A New Point of Sale

A New Point of Sale

Over the course of 12 years, Farmacias del Ahorro relied on an outdated and inefficient point of sale system. Recognizing the need for a modern solution, I had the privilege of being part of the user experience design team tasked with creating a new point of sale system. In this use case, I will guide you through the design process, illustrating how this innovative solution has not only contributed to the company's success but also played a pivotal role in reducing errors, streamlining sales processes, and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Role:
UX Designer
Year:
2019
Company:
‍Farmacias del Ahorro
UX Tasks:
Research, Interaction, Visual Design.
Tools:
Sketch, Invision, Optimal Workshop

01 Discovery

Background

In 2019, I was invited by the Axity Mexico team to lead the redesign of Farmacias del Ahorro's POS system due to its outdated operation and poor user experience. The project was driven by the urgent need to update the obsolete system that had been in place since 1996, causing significant economic losses and misalignment with the company's modern vision. Our goal was to transform the POS into a state-of-the-art system that supports our vision of becoming Mexico's top pharmacy through technological innovation, process improvement, and a strong focus on customer well-being.

Business objectives

  1. Our objective is to create a POS system entirely focused on customer satisfaction, embodying the company's values and vision. By enhancing the user experience for our sales staff, we aim to provide quick, efficient, and personalized service to every customer at Farmacias del Ahorro.
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  2. We strive to position Farmacias del Ahorro as a leader in health services nationwide, leveraging technology in our POS system to offer superior benefits and customer service.

Customer Objectives

  1. Personalized customer displays tailored to individual history, preferences, and needs.
  2. Simplified access to loyalty programs and promotions for customer benefit.
  3. Enhanced transparency with visibility on every transaction detail.
  4. Clear information on pricing, including totals, subtotals, and savings, alongside promotion details.
  5. Strategic display of internal and third-party product promotions for informed customer choices.
  6. Advertising opportunities for both Farmacias del Ahorro and external entities, including showcase promotions.

User Objectives

  1. Streamline sales with an intuitive interface to simplify tasks and reduce cognitive load, using best practices in usability and design.
  2. Enhance promotion visibility of private label items and specials with strategically designed screens for a comprehensive view of offers.
  3. Ensure easy promotion of private label products and deals through a user interface designed for strategic visibility and quick access.
  4. Keep the learning curve low to avoid extensive training, reducing errors and bad practices.

Ideal Landscape

  1. The customer has clear visibility.
  2. Sales agility
  3. Cleaner and more ergonomic spaces
  4. the home service system interconnected with POS
  5. The kiosk is functional as a self-service kiosk.
  6. 100% automated inventory
  7. No paper waste
  8. The POS is intuitive and very easy to use.
  9. Automated analytics.

Current Situation

Farmacias del Ahorro, Mexico's largest pharmacy chain with over 1500 locations, is undergoing a technological and cultural transformation to enhance its customer service and streamline sales processes. This shift moves beyond mere transactional interactions to foster effective relationships with clients, reflecting the company's adaptation to market changes and growth. This strategy aims to modernize its technical infrastructure to better meet evolving customer needs and market demands.

Current Landscape

  1. The customer does not have clear visibility of what is happening on the screen.
  2. High waiting times
  3. Lack of ergonomics
  4. the home delivery system operates separately from the POS.
  5. Kiosk is inoperable and obsolete
  6. The inventory is carried out manually
  7. Excessive use of paper.
  8. The learning curve is high.
  9. There is no analytics.

02 Contextual Study

Business Understanding

To enhance the POS system at Farmacias del Ahorro, the project was divided among four research teams, each comprising a business analyst and a developer. As the sole designer with limited resources, the strategy involved in-depth observation and interaction analysis within selected high-issue pharmacies in Monterrey. The teams immersed themselves in the pharmacy environment, conducting observations, cognitive walk-throughs, and engaging with staff and customers. This approach yielded extensive field notes, later analyzed via a SWOT matrix to identify key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, guiding the project's next phases.

The objectives of this stage were:

  1. Understand the user's environment, tasks, shortcuts and workaraounds.
  2. Identify and analyze sales-related tasks, critical paths, shortcuts, and interaction patterns for improvement.
  3. Recognize users' needs, motivations, frustrations, and expectations.

Product Understanding

I conducted an in-depth analysis of all tasks and processes associated with sales and inventory management. This involved creating study flows to identify areas for simplification and enhancement.

The stage had three key objectives:

  1. To comprehend the product's current dynamics and user interaction.
  2. To review previous attempts to address specific problems or improvements.
  3. To understand operational details and identify factors affecting user experience.

