Overview
This project aims to implement a robust system for accurately tracking and analyzing direct material costs across various levels of the Bill of Materials (BOM), incorporating guideline/index values, actual values, and projected values for all items. It will integrate cost data roll-up mechanisms, provide detailed cost breakdowns.
The culmination of this effort will be a comprehensive, user-friendly dashboard that summarizes cost data, offers detailed visualizations, and supports better decision-making, thereby enhancing cost control and profitability.
My role
Concept, Research, UI components, Visual design
Context
In the manufacturing industry, decision-making in purchasing and acquiring suppliers is hindered by fragmented data sources and outdated tools, such as Excel. This results in inefficiencies and increased risks, making it challenging to evaluate supplier performance, manage costs, and ensure supply chain reliability. So I have listed some usual problems faced by procurement managers, buyers and financial analysts.
Lack of Real-Time Updates:
Spreadsheets do not update in real-time, leading to potential discrepancies and outdated information.
Limited Reporting and Analytics: Spreadsheets have limited capabilities for generating comprehensive reports and conducting advanced data analysis.
Scalability Issues:
Spreadsheets are not scalable and become increasingly difficult to manage as the business grows.
Challenge
In the manufacturing industry, people used to handle vast amounts of data, and the core purpose of creating this feature/product is to manipulate that data to help procurement analysts and end users make better decisions.
User research
To approach this job correctly, I needed accurate information from research. I was provided with some insights, but I wanted to hear directly from the stakeholders. Therefore, I held sessions with Procurement Managers, Buyers, and Analysts to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and current practices.
User Interviews
Talked to a diverse group of users, including different roles such as procurement managers, buyers, and financial analysts.
Competitive Analysis
Studied existing solutions and identify market gaps.
Data Sources Identification
Collected data from supplier quotes, historical records, market prices.
Defined scope and identify key cost drivers (supplier pricing, transportation).
Design audit
I was tasked with revamping and enhancing the existing cost analysis feature, so I conducted an initial UI and UX audit.
Existing design: This initial design aims to enable users to navigate through hierarchies and view cost roll-ups along with the drivers of cost changes for each part or raw material. The columns feature a tree structure for hierarchy navigation, and clicking on any specific cost or its drivers will open a side sheet displaying a detailed cost breakdown.
What wasn't functioning effectively and failed to meet the requirements
I attempted to analyze the feature through heuristic evaluation and by auditing whether the functionality aligns with the requirements and core purpose.
1
Hierarchy error: The hierarchy is confusing because it’s unclear what will be displayed in the table when the user clicks on “Model.”
2
Lack of scalability: There should be a way for the user to view all parts along with the BOM or to search a specific part by its ID. This functionality is critical for efficient navigation and detailed analysis within the system.
3
Search functionality: User is completely unaware to what to search here because it is out of proximity and doesn’t solve any purpose in this screen.
Obstructing the information: If a user select any particular cost to view the drivers, other information is getting overlapped, and user to scroll horizontally to view other costs.
Initial design
After consulting with stakeholders and considering their requirements, I began with the information architecture to effectively address user needs.
Note: I have created a dark mode color palette and adopted it for this case study to demonstrate the feature. This approach also ensures compliance with NDA requirements by preventing any potential disclosure of sensitive information.
1
Hierarchy placement: Ensure the hierarchy is correctly placed to avoid confusion with internal sub-menus. Having search menu helps user to search for any particular BOM, Part etc.
2
Indicator: Indicating the number of parts, this will help user to analyse the quantity of the parts used in particular BOM.
3
Sub menu: This allows users to view detailed breakdowns within the BOM, such as parts or raw materials.
4
Drivers section: A dedicated section for drivers cost breakdown, along with actual, projected, and index cost details for the selected item.
Design audit
After the first design iteration, we conducted usability testing and received feedback on what wasn't working.
1
The user experience is failing: The initial idea was to prevent the driver cost breakup content from overlapping the table, so we decided to put it down, but the breakdown of cost drivers is not noticeable when users click on different cost cells in the table, leading to a degraded user experience.
2
Proximity issue: Separating the sub-filter from the main hierarchy causes proximity issues. My initial idea was to position the sub-filter closer to the table, but it didn't work out as expected and led to some confusion.
3
Lack of fluidity: Overall this layout doesn’t support fluidity or the scalability in order to add extra elements if required.
Design enhancement
Based on user feedback, I have decided to restructure the layout to be more fluid and support scalability.
Restructuring left pane
One of the pain points users face is navigating through the hierarchy. To address this, I structured the hierarchy to ensure users can seamlessly navigate to the final level without any hindrances.
Hierarchy
The hierarchy begins with the Product line, which I have made static. From there, users can easily select the appropriate hierarchy.
Cost breakdown
For the variant (BOM) and higher levels of the hierarchy, the quantity refers to the amount produced. When navigating to the lower hierarchies of the variant (BOM), users need to see a detailed cost breakdown.
Sub sections
BOM has sub sections like parts and raw materials
Back to basics
Placing the drivers in the slider increases visibility and can accommodate more data, more importantly its not obstructing any important information.
Graph representation
Having graph integration increases the quick glanceability for the users to know the cost.
Additional information
One of our target audience is Procurement managers they need to the supplier performance within this dashboard in order to make cost savings through supplier negotiations
I have extensive experience in handling large amounts of data and designing with the target audience in mind. Receiving feedback from direct users of the product has been invaluable, helping me to build a robust and user-friendly solution. My commitment doesn't end there; I will continue to develop and iterate to meet the ever-changing needs of customers.