Irgunit
a project-oriented purchasing management system
This is a redesign of a system I worked on as a part of my job a purchasing specialist in a construction company.
*This project was created as a part of the UX program in The Haifa University, led by Ofer Monar.
The Problem
The company uses an outdated system that is causing them extra work. There is no way to check for mistakes, paperwork keeps getting lost. Time is wasted finding and fixing mistakes, costing money and delays in payment to suppliers.
My Solution
A system that unites several aspects of the workflow, making it easy for the users to find mistakes and keep track of the work status of invoices and orders.
Design Process
Research
User interviews
User Observations
Define
Role Analysis
Journey Map
Ideate
User Flow
Information Architecture
Design
Wireframes
Research
I observed and interviewed 3 users in the purchasing department of to understand the challanges they face in their everyday work, and how to make it easier for them.
A few sample questions from the interviews:
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Do you find the current system is easy for you to use?
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What processes do you struggle with in your work?
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Do you often find yourself making mistakes?
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How do you find and fix mistakes in your work?
User Interviews
”You need to constantly change the window you're working on. If you're trying to create an order, but it's a new supplier, it closes the order you were on while you add the new supplier and you need to start the process all over again.”
Chaya
”When you work on a massive invoice, you sometimes need to enter 400 delivery notes into the system and it takes a really long time. If you miss something it can take hours to find your mistake.”
Keren
”If you get distracted when you enter the order details, or if you open a different window, or select the wrong button, the system shuffles all of the items on the screen and you need to start over.”
Yael
User Observations
The currently used system
What the desk looks like on a regular day
Organizing delivery notes for an invoice
(This can take several hours)
Key insights from user observations
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Purchasing specialists need to multitask at all times
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Project and work managers add eurgent tasks several times a day
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The different processes require a lot of time and concentration for mistake free work
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Delays in work means delayed payment to suppliers
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Much of the work is done with paper and it's easy to lose important documents
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Project and work managers want things done their way and aren't open to change
Key insights from research phase
Pain Points
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Mistakes are hard to find
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It's hard to keep track of the work
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Processes are long and complex
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Many distractions
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Important information isn't visible when needed
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Wasted time searching for mistakes & documents
Project Goals
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Easy tracking of work
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Quick access to important information
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Preventing mistakes
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Saving Time
Define
Role Analysis
Job level: Intermediate
System Competency: Basic to medium computer skills
Age: 30-45
Required skills & knowledge:
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Basic computer knowledge
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Interpersonal skills
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Good multitasking skills
Role related goals:
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Tracking invoices and purchase orders
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Saveing time & money
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Processing invoices into the system without mistakes
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Finish processing invoices in time for payment
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Getting suppliers to work quickly
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Getting PMs to approve orders & invoices in time
Frustrations:
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When PMs keep changing their orders
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"Surprise" invoices about orders that didn't go through purchasing
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When PMs want everything urgently (when it's not really urgent)
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When suppliers send invoices late, but want the payment in time
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When suppliers call to ask about their payment
Journey map
After refining what I learned from the research I made a map of the process every order needs to go through from start to finish in the purchasing department
Ideate
Information Architecture
Flow Map