Competitive Analysis

During the competitive analysis phase, we examined both direct and indirect competitors to pinpoint areas of strength and potential enhancements. This investigation yielded valuable data, which was instrumental in defining the critical elements to be addressed in our design solution.

The activities involved in this phase were:

  1. Analyzing and researching competitors' points of sale to understand our strengths and areas for improvement to enhance our competitive edge.
  2. Assessing the current market positioning of our product relative to both direct and indirect competitors.

Benchmarking of points of sale in the area

Summary of evaluation results

User Analysis

The user analysis stage involves profiling users based on age, education, computer proficiency, and vision capabilities. We then tailor our design and functionality recommendations to meet the diverse needs of these user groups, aligning with the business's strategic objectives. This ensures the POS system is accessible and efficient for all users, regardless of their technical background or physical abilities.

User Profile 1
A tech-savvy young adult, comfortable with digital technology and without any visual impairments, suggesting a need for advanced POS features that can be quickly learned and utilized.
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User Profile 2
A slightly older user with basic computer skills, would require a POS system that is straightforward and user-friendly, without assuming advanced technical knowledge.
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User Profile 3
Entering middle age with some vision challenges, would benefit from a POS with larger text and clear visual cues to compensate for decreased familiarity with technology and slight vision impairment.
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User Proflile 4
Represents older users who are not tech-savvy and have significant vision problems like presbyopia, indicating a need for a highly accessible POS system with simple navigation and clear, large visual interfaces.

Based on the user-person analysis we conclude the following:

Given the diverse user personas and their varying needs, our UX strategy must focus on inclusivity and efficiency. The POS interface should feature:

  1. Adaptive design elements for all age groups, with a dynamic layout that responds to user proficiency.
  2. High contrast visuals and adjustable font sizes to cater to users with different vision capabilities.
  3. Customizable shortcuts that adapt to each user's role and frequency of use for streamlined operations.
  4. A reduction in manual input tasks, leveraging automation to minimize physical strain and cognitive effort.
  5. An interface that minimizes clutter, focusing on essential functions to reduce cognitive load and enhance user efficiency.
  6. Providing adjustable interfaces that can switch between 'simple' and 'advanced' modes, catering to different levels of user expertise.

Design Guidelines

  1. Prioritize an accessible navigation structure, with clear paths for common tasks to enhance speed and reduce errors.
  2. Design forms with autofill options and error-checking features to streamline data entry.
  3. Curate high-quality content that provides critical information at a glance without overwhelming the user.
  4. Employ a visual and interactive design that uses color coding for categorization and emphasizes button size for frequently used actions.
  5. Implement an intelligent search method with predictive text and natural language processing to quickly locate products and information.
  6. Develop a robust help system that includes tooltips, tutorial videos, and an easily accessible FAQ section for both common and complex issues.
  7. Ensure error messages are clear, informative, and provide guidance for resolution, fostering a forgiving system that reduces frustration.

03 Ideation and Design

The contextual study formed a foundational reference, leading to a series of ideation sessions. For one week, the UX team and Farmacias del Ahorro's marketing staff engaged in daily brainstorming to explore potential designs for the POS system. This collaborative approach aimed to integrate diverse perspectives and insights into the POS design process.
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Solution Design

To refine the design strategy for the POS system, we considered the following strategic points:

  1. Enhance POS usability through ergonomic design tailored to frequent operations.
  2. Develop an advanced search functionality that intuitively navigates products and promotions.
  3. Create a coherent and consistent user experience across all interaction points.
  4. Personalize the customer journey within the POS to meet individual needs and preferences.
  5. Streamline the sales workflow to minimize transaction time and complexity.
  6. Integrate loyalty incentives seamlessly to encourage repeat business and engagement.
  7. Fortify loyalty programs with targeted rewards and user-friendly redemption processes.

Improve the current sales process

To improve the current sales process, the aim was to streamline workflow by removing unnecessary steps. The focus was on:

  1. Simplifying the selection of billing types and customer categories.
  2. Reducing the frequency of cashier code inputs.
  3. Enhancing the product scanning and payment methods.
  4. Minimizing the distance and interaction needed for SKU entry and other repetitive data entries.

Original Process

Improved process

Preliminary Strategic Design Concepts

Before starting with the information architecture and the interaction design, it was necessary to define the logistics of the interface to determine the most strategic areas of the point of sale.

Key Interface Elements

  1. Customize the e-wallet display for a personalized shopping experience.
  2. Tailor promotions and generics to customer profiles for targeted marketing.
  3. Leverage strategic advertising to enhance visibility and sales.
  4. Highlight product details clearly for informed purchasing decisions.
  5. Provide an organized list of selected products for easy review.
  6. Display running totals prominently for transparent billing.

