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The supply chain isn’t typically a strong consideration when building a customer experience strategy. But at Nordstrom, the supply chain is a critical element of delivering quality customer experiences.
PROBLEM
The entire Nordstrom supply chain is creating a new digital system. Scheduling and Shipping is one that has been overlooked and remains in a manual process.
SOLUTION
I created a digital experience that transforms the manual data processes into an integrated online platform. This streamlined experience allows users to access and manage information more efficiently.
Working with a nimble team.
After learning about how the custom-built program and the process the analyst used, as the sole designer on the team, I worked closely with my project manager and developer team to create the Freight Scheduling System. This system utilize both back-end and front-end capabilities to created the optimal online experience.
Why now?
For decades, one transportation analyst managed Nordstrom's entire scheduling and shipping process using a system of emails, phone calls, Excel spreadsheets, and a custom built program within Microsoft Access.
Because their experience was crucial to the supply chain process, this manual approach lacked efficiency and scalability.
Below is a screenshot of the customized program.
Getting to know the analyst.
I spent 3 days observing the transportation analyst to understand the manual process.
The first 2 days revealed a complex web of emails, phone calls, and Excel spreadsheets involving cross-functional partners, which complicated shipping.
I was surprised to see the analyst access a custom program on another computer, then email the data to themselves to compile it into an Excel spreadsheet—a tedious scheduling method.
On the final day, I focused on identifying the analyst's needs for a more efficient digital experience.
Creating a plan.
Through careful analysis of the information from the transportation analysis, I worked with my project manager to create impactful MVP use case.
This use case was then presented to our business partner with the hope of securing the budget necessary to move forward with the online experience.
The design.
After finalizing the use case and considering the analyst's pain points and hesitation, I leveraged the Nordstrom design system to create a clean, black and white online experience. The low cognitive load was a win for our team.
Project Reflection.
Although our team dedicated itself to the Freight Scheduling and Shipping initiative, we ultimately weren't able to secure the necessary funding to make it real.
However, working alongside a passionate team, I gained deep insights into supply chain processes while tackling an online experience based not on existing datasets but on the knowledge of a single employee. Through persistence and ingenuity, we effectively transformed 30 years of expertise into a digital solution.