Overview
The Agent Information System Tech Migration Project is a strategic technology renewal project aimed at replacing the organization's legacy agency management platform with a scalable, cloud-ready, user-centered, and secure enterprise system.
This project aims to deliver an integrated digital ecosystem that supports agency operations, streamlines case processing workflows, centralizes data management, provides a role-based interface, and aligns with organizational digital transformation goals.
My Role
As a Sr. UX/UI Designer, I focus on Research, Discovery, Usability Testing, and UI Design. Together with my co-worker, Toni Michelle Rañada (Sr. UX/UI Designer), we divided the AgIS system into categories based on client requirements and needs, and aligned the system with the Sun Life Helios brand. I also collaborated with other members in our group:
- Paula Magtibay (Product Owner)
- Marites Sucat (Sr. Business Analyst)
- Kristelle Dee (Delivery Manager)
- Edison Malinog (Sr. Solutions Architect)
- Mark Mabitad (Lead Software Engineer)
- Yondu Development Service (3rd Party Vendor)
We are in a significant phase of developing AgIS, with our team setting targets to deliver key milestones.
- Phase 1: Assessment and planning
- Phase 2: System architecture and design
- Phase 3: Development and validation
- Phase 4: Launching and stabilization
- Project kickoff: January 2024
- Target Completion: August 2026
- Design Implementation: 6 months
- Total project duration: 31 months
Design Objectives
Sun Life’s global brand modernization introduced an updated visual system and a digital-first identity. As part of this larger transformation, the AgIS migration ensures that agency tools are aligned with this refreshed brand direction:
Understanding
The Problem
AgIS currently operates on a legacy architecture that is increasingly unable to support the operational, technical, and scalability needs of the modern agency. The system is fragmented, difficult to maintain, and costly to operate.
It wasn’t good enough for the system’s boundaries to be less than optimized for Sun Life’s mission of providing a seamless, digital-first experience for advisors and clients. From a UX perspective, several critical pain points emerged during discovery and analysis:
Problem 1.
Technology-driven, not user-first
The migration focused primarily on backend modernization, data integration, and security updates.
- End users were minimally involved in discovery and testing.
- The design process driven by business logic rather than user needs or context.
- As a result, user pain points from the legacy system persisted despite the upgrade.
Impact
10 Users faced challenges on accomplishing simple tasks effectively, among which they resorted to offline methods to monitor or validate the information.
Problem 2.
Outdated user interface
The platform carried over outdated visual patterns, inconsistent layouts, and dense data structures from its legacy version.
- Navigation was complex and unintuitive, with redundant menus and a poorly defined information hierarchy.
- The interface lacked modern design principles such as clarity, accessibility, and responsive behavior.
- Disconnected modules forced users to jump between multiple systems for related tasks.
Impact
Most users struggle to complete tasks efficiently due to confusing interfaces, multiple menus, no hover tips, and unorganized fields.
Problem 3.
Inefficient workflows
Advisors used the platform daily for client updates, performance tracking, and compliance tasks, but the workflows were lengthy and fragmented.
- Key actions required multiple clicks and data lookups across different screens.
- Repetitive manual entries increased human error and frustration.
- The lack of intuitive design slowed down everyday processes.
Impact
Task flows were designed based on internal system logic rather than real advisor behavior or context of use.
Problem 4.
Visual design and brand identity
Across different modules, design patterns were inconsistent and did not align with Sun Life’s modern brand identity.
- Icons, typography, and colors created a disorganized brand perception.
- Lack of standardized components led to visual clutter.
Impact
Inconsistency weakened user confidence and brand coherence, especially when compared to competitors’ digital platforms.
Research
We conducted user research on the design process to understand user needs and requirements. We also wanted to understand user behavior and motivations to ensure our redesign of the Agency Information System (AgIS) is functional and intuitive.
This research will provide insight into user needs, workflow challenges, and pain points within a system to guide redesigns for a successful migration onto a modern, user-centered platform.
○ Goals
- Understand how different users interact with the legacy AgIS system.
- Identify specific pain points and workflow inefficiencies.
- Determine user expectations for system performance and reliability.
- Design a modern system that increases user satisfaction and reduces operational burden.
- Provide design and development teams with clear insights to inform redesign.
○ Questions We Ask
We interviewed 13 participants, 1-on-1 and virtually, to gain deep insights into how they currently interact with the legacy AgIS system, the challenges they face, and what they need for the modernized platform.
- Background and context
- Please describe your role and your primary responsibilities in the agency.
- How long have you been using the AgIS legacy system?
- Which modules, pages, or tools in AgIS do you use most often?
- What type of tasks depend entirely on AgIS for completion?
- Daily workflow and understanding the process
- Please walk me through your typical workflow using AgIS. What are the main steps?
- Where does your workflow slow down or become difficult?
- Pain points and challenges
- What are the biggest frustrations you experience with the legacy system?
- Which parts of the system feel outdated or inefficient?
- Are there screens or pages that are confusing or difficult to navigate?
