PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Design a unified system of five interconnected applications to support the modernized operational processes at Mail Innovations, UPS.

MY ROLE

Led continuous research and created UX strategy and design that centered around the users’ success and connected to the organizational strategy.

  1. Defined business goals of the modernization initiative. Documented processes, users and user needs for each application and the suite.

  2. Aligned stakeholders and teams. Streamlined problem-solving.

  3. Spearheaded systems thinking approach by leading continuous research. Helped break the silos of knowledge, pushed for holistic and strategic problem-solving.

  4. Built cohesive user experiences that mapped to the daily tasks of diverse operational roles and supported the business goals.

  5. Directed the platform architecture to support the new business processes and overarching goal of accelerating speed and accuracy of mail delivery.

CONTEXT

The Mail Innovations (MI) Department responsible for the processing and transportation of mail in the UPS Network for business clients like Amazon, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, was undergoing a major overhaul of processes and technologies with the overarching goal of increasing the speed, accuracy and efficiency of delivering mail in the UPS network in North America.

Challenges

  • No direction was given. The goal was broadly defined as “we need to modernize the applications. We need to increase the speed, accuracy and efficiency”.

  • 3 development teams.

  • No other UX resources. Before I joined them the decision-making had been heavily focused on the technical aspects of the projects. UX decisions had been made ad hoc, on intuition, subjectively, with limited knowledge of actual users.

  • Highly complex business processes. Knowledge was fragmented and siloed.

  • Diverse operational roles with a variety of jobs for each application and the suite.

Timeframe

2021 - 2024

Client

UPS, Mail Innovations

Role

Sr. UX/ UI Designer

Collaborating with

MI senior management, 3 development teams, 3 Product Owners, 3 Scrum Masters

Work

Remote

CASE STUDY

The System

MI Suite

The MI Ship Suite comprised of 5 interconnected applications used to process, label, route, transport mail. The MI modernization initiative aimed at redesigning some of the legacy applications and designing two new applications.

Users

The MI applications were used by a variety of users - Mail Operators, Forklift Drivers, Transportation Administrators, Operations Supervisors and Managers, National Transportation Administrators. Few user types used only one application, the majority used 2+ applications daily.

As I worked on the research and design of each application, I defined user types and jobs-to-be-done specific to each application. Three user types had jobs that spanned multiple applications.


Responsibilities, Decisions an Actions

I de-risked development by introducing UX research and became a partner to senior management in defining business goals, user needs and product vision

  • I changed a top-down piecemeal requirements gathering process to collaborative discovery and problem-solving.

  • I provided teams with shared understanding behind the required technical changes.

  • I created prototypes that were continuously reviewed and validated with stakeholders prior to development. 

USER NEEDS

  • Increase visibility to mail in the network

  • Establish a unified source of truth

  • Recognize problems before they happen and problem-solve in a timely manner

  • Increase workflow efficiency, reduce complexity

Cross-system High-Level Business Goals and User Needs

BUSINESSS GOALS

  • Ensure connectivity of information

  • Reduce manual and error-prone processes

  • Reduce cost

  • Increase accuracy and speed of delivering mail

Directed the platform architecture to support the business goals and user need for visibility and connectivity of information

I led continuous research and initiated systems thinking to ensure shared understanding and holistic problem-solving

Work on the first two applications was self contained - there was no cross over in terms of users or operational processes (MI Processing - used for processing and labeling mail and MI Trailerization - for creating electronic Load Manifests by recording skids position on a trailer). After the prototype for the second application, I realized we needed to understand the big picture. I documented:

  • The role of each application in the system.

  • The end-to-end operational processes spanning multiple applications.

  • The needs and goals of users using multiple applications.

  • Connected application specific features to the overarching business goals.

Defined a North star for the modernization initiative. Aligned stakeholders and teams around a shared vision for the future.

Synthesizing the research into clear business and user outcomes provided direction, shared language and a solid ground for prioritization.

Connectivity of Information

Ensuring connectivity of information was essential for automating the business processes and increasing the users’ visibility to mail in the system, which directly contributed to the accuracy and efficiency of moving mail in the UPS network.

  • I helped the product triad shift from thinking piecemeal, one application at a time to considering the entire system.

  • I led the creation, visualization and alignment on unified data flows in the system for air and ground transportation.

  • The data flows laid the groundwork for delivering on the users’ need for visibility and the organizational goal for increasing efficiency, accuracy and speed.

  • The data flows served as a solid ground for decision-making, alignment and planning.

Designing a System for High-Complexity Cross-Functional Jobs

MI Ship - a suite of five applications working in synch

Users - Operations Supervisors and Managers, Transportation Admins and National Transportation Admins - shifted from accessing separate disjointed applications to a unified system, a single source of truth and real-time data.

Home page of MI Ship Suite. Users could easily move between applications with a single sign-in.

MI PROCESSING APP

App for processing mail at an origin UPS facility. Mail is scanned, weighed, labelled and routed for containerization and transportation.

Business Value:

  • Increased mail processing speed and efficiency

  • Reduced processing errors

User Value:

  • Cleaner and straightforward UI

  • Minimal screen interaction needed

  • Increased productivity

CONTAINERIZATION APP

Responsive web app for desktop and mobile for scanning mail pieces and creating container IDs. Container type and weight is recorded in the system. The app prints a container label.

Business Value:

  • Container IDs created with container information saved for mail tracking and reconciliation.

User Value:

  • Clean and straightforward UI

  • Responsive design

  • Minimal screen interaction needed

TRAILERIZATION APP

Mobile app for creating Load Manifests by scanning Container IDs to trailer position. Load Manifests are electronically shared between apps and accessible by origin and destination facilities.

Business Value:

  • Automated Load Manifests and transportation documentation

  • Increased accuracy

  • Improved traceability of mail in the system

  • Inefficiencies and human errors minimized

User Value:

  • Redundant manual work eliminated

  • Increased visibility

Read more

PRE - ALERT APP

Desktop app for Transportation Admins and Operations Supervisors to monitor and manage the progress of outbound and inbound mail, and communicate status with origin and destination UPS facilities.

Business Value:

  • An online hub for shipments information

  • Increased visibility and accuracy of information

  • Improved communication between facilities

User Value:

  • Filters and color coded statuses facilitate prioritization and guide users

  • Easy access to other apps and supporting information

  • Improved ability to track mail in the system and problem-solve

TRANSFER & RECIEVE APP

A desktop app for Operations Supervisors to monitor the processing of mail and electronically acknowledging departure and receipt of mail. Used for mail sent and received reconciliation.

Business Value:

  • Increased visibility and accuracy of information

  • Improved communication between facilities

  • Access to mail details

User Value:

  • Increased visibility to mail details for control and remediation

  • Standardized and color coded mail statuses facilitate prioritization and timely action

Key Outcomes

WORKED WITH UNDERSTANDING

  • Teams defined meaningful goals

  • Teams worked with a vision and a plan

  • Teams worked with clarity and focus

DELIVERED MORE VALUE SOONER

  • We focused on outcomes

  • We understood dependencies

  • Planned for incremental value delivery

SAVED TIME AND MONEY

  • By reducing rework

  • Eliminating confusion

  • Delivering value sooner