Streamlining Procurement Processes of Large Organziations
Adebimpe Omolaso
Yaraa is a software as a service and an e-procurement enterprise platform designed for large organizations to streamline their procurement processes and support centralised supplier networks
Meaning of Procurement
Procurement is the process of acquiring goods or services from external sources to support business operations.
Quick Disclaimer
For confidentiality agreement reason, some parts of this case study has been taken off purposely as well as images based on the client’s request.
The Context
The client struggled to manage many suppliers, resulting in inefficiencies and delays in the procurement process. Our design solution focused on centralizing supplier data, automating procurement activities, and improving supplier relationship management.
My Role
As a Senior Product Designer, I was responsible for leading the design and development of Yaraa.
I played a crucial role in creating a more efficient and streamlined procurement process that resulted in significant improvements and increased cost savings for the Company.
The Discovery
Firstly, we wanted to know their challenges while trying to source goods and services in bulk from external sources.
We started by conducting primary research with the client to try to understand what challenges they faced that slowed down their process.
User Research
To understand the challenges that large organizations face when sourcing goods and services in bulk;
We conducted a range of primary research activities with key stakeholders, including the procurement team and suppliers
Our Research Activities Included:
01 In-depth interviews
We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 procurement team members and 10 suppliers to understand their day-to-day activities, pain points, and challenges.
02 Surveys
We sent out surveys to 100 procurement team members and 50 suppliers to gain a broader understanding of the procurement landscape, including the most common procurement challenges and pain points.
03 Ethnographic studies
We conducted ethnographic/ observational studies with 5 procurement team members and 5 suppliers to gain insights into how they interacted with procurement tools and systems in their day-to-day activities
04 Contextual inquiry
We visited 3 different large organizations to understand how they manage their procurement activities, supplier relationships, and existing procurement tools and systems.
Through our research activities, we identified several key pain points that were common across all stakeholders.These included:
01 Difficulty centralizing supplier data and managing relationships with multiple suppliers
02 For some people, their income may be too low to cover their basic expenses and leave anything over for savings.
03 Poor communication and collaboration between the procurement team and suppliers
04 Limited visibility into the procurement process and supplier performance
To address these pain points, we used the Jobs-to-be-Done framework to identify the core functional jobs that needed to be done.
Our research insights informed the development of the following jobs to be done:
01 Centralize Supplier Data
Efficient centralization of supplier data is crucial for large organizations to streamline and enhance supplier information management. This allows for better organization and easier accessibility to the information from a single location.
02 Manage Relationships
Large organizations need a way to efficiently manage supplier relationships, including responding to bids, generating purchase orders and invoices, and communicating with suppliers, in order to reduce delays and increase efficiency in the procurement process.
03 Simplify Procurement Process
The procurement team needed a way to streamline the procurement process by automating manual tasks, improving communication and collaboration, and providing real-time visibility into the procurement process.
These jobs to be done formed the basis of uncovering our problem statement, our design solution and guided our ideation, prototyping, and testing activities.
The Problem Statement
The procurement team of a large company lacks an effective system to manage supplier relationships and centralize supplier data, leading to procurement delays and inefficiencies that impact client service. The problem is to design a SaaS procurement solution that streamlines supplier management, consolidates supplier data, and improves the overall procurement process.
The Solution
Our goal was to develop a solution that would streamline the procurement process and consolidate supplier data onto a single platform while also improving efficiency by reducing the time it took to complete procurement tasks by at least 50%.
To help us brainstorm potential solutions, we started with a few "How might we" statements while considering the project constraints, such as the existing IT infrastructure and procurement policies, to ensure that the platform could be integrated and adopted seamlessly. After some back and forth, we broke our solution into several modules, each with specific features and functions to support the procurement process.
Key Features & Functionalities
01 The Requisition Module
This module allows individuals to request products or services by submitting a requisition form, which outlines the necessary details for the procurement team to fulfil the request.
02 The Sourcing Module
The procurement team can review and filter requisitions based on various factors such as budget, urgency, and importance and decide which requests to fulfil.
03 The Evaluation Module
This module allows individuals to request products or services by submitting a requisition form, which outlines the necessary details for the procurement team to fulfil the request.
04 The Supplier Network
To become an approved supplier for the company, external sources must register on the platform and become part of the company's supplier network. This allows for easy searching and selection of suppliers for future procurement needs.
