Cut Plasma Shipment Time with Auto-Generated BOLs

Role:
UI/UX Designer
Deliverables:
User Research Affinity Diagram Journey Maps Task Flows MVP Wireframes Prototype Visual Design Design Tokens,

This UX case study is based on a real-world project focused on improving inventory tracking and visibility in the highly regulated pharmaceutical domain. The information and concepts presented here are drawn from primary and secondary research, with modifications made to respect client confidentiality. This case study demonstrates my UX process, strategic thinking, and ability to design scalable solutions for complex, compliance-driven environments.

Problem Statement

Redvera Pharma’s logistics team was burdened by a legacy BOL (Bill of Lading) process, heavily reliant on manual data entry, paper-based templates, and disconnected communication channels. Every Monday, shipment planners spent up to 6 hours compiling plasma data, often sacrificing weekends to meet tight deadlines. The lack of real-time visibility, standardized formats, and automated notifications introduced compliance risks and operational bottlenecks.

There was an urgent need for automation, consistency, and a centralized digital solution to support both planning efficiency and audit readiness.

“Hearing how weekends were being sacrificed just to get shipments out made me realize this wasn’t just a workflow issue, it was a people issue.”

Project Goals

The aim was to design a digitized BOL management system that would:

“Hearing how weekends were being sacrificed just to get shipments out made me realize this wasn’t just a workflow issue, it was a people issue.”

UX Strategy & Approach

To tackle these challenges, I adopted the Double Diamond design approach, which allowed me to explore the problem space deeply before narrowing down to feasible, user-validated solutions.

“Initially, I underestimated the complexity across 50 centers. Setting clear, measurable goals helped align everyone from logistics to compliance.”

Design Objectives

User Research & Discovery

We conducted a 3-day stakeholder workshop, 1:1 interviews, and field observations.

Roles Interviewed

We also reviewed industry regulations (FDA/EMA) and studied the operational workflows across over 50 plasma collection centers.

Persona Development

Journey Mapping

I mapped the full user journey, from shipment planning to dispatch, highlighting key stages, actions, emotions, and pain points. This helped surface friction areas and prioritize opportunities for automation.

“The journey map showed how disconnected tools and manual inputs were creating an invisible load on users.”

Affinity Mapping: Key Insights

“During interviews, users casually mentioned working late every Sunday. It wasn’t part of their job, it had just become a routine. That quiet stress made me realize this wasn’t just about speed, it was about giving people their weekends back.”

“During interviews, what stayed with me was how casually users accepted weekend overtime, it had just become part of the job.”

MVP Feature Strategy

Interface Solutions for Redvera’s BOL & Shipment Workflow

After synthesizing research findings and understanding the operational bottlenecks faced by logistics planners and center staff, I designed key interface components to directly address their goals and pain points. Below is an overview of core screens and how each maps to user needs.

Logistics Dashboard

The central dashboard gives logistics planners a real-time view of shipment health. It includes KPIs (e.g., SLA compliance %, BOLs pending, Avg. BOL creation time), visual summaries like Ready vs On-Hold Plasma Boxes by Type, and a Shipment Planned vs Actual chart.

Center Release List: A dynamic table shows each center’s shipment readiness with.

Shipment Planned vs Actual Char

Create BOL Page

This page streamlines BOL generation for a center (e.g., Vienna) once it’s ready to ship. The system auto-fills- BOL Number, Part Number, Consignee Name & Number, Plasma box details & total units

Schedule BOL (Popup)

Planners can pre-schedule BOL creation by selecting a center, date/time, and optional notes. The system triggers auto-generation when conditions are met.

BOL Management

A flow diagram illustrating the volume of BOLs across statuses: Created – Approved – Sent – On Hold – Override.

Visual Design & Branding Direction

As the client had no existing design system or UI guidelines in place, I began by auditing their existing website and product materials. I extracted visual cues such as color palettes, typography choices, and tone of voice to establish a consistent visual language and characteristic tone for the new solution.

This helped ensure that the interface felt native to Redvera’s identity, even in the absence of formal brand standards – laying the foundation for a scalable and reusable design system.

Tangible Outcomes After UX Implementation

After implementing the redesigned BOL workflow, Redvera Pharma’s logistics operations saw measurable improvements across key areas:

These outcomes validated that small UX interventions-rooted in real user pain points-can deliver large operational shifts in complex, regulated environments.