GEEK SQUAD - SHIPPING & RECEIVING
Modernize multiple legacy applications while streamlining and improving processes.
Overall Project Goals
Background
Geek Squad, owned by Best Buy, services millions of customer devices and open box devices annually. It operates in three main types of service locations: Best Buy Stores, Depots, and Geek Squad City, each using different and outdated applications from the early 2000s without a standard process.
The project goal is to replace all these applications with one new, user-friendly application that requires minimal training and saves time. The implementation needs to be completed as soon as possible, leaving little time for user tests.
Problem & Goals
We needed a system to ship and receive units between these different service and intake locations. Additionally, devices need to be categorized for inventory management, enabling tracking throughout the repair process. The initial focus is on Geek Squad City, which handles 2,000 to 10,000 units daily for both receiving and shipping. This user experience should also be applicable to local stores, which only handle a few units each day.
Solution
After analyzing the workflows, we identified opportunities to eliminate redundancies and accelerate the physical process. Additionally, I streamlined the interaction between the mouse and scan gun, reducing the number of steps employees need to shuffle between. What previously required around 11 interactions now only takes 3, significantly enhancing efficiency.
Responsibilities
As the Design Lead for this area of the project, I spearhead the creation of user and task flows. I conduct thorough research to understand the tasks and identify pain points of each employee involved with the product across various locations and steps. I collaborated with Product and Operations teams to brainstorm ways to improve the process. Rapidly prototyping new flows and presenting them to stakeholders for approval across multiple organizations. I develop multiple interaction patterns to refine the scanning method and then create final comps, documentation, and prototypes for each user story in this agile process. Additionally, I develop new design patterns and components for our internal design system by working closely with the system lead.
What I loved about this project was examining everything: their location, input devices (mouse, scan gun, handheld Android scanners), distance from the monitor, paper and labels they scan, conveyor belt stations, physical actions, and application interactions.
Opportunity 1
Can we streamline the physical task flow to make receiving thousands of items daily easier and faster?
Current Physical Task Flow
We needed to thoroughly understand all aspects of each employee's role throughout the process—both their physical interactions with the environment and their interactions with the system. Below is a high-level overview of the workflow.
SCAN STATION #1
Receive & Print Paperwork
With items on trays they make their way to the first set of scanning stations. The two tasks they do is scan the item to recive it to their inventory and to print paperwork so they have a bar code to scan, to make it easier for them as it moves through the warehouse to different areas to be serviced.
Continue to Scan Station #2
With items placed on trays, they are transported to the first set of scanning stations. At these stations, two tasks are performed: scanning the item to log it into inventory and printing the required paperwork. This paperwork, referred to as a 'Traveler,' provides a barcode that is easier to scan as the item moves through the warehouse for servicing
SCAN STATION #2
Assign (Bin) to Transit Cart
The device makes it way by conveyor belt to station two. Here they bin the devices to a Transit Cart.
Solution 1
Move printing the Traveler to the intake location and not at Geek Squad City
The New Flow (Printing a Traveler)
Through analysis, it was determined that the printout of the Traveler step could be moved to the Best Buy store. They already print several items (labels, customer and Best Buy copies of the work order) when the work order is finalized, so adding one more would not significantly increase the workload. This gives Geek Squad City to opportunity to get rid of a scan station if they choose to since the Traveler will/should be in the box with the device.
New Traveler Design
I took the opportunity to redesign the Traveler, not only to address current needs but also to provide crucial information to employees during packing or unpacking. This ensures they can identify the accessories belonging to each device and note any damage, even without access to a monitor.
Printing the Traveler from Work Order Creation
Since the printing of the Traveler was moved to local Best Buy stores, we needed a way to facilitate its printing and notify the agent to ship the device.
Print Traveler
There was already a step during the Finalization of the Work Order where multiple collaterals were printed out.
Added the Traveler to be printed at this step
Therefore, not a burden for the employee
Shipping Module Created for the Intake Wizard
A Shipping module was developed to guide the agent on the destination for each shipment. (In line with our design pattern, the bottom module serves as the active step for the agent to complete.)
The module includes a reminder to pack the Traveler with the device, as this was new to their workflow.
The next action button (“Continue in Shipping”) where they create and print a UPS shipping label.
