The Problem

• Store associates in the U.S. and Canada spend over 261,000 hours annually investigating merchandise discrepancies, costing an estimated $13 million each year.

• This research is spread across multiple systems, some of which are outdated and being phased out by Walmart.

My Role

Lead UX designer and researcher overseeing the end-to-end project to streamline and simplify Walmart's merchandise discrepancy reporting and management process for store associates.

• Met with business stakeholders and gathered project requirements

• Conducted 5 user interviews with Walmart store associates

• Created potential design solutions using Walmart’s design library system

• Presented designs to internal design team for feedback

• Worked with cross-functional teams to develop the portal

“Wesley quickly learned to design for new formats and eagerly approached new methods of user research. He would be a valuable asset for any team looking for an enthusiastic designer with a lot of great ideas!” Michael Costello, UX Designer at Walmart Labs.”

Business Requirements

• Redesign Merchandise Discrepancy Tool: Reimagine the tool, shown to the right, to be modern and user-friendly, addressing current limitations and improving the overall experience.

• Understand User Pain Points: Conduct interviews with store associates to identify challenges with the existing system and gather insights for improvement.

• Store Search & Favorites: Implement a feature allowing users to easily search for and favorite specific stores for quicker access.

• Store Toggle: Enable users to seamlessly switch between different stores within the tool.

• New Financial Reports: Design new financial reports to provide more comprehensive insights.

• Report Filters: Add the ability to filter reports by date range and type for more tailored results.

Discovery

User Interviews

I visited several Walmart stores and interviewed Store Managers, Claims Supervisors, and Asset Protection team members.

Research Findings

• Claims Supervisors frequently spent excessive time manually searching filing cabinets for supplier proofs of delivery, making the process both inefficient and time-consuming.

  Store associates struggled to trace merchandise discrepancies due to an outdated system, causing delays for the auditing team and hindering timely investigations.

User Journey Maps

Created user journey maps to better visualize the complex merchandise discrepancy process and analyze pain points.

Wesley’s Designs

Project 1: Stock Finance Transmittals and Adjustment Portal

I designed an innovative, user-friendly reporting tool that provided enhanced visibility into store financials, surpassing business expectations for the project (see screenshot comparison below).

Project 2: Item Information App Redesign

I also redesigned Walmart’s Item Information app, the most widely used associate-facing apps at Walmart.

My Impact at Walmart

Recognized as one of the top interns selected to present to over 1,400 participants at Walmart's global town hall meeting.

Testimonials

“Wes is an incredibly fast learner and will take everything you tell him and turn it into actionable and visual results. Wes is a naturally social person and is able to create amazing relationships and has great communication with stakeholders.

Wes is also a long-term visionary and loves to show possibilities, grand solutions, and really cool perspectives at approaching problems. He is the one you want in any workshop or ideation session!” Chad Hutchings, UX Design Manager @ Walmart.