Building Sadad's Merchant Onboarding Engine
As the lead Product Manager, I built a fully digital onboarding ecosystem from the ground up, transforming a slow, manual process into a key driver of business growth.
95%
Reduction in Activation Time
+66%
Increase in Conversion Rate
73%
Reduction in Operational Cost
The Challenge & My Role
Our mission was to dismantle a slow, paper-based system that was hindering growth and replace it with a scalable, world-class digital experience.
From Bottleneck to Competitive Advantage
Before this project, onboarding a merchant was a high-friction process involving manual paperwork, in-person visits, and long, unpredictable wait times. This frustrated merchants and made it impossible for Sadad to scale.
The challenge was to completely reimagine this journey, creating a seamless, self-serve system that was both secure and incredibly fast.
My Responsibilities
- Defined the end-to-end product vision, strategy, and roadmap.
- Led user research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder workshops.
- Authored detailed PRDs and user stories for a team of 10+.
- Facilitated all agile ceremonies and managed the product backlog.
- Established and tracked all key success metrics (KPIs).
A Three-Part Onboarding Ecosystem
We built three interconnected products that work in harmony to deliver a seamless experience for merchants and unparalleled efficiency for our internal teams.
1. The Merchant App
The self-serve, mobile-first journey that empowers business owners to get started in minutes.
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Dynamic & Adaptive Forms: The app intelligently tailors questions and document requests based on the merchant's business type.
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In-App Document Scanning: Merchants can easily upload documents, with the app providing real-time feedback on image quality to reduce rejections.
2. The Verification Panel
The internal command center that empowers our operations team to review and approve applications with speed and accuracy.
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Automated Data Extraction: Utilizes OCR to pull key information from documents, minimizing manual data entry and human error.
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Streamlined Review Workflow: A clear, role-based system allows Verifiers to review applications and Risk Officers to grant final approval in a few clicks.
3. The Admin Panel
The flexible control center that allows the business to adapt to market changes without needing new code.
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Dynamic Business Rules: Admins can easily configure which documents are required for different business types, ensuring compliance.
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Content & Service Management: Allows non-technical users to update FAQs, marketing content, and manage service offerings.
Transforming Growth: The Results
The new onboarding system didn't just improve a process; it fundamentally changed how Sadad acquires and activates merchants, delivering measurable impact across the board.
Activation Time
< 24 Hours
from 1-2 Weeks
Conversion Rate
75%
from ~45%
"Need Action" Rate
25%
from 60%
Satisfaction
4.6/5
from N/A
Lessons in Product Leadership
1. Deep Collaboration is Non-Negotiable
Working hand-in-hand with Risk and Compliance from day one was the single most critical factor for success. Their expertise, translated into product features, created a system that was both user-friendly and secure.
2. The Internal User is as Important as the External One
A great merchant-facing app would have failed if our internal teams were still bogged down. Investing in the Verification Panel's UX was key to unlocking true end-to-end speed and efficiency.
3. Launch is Just the Beginning
The biggest wins came from iteratively enhancing the product based on post-launch data and user feedback. A product roadmap that extends beyond the initial launch is essential for driving long-term value and staying ahead of the competition.