Optimizing Store Associate Tasks

Optimizing Store Associate Tasks

Optimizing Store Associate Tasks

$60M in Projected Value Through Smarter Workflows

Operational Scale

2,300+

Stores

Adoption

98%

Adoption

Execution Impact

80%

Task Completion

Problem & Context

Store associates relied on manual task tracking for stocking, sanitation, and store walks, leading to inefficiencies.

  • Lack of Prioritization & Visibility: Tasks were completed without real-time prioritization, causing bottlenecks in store operations.

  • Missed Opportunities for Optimization: Leadership lacked behavioral analytics to understand task completion trends and inefficiencies.

Business Impact:

  • $60M in projected value was identified by optimizing task execution across 2,300+ stores.

  • A need for a scalable, data-driven approach to improve labor efficiency and workflow prioritization.

Leadership

Led the design strategy for My Day and Store Walk, ensuring a seamless task execution experience for associates.

Partnered with UX Research & Operations to define key behavioral metrics for task efficiency improvements.

Influenced store operations strategy, integrating data-driven insights into feature prioritization and rollout decisions.

Hands-On

Discovery Leadership: Planned and co-facilitated discovery workshops, aligning business and design perspectives.

Iterative Testing & Refinements: Conducted field testing across multiple divisions, validating usability with real associates.

Solutions

Smart Task Management & Prioritization:

  • Enabled dynamic task assignment based on store conditions.

  • Improved store compliance tracking and accountability.

Automated Performance Tracking:

  • Integrated real-time behavioral analytics to measure store execution trends.

  • Allowed store leaders to monitor adoption and compliance across regions.

Digitized Store Walks & Sanitation Audits:

  • Eliminated manual audits, providing a centralized digital history of compliance.

  • Enabled automated sanitation tracking, improving operational efficiency.

Solutions

Smart Task Management & Prioritization:

  • Enabled dynamic task assignment based on store conditions.

  • Improved store compliance tracking and accountability.

Automated Performance Tracking:

  • Integrated real-time behavioral analytics to measure store execution trends.

  • Allowed store leaders to monitor adoption and compliance across regions.

Digitized Store Walks & Sanitation Audits:

  • Eliminated manual audits, providing a centralized digital history of compliance.

  • Enabled automated sanitation tracking, improving operational efficiency.

How we got there: Design Strategy

Fast-track Alignment: Focused on problem framing and gaining shared alignment during Discovery phase, by facilitating fast-track alignment, design workshops.

User-Centered Research & Testing:

  • Conducted multi-division field research, gathering direct insights from associates and store managers.

  • Worked with UX Research to develop structured feedback loops, ensuring continuous iteration.

Prototyping & Iteration:

  • Developed and tested low-to-high fidelity prototypes, refining workflows based on usability insights.

  • Validated that task sequencing and prioritization aligned with real-world store operations.

Behavioral Analytics for Continuous Optimization:

  • Tracked store adoption rates, identifying stores where workflow refinements had the most impact.

How we got there: Design Strategy

Fast-track Alignment: Focused on problem framing and gaining shared alignment during Discovery phase, by facilitating fast-track alignment, design workshops.

User-Centered Research & Testing:

  • Conducted multi-division field research, gathering direct insights from associates and store managers.

  • Worked with UX Research to develop structured feedback loops, ensuring continuous iteration.

Prototyping & Iteration:

  • Developed and tested low-to-high fidelity prototypes, refining workflows based on usability insights.

  • Validated that task sequencing and prioritization aligned with real-world store operations.

Behavioral Analytics for Continuous Optimization:

  • Tracked store adoption rates, identifying stores where workflow refinements had the most impact.

Results & Impact

Enterprise-Wide Scale

  • 2,300+ stores using My Day and Store Walk for task execution.

  • Enterprise-wide adoption with ongoing refinements based on real store insights.

Labor & Workflow Optimization

  • $60M in projected value from improved task prioritization and related use cases:

    • Product Date Management Tasks

    • Rotation and Sanitation Tasks

    • Safety Tasks

    • Store Walks

    • Pickup Directed Work

    • Greenrack Conditioning

    • Direct Supply Distribution Receiving

    • Pallet Scanning

    • Night Crew Tasks

    • Delivery Issue Reporting

    • Cold Chain Compliance Scanning

Task Management & Execution Impact

  • Store Walks and Schedule Visibility:

    • Provided associates and managers with real-time task scheduling, reducing missed or duplicated tasks.

