Building the Supply Chain Management System for India
Challenge
Indian supply chain industry is complex and require specialized software to manage effectively. Our goal was to develop an in-house solution that makes supply chain management transparent, efficient, and error-free.
Outcome
We developed a mobile and web app for the supply chain ecosystem that is easy to use and has reduced revenue leakage and customer support calls by 70%.
My Role
I worked as a Researcher and UX Designer. UI Designs & Development was outsourced to another agency.
Basic Info
Client - Emiza Inc.
When - 2017-2018
Duration - 7 months
Platforms - Android App, Responsive Web App
My Role - Researcher, Product Designer
Emiza, Established in 2015, specializes in warehousing and order fulfillment for over 100+ Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) brands. It has 11 Warehouses across the country.
The Beginning
The project initiated after brief conversations with Ajay Rao (Founder) & Shrikant Jannu (CTO). Conversations quickly got deep. We learned a lot about the Indian Supply Chain Market Challenges, Last-mile deliveries, Warehousing, etc.
Main problems were
Unable to scale up due to manual operations
Existing US-Based software features were not enough
Human dependencies led to tons of errors
Poor visibility to Customer Support Team
Revenue loss due to malpractices
Poor acceptance for software solutions
Research Phase
I, along with my 2 colleagues, reached Emiza’s Delhi warehouse. The goal was to observe their operations, understand their workflows better, and get insights from real users.
We chose 5 key people from each user group for the User Interview. We created a plan, created questionnaires, and scheduled meetings.
Users in the Ecosystem -
GSP (Ground Staff Personnel)
Operations Staff
Warehouse and Regional Managers
Billing & Management team
Customer Support Team
Customers
User Interviews - With a plot twist
To better understand the needs of our users, we started with candid conversations with our Customer Support, Billing, and Management teams. They all expressed a strong desire for a transparent and easy-to-use system.
When we interviewed our GSPs and Operations staff, however, we encountered a different story. They were reluctant to answer our questions and insisted that the software would not be helpful. We later discovered that their lack of cooperation was due to a number of factors.
Contextual Inquiry - The Fun Ride
Despite the lack of helpful information from our user interviews with GSPs and Operations staff, we decided to shadow them for a whole week. The first day was awkward and uncomfortable, but as I began to appreciate their hard work in harsh conditions, things began to change.
I assured them that the software we were building would not affect their jobs, but rather reduce their workload. I also insisted on having lunch and snacks with them, and we quickly bonded over food. I enjoyed the delicious Delhi chat and sweets, as well, especially the jalebis, which were so sweet they made my teeth hurt.
By the end of the week, we had made tons of observations, captured moments while they were working, and gained valuable insights. And I had also learned a valuable lesson about the importance of jalebis in team building. 😉
Interviewing Billing and Management Team
Interviewing Business Analyst
GSP creating a Docket during Pickup
Marking consignment with codes
Gathering the insights
We came back to Pune after 2 weeks with a huge pile of data. We started analyzing all the recordings, observations, and photographs as per ‘User Groups.
We used a variety of different tools to achieve that. Creating Mind maps and Affinity mapping really helped us get to the core.
Using insights we redefined the problems to be solved 😅
A Small Pause
Stakeholders found all the research work and observations really fascinating. However, few insights completely toppled the budget allocations.
The need to build solutions on 2 platforms - Android and Web App.
Buying mobile devices for GSPs across all locations.
They needed to make budget provisions for that and take necessary approvals. Thus we paused work for a month and we resumed after budget allocations.
Quick Sketch that I created to Illustrate need of Multiple Platforms
Redefining problems
We redefined the problem statements after the research and started working on solutions.
I created concepts, wireframes, clickable Prototypes and conducted Usability Testing for all the platforms. Hi-Fi wireframes were handed over to another UI Design and Development agency.
Problem #1
Minimizing the fears of GSP’s and Operations Staff
GSPs and Operations staff had three main fears, which we addressed as follows
Fear 1 - Losing their jobs
We assured them that the system was designed to help them, not replace them. To prove this, we involved them in design validation. Once they realized the value of the system and that they had a say in its development, they began to cooperate.
