Addressing workflow issues for CSRs and warehouse workers processing returns and refunds in an enterprise e-commerce application
Mozu was an enterprise e-commerce platform I worked on at Volusion.
Mozu’s returns editor was one of the last features from the original build that desperately needed an overhaul to support our clients’ employee using the product day-to-day.
This is where we started:
The problem
Problem 1: The UI for processing returns was buried within the Order editor. Customer Service Representatives (CSR) had to find the order, open it, and click the Returns tab. Not a big deal if you’re taking a few calls a day at a small business, but cumbersome bottleneck for workers processing offline returns all day, every day. Their world is returns first, orders second.
Problem 2: There was no way to look at a simple queue of returns waiting to be processed. Mozu CSRs and managers zero visibility into the overall state of returns; for ex.: how many returns still need to be processed. They had to bring that knowledge to Mozu and pull up each order separately.
Problem 3: The old system presented a lot of information in grids of text. It was easy to build but it was also easy for a CSR to mistake one table row full of text for another, especially when multiple things with similar item names were involved.Potentially big problem: The old system presented a lot of information in grids. It was easy to build but it was also easy for a CSR to mistake one table row full of text for another, especially when multiple things with similar names were involved. Pictures would definitely help.
Research & Discovery
First, we mapped the structure and flow of a return to assure we were accounting for all parties involved, all steps of the return process, and all possible states of a return object:
We confirmed those assumptions by surveying a small group of power users, and I documented the flow:
UI Changes
First, we created a Returns page with a sortable & filterable grid. This helped managers keep an eye on what was happening. This screenshot was taken before we added the Create Return button for CSRs taking customer calls.
The return editor UI was drastically improved to make full use of its new space:
Key improvements:
- The summary bar at the top helps keep CSRs on the correct return
- Photos help CSRs and warehousers understand things visually, and help accurately identify correct product variants
- Details about the line items associated with the various issues give CSRs info they need to address the returns accurately
- Processing tasks performed by warehousers (who often wear gloves) are almost entirely click-based
- Any unnecessary grids were removed
After the wires were approved, hi-fi mockups showing the different order combinations were built and vetted.
Results
With the overhaul in place, significant workflow bottlenecks were smoothed out, increasing speed, throughput, and accuracy for returns.
For my employer, these improvements eased client relations by addressing one of their key concerns.