Providing air parcel senders with detailed flight-level tracking for split shipments between flights
Air freight visibility for split shipments
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My Role
Desk Research, Benchmarking, Brainstorming, Interaction, Prototyping, Usability testing
Product
Air visibility at FourKites
Duration
8 weeks
Team
Worked with a Senior UX designer(Rohit Menon) a Product Manager( Scott Ladue) and a Business analyst(Ajay Shriram)
Impact
Granular level information in the shipment, streamlined workflow, mitigated delays and smoother supply chain operations
Impact
Improved daily operations for dispatchers and attract new users seeking a more efficient, user-friendly logistics management solution.
My Role
Research, Brainstorming,Interaction, Prototyping, Usability testing
Product
Yard Tool at FourKites
Duration
16 weeks
Team
Me(UX designer), Rohit Menon(Sr. UX designer),Austin Joerger(Product Manager), Dhawal Sharma(Product Manager)
Problem
Existing visibility platforms lack the capability to display flight-level information in the air shipment, leaving users in the dark about crucial data points that impact decision-making. Currently, users face confusion when shipments are split across multiple flights, resulting in blind spots and inefficiencies in their operations.
Solution
The solution lies in seamlessly integrating flight-level information into the existing shipment tracking interface. By offering a split view of shipments, users can easily discern which flight carries which portion of their delivery and its expected arrival time. This enhancement ensures users have the granular visibility they need to optimize their processes and mitigate delays effectively.
Impact
By addressing the common pain point of shipment splits across multiple flights, we empower users to make informed decisions and optimize their operations effectively. With clear insights into how their shipments are divided and the expected arrival times for each segment, users can streamline workflows, mitigate delays, and maintain smoother supply chain operations. This innovative feature not only sets FourKites apart from competitors but also enhances customer satisfaction and strengthens our position as a leader in supply chain visibility solutions.
Let me take you to a small story spin !
Imagine you are the owner of a small chocolate factory in Germany and ordered some raw materials from US via Air
Solution with a little context
Your small factory eagerly awaits a shipment of special ingredients from Germany via Air. But halfway in the Journey – the delivery splits in two at Hub Airport and travels on different Flights . Half arrives on time, while the other half lags behind. It's a sticky situation! Without knowing which part is on which flight, our chocolate-making process is at a standstill. But fear not, there's a solution on the horizon: the new Air Visibility feature in FourKites. By visually displaying flight-level information, we can untangle this confusion and help our user to take better decision based on the Data.
User can now Track their shipments based on which Flight it is being carried and make informed decision
Research
Initial Research
In the initial research I was trying to gather all the work done related to this project, some of the groundwork was already done in terms of Problem statement.
So I tried to understand the users goal and pain points and Business impacts from this feature.
Stakeholder Research
In our discussion and research, we focused on understanding why users needed this feature and how it could benefit FourKites. We discovered a big problem: users were confused when their shipments were split between different flights and arrived at different times. This problem wasn't being solved by anyone else in the market. By tackling this issue, we saw a chance for FourKites to become a pioneer in solving a common problem and make things easier for its users.
User Persona
The primary users of this feature are Track and Trace professionals responsible for monitoring shipments and reporting their status to their respective companies. By catering to their needs for enhanced visibility, FourKites can empower users to streamline their operations and deliver superior results.
Key Insights
No Visibility at Flight Level
Lack of visibility at the flight level creates blind spots for users, hindering their ability to make informed decisions.
Showcase the Hidden data
By showcasing hidden flight-level data, FourKites can deliver a superior user experience and attract new users seeking enhanced visibility.
Solution doesn't exist in the market
Existing solutions in the market fail to address this gap, presenting an opportunity for FourKites to lead innovation.
Design Process
Brainstorming
With a clear understanding of the problem and user needs, the brainstorming phase focused on designing an intuitive and user-friendly interface for displaying flight-level information. The goal was to provide users with easy access to granular insights that would empower them to optimize their processes and overcome logistical challenges seamlessly
Low Fidelity mock-ups
By laying down the datapoints on the canvas I got the understanding that it's expanding more horizontally with the increase of hub airports along the journey and vertical expansion happening at every split at hub airports.
1. Horizontal and Vertical expansion happens throughout the journey timeline
2. User will need to navigate this timeline to and fro just like the Map
1
Stop cards representation
Origin, Hub airport and Destination airport related information will be displayed here alongwith the shipment detail
Inspirations
Important Datpoints that air track and trace user will need to see to understand the split shipment across the flight
1. Researched on how currently any airlines show their information
2. Researched on different layout structures to showcase this data visually like Flow diagram,Timeline, Task management interface etc.
Final Designs
With a clear understanding of the problem and user needs, the brainstorming phase focused on designing an intuitive and user-friendly interface for displaying flight-level information. The goal was to provide users with easy access to granular insights that would empower them to optimize their processes and overcome logistical challenges seamlessly
Visibility into flight level information through UI in the Shipment timeline
Split UI interface for air users who wants to track their shipment at Flight level.
Reflection
My experience with stakeholder engagement has taught me the importance of uncovering user pain points through interactions with stakeholders, beyond just direct user interaction. I recognized the value of addressing market gaps to meet user needs effectively, driving market innovation. Adopting a flexible approach to design allowed for organic exploration of solutions that align with user needs. This design is currently under development, and as it will be the first of its kind in the market, a patent is in progress to protect our innovation.
Gathering Datapoints
Important Datpoints that air track and trace user will need to see to understand the split shipment across the flight
Different milestones of the Journey:
Origin Airport, Hub Airports, Destination airport
Flights' information carrying shipment at each level of the Journey:
Carrier Name, Amount of shipments, current status of the Flight
Active splits happening at any moment
History of the split shipment when the shipment has arrived
2
Flight cards representation
Shipment details related to flight level will be shown here with the different statuses.
Here for eg: Carrier name(QR5523),number of shipment pieces(100), and status of flight(arrived)
Usability testing
What our best customer has to say about this new design
Almost 12 representatives of different companies participated in usability testing with showing 96% success rate. Used maze usability testing tool for this process.
3
Stop status representation
Solid blue circle shows that the shipment arrived at the stop. Circle with blue stroke shows that the shipment is in progress for that destination and Circle with grey stroke represent that the journey has not started yet.
4
Connectors representation
Light blue solid line represent completed journey. Dotted light blue line represent in progress but yet to be completed journey. And solid dark blue line represent the active journey.
