Supply chain maps
Transforming supply chain visibility for global medicine production.
Factories
Countries
Products
The challenge
Aligned with business analysts to understand the value chain process in detail and how the application fit into it, identifying key end users and their roles.
Generate user personas and industry context information mixed between interviews surveys and AI, to assess how well the app met their needs, or where it fell short.
Based on the survey insights, I designed and conducted moderated usability tests with 10 participants to explore more in detail how they actually used the platform.
Then created a design roadmap and a SOW (Scope of work) for the redesign of the UI.
The core user
Jill Tanner
Age
Goals
Design and optimize an end-to-end pharma supply chain that is resilient, compliant, and cost-efficient.
Ensure product availability across all geographies while minimizing inventory and lead times.
Use supply chain mapping to identify dependencies, risks, and inefficiencies across sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution.
Facilitate cross-functional alignment between R&D, procurement, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory teams.
Pain Points
Lack of visibility into multi-tier supplier networks, especially for APIs and raw materials.
Inconsistent data sources and fragmented systems make it hard to get a unified view.
Managing unexpected disruptions (e.g., regulatory shutdowns, geopolitical issues, pandemics).
Difficulty in modeling and simulating changes in supply chain design (e.g., introducing a new CMO).
Need to comply with strict validation processes before implementing supply chain changes.
Struggle to communicate complexity of the supply chain to non-experts and executives.
Needs
Visualize relationships between suppliers, manufacturing sites, and distribution centers.
Highlight critical nodes, bottlenecks, and risk-prone dependencies.
Overlay regulatory zones, shipping constraints, and lead times.
Ability to simulate alternative supply chain scenarios (e.g., dual sourcing).
Integration with ERP (SAP), MES, WMS, and regulatory databases.
Tools to benchmark and monitor supply chain KPIs (costs, OTIF, inventory turns).
Ability to collaborate across teams (e.g., digital twin capabilities, version control, annotation tools).
Technology Use
ERP Systems: SAP S/4HANA (core planning and execution)
Intergraph SmartPlant or LLamasoft (for network design and digital twin modeling)
Custom GIS-based mapping tools for visualizing transport lanes and regional risks
Core Insight
“Users didn’t need more data, they needed the right information at the right time, presented in an intuitive way”
Outcome
The platform was designed, developed and launched on time with many key new features, increasing the relevance of the information this was measured trough new and returning visitors and engagement.
Changes in the design process of the dev team where introduced as improving team workflow for future feature releases.
Awards
