Background
Web Application-Unified Pricing Model
Time Line
Macy's Pricing App Redesign
Problem:
The primary objective of the Macy's UPM Redesign project was to optimize the Unified Price Management (UPM) system used by merchants, buyers, and the pricing team. The goal was to create an enhanced, user-friendly interface that streamlined the management of product pricing via sunsetting legacy applications, ensuring efficiency and accuracy for internal teams and providing real time, location level recommendations with exception-based workflow. Tool should be capable of real-time, low latency and batch processing and support future architectural vision.The new UPM should be optimized for cloud environments.
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Challenges:​
The existing Pricing systems faced challenges related to usability and efficiency, impacting the pricing workflow for merchants, buyers, and the pricing team. The redesign aimed to address these challenges by providing a more intuitive and effective platform for managing pricing information and combining all the functions of the current legacy pricing systems.
My Role:
​As the lead UX designer along with the product owner we spearheaded the redesign efforts for the Macy's UPM system. My role involved collaborating closely with merchants, buyers, and the pricing team to understand their unique needs, conducting user interviews to identify the areas of friction, and guiding the design team in creating an interface that would enhance the overall pricing management experience.
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Requirement/EPICs:​
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Unified business tool
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Automate workflow for price management
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Smart price recommendation based of ML/BI integration at location level
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Catalog expansion – Owned & VDF growth ~250-375 K/per month
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Customized analytics dashboard
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Robust and efficient framework
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Technical considerations:​
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Blazing fast response with low latency
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CI/CD capability, APM integration, logging/Troubleshooting
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Data extraction, transformation and storage
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High availability, resilient, elastic and scalable
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Integration support to ML/BI recommendation
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Reduce ML training cycle by quicker feedback loop
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Non technical Objectives:​
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Improve Operational efficiency
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Automate standard process and workflow
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Improve quality by designing data driven process and flow.
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Cost effective, open source and aligning to enterprise standards
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Smaller learning curve & towards minimum ops
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Modern architecture and future proof for next Generation technology.
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Software Used:
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Figma
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Jira
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Adobe Illustrator
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Miro
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Survey Monkey
User Personas
Pricing Team Member
Inputs price changes. They do most of the work when it comes to creating a price change,
Pricing Team Manager
Manage pricing strategies for Macy's Products, Create and approves prices changes.
Buyer
Process orders and negotiate prices with Suppliers, track orders, create and maintain inventory.
Merchandiser
Maintain an orderly and visually appealing store by restocking merchandise and making sure the items are priced properly.
​Research:
The project began with in-depth research involving interviews and feedback sessions with merchants, buyers, and the pricing team. This research aimed to identify pain points and challenges in the existing UPM system, ensuring that the redesign would cater to the specific needs of these internal user groups.
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Research Methods and Ideation:
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​Collaborative ideation sessions and workshops were conducted to generate design concepts focused on simplifying the pricing management process. Input from merchants, buyers, and the pricing team played a crucial role in shaping the redesign to align with the unique requirements of each user group.
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​Research Methods:
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Usability Tests: I administered a list of tasks to see how users interacted with all the separate Pricing Systems - Used Maze Software
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User Interviews: I conducted interviews to specific user groups posing questions that delved into users' thoughts and feelings regarding the product. ​
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Key Findings from User Testing and Interviews:
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Users Had to use three different systems, upload excel spread sheets just to make a price change.
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Users had a hard time searching for the right price change because of the difficulty searching by LOCS.
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There was no way to communicate via the software between Pricing team and Buyers even though the Buyers had to sign off on changes.
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They Users would love a way to stay in the same system to do all tasks to do with pricing .
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Buyers would love a more automated system they could rely on.
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Prototyping and Iteration:​
Prototypes were developed and refined through iterative testing cycles with representatives from each user group. The design underwent multiple iterations based on feedback, with a focus on creating a final design that offered a more efficient and user-friendly experience for merchants, buyers, and the pricing team.
Sample Prototype using Figma: Price Decrease all Locs, From Home Page
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Collaboration:
​Collaboration with key stakeholders, including merchants, buyers, and members of the pricing team, was central to the project's success. Open communication and regular feedback loops ensured that the redesigned UPM system met the specific workflow and usability needs of each user group.​
The Design Process:​
Original Price Change Journey- involved three systems to create a price change, Macys is sunsetting all of the systems to be replaced by the new UPM
User Interviewing Results - Miro
Impact:
User Experience Improvement:
The redesigned UPM system significantly improved the user experience for merchants, buyers, and the pricing team. The new interface provides a more intuitive and streamlined process for managing product pricing, reducing the time and effort required for these internal teams.
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We held post-launch interviews: After the initial launch we interviewed the same user groups as we had throughout the project
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Key findings from the post initial launch interviews:
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Some of the users suggested some collaborative enhancements, possibly an action item feature that would alert users to make critical price changes or to sign off on changes.
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A few users would love to hide any inputs that were not needed during the price change.
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Both of these changes will be implemented in the next iteration.
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The users loved using only one platform to search, create and change price changes.
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almost all users expressed a great reduction in time consumption when creating a price change, stating that its the elimination of excel sheet upload and the fact that they only had to use one system to complete the task.
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Users said the design was greatly improved even though it was not a huge need for them, they really liked the updated look.
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Operational Efficiency:
Post-redesign, increased operational efficiency was observed within the pricing workflow. The improved usability and clarity of the UPM system contributed to more effective collaboration and decision-making among merchants, buyers, and the pricing team.
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Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Macy's UPM Redesign project demonstrated a commitment to creating a user-centric solution for Unified Price Management. By actively involving and collaborating with merchants, buyers, and the pricing team, we delivered a redesigned UPM system that significantly improved user satisfaction and operational efficiency. This experience showcases my ability to design solutions tailored to the specific requirements of internal users, contributing to the success of pricing management processes at Macy's.​​
Legacy System Images
New System
