Bring Your Own Device

Improved efficiency and user experience when moving from hardware enabled scanning to camera based scanning. Use this application as the flagship for employee based apps. Over time, create consistency and reusability of workflows and components across employee apps.

The Challenge: A Burden on Our Associates and Operations

This project was a critical step in modernizing our customer order fulfillment experience for Walmart Store Associates, specifically migrating our core application from proprietary TC70 devices to Samsung XCover Pro mobile devices.

On average, a single associate scans approximately 18+ orders per day. The company operates 4000+ stores in the U.S alone., along with stores in Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Massmart, and Adobe.

My primary objective was to leverage advanced mobile camera scanning capabilities to not only enhance operational efficiency but also significantly improve the daily lives of our associates, transforming an often-exhausting task into a simple and quick one.

Our store associates relied on TC70 devices for order fulfillment tasks like Picking, Staging, Packing, and Dispense.

Physical Strain and Repetitive Motion

For every barcode scan – whether it was for items, totes, boxes, or hazmat labels – associates had to press a hard physical button repeatedly on the TC70 device. A single-item order could require 6-8 scans, translating into an average of hundreds, if not thousands, of repetitive button presses daily. This was not only exhausting but also posed a significant risk of repetitive strain injuries, such as "trigger finger".

Inefficient Workflow and Usability Issues

Our audit of the existing GIF experience revealed fundamental design flaws. The primary Call-to-Action (CTA) "Scan Item" was poorly placed, situated far from the natural reach of an associate's thumb. This increased motor-skill efforts and frequently led to "fat-finger issues," where associates accidentally tapped "Item not found" due to the close proximity of buttons.

Proprietary Device Dependency and Cost

Our reliance on expensive, proprietary TC70 devices limited our operational flexibility and scalability. It also meant higher maintenance costs and restricted the ability for external partners or even associates in some markets (like ASDA in the UK) to use their own devices.

Intuitive UI Redesign with a Floating Action Button (FAB)

A critical decision, following extensive exploration, was the adoption of a Floating Action Button (FAB) as the primary scanning CTA. While we considered other options like Edge panels, I recognized that the FAB offered distinct advantages: it is intuitive (much like a camera button on a mobile phone), doesn't occupy excessive screen space, is ambidextrous, and most importantly, is easily reachable, significantly reducing motor-skill efforts and eliminating the "fat-finger" issue.

To further streamline the user experience, we introduced a bottom sheet to display only the most relevant information, reducing cognitive load. Associates could then swipe up for additional details if and when needed.

My Takeaways

While the initial rollout of BYOD for Picking and Dispense has been successful, my team and I are already looking ahead. Our future efforts include designing BYOD versions for the remaining modules, such as Packing, Loading, Receiving, and Quality Check, with a continued focus on minimizing scanning efforts. We are also actively addressing identified shortcomings, including occasional slowness with XCover devices and instances of accidental rescanning due to rapid scan speeds.