Case study for AllocateIT
Tracking shipping containers around the world
Skills used
AllocateIt: A feasibility case study in UX/UI design and supply chain innovation
This case study outlines the AllocateIt project, conducted at an Australian furniture design company. The objective was to explore the viability of streamlining supply chain management through a semi-automated SaaS (Software as a Service) platform.
The AllocateIt project aimed to develop a standalone web application with specific functionalities:
- Integration with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify.
- Automation of stock allocation at various stages of the supply chain.
Although never implemented, the project serves as a comprehensive case study in UX/UI design and product management.
Final clickable demo
A clickable hi-fi prototype of AllocateIt: navigate the dashboard, stock, container and contacts screens, then allocate stock and watch the numbers update.
Case studies usually save the final product for the end. Flipping that order, leading with the live, interactive UI, then unpacking the process behind it. As a feasibility study, this clickable prototype was itself the end product, so it earns the spotlight up front rather than the footnote at the bottom.
UX research
The research phase commenced with qualitative studies to understand the interactions among customers, salespersons, warehouse staff, and factory workers along the supply chain. It became apparent that salespersons often custom-ordered products without considering available stock, either in the warehouse or en route from the overseas factory.
Diaries maintained by the sales team revealed that their reluctance to allocate existing stock stemmed from uncertainty about its availability and ownership. Thus, a significant gap was identified: the inability to allocate stock items during shipping.
Problem definition
From the research data, the problem was articulated as follows: How can a SaaS product instil confidence in salespersons to allocate items effectively, thereby improving delivery times for customers and enhancing organisational profitability?
UX/UI design methodology
The design strategy was deeply entrenched in established methodologies. Utilising customer journey maps and workflow diagrams created during the UX research phase, an intuitive and user-centric dashboard was designed. This approach translated the complexities of supply chain management into user-friendly interfaces, enhancing the user experience.
Project management and leadership
The project lead's responsibilities extended beyond UX/UI design to encompass product management, coordinating the entire project lifecycle, including market research, planning, and iterative testing. The objective was to evaluate how AllocateIt could address real-world challenges in supply chain management.
Exploratory value and feasibility assessment
Even though AllocateIt was not launched, it served as an instructive feasibility study. The project demonstrated the utility of UX design methodologies in providing a user-centric approach to complex systems like supply chain management. It also offered invaluable insights into the feasibility of automated allocation processes within this industry.
Wireframe explorations
Figma emerged as the optimal tool for this project, owing to its robust features that facilitate quick iterative design and collaboration. This tool enabled the exploration of different design frameworks and a smooth transition from wireframes to functional prototypes.
Before settling on a visual language, several low-fidelity dashboard layouts were sketched to test how much of the supply chain a single screen could carry without overwhelming the salesperson. Each exploration organised the same data around a different priority: a hero-map layout that foregrounds live container tracking, a denser side-rail split that trades the map for at-a-glance stock and production tables, and a tables-first variant driven by a command palette for power users. Measuring each against the core task of confidently allocating stock at any point in the supply chain pointed towards the hero-map direction, which keeps container status front and centre while still surfacing the production and warehouse figures needed to make a decision.
Early low-fidelity dashboard explorations: a hero-map layout, a denser side-rail split, and a tables-first command-palette variant.
Conclusion
AllocateIt serves as a paradigm that fuses UX/UI design principles with practical solutions to complex supply chain issues. It illustrates the potential of feasibility studies to shed light on innovative and optimisation possibilities within industry-specific challenges. This case study specifically highlights capabilities in UX/UI design, technical expertise with tools such as Figma, and competence in product management.