Packing orders like a pro
Pallet Pro is a warehouse management app designed to help logistics pack orders and manage shipments. Despite its robust features, users reported difficulties navigating the old Odoo interface and completing tasks efficiently, leading to decreased productivity. Our goal was to enhance the packing efficiency through targeted UX/UI improvements, streamlining workflows to save time, reduce errors, and boost operational efficiency for warehouse staff.
METRO Markets
UX Designer
E-commerce
Warehouse Country
Managers
6 months
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.
Results
The redesigned app features a clean, clutter-free interface, making it easier for users to pack orders without switching between input devices.
The improved packing process resulted in a 24% improvement in average packing time for all 6 warehouses.
+24%
Average packing time
per order
+18%
Orders packed per hour
99.2%
Packing accuracy
Understanding the Problem
Using contextual inquiry, I conducted multiple on-site user interviews & user observations of packing process. 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.
Instinctive Doer: Relies heavily on prior training, often overlooking screen text in favor of familiar patterns.
Research Insights
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.
Variant 1 featured two sections: left side contained products to be packed. Products moved to right section when scanned.
Variant 2 proposed a catalog styled page where user can see the bigger product pictures and product quantity on the header.
The complete flows for both variants in medium-fidelity can be found in this Whimsical board.
I refined the design iteratively through guerrilla testing with 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.
Key Findings
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.
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 progress stepper shows the current step along with micro-animations.
Barcode over buttons: As user mostly used barcode scanners, the needs to switch between mouse/keyboard and device was reduced by embedding barcode next to buttons.
Key Takeaway
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.
Average packing time per order
Orders packed per hour
Packing accuracy
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!