OPPORTUNITY 2
Streamline the scanning interaction process and minimize the number of times an item is handled
SCAN STATION #1
Legacy Receive Interaction
The current interaction for the employee involves multiple steps, including switching between the scan gun and mouse. One key interaction is that an item is not received upon scanning; the save button needs to be pressed. Additionally, the Traveler needs to be printed, which was removed in solution one.
SCAN STATION #2
Legacy Assign to Cart Interaction
The process of scanning all items on a Transit cart, followed by scanning the bin number, is cumbersome due to the frequent switching between the scan gun and the mouse. In this task alone, users switch between input devices at least four times.
Solution 2
The system will receive the item and assign its bin, with one scan.
Previously, these tasks were performed separately at two different stations. Now, they are completed simultaneously at a single station.
Receiving and assigning a bin took 9 interactions, it now it takes 3.
Android Handheld Scanners
At Geek Squad City they mostly use Scan Guns, but at other locations they use handheld Android mobile scanners (TC-52). So, I needed to create a mobile version. Figma Prototype
Other Solutions
Receiving Dashboard
A Receiving Dashboard was created to assist in resource allocation and provide quick access to all receiving tasks. These features were not available to them previously.
All scanning actions are consolidated on the left side of the screen, including an option to print a missing Traveler.
Components were created to display the number of items arriving today and tomorrow, enabling better resource allocation.
Additionally, a feature was added to view remaining items to be received and items that are past due. Previously, it could take weeks to identify missing items.
Print Traveler
Naturally, we needed a solution to print a missing Traveler in cases where it was mistakenly not shipped with the device, or simply to allow for reprinting.
Waiting for Scan
I created the “scan card” component to work for all scanning scenarios and just leveraged it for printing the Traveler.
Item Scanned
I aimed to develop a list of Travelers to print with a single button press; however, the product team had reservations. They expressed concerns that employees might lose track of which traveler corresponds to each device. Even though employees can just let the Travelers stack up at the printer anyways. This is an aspect we will revisit after the initial release.
Shipping
A process was created to obtain a UPS tracking number and generate a shipping label with a simple scan. Additionally, a 'Scan Card' was designed to accommodate all scan mode behaviors, allowing Engineering to implement it as a single, reusable component
Shipping Dashboard
Created a Shipments section for all things shipping and receiving
Created a Dashboard for the shipping and receiving sections, that would leverage the same components
All scanning actions are on the left side of the screen.
Ship and Print Label - Scan
Reused the “Scan Card” I created to for scanning functions just wider
Print Shipping Label
Once the Work Order number is scanned, only the essential shipping information is displayed.
To maintain the "Scan Card” component I implemented, additional details about the item are included in a new component below.
Aging Shipments
A dedicated section was created to track aging incoming and outgoing items.
This functionality did not exist previously, and identifying issues could take weeks.
To streamline the process, UPS tracking data was integrated directly into the system, eliminating the need for employees to visit the UPS site to investigate problems.
The Design Process
Research / Discovery
Interviewed Product Managers, Business, Operations, GSC Managers, and employees
Task and User Flows
Visited Depot to observe receiving in action
Current Flow
Proposed new flows
Storyboards, wireframes, rapid prototypes
Multiple rounds of review and refinement with Product and GSC Manager
Refine, Test, Refine
Explored different scanning interaction models
Quickly, reviewed prototypes with stakeholders and broader team and refined
Final Comps, Prototypes, and Bux Fixes
Documented interactions and link to user stories
Link prototypes for each user story and epic
Held engineering to high standard
An Idea that I Loved!
To put barcodes on the screen for actions or choices, reducing the need for employees to switch between the scan gun and the mouse hundreds or even thousands of times a day.
Pain Point
During my visit to the local Best Buy Depot, I observed that employees faced difficulties and inefficiencies when switching between the scan gun and the mouse while shipping and receiving items. This process appeared cumbersome and time-consuming.
Idea
A potential solution could be implementing barcodes on screens for employees to scan, thereby eliminating the need to switch to the mouse. (Currently, they do not have touch screen monitors.)
Future Discovery for Enginering
Due to our tight deadlines, we were unable to thoroughly investigate the feasibility of this solution, including the effective range of the scan gun. Therefore, it has been decided to explore this concept further in future sprints following the initial basic release.