F-Shaped scanning pattern (F-Shaped pattern)

The F-Shaped pattern is a common way users scan web content, characterized by two horizontal movements followed by a vertical one, resembling the shape of the letter "F". This pattern informs how to design content for better user engagement and content prioritization.

The application of the F-shaped scanning pattern is contingent on the context, including the user's time constraints and screen position. In our study, we found that customers need to quickly understand key information due to limited time and indirect screen viewing. To address this, our design strategy emphasizes immediate clarity on critical elements such as wallet balance, offers, and savings, ensuring customers absorb essential information rapidly and follow the intended path through the interface.

Wireframes

After solidifying our design strategy and identifying the vital visual pattern for our POS system, we moved on to the creation of preliminary wireframes. These wireframes, initially drafted as basic sketches, served as the blueprint for the interface layout, providing a visual structure for the strategic elements defined earlier. They acted as the first tangible representations of our design concept, allowing us to iterate quickly and refine our approach towards a user-centric solution.

Visual and Interactive Design

With the foundational information architecture and logistics set, we advanced to crafting the visual and interactive elements of the POS. This phase was dedicated to developing a user-friendly interface, integrating visual cues and interactive components to create an engaging and efficient user experience. Our goal was to ensure the design was not only visually appealing but also functionally robust, facilitating a seamless and intuitive user journey through the POS system.

Visual design process

Final Mockups

Final UI

Drag from the center to see before and after

04 Test and Learn

Design Handoff and Agile Collaboration

The project was structured around an Agile framework with 12 sprints, each lasting two weeks. The process was as follows:

  1. Sprint Preparation: For each sprint, use cases were detailed by business analysts and SMEs. Concurrently, I developed wireframes in advance of the development team's work.
  2. Usability Testing: After each set of wireframes was approved, I ran usability tests using Invision prototypes to ensure design effectiveness and address user feedback promptly.
  3. Development Handoff: Approved designs were converted into high-fidelity screens and documented in Invision. For precise developer handoff, we utilized Zeplin to provide clear specifications and assets.
  4. Agile Synchronization: This sprint cycle allowed for quick feedback integration and design iteration, keeping the project aligned with user needs and business goals.

This structured approach facilitated efficient collaboration between designers and developers, ensuring each sprint moved the project forward effectively.

Pilot Testing and UX Optimization

The objective of the Pilot Testing phase was to evaluate the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in a real-world environment and refine the user experience based on actual usage and feedback.

Methodology

  1. Observation: We closely monitored user interactions with the MVP to identify any unforeseen usability issues and areas for enhancement.
  2. Feedback Collection: Through surveys and interviews, we collected invaluable user insights, which were crucial for understanding the user journey and improving the product.
  3. Issue Documentation: All issues, from minor bugs to significant usability challenges, were meticulously logged for prioritization and resolution.
  4. Iterative Design Improvements: The design was refined in response to user feedback, ensuring that each iteration brought us closer to an optimized user experience.

Collaboration

  1. Developer Partnership: A tight-knit collaboration with the development team enabled swift and effective implementation of design adjustments.
  2. Performance Analysis: Key performance indicators were analyzed to measure the effectiveness of design changes against user experience goals.
  3. Accessibility Checks: Continuous evaluations ensured the product was accessible to all users, leading to necessary adjustments.
  4. Stakeholder Updates: Stakeholders were kept informed of progress, challenges, and the impact of design changes throughout the Pilot Testing phase.

05 Conclusions

Conclusions

The POS-FARMAX system, launched via pilot programs in Monterrey's metropolitan area in mid-2019, now operates in over 95% of the pharmacies. The implementation has been a financial success, generating a 45% cost saving in the first year and boosting sales by 14% within the first month. These figures not only demonstrate the new POS impacts on the company's bottom line but also affirm the strategic design choices made during development. The investment in user experience and operational efficiency has translated into tangible business outcomes.

Learnings and Next Steps

This project underscored the importance of collaboration and iterative design. A key takeaway is that teamwork and early involvement of all stakeholders are essential for project success. By integrating into the daily operations of Farmacias del Ahorro, the development team absorbed the company culture, which became a cornerstone of our approach. Looking forward, we will continue to refine POS-FARMAX by monitoring its performance and gathering user feedback. This will allow us to make data-driven improvements, ensuring that the system remains at the forefront of technological innovation and continues to deliver exceptional value to both the company and its customers.