Warehouse System
70% Booking Time Reduction
Simplifying warehouse booking workflows to replace manual processes and dramatically reduce admin time.
I joined to support the squad as they were transitioning from using Microsoft excel and pen/paper to building a bespoke system. I worked closely with the engineering manager and had regular catchups with warehouse staff.
TEAM: Senior UX designer, Engineering team, Warehouse manager
The Challenge
The warehouse goods-in process depended on handwritten notes and Excel sheets, making it hard to:
Track bookings in real time
Avoid booking conflicts across teams and locations
Quickly access schedules on the go
This manual system created administrative friction, slowed throughput, and made it hard for teams to coordinate - particularly when demand spiked.
A clear point of frustration was when the supplier phoned to book a slot, it took the warehouse staff a significant amount of time to find something that was suitable for both parties.
My Role & Process
For this project I had to:
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Analyse the existing journey (excel, pen & paper), and compare it to the MVP version built by engineering. Mapping workflows and pain points.
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Research - Talk with the warehouse staff and get user feedback on the MVP version.
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Update the journey map and information architecture to solve the identified issues - with buy-in from engineering and the warehouse staff.
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Design - wireframes, mockups and prototypes. Updated and improved using the user feedback. Also visual alignment with the design system.
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Validate that the design changes were positive for the warehouse staff.
↑ Main booking tool transformation
The Design
A couple of scenarios to illustrate how the redesign benefitted the warehouse staff…
Scenario A
A supplier calls with a request “Can I do a 10 pallet drop on the 6th July at 6am?” - The warehouse operative can see the schedule is very busy between 6-7am, so can instantly negotiate a later drop-off time with the supplier: "After 7am would be better".
Scenario B
A supplier calls with a request “I have 10 boxes that I want to deliver today” -
The warehouse operative can see instantly that their capacity for today is at 33/60, supported with a visual pie chart - They can reply instantly "yes we have space, i'll book you in". [see image B below]
Outcomes & Impact
The redesigned Warehouse Booking System delivered measurable performance improvements and stronger user confidence:
Booking time reduced from ~7 mins to ~2 mins
Administrative work cut by ~75%
Fewer booking errors
Positive staff feedback — perceived as more reliable and efficient
Warehouse teams reported that the system felt intuitive and empowered them to manage schedules with less cognitive load and fewer interruptions.
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