Merch.io
AI-Enhanced Design and Strategy for Merch.io’s Merchandising Platform
Merch.io is a cutting-edge merchandising platform that empowers companies to track their products’ presence and supply across various retail locations. This startup offers a modern solution that replaces outdated, manual systems with AI-driven technology and automation, ensuring seamless product tracking and management.
Discovery:
The first step involved understanding Merch.io’s business model. The platform serves distributors and independent manufacturers, enabling them to monitor their products in retail stores without managing in-house merchandising teams. The platform is primarily used by Merch.io’s agents who track client products in retail stores and a back-office team that handles alerts and flags.
Process:
Companies register on Merch.io, providing their product lists and locations. The back-office team adds the client’s product details, promos, and store information to the database and manages orders and shipments. Once the data is logged, Merch.io’s app, powered by AI, generates an optimized plan for agents who visit assigned stores to inspect products. AI algorithms analyze data patterns to predict stock shortages and automate restocking processes. The back-office team receives real-time reports, statistics, and alerts for any discrepancies and forwards them to the clients, leveraging automation for faster and more accurate reporting.
AI and Automation Integration:
- Predictive Analytics: Implemented AI-driven predictive analytics to forecast product demand, optimize stock levels, and reduce instances of overstock or stockouts.
- Automated Reporting: Developed automated reporting tools that generate real-time insights and statistics, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy.
- Smart Alerts: Introduced intelligent alert systems that use AI to detect anomalies and send automated notifications to the back-office team and clients.
- Enhanced Planning: Utilized machine learning algorithms to create more efficient and effective plans for field agents, optimizing their routes and schedules.
UX Study:
We created a detailed flowchart to understand the interactions between two teams operating on different applications – a tablet app for the field team and an admin board for the back-office team. This understanding was crucial to comprehend the implications of specific actions and how AI could enhance these interactions.
Visual Design:
For the mobile app, we adhered to the latest industry design standards to ensure a seamless user experience. For the dashboard, we created a custom design system, “Materialish design,” to cater to all the unique functionalities and features, ensuring scalability and future-proofing the platform.
Dashboard:
The dashboard offers a comprehensive overview of work goals and completion rates. A vital feature is the alerts and activity log that facilitates the back-office team’s interaction with the field teams. AI-enhanced analytics and visualizations provide deeper insights into merchandise performance.
Client Interface:
Most pages on the administration panel are designed to filter information and display it contextually. For instance, the client’s page offers a status update on their merchandise, along with an option to export the information in PDF format for quick sharing. AI-driven data filters ensure clients receive the most relevant and actionable insights.
Outcome:
By integrating efficient UX design, visual design, product strategy, AI technology, and automation, we transformed Merch.io into a future-proof, scalable platform. The improved system empowers companies to track their products in retail stores, enhancing visibility, efficiency, and accuracy, thus elevating their merchandising processes. The AI-driven solutions have led to significant improvements in operational efficiency, reduced manual tasks, and provided predictive insights that help clients make better business decisions. Merch.io is now positioned as a forward-thinking leader in the merchandising industry, ready to scale for growth, attract more customers, and increase revenue while offering a superior experience for their users.