Fear 2 - Being tracked and punished for their errors
This was a critical concern. We decided to add guided flows to prevent errors from happening in the first place. This made them feel in control of their work and reduced their anxiety.
Fear 3 - Losing extra income
The business wanted to prevent revenue leakage due to malpractices, but we solved this issue indirectly. We proposed gamification for GSPs and Operations staff, where they earn points for every action they take. We also declared that they would receive recognition and rewards for error-free pickup, deliveries, and planning. This was a win-win for both users and the business.
Problem #2
Reducing calls across all warehouses
Everyone was wasting time on status calls and chasing after information. What we needed was a way to make information flow seamlessly across all user groups.
I carefully created an end-to-end workflow and mapped information and notifications to each user group. This ensured that everyone had the information they needed, when they needed it, right on their dashboards.
This helped developers and business analysts build a robust notification system, which saved everyone a lot of time and frustration.
Problem #3
Reducing training period for GSP App
At Emiza, GSPs had a high turnover rate, so we needed to make sure our app was easy to learn and use, even for new employees.
I broke down all workflows into distinct steps with clear instructions and guidelines. This made it easy for new GSPs to understand the flows and prevent errors.
I also automated as much data entry as possible and made sure the app worked offline, so GSPs could continue working even in poor network conditions.
Problem #4
Preventing Malpractices by GSPs and Operations Staff
To prevent GSPs and Operations staff from shipping their own consignments using company resources, we implemented the following measures:
Carefully designed system checkpoints for tracking
This ensured that we could track all shipments and identify any discrepancies.
Used inexpensive plastic seals with barcodes
Used barcoded seals to lock truck doors for sensitive and expensive items. This made it more difficult for people to tamper with shipments without being detected.
Captured photos after pickup and verified them at the warehouse
This allowed us to verify that the correct items were being shipped and that they were in good condition.
Problem #5
Route Planning Optimization for Operations Staff
Route planning is a complex task with many factors to consider, such as consignment size, truck size, incoming trucks, delivery type, GSP availability, and more.
After five iterations, we solved this challenge by mapping the system to real-world workflows and automating workflows and suggestions using machine learning. This saved over 50% of their time.
Problem #6
Actionable insights for Regional Manager
I designed this screen with just the right amount of info which will help Regional Managers take action.
This screen has the most critical info -
Issues and possible SLA breaches
Contact numbers of handling person
Problem #7
Streamlined Payment Management
Thanks to digitization, the billing team can now easily predict which consignments will be delivered before the cut-off date and track overdue payments. This saves time to get consignment status updates.
This has freed up a significant amount of their time, allowing them to focus on more important tasks.
Problem #8
Simplify consignment tracking
The billing team generates payments for all the consignments delivered before the cut-off date. Because of digitization, it was easy to predict deliveries that are possible before the said date and track overdue payments. The billing team saved a ton of their time wasted on getting consignment status updates.
Business Impact
Digitizing all workflows instantly improved the Efficiency
Customer Support calls reduced by ~70%
Automation and Smart suggestions reduced operations cost due to maximum resource utilization
An unknown amount of revenue saved from malpractices
Transparency minimized the risk of losses for the customers
It gave a competitive edge to Emiza. Emiza became Airtel's fulfillment partner for India and distributed the Apple Bestseller ‘iPhone X’
“Uday and his team spent sufficient time understanding all the Workflow, Pain Points, Uncertainties of the unorganized Supply Chain Industry. They shared valuable insights after a week of User Research.
He seamlessly connected all touchpoints across Cloud App, Mobile App, and Shipment tracking websites. His carefully crafted solution was Tailor-made for our Business and fulfilled our Business Objectives. I recommend him for any UX design work and look forward to working with him in the future.”
— Ajay Rao, CEO, Emiza
Learning
Planning alternatives
Importance of planning multiple ways to achieve the target. We did Contextual Enquiry/User Shadowing when Interviewing didn’t work.
Solutions can be simple
Sometimes critical problems have simple solutions. Eg. Trackable Plastic Seals
Trust the process
Sticking to the process yields the best results. There are no shortcuts.
Challenging the comfort zone
I talked to users on the field for the first time. Worked and shared meals with Blue-collar workers for the first time. I learned a lot from them.