Throughout the ideation process, our main focus was on making the solution user-friendly and intuitive, with clear and concise modules that work together to create a more efficient and centralized procurement process.
Wireframing &Prototyping
We developed wireframes and prototypes to test the user experience and iterate on the design with Figma.
We used these to get feedback from the procurement team and suppliers to ensure that Yaraa met their needs and was easy to use.
We also conducted user testing to validate the design and ensure that Yaraa was meeting the procurement team's and suppliers' needs.
Due to the NDA, I have chosen to skip the feedbacks we got and the test. However, here’s a snippet of what we designed based on the iterations of the feedback.
Development & Deployment
Once the design was finalized, I led the development of Yaraa and worked closely with the development team to ensure that the platform was developed to meet the design specifications.
Results
The implementation of Yaraa resulted in significant improvements in the procurement process, supplier relationship management, and user satisfaction.
Here are some of the key results we achieved:
Increased User Satisfaction
Qualitative feedback from the procurement team and suppliers indicated that Yaraa was easy to use and provided a more efficient and streamlined procurement process. The platform's user interface and navigation were designed with the end users in mind, resulting in high user adoption and satisfaction.
15% reduction in procurement costs
Qualitative feedback from the procurement team and suppliers indicated that Yaraa was easy to use and provided a more efficient and streamlined procurement process. The platform's user interface and navigation were designed with the end users in mind, resulting in high user adoption and satisfaction.
30% reduction in delays
Qualitative feedback from the procurement team and suppliers indicated that Yaraa was easy to use and provided a more efficient and streamlined procurement process. The platform's user interface and navigation were designed with the end users in mind, resulting in high user adoption and satisfaction
25% reduction in manual procurement
Qualitative feedback from the procurement team and suppliers indicated that Yaraa was easy to use and provided a more efficient and streamlined procurement process. The platform's user interface and navigation were designed with the end users in mind, resulting in high user adoption and satisfaction.
40% increase in suppliers satisfaction
Qualitative feedback from the procurement team and suppliers indicated that Yaraa was easy to use and provided a more efficient and streamlined procurement process. The platform's user interface and navigation were designed with the end users in mind, resulting in high user adoption and satisfaction.
Team & Timeline
Our team consisted of a product and UX designer, a project manager, a front-end developer, and a back-end developer. We used an agile methodology and worked in four phases: user research, design, development, and deployment. The project lasted six months.
Lessons Learned
01 Communication &
Collaboration:
Effective communication and collaboration with the procurement team and suppliers is crucial for understanding their needs and pain points, and ensuring that the software solution meets their requirements.
02 Iteration is important
Iterative design process: An iterative design process, including user research, prototyping, and user testing, is crucial for developing a software solution that effectively meets the needs of the procurement team and suppliers.
03 User-centred design
Taking a User-centred approach to design, including understanding the jobs to be done, can help to identify pain points and design a solution that addresses them.
04 Phased Implementation
Large organizations need a way to efficiently manage supplier relationships, including responding to bids, generating purchase orders and invoices, and communicating with suppliers, in order to reduce delays and increase efficiency in the procurement process.
Post Development Challenges
For a fact, we already could see some challenges that users might have and we have thought of means to solving them. Below are the challenges and the solutions
01 Technical Limitations
Integrating a software solution with existing systems can pose technical limitations and constraints that must be overcome through careful planning and development.
In light of this, we have developed an integration system that enables users to request permission from their existing software, such as accounting software and business analytics tools.
This system allows for seamless integration, making it easier for users to incorporate the new software into their existing workflows without any hiccups.
02 Training and Adoption
The process of training and adopting a software solution can present challenges, as it requires effective communication and education to ensure that users are able to use the software efficiently.
To facilitate this training and adoption process, we have provided a manual and a week-long training program.
However, we also recognize that some users may find the manual overwhelming, so we have developed a digital assistant that offers guidance and instruction on how to navigate the software with ease.
This assistant helps users understand their actions and progress, making the overall process smoother and more user-friendly.
Next Steps
Continuing to monitor and analyze user data to identify areas for improvement.
Experimenting with new features and design elements to improve the user experience.
Conclusion
To discover areas for improvement, user data will be continuously monitored and analyzed. experimenting with novel functions and aesthetic choices to enhance user experience.
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Posted Aug 19, 2023
Streamlining procurement processess A case study of saas and e-procurement platform designed for large organizations
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