The problem
The reverse logistics process ran across multiple teams — logistics, customer service, and finance — each operating with their own version of the data. There was no single source of truth. Tracking was unreliable, visibility was low, and sensitive information was exposed to unnecessary risk.
The digital system lagged behind the physical process. What happened in the warehouse wasn't reflected in the tools, which meant teams were making decisions on incomplete data. The operational risk and the data security risk were both significant.
Approach
I started at the distribution center. Understanding how assets actually moved through the physical space was essential before designing anything digital. The ergonomics were poor, the workflow was disorganized, and the space wasn't set up to support accurate tracking.
I redesigned the physical process alongside the digital one — specific areas for asset verification, a new asset labeling model, and an automatic label generator built directly into the system. Every physical step got a digital counterpart.
I connected the entire process to the company's ERP, making asset intake formal and auditable. I also built a module for recording the opening of returned packages — stored securely in the cloud — which closed the gap between what happened physically and what was recorded in the system.
Asset tracking
Label system
Process flow
Outcome
Asset analysis time dropped. Tracking data became reliable. Teams that used to work with fragmented information now shared a single, auditable record.
Customer service improved because agents had accurate, up-to-date data. Finance could reconcile assets without chasing spreadsheets.
This project expanded what I understand design to be. Redesigning a physical process, learning ERP integration, thinking about how people move through a warehouse — those weren't skills I expected to develop. But solving the real problem required all of them.
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