CASE STUDY

Modernizing Retail Item Management

Transforming Multiple Legacy Systems into a Single Source of Truth

Domain: Enterprise Service Modernization (Employee Experience)
Timeline: 4 months
Role: Senior Experience Designer, Research, Service Modernization & Future-State Design Lead
Process Phase: Transform

OVERVIEW

A shared future-state vision aligned five brands and informed multi-million-dollar modernization decisions.

Five retail brands were operating on failing, fragmented inventory systems, creating high operational risk, millions in losses, and inconsistent in‑store execution. The opportunity was to replace disconnected legacy tools with a unified, practical vision that could guide modernization without derailing the business.

Role: I led research, workflow analysis, cross-brand alignment, and future-state design across five retail brands, replacing assumption-driven decisions with evidence from frontline work.

Impact: The work consolidated 40+ fragmented workflows into a shared future-state experience, aligned leadership and cross-functional stakeholders around a common direction, and informed multi-million-dollar, multi-year modernization decisions.

Solution: Using contextual research, systems analysis, workshops, co-design, prototyping, and usability validation, we translated complex operating realities into a tangible future-state concept that teams could evaluate before committing to long-term modernization.

  • Contextual research revealed how associates navigated fragmented systems, workarounds, and operational dependencies across brands.

  • Research and co-design consolidated 40+ workflows into a common service and workflow vision across multiple legacy systems.

  • Prototyping and usability validation allowed associates, leaders, engineers, and operational partners to evaluate the future-state direction before larger modernization commitments were made.

  • Intuitive, modern design and smart features.

    Intuitive design, smart features, and streamlined workflows transform Item Management, boosting efficiency, decision-making, and the associate experience.

  • Simplified ordering and inventory adjustments.

    Enhanced visibility with accessible packing details and comprehensive transit information optimize ordering.

  • Optimized pricing with in-aisle tag printing.

    Retail and sale prices centrally managed with quick access to item sale information. One-click shelf tag printing increases efficiency and price accuracy.

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