Project Summary

Scalable Modular Platform for Asset, Warehouse, and Production Management

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My Role & Responsibilities

• Product Ownership & Project Management:
  Led full-cycle project execution, including goal definition, timeline management, and deliverable oversight to drive value delivery and team alignment. Defined and communicated the Product Goal to ensure clear vision and purpose, developed and refined Product Backlog items to represent prioritized features and requirements, and maintained Product Backlog transparency for optimized team collaboration. Proactively ensured all stakeholders had visibility into the backlog and an understanding of project priorities to support informed, iterative progress toward our goals.
• UX Research & Design:
  Conducted user research, designed wireframes, prototypes, and information architecture. Responsible for responsive design, usability studies, and iteration cycles.

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Challenges

1. Disconnected Systems:
   Traditional WMS and MES platforms often operate in silos, causing inefficiencies and user frustration.
2. Non-User-Centered Design:
   Many existing systems lack a user-friendly interface, impacting accessibility and worker satisfaction.
3. Lack of Scalability:
   Existing systems are often rigid, making it difficult to integrate with other enterprise platforms.

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Objective:

Design, build, test, and iterate a highly functional, scalable, and user-friendly Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) within 9 months for a core client in the food production industry. The platform aimed to improve on-site operations while providing managers with detailed performance insights.

The Solution

• Design a modular, scalable platform that integrate WMS and MES functionalities, ensuring smooth communication between systems.
• Focused on creating an intuitive, user-centered interface that enhanced accessibility for all users, from factory workers to managers.
• Developed a framework that could easily connect with the company’s other platforms, ensuring future scalability.

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The Team

• Team Composition:
  Collaborated with 2 Front-End Developers, 2 Full-Stack Developers, and the CEO.
• Tools:
  Jira was used as the primary project management tool.

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Core Client

The project was co-sponsored by a major food production company that required a custom solution. While the system was tailored to their needs, it was designed with flexibility in mind to adapt to other industries in the future.

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Project Initiation

The project kicked off with a 3.5-week discovery phase. During this period:

• Stakeholder Interviews:
  Conducted to gather insights into the business needs and operational challenges.
• User Personas:
  Developed provisional personas to represent diverse user roles and needs.
• Competitive Audit:
  Analyzed both direct and indirect competitors to identify common features and industry standards.
• Strategic Concepts:
  Based on the research, high-level goals, OKRs, scope, success criteria, and resource requirements were defined.

Define

I focused on establishing the platform’s Information Architecture and defining the hierarchy of content for various modules. We explored multiple design variations to ensure optimal usability. Throughout the project, we used an iterative design approach, continuously testing and refining the system based on user feedback and usability studies.

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IA Work

Planning

Once the information architecture was finalized and approved by stakeholders, I developed a comprehensive plan in agile methodology and began delegating tasks. Agile is a highly collaborative approach suited for very complex and competitive projects such as this one. I divided the project into four key milestones, each representing a modular component that could function independently:

1. Asset Management: Developing the index database for tracking assets efficiently.
2. WMS + Production (MVP): Building the core Warehouse Management and Production system tailored to our client's immediate needs.
3. Scalable Network: Optimizing the network architecture to ensure scalability and performance.
4. API Integration: Introducing APIs to allow seamless integration with other platforms and tools.

Using the insights gathered during the discovery phase, I created a detailed timeline and roadmap to guide the team through each milestone. For visual clarity and collaborative planning, I utilized FigJam to develop the project roadmap, ensuring alignment across all stakeholders and teams.

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Process Mapping

Given the complexity of the project, it was essential to provide the team with a clear understanding of the intricate warehouse operations and terminology. To achieve this, I created detailed process maps that visually outlined each step and workflow occurring in the warehouses. These diagrams served as a reference point for all team members, ensuring that everyone had a consistent understanding of the operational processes and their interdependencies. This approach helped streamline communication, prevent misunderstandings, and keep the project on track.

Design

From the outset, it was clear that the system would be vast, based on the information architecture and mapped processes. To manage this complexity, I created a comprehensive design system and developed the necessary views in Figma. The project was divided into individual deliverables, each represented by specific pages within Figma for better organization and clarity.

To facilitate smooth collaboration between design and development, we implemented a color-coded system within Figma to track design progress:

• Yellow: Views requiring iteration or corrections, with links to corresponding Jira tasks.
• Green: Finalized views that were ready for development, indicating no further changes.
• Red: Suspended or Canceled

This approach allowed developers to easily navigate the Figma files while staying aligned with updates in Jira. It also helped streamline communication, ensuring that everyone was aware of which designs were complete and which needed attention.

Here are a few examples of the views I created.

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Execution

Through thorough preparation and a focus on clear, actionable instructions, we successfully delivered the project on time and within budget. I prioritized agile practices by delegating tasks effectively, leading frequent stakeholder alignment meetings, and conducting iterative user testing to validate usability and ensure stakeholder alignment at each sprint.

While scope creep emerged in the WMS module, our sprint buffer and proactive backlog refinement allowed us to stay adaptive. By leveraging built-in buffer time, we managed the expanded scope without compromising quality, ultimately delivering the project on schedule and meeting all acceptance criteria.

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Outcome

The platform successfully integrated WMS and MES functionalities, provided real-time insights, and significantly improved operational efficiency. It also allowed for future scalability and integration with other platforms.

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MVP Launch

The Savannah platform was launched internally to our core client on October 18th. Savannah will be open to public in November. Upon going public I will upload a walk through video.

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Takeaways

1. Risk Management is Key:
   Effective risk management becomes much easier once the project scope is clearly defined. Collaborating closely with senior developers to continuously assess the timeline and potential risks is crucial for keeping the project on track.
2. Beyond Tools Like Jira:
   A great project manager doesn't solely rely on organizational tools like Jira to ensure the team understands project progress. Clear communication, regular updates, and fostering team motivation are equally important to drive success.
3. The Power of Clear Milestones:
   Well-defined project milestones not only help maintain organization but also keep the team motivated. Clear objectives create a sense of progress and achievement, which boosts morale and keeps everyone aligned toward the end goal.

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Implemented technologies & tools

Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Canva, Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, InDesign, DaVinci Resolve, Mirro, Optimal Workshop, Zoom, HTML, CSS, SQL, Linux, Apach, Wordpress.

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Implemented skills

Team building, team management, wireframing, prototyping, graphic design, motion graphics, user testing, ux research, interaction design, user-centered design, usability testing, user interface design, user experience, information architecture, responsive web design, CSS, HTML, accessible design, responsive web design, leadership, team building, team management, problem-solving.

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