Optimizing usability of global supply chain interfaces
I created a design system and led the redesign of critical supply chain interfaces that streamlined global operations for Universal Music, the biggest music company in the world.
Project goals
Create a global process for labels to submit releases into the digital supply chain
Establish a digital operations process for delivering releases to business partners
Redesign supply chain interfaces to cut costs and establish greater speed to market
My role
I led research, strategy, creation of a global design system and redesign of critical operations interfaces; working closely with a product manager in London, development team in Austria and stakeholders around the world.
Research
Assessing the ecosystem
When I first joined the project, I immersed myself in the existing interfaces and the day-to-day work of operations staff and stakeholders who use the supply chain systems.
What we inherited
Existing interfaces were overly complex, poorly organized and often did not adhere to basic design and usability best practices.
Field study and usability audit uncover costly deficiencies
As I observed people perform common tasks, it became clear they were engaging in elaborate and inefficient workarounds. This was a huge waste of time and money.
In addition to compiling notes of worker and stakeholder pain points and goals, I captured my own observations in a UX audit.
Design system
Establishing design consistency early
To stay organized and keep my workflow efficient, I started compiling reusable interface elements in my wireframes early.
My wireframe style guide evolved into a design system that was used by the tech team to build multiple interfaces, using common components as building blocks.
In addition to saving time and making collaboration more efficient, the design system ensured a consistent experience across the entire Universal Music global supply chain.
Design
Applying new design system to old interfaces
Interfaces that I redesigned included a content release dashboard, ordering portal for labels, reporting dashboard for decision makers and a business partner portal for managing 700+ UMG partners like Amazon, Spotify and Apple.
Optimizing for common workflows
Scanning, searching and filtering large sets of data was a common workflow in most operations interfaces I worked on. I optimized for these tasks, relying on common design elements where it made sense.
Using color intentionally
I introduced a status color code system that made scanning long lists and identifying items that need attention easier.
I added tooltip hover states for easy access to key information on the same screen.
And highlighted rows that need attention with a light background color.
Saving time with saved searches
Since people often needed to perform the same search periodically, I included an easy way to save and reuse a set of commonly used search parameters.
I included detailed notes that described all component behavior, relevant use cases and interactions.
Familiar e-commerce patterns for B2B ordering and reporting
UMerchant is a self-service shopping platform that allows UMG’s partners to place orders directly from the company's vast catalog. As I was designing this interface and a reporting hub, I noticed workflows that are similar to shopping online.
I introduced a panel that functions like a shopping cart and sticks to the bottom of the screen for easy access, giving the experience a familiar feeling.
Each business partner has product ordering rules and limits. To account for them, I ensured that selections update in real time and notifications set clear expectations.
Stakeholders appreciated the ease of generating reports with this approach.
Keeping users focused on their task
Release dashboard allows record labels to schedule releases, set up marketing campaigns, manage legal rights, adjust price settings and publish content. A key challenge was not cluttering this interface while accounting for specific business rules.
I worked with stakeholders and staff on elevating interface elements that help them complete key tasks like confirming release setting and identifying missing data.
I relied on progressive disclosure to keep secondary functions out of view but easy to find when they are needed.
An informative marketing timeline
To avoid costly mistakes, it was important that people who set marketing rules can see the effects of their actions in real-time. I designed a timeline that provides a visual reference for confirming detailed settings as they are being adjusted.
Custom controls for complex business rules
In cases where a standard UI component wasn't suitable, often the case with specific business rules, I created custom interface elements. They were usually a combination of existing components and eliminated extra steps.
In this example an album is not allowed to be published until the person responsible for confirming country setting confirms them.
Outcome
I worked closely with the tech team on building prototypes and testing the usability of the new interfaces with operations staff.
Test results and feedback were overwhelmingly positive. The prototypes evolved into the live versions of the system interfaces.
Universal Music decision makers were thrilled to have new ways of gaining insights through the redesigned reporting dashboard.
