How can we explain the sudden 30% increase in customer support tickets related to AuditBoard's CrossComply solution in the past two weeks?

Introduction

A sudden 30% increase in customer support tickets for AuditBoard's CrossComply solution is a significant issue that demands immediate attention. This spike could indicate underlying problems affecting user experience, product functionality, or system performance. I'll approach this analysis systematically, focusing on identifying potential root causes, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to address the issue.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might have been a recent product update. Has there been any significant change or feature release for CrossComply in the past month?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with support ticket increases. Expected answer: Yes, a new compliance workflow feature was released. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus on the new feature's implementation and user onboarding.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of these tickets. Are they coming from a specific user group or spread across all customers?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is widespread or isolated to a particular segment. Expected answer: Tickets are primarily from enterprise customers. Impact on approach: If true, we'd investigate enterprise-specific features or integrations.

• Given the compliance nature of CrossComply, I'm wondering if there have been any recent regulatory changes that might impact our customers. Have there been any significant industry compliance updates in the last month?

Why it matters: External factors like regulatory changes can drive support inquiries. Expected answer: No major regulatory changes have occurred. Impact on approach: If false, we'd need to assess our product's alignment with new regulations.

• Thinking about system performance, has there been any change in CrossComply's uptime or response times over the past two weeks?

Why it matters: Performance issues often lead to increased support tickets. Expected answer: Some intermittent slowdowns have been reported. Impact on approach: If true, we'd prioritize investigating backend systems and infrastructure.