J O S E P H B R Y A N ( H E / H I M / H I S )
Wayfair - Product Life Cycle
A B O U T
Align with demand, optimize costs, boost efficiency, and drive business growth
When I joined Wayfair, there was a noticeable absence of a coherent process or tools for inventory management. Recognizing the need, the company opted to craft solutions in-house. I was onboarded to help spearhead this transformation. My responsibilities spanned from streamlining the journey of inventory as it arrived at the store and was placed on shelves, to optimizing the sales process. Moreover, a significant part of my role involved designing systems to meticulously track inventory levels in real-time, ensuring accurate stock counts and timely replenishments, and creating exit strategies for items that didn't move as anticipated.
R O L E
My Role: Lead Product Designer
Tools: Figma, Miro, AirTable
Skills: ADA, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Prototyping, Storytelling, UI and UX Principles, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Design System, Workshops, Presentations
Platforms: Android, Zebra Devices, Apple, iPads
T H E P R O B L E M
Streamlining
Inventory
With new stores set to open soon, we urgently needed to focus on the most important inventory tasks. We looked into how we managed our online inventory to see what methods we could use in-store and figure out what tasks might need hands-on attention. The goal was to smoothly adapt our current systems for the upcoming store launches.
Skills: System Analysis, Information Architecture, User Feedback Analysis, User Interviews, Vision Work Shops, Concepting
People
Problems*
As a new user, the app's interface and functionality are not intuitive, leading to confusion and a steeper learning curve to effectively manage inventory.
As a store associate, the numerous steps required for inventory adjustments make the process tedious and time-consuming
The complexity of making inventory adjustments in the app reduces my confidence in ensuring accurate stock counts
*Drawing from insights shared by users using our fulfillment centers inventory tools
Business
Problems
The inventory management tools need to integrate with upstream merchandising tools and downstream fulfillment centers, creating inefficiencies and potential bottlenecks in the supply chain.
Without tech solutions in place for our first store opening, we risk operational disruptions, affecting both customer experience and sales performance.
The use of shared devices necessitates the provision of private, user-specific experiences to maintain confidentiality and individuality.
D I S C O V E R Y
The Level of Work
We sought to delve deeper into Wayfair's existing procedures and the inventory management strategies of our fulfillment centers. Our goal was to identify and adapt elements that could be integrated into our store processes. Additionally, by visiting stores, we gained insights into practical inventory management, such as their systems for location labeling and methods for tagging items with multiple components, like sectional couches.
Restock app for Fulfillment Centers (they have their own unique design system separate from Wayfair). Not my design.
How Ikea uses signage to clearly mark their Back of House aisles.
C O N T E X T
BoH vs FoH
The "Back of House" (BoH) and "Front of House" (FoH) represent distinct yet interconnected zones of a retail environment. BoH, hidden from customers, is the operational heart where inventory is managed, products are received and stored, and preparations for sales are made. It ensures that the right products are available and ready for display or sale. The FoH, on the other hand, is where these preparations come to life: products are displayed, customers engage with items and staff, and purchases are made. While they have different functions, their synchronization is crucial. An efficient BoH ensures that the sales floor remains stocked, organized, and ready to meet customer needs, resulting in a seamless shopping experience.
T H E S T A G E S
Managing Inventory
The end-to-end Back of House inventory process consists of four crucial stages: initially receiving and sorting the inventory; then storing it via putaway and stock out; followed by reconciliation and management; and finally, replenishment and fulfillment, ensuring products reach the sales floor and customers efficiently.
A process diagram illustrating the journey of a product from its receipt to its placement on the shelf. (created images in Midjourney)
E X E C U T I O N
Find the Patterns
In essence, the movement of products in a retail environment, whether it's for BOPIS orders, restocking, or other processes, consistently follows a journey from point A to point B. Regardless of the specific task, the underlying principle remains: products have an original location (point A) and a final destination (point B). By understanding and optimizing these starting and ending points across various tasks, the process becomes more efficient, ensuring items consistently reach their intended locations in the most effective manner
In the context of BOPIS, point A is the storage area in the Back of House, and point B is the customer's hands at the designated pickup point.
For restocking, point A might be a bin in the storage room while point B is a specific shelf or display on the sales floor.
The components that make up a move
The different type of product moves
T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y
Inventory Audit
Working closely with the store ops team, we're tuned into in-store processes and user needs. For every store launch, an initial audit ensures inventory accuracy. This count is then repeated quarterly to maintain accuracy and prevent shrinkage. While the initial belief was that store associates could manage counts without tech, the two-day count for the first store proved otherwise. Recognizing the challenge, we quickly developed an app to streamline the counting process by segmenting store locations.
Track which sections have been counted, identify who accounted for them, and see remaining sections yet to be tallied.
Simply scan the store section you're in and begin scanning individual items.
We recognized the store's need to distinguish between Back of House and Front of House during audits. So, we developed a feature allowing them to easily tab between the two areas.
Adopted a uniform naming convention for store areas to enhance user familiarity and ease of learning
After the count is completed, we display a summary highlighting inventory discrepancies along with their financial implications, enabling managers to further investigate.
R E S U L T S
The inaugural audit spanned two days, emphasizing the need for enhanced time efficiency. As we approached the audit for the second store, not only were we aiming for significant improvements, but it was also the first instance where users interacted with our app. The outcome? The results were exceptional.
The Audit
I T E M S C O U N T E D
5,425
Remarkably, this was achieved with minimal issues and without necessitating any preliminary training for the users.
Problem Solved: “As a new user, the app's interface and functionality are not intuitive, leading to confusion and a steeper learning curve to effectively manage inventory.”
A C C U R A C Y
90.73%
Achieving over 90% accuracy after the initial count was truly impressive, especially considering it was the first audit for a new store that had not previously monitored its inventory.
Problem Solved: “The complexity of making inventory adjustments in the app reduces my confidence in ensuring accurate stock counts”
R E D U C E D T I M E
63%
With fewer people involved, we completed the count in just a few hours, significantly reducing the time traditionally required for such a task.
Problem Solved: “As a store associate, the numerous steps required for inventory adjustments make the process tedious and time-consuming.”
T H E T E A M
Fully Remote Cross-Functional
In our collaborative environment, I took the lead role in steering the inventory experience. Within a diverse cross-functional team, I worked hand-in-hand with members from product, engineering and operations. Together, we harmonized our expertise to ensure that the inventory systems and procedures were both innovative and operationally efficient.
It's been great having you on the team! You have such a great vision for an intuitive and beautiful associate-facing experience and it's exciting watching it come together!
— Jess Demarest Content Writer
C O N T A C T M E
Let’s Chat.
I’m always open to discussing design, sharing insights, exploring collaboration opportunities, or just having a friendly chat about anything creative! Feel free to reach out.