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

Led a 3 day Design Thinking workshop for 23 participants
Information Architecture
UX
UI Design

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 faced inefficiencies, errors, and delays due to reliance on 23 fragmented data sources.

The lack of a unified platform complicated workflows and mirrored the challenges faced by industry leaders like UPS and FedEx, revealing a pressing need for consolidation to enhance operational efficiency and data accuracy. Having been brought on as the principal product designer, I was tasked with transforming the Logistics Planning process into a simplified consolidated experience.

To transform G.E.'s logistics planning experience, i knew understanding the shipping process from end-to-end was was key in creating a new streamlined experience. To do that I needed to get into the minds of all the different users that interacted with the shipping journey, to truly understand their needs and priorities when shipping cargo on an international scale. First stop? 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.

Through targeted interviews and surveys, I explored how frequently users navigate between various data sources, the pain points they encounter during planning, and their current methods for tracking shipping statuses and managing shipments.

My research also delved into users' preferences for notification systems, and the effectiveness of existing communication channels with teams and suppliers. The findings directly informed the design, ensuring the app addressed real-world challenges and enhanced operational efficiency.

During the course of interviews it quickly became apparent that there were widely varying views on what a solution should look like. Users were generally unaware of the specifics of roles outside of there own sphere. It was time to rally the troops to a cohesive vision.

A Workshop Is Born!

I led the team through a 3-day design thinking workshop. This allowed for the various user groups to get an in-depth understanding of how their processes fit into the overall logistics journey and the challenges that other groups faced.
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Through a series of exercises we clarified pain points, mapped current user journeys and unified diverse perspectives to a cohesive vision. This collaborative effort led to actionable, data-driven recommendations that informed the design strategy and garnered strong stakeholder support. Now it was time to put on my Disruptor hat and get to work!

Having unified diverse
perspectives to a cohesive vision it was time to introduce Katie.

Katie, a Logistics Planner, embodies the typical user. Overwhelmed by disjointed systems, she seeks a streamlined platform offering real-time visibility and simplified decision-making.

To better help the team understand the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of our target users we developed an empathy map for Katie. Katie's experience highlighted the challenges she faces when switching between multiple data sources, which often leaves her feeling overwhelmed and less efficient

These insights guided the design to streamline logistics management, enhance communication, and provide actionable information, ultimately boosting Katie's productivity and satisfaction.

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

It captured her interactions, emotions, and challenges at each stage, helping the team to envision the entire journey and understand how to enhance her overall experience.

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.” ~ Ryan Delgaudo 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.