Overview
The platform was developed to meet the logistics department's needs with a focus on quickly delivering an MVP. The primary goal was to provide essential functionality to solve key business issues, rather than focusing on a visually perfect interface. We concentrated on streamlining dispatcher workflows and delivering a solution that could be iteratively improved.
Key features
Real-time courier tracking with timeline visualization and map integration.
Statistical analysis of delays, cancellations, and successful deliveries in dashboard format.
Order reassignment capabilities for couriers.
Courier scheduling and fleet management functionalities.
My Role
The team was relatively small, which provided me with a valuable opportunity as a designer to take the lead in creating the platform from concept to launch, ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders were fully addressed.
Designed the web interface from the ground up, aligning it with business goals.
Led continuous communication with department heads and dispatchers to iterate on core functional requirements.
Actively collaborated with front-end and back-end developers to ensure seamless integration.
Conducted design reviews in a test environment to address usability issues early on.
Presented solutions to the logistics department, gathering ongoing feedback for improvements.
Challenges and Solutions
⚡ Lack of a Technical Specification
The project had to be launched under tight deadlines, with little initial information. The focus was on providing a functional product rather than a polished visual design.
🤓 Solution
I initiated rapid meetings with key stakeholders to quickly define the core requirements and functional blocks for the MVP. We concentrated on delivering the most critical features, allowing dispatchers to begin using the product immediately, with further design improvements planned post-launch.
⚡ Business Process Updates
During development, the department was simultaneously optimizing its business processes, which meant that my design hypotheses could quickly become outdated.
🤓 Solution
I became involved in internal meetings of the logistics department to stay informed about process changes that impacted the product. This allowed me to adjust the design proactively, ensuring it remained relevant and effective as business needs evolved.
⚡ Third-Party Service Integration Issues
During pre-release testing, we discovered that the third-party service responsible for order distribution was skipping a significant number of orders, causing them to cluster at the delivery deadline. This compromised the timeline view, which dispatchers relied on heavily.
🤓 Solution
After researching industry solutions and finding no comparable examples, I developed two custom hypotheses tailored to the company's specific needs. I created prototypes based on these hypotheses and conducted user testing with dispatchers. Ultimately, we implemented the most effective solution, maintaining the familiar workflow while resolving the issue.
Outcome
The platform was successfully launched within a tight timeframe to meet the growing needs of the logistics department, specifically to optimize dispatcher workflows. We were able to improve operational efficiency by reducing delays by 20%. Communication between dispatchers and drivers also improved markedly, making day-to-day processes more coherent and efficient.
2024