- Have you experienced lost data, crashes, freezes, or slow loading times?
- Are there features that frequently break or do not work as intended?
- User experience and interface feedback
- How intuitive or unintuitive do you find the layout and navigation?
- Are there pages that require too many clicks or steps?
- Do you struggle with finding information quickly?
- What screens feel cluttered, outdated, or hard to interpret?
- If you could redesign one screen, which would it be and why?
- Future improvements and expectations
- What features or capabilities would you like the system to have?
- What would make your daily work easier or faster?
- Are there processes you would like to see simplified or redesigned?
- If we rebuilt the system from scratch, what would you prioritize first?
- Which current features should absolutely be kept in the new system?
- Closing and reflection
- Do you have stories or examples that illustrate significant challenges you've faced?
- What is the most crucial thing the migration team needs to understand about your work?
- Is there anything else you want to share that we haven't covered?
At the same time, users desperately want modernization-faster performance, clearer workflows, better search, and easier data entry-but they also need the new system to feel familiar, intuitive, and supportive, not disruptive.
○ Key Findings
Legacy system architecture Is outdated and limits scalability
The current platform is built on a monolithic, aging architecture that cannot support modern performance, and security standards.
Users face a high cognitive load due to the fragmented workflow.
Users complete tasks through multi-screen, non-linear workflows that require memorization and manual tracking.
Data entry burden is excessive and
error-prone
High validation error rate, averaging 20–30%. Prolonged and repetitive forms lack intelligent assistance, increasing effort and error rates.
System performance is inconsistent, causing user disruptions
Average page load time exceeds 4 seconds; frequent session timeouts and long entries greatly encumber daily operations.
Search and data retrieval are unreliable
Records can't be reliably found by users, leading to disrupted workflows and mistrust in the system.
Training and onboarding challenges that slow down operations
The system requires excessive mentoring and manual training due to the lack of an intuitive UI and in-system support.
Charlene Sabado
Role: Insurance Advisor (Full-time)
Organization: Life Insurance Agency
Experience: 8 years as an Insurance Advisor
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Sales Style: Relationship-driven, high client interaction
Daily Tools: AgIS, spreadsheets
○ Insights
- Understand how different users interact with the legacy AgIS system.
- Identify specific pain points and workflow inefficiencies.
- Determine user expectations for system performance and reliability.
- Design a modern system that increases user satisfaction and reduces operational burden.
- Provide design and development teams with clear insights to inform redesign.
Success Metrics
Through the HEART Framework, we measure success across user perception, behavior, adoption, retention, and task outcomes, ensuring the redesign delivers both strategic value and operational excellence.
User Profile
To ensure the new system meets user needs, it is critical to clearly define the target users who will interact with AgIS daily. These users represent a cross-section of business operations, investment management, finance, and executives, each with distinct needs and challenges.
Note: I use a generated AI as a stock image of the user. Our clients/users don't want their profiles or information used in presentations, as this violates the company's policy.
Investment Analyst
Uses AgIS daily to evaluate portfolio performance, analyze investments, and generate insights for strategic planning. Their goal is to ensure that investments align with Sun Life’s financial targets and risk management policies.
- Extract and review data on portfolio performance.
- Generate reports and presentations for management.
- Collaborate with Finance and Operations teams for data validation.
"It is quicker for me to develop my own Excel tracker than it is to depend upon the system reports"
Frustrations:
- Data inconsistencies between AgIS and Finance systems require manual verification
- Lack of visualization, no graphs or dashboards to show visual performance
- Real-time, accurate, and integrated data across systems
- Display tool icons are not readable, and no hovering tool tip to identify their use.
Needs:
- Dynamic dashboards with visualization and filtering
- Search and filter features for faster insights
- Real-time, accurate, and integrated data across systems
- Quick data queries and drill-down capability
- Consistent and reliable performance
Portfolio Manager
Oversee portfolios and investments, and ensure strategic decisions and financial goals are met.
- Monitor overall portfolio performance
- Approve investment adjustments and rebalancing
- Evaluate ROI, risks, and long-term projections
- Communicate insights to executives and investors
“ It’s difficult to see the bigger picture — I want trends and visuals, not spreadsheets "
Frustrations:
- No consolidated portfolio dashboard data scattered across modules.
- Lack of real-time data visibility.
- Inflexible reporting interface prevents customized views.
- Too many unorganized page menus, and multiple redundant pop-up screens
Needs:
- A dashboard showing portfolio KPIs at a glance
- Real-time, visual performance dashboards
- Drill-down functionality to asset-level insights
- Automated performance summaries and alerts
- Streamlined approval workflows
Senior / Executive Manager
Review investment performance and portfolio summaries to make strategic business decisions.
- Monitor overall portfolio performance
- Approve investment strategies and budgets
- Evaluate ROI, risks, and long-term projections
- Communicate insights to executives and investors
" I need insight, not spreadsheets. I want the data to tell the story instantly"
Frustrations:
- Information overload, reports are dense and hard to interpret
- No visual dashboards to simplify complex performance data.