    • Improved shift planning and execution accuracy, leading to higher productivity and labor efficiency.

  • Sanitation, Product Data Management, Rotation, Greenrack Tasks:

    • Enhanced visibility into task completion accuracy to ensure compliance with operational standards.

    • Achieved 80% task completion through structured workflows.

  • Shared Tasks with Pickup Department:

    • Streamlined coordination for shared stocking and customer order fulfillment tasks, reducing inefficiencies.

    • Enabled real-time task reassignment, ensuring priority work gets completed faster.

Supply Chain & Inventory Impact

  • Pallet Scanning & Truck Delivery Issue Reporting:

    • Enabled seamless tracking of pallet deliveries, reducing discrepancies in inventory reconciliation.

    • Improved accuracy in truck delivery reporting, ensuring fewer lost or mis-delivered items.

  • DSD Deliveries & Receiving Tasks:

    • Enhanced tracking of Direct Store Deliveries (DSD), reducing errors and lowering overdelivered inventory.

    • Allowed for faster identification of shrink sources, reducing revenue loss.

Operational Efficiency Gains

  • Eliminated manual task tracking, reducing cognitive load on associates.

  • Improved accuracy of store walks and sanitation audits, ensuring higher compliance.

  • Enabled real-time visibility for store leaders, ensuring proactive decision-making.

Results & Impact

Enterprise-Wide Scale

  • 2,300+ stores using My Day and Store Walk for task execution.

  • Enterprise-wide adoption with ongoing refinements based on real store insights.

Labor & Workflow Optimization

  • $60M in projected value from improved task prioritization and related use cases:

    • Product Date Management Tasks

    • Rotation and Sanitation Tasks

    • Safety Tasks

    • Store Walks

    • Pickup Directed Work

    • Greenrack Conditioning

    • Direct Supply Distribution Receiving

    • Pallet Scanning

    • Night Crew Tasks

    • Delivery Issue Reporting

    • Cold Chain Compliance Scanning

Task Management & Execution Impact

  • Store Walks and Schedule Visibility:

    • Provided associates and managers with real-time task scheduling, reducing missed or duplicated tasks.

    • Improved shift planning and execution accuracy, leading to higher productivity and labor efficiency.

  • Sanitation, Product Data Management, Rotation, Greenrack Tasks:

    • Enhanced visibility into task completion accuracy to ensure compliance with operational standards.

    • Achieved 80% task completion through structured workflows.

  • Shared Tasks with Pickup Department:

    • Streamlined coordination for shared stocking and customer order fulfillment tasks, reducing inefficiencies.

    • Enabled real-time task reassignment, ensuring priority work gets completed faster.

Supply Chain & Inventory Impact

  • Pallet Scanning & Truck Delivery Issue Reporting:

    • Enabled seamless tracking of pallet deliveries, reducing discrepancies in inventory reconciliation.

    • Improved accuracy in truck delivery reporting, ensuring fewer lost or mis-delivered items.

  • DSD Deliveries & Receiving Tasks:

    • Enhanced tracking of Direct Store Deliveries (DSD), reducing errors and lowering overdelivered inventory.

    • Allowed for faster identification of shrink sources, reducing revenue loss.

Operational Efficiency Gains

  • Eliminated manual task tracking, reducing cognitive load on associates.

  • Improved accuracy of store walks and sanitation audits, ensuring higher compliance.

  • Enabled real-time visibility for store leaders, ensuring proactive decision-making.

Iterative Loop - Unmet Needs

Advanced AI-Powered Task Prioritization:

  • Explore AI-driven workflow recommendations, ensuring tasks are dynamically optimized based on store needs.

Enhanced Behavioral Analytics Correlation

  • Refine analytics to correlate task execution patterns with labor costs and sales performance.

Scalability & Future Enhancements

  • Roll out predictive task insights, enabling stores to proactively adjust workflows before inefficiencies arise.

Iterative Loop - Unmet Needs

Advanced AI-Powered Task Prioritization:

  • Explore AI-driven workflow recommendations, ensuring tasks are dynamically optimized based on store needs.

Enhanced Behavioral Analytics Correlation

  • Refine analytics to correlate task execution patterns with labor costs and sales performance.

Scalability & Future Enhancements

  • Roll out predictive task insights, enabling stores to proactively adjust workflows before inefficiencies arise.