Inventory tracking system
Rolls Royce Aviation Division
UX Research | UX Design | IoT | Product Development
User Research - Deep dive into user type of Welders
Brainstorming for the solution through market research and domain study
Worked independently on the implementation of prototype using Load Sensors, Tactical Switches and Argon Module
1 UX Researcher, 2 UX Designers, 1 Product Designer
August 2021 - September 2021 at IUPUI
The Rolls Royce Design challenge was aimed at tackling inventory issues for the non-scheduled parts in department 1554 of the Rolls Royce Aviation Division.
The team was given access to the department floor and an inside look into the current restocking system for non-scheduled parts. The team was tasked with finding a solution for the problem using a weight based approach.
The team came up with three design alternatives that would use a combination of load sensors and tactical switches to identify whether or not the shelves require to be restocked. The client approved the first alternative and the team implemented a proof of concept of the proposed solution to be presented to the client.
Before meeting with the clients, the team conducted independent desk research into inventory management. This helped us gain an understanding of whats out there in terms of solutions and technology that could be leveraged for our project. Online resources were also key in framing the research questions that needed to be answered through this project.
The team was allowed to visit the Rolls Royce facility in Indianapolis, IN to view the working of the department 1554.
We interviewed key management staff at the facility, specifically Ryan, the Materials Requirement Planning Controller (MRPC). He was able to provide us with a detailed insight into the supply chain process for non-scheduled parts.
The current process depends on workers within the department keeping track of the non-scheduled parts. There is no fixed system regarding who is in charge of what aspect of restocking. Hence, it is highly susceptible to human error.
The department is seeking to bring in automation into the process thus taking the load off its workers so that they are free to work on their own tasks without having to worry about the restocking process.
"The lack of communication when bins get too empty is the most frustrating part. It's even more frustrating when the supplier is also out of those parts which causes extremely long lead times."
-Ryan (MRPC)
No tracking of non-scheduled parts and delayed communication when bins run empty affects the scheduling process.
Some other problems that the team identified were:
The MRPC is the person who keeps track of inventory and places orders for restocking when required. According to Ryan, there is no defined process in place and it is up to his discretion to place orders as and when required. He generally places the order when he sees that the bins have reached a 50% capacity.
The scheduling manager for dept 1554 is in charge of managing the workers schedules and creation of the production order. Gina maintains a good working relationship and continuous communication with the welders and the MRPC as this is important for the smooth working of the department.
The Vendor Manager is the point of contact at Pattonair (Incora), the company that supplies the non-scheduled parts to Rolls Royce. Jean has been the point of contact for Ryan for a long time and he directly contacts her whenever there is a need for restocking at dept 1554.
Welders are hourly workers who work at the department. They interact directly with the non-scheduled parts and put empty bins on rollers or on top of the shelf when the parts run out. However, this is not an explicitly defined task within their daily jobs. Hence, it is not carried out reliably by all welders at the department. As users, their primary goal is to complete their daily production orders.
To help staff at rolls royce trackheir non-scheduled parts to warrant timely restocking to avoid long wait times and hence ensure a smooth scheduling process.
The team brainstormed ways to solve the problem using a weight based solution. After 2 brainstorming sessions, the team settled on a simple weighing scale based solution that ties in to a mobile application that provides timely updates to the Rolls Royce team.
The Value Proposition Canvas (below) helped us map user gains and pains to products and services that could be provided through our application.
It was at this stage that we moved Welders from primary to a secondary user profile. Bringing in automation meant that the department no longer needed to rely on Welders to initiate communication about inventory running low.
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Parts arriving at the Dock and being taken to 1554
Stock running at 50% in dept 1554 and Ryan's current method of merging and restocking bins
2 possible scenarios of bins going missing from shelves.
It was at this stage that Gina was also moved from primary to secondary user profile as we realized that it was not necessary to involve her within the notification system or create a separate interface for her. Since her primary role was to act as the communication link between welders and Ryan, her involvement in the restocking process is minimized with the welders being moved to secondary profile as well.
The first part shows the process of stocking the newly arrived parts from Pattonair. The dashed lines signify notifications being sent.
The second part shows the process of restocking the bins as they start to run empty.
For the client critique session, the team pitched 3 solution variants to the clients which changed the shelf structures while keeping the overall solution workflow consistent.
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The first one kept the existing shelf structure with the shelves tilting slightly downward to enable easy access to the back bins. This structure would involve only one load cell being used for the combined weight of 2 bins.
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The second one changed the existing shelf structure to one with the shelves being completely flat. This would involve individual load cells for each bin.
This solution would provide a higher level of precision in the weight tracking of parts.
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The third one changed the existing shelf structure to one with the shelves being more ergonomic with a rotary sensor attached. This would also have 1 cell per bin but would make tracking bin absence easier as the rotary sensor would create distinct enabled/disabled scenarios.
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