- Lack of visual information presented in raw data form
- Requires manual consolidation from multiple reports
- No alerts or notifications for critical changes.
Needs:
- A dashboard visualizing data and KPI's
- Interactive dashboards with drill-down capabilities
- Automated reporting for management reviews
- Quick, intuitive navigation for high-level insights
Our Process
The
AgIS Tech Migration project adopts the
Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This approach guides the team through clearly defined phases from planning through deployment and maintenance. This method provides
clarity,
precision, and control, which are essential for migrating large-scale legacy systems, complex data, and multiple stakeholders.
System Flow
The AgIS Tech user flow outlines the end-to-end process that users follow when accessing and navigating through the platform and its integrated product dashboards: Sun Life Of Canada, Philippines Inc. (SLOCPI), Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. (SLAMCI), and Sun Life GREPA.
I break down the flow charts into the core system because the flow was heavy and full of sticky notes attached from team members' comments.
Profile
The Agent Master Records defines how users interact with the system to manage, view, and update agent-related information within the AgIS platform. The user flow for Agent Master Records and Agent List provides:
- A centralized process for accessing and maintaining agent information
- Efficient navigation between summarized agent listings and detailed profiles
- Secure, role-based control to ensure accurate, and real-time data management across the AgIS platform
High-level Design
The AgIS Tech is designed as a centralized, multi-system platform that integrates various organizational and partner modules, including Sun Life of Canada, Philippines Inc. (SLOCPI), Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. (SLAMCI), and Sun Life GREPA into a unified environment. The redesign focuses on enhancing usability, scalability, and visibility, enabling users to monitor, manage, and validate complex migration processes through an intuitive, data-driven interface.
Dashboard
The AgIS Tech Migration Dashboard redesign streamlines the migration process into a data-driven, user-focused operation.
- Consolidated dashboard shows all critical metrics in a single view
- Clean, modern interface aligned with Sun Life’s brand modernization
- Each integrated product showcases as a card view. Once tapped, it will generate the "My View" status and "My Performance" metrics
- Product cards will also serve as data records once selected
Improvement
- One-stop visibility
- Shorter learning curve for new users
- Higher productivity for operations teams
- Audit-ready transparency
Agent Master Record
This transformation significantly improved data quality, usability, governance, and end-to-end operational efficiency across Sun Life’s distribution management processes.
- A comprehensive view of each agent’s contractual information and team alignment.
- Editable fields accessible by authorized users.
- Automatic validation of dates and product references.
- Audit log of changes, displaying editor name and timestamp.
Improvement
- One-stop visibility
- Shorter learning curve for new users
- Higher productivity for operations teams
- Reduces dependency on manual reports
- Audit-ready transparency
Agent Record Listings
The Agent Listings functionality has been modernized into a web-based, dynamic listing interface that allows users to view, search, filter, and manage agent information efficiently.
- Enable quick access to detailed agent profiles and contract records.
- Improve data accuracy and visibility through centralized management.
- Streamline search, sorting, and filtering operations for large agent populations.
Production Metrics - Adjustments
The adjustment commission process underwent a complete systems redesign to improve performance, reduce manual intervention, and increase reporting accuracy across production environments.
- Enabled parallel processing and auto-scaling, eliminating bottlenecks during high-volume runs.
- New Adjustment Dashboard features predictive error suggestions, faster lookup, and self-service reconciliation.
- Simplified interface led to higher adoption and efficiency among commission analysts.
Production Metrics - Approvals
- Consolidated “single-view approval screen” reduces switching between modules.
- Streamlined UI and faster system response allow approvers to process more requests per day.
Improvement
- Approval time reduced significantly, enabling faster turnaround and higher throughput.
- Increased productivity and reduced backlog volume.
Bonus Overrides
The redesign focuses on transparency, automation, and scalability, ensuring that bonus and override calculations align seamlessly with Sun Life’s evolving business strategies and digital operations
- The redesign ensures hierarchy data is accurate and automated versus manual spreadsheets.
- Enhanced transparency: dashboards for uplines/downlines to view pending overrides, and the status
- All text fields, data tables, and interface are implemented using the Sun Life Helios Global branding
Over-All Project Summary
The AgIS Tech Migration Project marks a significant transformation initiative for Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc., elevating the Agent Information System into a modern, intuitive, and performance-driven digital workspace through a comprehensive cycle of research, discovery, an updated interface, data insights, and a more seamless user experience.
2+
Week's research and discovery
phase
1+
Week usability testing phase
319+
UI redesigned pages, iterated, and approved
278
Total design pages developed
60%
Design phase completion
2+
UX/UI Sr. Designers collaborated
Moving Forward
The journey doesn't end with the rebrand. We are committed to continuously enhancing the user experience, expanding self-service features, and keeping pace with evolving security needs. Future enhancements will focus on further simplifying the user journey, expanding integration capabilities, and providing more personalized tools for users to manage their MPF with ease. With these goals in mind, we aim to maintain leadership in the MPF sector and build long-lasting trust with our growing user base.