Introduction
MSC is a prominent e-commerce platform specializing in B2B transactions and serving as one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States. MSC caters to a diverse range of user types, including:
Individual Self-register Users: These are individual users who register themselves on the platform.
Business Users: MSC serves businesses of varying sizes, categorized as follows:
Small Businesses: Companies with annual revenues ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
Medium Businesses: Companies with annual revenues ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million.
Large Businesses: Companies with annual revenues exceeding $5 million.
Government Users: MSC also provides its services to various government entities
Design Goal
Our goal is to create an improved and user-friendly experience for MSC customers when it comes to tracking their orders, understanding order statuses, and facilitating returns. This initiative aims to achieve the following objectives:
Order Status Clarity: We will focus on providing clear and easily accessible information about the status of users' orders. This includes real-time updates and detailed tracking information to keep users informed about their shipments.
Efficient Shipment Tracking: Users will have the ability to conveniently track their shipments, ensuring they know when to expect their orders and reducing any uncertainty.
Streamlined Return Process: Improving the return experience is a key priority. We aim to simplify the return process, making it intuitive and hassle-free for users.
Reduced Customer Service Calls: By enhancing the order history interface and making tracking and returns more straightforward, we aim to significantly reduce the need for customers to contact customer service for order-related inquiries.
Qualitative Data Based on User Interviews
Research Study Objectives:
The focus of this research aligns with the Product team's objectives for enhancing the Accounts History page. Our primary goals are to uncover user pain points and enhance the overall user experience. Specifically, we aim to:
Explore User Motivations: Understand what drives users to visit the Order History Page. Identify the specific needs or motivations that lead them to this section of the platform.
Task Analysis: Gain insights into the tasks users commonly perform on the Order History Page. This includes activities such as tracking orders, reviewing order details, or initiating returns.
Usage Patterns: Investigate how users currently utilize the Order History Page to accomplish their tasks. This involves understanding their navigation patterns, search behaviors, and interactions with the available features.
Impact Assessment: Assess how recent changes or updates to the Order History Page have influenced users' daily activities. Determine if these modifications have had a positive or negative impact on their overall experience.
By collecting qualitative data in alignment with these objectives, we aim to identify pain points and areas for improvement on the Order History Page, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and usability.
Government
Individual
Business
Customer Behaviour Observations
Pattern #1: Frequent Shipment Tracking
Insights from User Behavior:
Unexpected Default State: Users are having difficulty understanding that the new default state of the Order History Page displays only open orders. This differs from their previous expectation of seeing their complete order history.
Pattern Disruption: The established pattern that users are accustomed to is accessing their complete order history on the Order History Page. The new interface disrupts this pattern by not prominently displaying the "All Orders" tab or associating it with "Order History."
Lack of Guidance: Users are not receiving adequate guidance through tutorials or on-screen prompts to direct them to the "All Orders" tab for accessing their complete order history.
Implications and Recommendations:
Default State Clarity: Consider setting the default view to "All Orders" to align with user expectations or offer a clear switch between open orders and complete history.
Tab Visibility: Make the "All Orders" tab more prominent and directly associated with "Order History" to improve visibility.
User Guidance: Enhance tutorials to guide users to the "All Orders" tab for their complete history, ensuring clarity in instructions.
User Testing: Test the changes with users for feedback and iterative improvements.
Pattern #2:
Insights from User Behavior:
User Habit: Users often go to the 'Order Details' page when they can't find a product list on the 'Order History' Page.
'Order Details' Association: Users strongly associate the 'Order Details' button with viewing a complete product list within an order.
Overlooked 'View Packing Slip' Button: Users don't naturally connect the 'View Packing Slip' button with accessing order details, including the product list.
Tutorial Misalignment: The tutorial doesn't clarify that the 'View Packing Slip' button leads to 'Order Details,' causing a mismatch between user expectations and instructions.
Implications and Recommendations:
Clear Labeling: Rename the 'View Packing Slip' button to something like "View Order Details" for better user understanding.
Tutorial Update: Revise the tutorial to guide users explicitly to use the 'View Packing Slip' button to access complete 'Order Details,' including the product list.
Testing: Test the updated button label and tutorial instructions to ensure users can smoothly access 'Order Details.'
