VENDOR ORDERING
Redesigned in-store vendor ordering for 5,000+ associates, reducing errors and saving 52,000+ labor hours annually.
project OVERVIEW
Role: Lead Product Designer — workflow design, interaction design, and final UI.
Team: PM, 2 Engineers, Ops
Timeline: 6 months
Platform: Mobile web (in-store retail)
Users: 5,000+ associates
Constraints: Limited engineering bandwidth
Problem
System lag significantly slowed order creation
Slow system performance led vendors to skip validation steps, resulting in inaccurate orders
Managers lacked real-time order visibility
Mobile usability was poor
Goals
Reduce order errors through in-context validation
Decrease order creation time
Improve mobile usability
Increase adoption among new users
Discovery
Led discovery across three high-volume stores, conducting four in-store contextual interviews, additional virtual interviews, and an enterprise-wide survey to uncover edge cases and alternative workflows.
Research
Analyzed enterprise usage data
Conducted contextual interviews across three stores
Surveyed associates to uncover alternative workflows
Audited legacy ordering systems
Key Insights
Creating orders required switching between the ordering system and the inventory system, increasing cognitive load
Slow system performance pushed vendors to prioritize speed over validation, increasing errors
Key ordering data was spread across multiple systems, slowing decision-making during order creation
Result: Explored a stand-alone ordering tool to simplify workflows under tight timelines.
Ideation
Explored multiple approaches before committing to a scalable ordering model.
OPTION: A EVLOVE THE LEGACY PATTERN
Changes
Embedded ordering flow within current inventory system
Page-by-page step progression
Reused familiar navigation patterns
Benefits
Lower cognitive load for store associates
Mobile-friendly interaction model
Leverages existing product context
Tradeoffs
Slower for high-volume vendors
Higher engineering effort to integrate with legacy system
Constrained by existing architecture
OPTION B: Redesign Product Card
Changes
Dedicated ordering interface
Spreadsheet-style bulk entry
Optimized for high-volume workflows
Benefits
Faster for experienced vendors
Streamlined bulk entry
Independent evolution from legacy system
Tradeoffs
Higher risk of input errors
Increased cognitive load for infrequent users
Introduces new tool into ecosystem
DECISION
We selected a stand-alone ordering tool to support bulk entry and high-volume workflows. While the initial concept drew on familiar ordering patterns (like “add to cart” flows), it limited speed and flexibility for experienced vendors.
I designed a line-item ordering interface aligned with real ordering behavior and allowed the solution to be built as a reusable component rather than embedded in the legacy inventory system.
Flows
To ensure the solution supported real-world store operations, I mapped end-to-end flows across primary and edge use cases and designed the workflow supporting order creation, validation, and submission.
BEFORE
Slow sign-in and authentication
Required app-switching to gather order information
Saved orders were difficult to find
Delays when adding SKUs to orders
No confirmation or submission verification
after
Single-entry application reduced login friction
Clear entry paths to start new or existing orders
Consolidated ordering, validation, and submission within a single system
Clear order confirmation
Order history for tracking and validation
REDESIGNED WORKFLOW
Shipped Product
A streamlined mobile ordering experience that centralizes critical data, reduces errors, and accelerates vendor workflow.
order list page
Enables rapid SKU entry through scanning
Consolidates all critical ordering data within a single SKU card
Automatically calculates Weeks of Supply (WOS) to guide quantity decisions
Uses sorting to quickly surface low, missing, or sufficiently stocked items
Clearly indicates whether the minimum order requirement has been met
key outcome
Centralizes essential ordering information on one screen, accelerating workflow and eliminating app switching.
review order
Summarizes key order details to ensure accuracy prior to submission
Condenses SKU cards to improve scannability for long order lists
Surfaces essential information such as total weight and estimated arrival to increase ordering confidence
key outcome
Facilitates fast, confident order verification with clear visibility into shipment timing.
Saved orders
Leverages suggested orders to streamline creation and modification of existing orders
Preserves in-progress orders for seamless continuation
Enables vendor-level filtering to simplify multi-vendor management
key outcome
Provides continuity across active and historical orders, improving shipment tracking and workflow efficiency.
COLLABORATION
Worked daily with engineering during implementation
Conducted usability checks during build
Adjusted flows based on technical constraints
Rollout
Planned Phased rollout by store/region
Championed further enhancements
Coordinated with Vendor teams
Outcomes & Impact
52,000
Hours Saved
Validated usability improvements between baseline and production-ready experience.
Order Accuracy
Vendors reported fewer mistakes, faster workflows, fewer screens, and clearer steps.
Faster Adoption
Reduced training time with clearer workflows and consistent design patterns.
