The Worldwide Materials Shipping Application (WMSA) revolutionizes G.E.’s logistics operations, simplifying vessel planning and providing real-time tracking, setting a new benchmark in shipping logistics.

MY ROLE

Information Architecture / UX / UI Design

Led a 3 day Design Thinking workshop for 23 participants

RESULTS

Consolidated 8 legacy systems and 23 data sources into a single dashboard.

Utilized AI to assign cargo to shipping vessel reducing shipping costs 18%.

Automated 50% of logistic managers manual tasks.

Provided real-time end-to-end cargo tracking improving delivery accuracy 22%

G.E.'s logistics planners were grappling with inefficiencies, errors, and delays due to reliance on 23 fragmented data sources.

The Challenge: The lack of a unified platform was complicating workflows, mirroring challenges faced by industry leaders like UPS and FedEx. This highlighted the urgent need for consolidation to improve operational efficiency and data accuracy. As the principal product designer, I was tasked with transforming the logistics planning process into a simplified, unified experience.

The Approach:To create a streamlined experience, I knew that understanding the end-to-end shipping process was crucial. I needed to dive deep into the minds of all the users involved in the shipping journey—grasping their needs and priorities when managing cargo on an international scale. The first step? User Interviews!

Design Timeline

To ensure the new App addressed the real-world needs of logistics professionals, I focused user research on understanding the daily challenges faced by logistics planners and managers.

User Research and Insights: Through targeted interviews and surveys, I examined how frequently users navigated between various data sources, the pain points encountered during planning, and their current methods for tracking shipping statuses and managing shipments. Additionally, I explored users' preferences for notification systems and the effectiveness of existing communication channels with teams and suppliers.

The insights gathered from this research directly informed the design, ensuring that the app would solve real-world problems and improve operational efficiency. However, as the interviews progressed, it became clear that there were widely varying views on what a solution should look like. Users were often unaware of the specifics of roles beyond their own, leading to a fragmented perspective on the ideal tool. It was time to rally the team toward a cohesive vision.

A Workshop Is Born!

To align the team and unify our approach, I led a 3-day design thinking workshop. This immersive session brought together diverse user groups, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of how their processes fit into the larger logistics journey—and the challenges faced by other teams.

Through a series of collaborative exercises, we identified pain points, mapped current user journeys, and synthesized diverse perspectives into a shared vision. The outcome? Actionable, data-driven recommendations that shaped our design strategy and garnered strong stakeholder support. With a clear direction in place, it was time to put on my Disruptor hat and get to work!

Introducing
Katie! The Persona:

With the team aligned around a cohesive vision, it was time to introduce Katie—our persona, a Logistics Planner who embodies the typical user. Overwhelmed by disjointed systems, Katie is in search of a streamlined platform that offers real-time visibility and simplifies decision-making.

To help the team better understand Katie’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we developed an empathy map. This exercise revealed the significant challenges she faces, particularly when switching between multiple data sources, which often leaves her feeling overwhelmed and less efficient.

These insights became the foundation for designing a platform that streamlines logistics management, enhances communication, and delivers actionable information—ultimately boosting Katie's productivity and satisfaction.

Mapping Katie's Journey. Creating a Journey Map was essential to understanding Katie’s experience as she navigates the logistics planning process.

This map captured her interactions, emotions, and challenges at each stage, providing a clear visual of her journey. It helped the team see the bigger picture, identify pain points, and pinpoint opportunities to enhance her overall experience.

The Design Phase: Simplifying the Complex.

With a clear strategy in place, I moved on to the design phase.This was no small feat. The solution had to consolidate 23 data sources and 8 separate systems into a single, role-based dashboard, all while eliminating input errors, automating manual touchpoints, and boosting efficiency. It was a tall order—but simplifying the complex is where I excel.

Requirements

The Shipping Logistics Planner App was designed to transform G.E.'s global shipping operations by addressing critical pain points and enhancing decision-making. The core requirements driving its success include:

Seamless Data Integration: By unifying data sources and legacy systems into one interface, the app eliminates inefficiencies and enables faster, more informed decision-making.
Predictive Analytics: The app uses AI and historical data to automate vessel plans, optimizing routes and reducing delays, shifting logistics from reactive to proactive.
Agility and Flexibility: Users can adjust transport methods, reposition equipment, and find cost-saving opportunities in real time, giving planners greater control.
Real-time Communication: Integrated messaging keeps teams and suppliers updated instantly, reducing costly delays and miscommunication.
Custom Dashboards: Tailored views provide critical insights for administrators and managers, enhancing collaboration and transparency.

An Elegant Solution

The Logistics Planner App consolidates 23 data sources and 8 systems into a single platform allowing for the retirement of legacy systems and reducing infrastructure support costs. Using machine learning and historical data I can significantly reduce input errors and boost efficiency through automation.

Implementing a robust notification system provides the mechanism for real-time tracking and seamless coordination from end-to-end. Using predictive analytics I am able to auto generate vessel plans and assign cargo to containers based on weight and size data, this level of automation allows for significant shipping cost savings by maximizing the container fill rate. Finally the use of a role driven single dashboard solution eliminates the need for switching between external systems, streamlining workflows and improving accuracy.

Designing a great experience starts with solid information architecture.

Putting on my IA hat I created role based foundational task lists. Documenting out all the primary tasks a user needs to perform allowed us to identify the supporting tasks needed to complete those tasks. This document can be socialized quickly and edited by stakeholders to add/remove/modify tasks. It also gives us a punch list of sorts to make sure that all of the required user tasks were accounted for.

Building on the task list I mapped out the dashboard functionality for the various roles. This ensured that there was an entrance point for all the required user tasks as well as the required supporting functionality.

Moving to a more granular level I mapped out the flow for every task. Calling out the different options that were available per role.

Given the tight delivery timeframe for this project and limited design requirements i elected to skip the traditional wire-framing step and jump straight into high fidelity designs. Note that i am almost always against skipping wireframes and going straight to the visual design stage but in this instance the extra time spent wire-framing did not add enough value too justify it.

Bringing It All Together

A key challenge for me was presenting users the enormous amount of data they needed while keeping the design clean and scannable.

I designed the layout to emphasize usability and maximize workflow efficiency particularly for plan editing and real-time tracking.

Visual data prioritization and grouping allowed the user to quickly scan the page for high value information but still be able to easily focus on the smaller supporting details.

A modular tile based design lets users add/remove/arrange data components on the page in a way that best supports their workflow. It also addresses scalability for additional functionality in the future.

Smart usage of iconography, color coding and data visualization informs the user of key data points and statuses without visually overwhelming them with numbers and text.

Rigorous usability testing involved real-world scenarios for key users,

such as generating vessel plans and tracking shipments. Feedback was gathered through think-aloud protocols and surveys, helping us refine the design based on task completion rates, time on task, and user satisfaction. Iterative testing ensured the app’s functionality met user expectations. The result was a resounding success, earning high praise from G.E.'s executive leadership.

“James Knocked It Out Of The Park! I have received nothing but exceptional feedback regarding the new application.” ~ VP Shipping Logisticss

The development of the Shipping Logistics Planner App represents a significant advancement in streamlining and enhancing logistics operations. The result is a powerful tool that not only simplifies complex logistics processes but also reduces costs, improves data quality, and increases real-time visibility into shipping operations. This project has laid a strong foundation for future enhancements, positioning the app as a vital asset in the GE manufacturing eco-system.