Pick and Pack Discovery
As part of the Point of Sale project, the business was interested in improving its in-store sales flow.
Reece stores are specialised trade stores. Their staff would take customers’ orders over the counter and then pick and pack the goods for the customers.
Staffs utilised print outs to locate and identify goods to pick.
Company
Reece Group
Year
2022
Role
Senior Product Designer
Squad
NGP Squad
The Problem
Reece used 2.2M sheets of paper and 300 toner cartridges monthly. There was an initiative called “War on Waste” and this is one of the problems to tackle.
Based on feedback and in-store observation, these packing slips were mostly thrown out after, because customers usually don’t want them. Some experienced staff didn’t need them but there were no options to not print.
The Approach
Mobility is key for staff members and we had the need to reduce paper waste. Mobile phone was a feasible solution, because each stores already supplied with a few for other usage.
The team and I came up with an assumption that using mobile phones to pick and pack goods, would help reduce paper wastes significantly.
I quickly designed a prototype to test this assumption. Leveraged existing mobile components for the Point of Sale.
The protoype was built with protopie for a high fidelity interaction purpose.
The Tests
To further in/validate mobility assumption, I added a wristband for the mobile device. The prototype tests were done multiple rounds in different stores.
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These were done at the end of covid lockdown. Here is how it was run:
Contacted branches to help. Asks for 2x mobile phones and 2x staff to help.
1x phone was to be used for the prototype and the other is for MS Teams video call. 1x Staff member were to test the prototype in store, and the other would help hold the phone while we’re on the call so that we can observe
I also dropped off the wrist bands to the stores before the sessions. Set up invites to the participants and other observers.
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These sessions were much easier as it allowed us to observe directly.
We had to arrange time with some branches for a visit.
Only 1x device was needed for the prototype. The staff members took turns to test and gave us feedback on the spot.
Feedback
We received plenty of feedback. Branch staff didn’t like the wrist band as it was getting in the way when they had to complete their task quickly, maneuvering around tight spaces risk damaging the device. However the digitisation was the right direction in order to save paper
“The wristband is clunky and would get in the way”
“This would save a lot of paper”