Pallet Pro
Redesigning the user experience of order packing in the warehouse
Product Designer
METRO Markets
2024
Reduction in packing time, increased throughput
Challenge
The existing Odoo platform was misaligned with METRO's specific warehouse needs. It presented a cluttered, inflexible interface with many options, contributing to frequent user errors and inefficiencies.
Understanding the Problem
Using contextual inquiry, I conducted multiple on-site user interviews & observations of various warehouse processes, including packing. By shadowing the users and performing tasks myself, I gained a deeper understanding of operational pain points and user-specific challenges.
User Archetypes
We identified two main archetypes for the warehouse packers:
Conscientious Follower: Prefers reading instructions and adhering to each step in the UI, ensuring compliance and accuracy.
JTBD Statement: “When packing orders, I need clear instructions and visual feedback so I can confidently complete each step without errors.”
Instinctive Doer: Relies heavily on prior training, often overlooking screen text in favor of familiar patterns.
JTBD Statement: “When packing products, I want minimal interference from the UI so I can quickly follow the steps I know by heart.”
Research Insights
Complex Workflow: The packing process involved multiple steps, adding to cognitive and physical demands.
Ergonomic Constraints: Limited space in packing areas restricted easy mouse and keyboard usage.
Barcode Quality: Poorly printed barcodes hampered scanning speed and accuracy.
Order Complexity: Different handling requirements for single- and multi-item orders led to additional steps.
Manual Carton Selection: Lack of automated carton suggestions forced users to make manual selections, slowing efficiency.
Product Details: Packers often referenced an external app for additional order information, suggesting a need for integrated data access within the app.
Designing the Solution
I started with drawing low-fidelity sketches and mapped out user flows for two design variants, focusing on optimising the visibility of items being packed.
The complete flows for both variants in medium-fidelity can be found in this Whimsical board.
I refined the design iteratively through Guerrilla testing within the UX team and warehouse country managers. Based on the feedback, I went ahead with Variant 2.
Following the finalization of variant 2, I proceeded with creating high-fidelity designs and an interactive prototype in Figma for warehouse testing implementation.
Testing the Solution
The first usability test round involved 5 warehouse packers using a Wizard of Oz.
We used a presentation pointer to simulate the scanning functionality. As soon as a user employed the barcode scanner, we pressed a button to advance to the next state.
Language Barrier in Testing: When testing the Pack App prototype in Germany, we faced a language challenge — three out of five participants spoke Russian, Ukrainian, or Arabic, with limited English/German skills. Fortunately, we found colleagues who translated for us after a quick briefing. This made participants comfortable and ensured the test went smoothly.
Key Findings
Product and Carton Scanning Preferences: 5 out of 5 users chose to scan the product first.
Button and Scanner Interaction: Mixed preferences revealed that some users found button interactions less error-prone, while others favored direct barcode scanning.
Product Images: All users were very happy to see product images, enhancing clarity and reducing the time needed to verify products.
Final Design Features
The final version of PackApp introduced a streamlined UI with specific enhancements for warehouse efficiency:
Orders Overview: List of orders ready for packing.
Order Details: Displays essential information such as item image, quantity, and carton type.
Quantity Selector: Bulk quantity selection for large quantity products.
Virtual Cartons: Ability to create and manage virtual cartons for complex orders.
Error Handling: Useful error messages and an option to unpack a carton.
Status of user actions: the description goes here
Barcode over buttons: Ability to trigger button clicks on barcode scans on the screen.
Key Takeaways
Prioritize Users' Mental Models:
We initially restructured the flow based on the desired business vision, but user feedback revealed a disconnect from their mental model, prompting a redesign.
Impact
When we began, there was no clear data/metrics to understand the packing process beyond the total number of daily orders in Odoo. To address this, we started recording the total time to pack different orders. This gave us a baseline to compare against the new metrics we developed for measuring performance and success.
By introducing these metrics, we could effectively track the impact of the new Pallet Pro app on packing efficiency and overall workflow improvements.
Reduced Packing Time:
Decreased time per order.Increased Throughput:
Faster processing times lead to higher daily throughput.Fewer Errors:
The revamped UI is designed to minimize common user errors.
Future Enhancements
Post-Launch Optimization:
With continuous feedback, we aim to refine the user experience to meet packer needs better.Iterative UX Improvements:
Future phases will introduce advanced features, aligned with user insights and METRO's roadmap.
This project reflects one of my proudest contributions at METRO Markets, achieved with the collaborative efforts of the product, tech, and UX teams. Thank you for exploring this journey through PackApp’s redesign!