Pattern #3: Filter Challenges
Insights from User Behavior:
Complex Filters: Users now spend more time setting and updating filters, indicating increased complexity.
Reset Issue: Clicking 'Order Details' often resets filters, causing frustration.
Pattern Disruption: Users were used to 'me' and 'my company' filters; the new approvers list disrupts this pattern.
Tutorial Confusion: Users may misunderstand the tutorial's mention of "search for approved orders."
Implications and Recommendations:
Persistent Filters: Keep applied filters intact when users return from 'Order Details' to enhance convenience.
Reorganize Filters: Revert to the familiar 'me' and 'my company' filter pattern for better user experience.
Clarify Tutorial: Make the tutorial explicitly state that both approved and unapproved orders are listed in the tab.
What did not working for the users!
Search Issue:
User Need: Users want to efficiently locate orders by searching using order numbers.
Problem: Users often overlook or struggle to use the search filter.
Recommendations:
Prominent Search: Make the search feature more prominent and user-friendly on the Order History Page.
User Education: Offer clear instructions or tooltips on how to effectively utilize the search filter to improve user understanding.
Filter Confusion:
Issue: The customer service team receives numerous calls from users who find the filters confusing and need assistance in using them.
Filter Visibility: The question arises whether all types of account users need access to these filters or if they are relevant to specific user categories.
Recommendations:
Filter Simplification: Simplify the filter options to make them more intuitive and user-friendly.
User Categories: Assess whether all types of account users require access to these filters, and consider tailoring filter options based on user categories if necessary.
Order Tracking Issue:
Problem: Customers are experiencing difficulties when trying to track their orders, leading to an increase in customer service calls for order status inquiries.
Recommendations:
Streamlined Tracking: Simplify the order tracking process within the platform, making it more intuitive and accessible.
Status Notifications: Implement a system that provides automatic order status notifications to users, reducing the need for them to actively track orders.
Returns and Cancels Issue:
Problem: Customers are struggling to locate the return link, and they express the desire to be able to cancel backordered items without needing to contact the Customer Service team.
Recommendations:
Visible Returns Link: Ensure the return link is prominently displayed and easily accessible for customers.
Self-Service Cancellations: Implement a self-service feature that allows customers to cancel backordered items without the need to contact Customer Service.
Post Delivery Issue:
Problem: Customers are encountering difficulties understanding packing slips, and they sometimes miss invoices from shipments, leading them to call in for PDF invoices.
Recommendations:
Invoice Clarity: Enhance the clarity of invoices and packing slips to ensure customers can easily understand and access the necessary information.
Accessibility: Provide accessible options for customers to retrieve PDF invoices without needing to contact customer support.
Competitive Analysis
Grainger
Grainger
Amazon Business
Fastenal
Quantitative Data
Existing Order History
Order Status Improvement:
Problem: Users are experiencing difficulties finding information about their order status in the current Order History (OH) page. Users should be able to easily locate their order status as soon as they access the OH page.
Multiple Shipments: Orders placed with MSC are often split into multiple shipments based on various factors, such as originating from the MSC Fulfillment Center, being drop-shipped from the manufacturer, or being back-ordered. Understanding the status of each shipment within their order is crucial for users.
Upcoming Vendor Delivery Information: Another upcoming initiative aims to provide users with access to vendor delivery information, further enhancing their ability to track and manage their orders effectively.
Solution:
Order Status: Implement an order status indicator for each order displayed in the Order History page. This indicator should provide users with a quick and clear overview of the current status of their orders.
Packing Slip Status: Similarly, create a packing slip status indicator for each shipment within an order. This allows users to understand the status of each shipment, especially when items are shipped in different packing slips.
Clarity: Ensure that the order status and packing slip status indicators are clear and easily distinguishable. Users should be able to identify the status at a glance.
User Training: Provide users with guidance or resources on how to interpret and use the order status and packing slip status indicators effectively.
Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback mechanism for users to provide input on the usefulness and clarity of these status indicators. Use their feedback to make improvements as needed.
Design Exploration
Final Design
Order Submitted
Order Cancelled
Order Completed
Order In Progress
Order Multi Status
Prototype
Order History Desktop
Order History Mobile
Testing:
