on manual processes were slowing the partner journey at every handoff

I created wireframes to validate feasibility and align with stakeholders before moving to high-fidelity design.

🎯 Solution & Key Decisions

I redesigned the Build experience into a single-page, 7-step workflow:

Structure

Centralised opportunity management

I moved all opportunities into IBM Sales Cloud, creating one shared platform for partners and IBM sellers to track deals, create opportunities, and collaborate.

Automation

Digital co-sell registration

I automated the co-sell protection process, letting partners disclose customer information safely and activate collaboration without a technical intermediary.

Simplify

Simplified workflows

I reduced dependency on spreadsheets, emails, and legacy tools, enabling faster progression through the partner journey.

With only two squads and limited time, I had to prioritise the highest-impact changes first, not the full vision.

🧪 Testing & Iteration

I validated high-fidelity designs with engineering and stakeholders
I ran iterative testing of the 7-step workflow
I refined steps based on usability and stakeholder feedback

A streamlined, centralised, automated system that reduced friction and improved collaboration. Outcome of the redesigned Build experience

📈 Results

Operational

4 hrs

Marketplace validation time, down from 2 weeks

300

Support tickets saved per quarter through self-service

Ecosystem growth

Revenue growth

10x

Ecosystem opportunities managed, from 300 to 3,000

🎯 Centralising opportunity management and automating manual processes reduced friction for partners and enabled faster collaboration with IBM sellers.

Build Motion — Go to Market