Timing: 2024
Scale: 3 months

Problem

Persistent tension existed between corporate offices and manufacturing plants, with plant materials managers (PMMs) often feeling misunderstood by corporate leadership. When stakeholders proposed rolling out a corporate tool to PMMs, I advocated for research to validate whether this solution would genuinely address plant needs or risk deepening the disconnect.

Approach

In collaboration with my product manager, I designed and led in-person, moderated usability testing at two manufacturing plants. By conducting contextual inquiry and usability sessions with PMMs, I gathered authentic feedback on the tool’s relevance, usability, and value, while also fostering trust and open communication between stakeholders.

1. Aimed to understand the problem at hand. Aligned with stakeholders to shift the focus from assumptions to evidence-based decision-making through conducting user research.

2. Created a research plan to share with stakeholders and align on our approach.

3. Traveled to two manufacturing plants to conduct several on-site usability sessions with users in their work environment to surface authentic feedback. These sessions combined usability testing, contextual inquiry, and observational research to uncover both functional and relational insights.

4. Analyzed the research and crafted it into a straightforward research report to share with stakeholders.

5. Presented my research to stakeholders, emphasizing our findings that this tool was redundant for these new users with most of the data it shared with them, with the exception of one specific piece of data that provided real-time truck tracking data. This report included recommended next steps to not push this tool on the new user group.

6. Ultimately, stakeholders did not roll-out this tool to the new user group, saving many valuable resources and preventing additional friction between corporate and the manufacturing plants.

Findings

• Redundancy: Most information in the tool was already accessible to PMMs, limiting its added value.

• Unique Value: Real-time truck tracking data was highly valued, reducing information retrieval from 12–48 hours to instant access, significantly improving workflow efficiency.

• Usability Issues: Several pain points hindered effective tool use, highlighting the need for design improvements.

• Stakeholder Learning: Observing research firsthand increased stakeholder appreciation for early-stage usability testing and user-centered design.

Impact

• Strategic Pivot: Research revealed the proposed rollout would have added little value; instead, PMMs received access to the most valuable feature through an existing tool, optimizing their workflow.

• Cost Savings: Prevented over 400 hours of unnecessary training and development, and redirected resources to high-impact improvements.

• Business Value: The new solution is projected to generate $1M in working capital reduction in FY 2025.

• Cultural Change: Demonstrated the power of early-stage user research, resulting in increased stakeholder buy-in and a stronger partnership between corporate and plant teams.

Key Skills Demonstrated:

• Leading end-to-end UX research initiatives

• Stakeholder management and advocacy

• In-person contextual research

• Synthesis of qualitative insights into strategic recommendations

• Driving organizational change through research