My role: UX design, UX research
Team: Product manager, 3 Engineers, Business analyst, Design system lead
Duration: February to June 2023
Coupa Buyer Manager Journey is Broken
Coupa is a leading business spend management platform used by many companies for handling large-scale purchases. They require an effective tool to help streamline the purchasing process.
Understanding pain points without direct access to end-users is always challenging for B2B products. However, I worked with my PM to dive deep into our customers' pain points. We reached out to the IT department to pull usability testing reports, conduct surveys, and more to better understand their challenges. We discovered that everyone on the buyer team is notified of every requisition in the pending buyer action status, making it unclear which tasks they should prioritize. Additionally, many customers export all invoices into an Excel file, run them through macros or other external software to categorize them into buckets, and then use our custom tool to assign these tasks to individuals.
Exploring Data Visualization Needs
To gather feedback efficiently, I conducted user testing with our internal teams. Initially, bar charts were used to display data, but users found the visual layout overwhelming with too many categories, which made it difficult to get an overview. This feedback guided our iterations, leading to simplified and more focused data representations that allowed users to see the bigger picture at a glance.
After our exploratory phase, we converged on utilizing a stacked bar chart. This approach allowed us to distinctly differentiate between statuses like 'Pending Buyer Action', 'In Sourcing', and 'Pending Approval'. As a result, we furnished Buyer Managers with a comprehensive, at-a-glance understanding of the requisition workflows.
The journey to enhance the buyer's interaction with the requisition management system was a collaborative endeavor, involving cross-functional teams dedicated to elevating the procurement process within Coupa. In tandem with refining the visual aspects of the dashboard, we worked closely with engineering, product management, and user experience teams to enhance the functionality and responsiveness of the buyer datatable. Our collective goal was to transform it into a tool that not only presents data but also facilitates immediate action and decision-making.
Original requisition datatable
Managers can now quickly give out tasks to buyers with our new dashboard
The result of our iterative design process, enriched by stakeholder feedback and cross-departmental collaboration, was a dashboard that went beyond mere analytics. It became an essential tool for Buyer Managers to orchestrate their team's workflow effectively. With the redesigned buyer datatable, the dashboard transformed into a strategic command center, enabling managers to make informed assignments that optimize team performance and expedite the procurement cycle.
The implementation of the revamped requisition datatable and manager dashboard has significantly elevated the user experience for our vast user base. The improved data visualization and streamlined functionality have been instrumental in enhancing the productivity of over 60,000 users, empowering them to navigate the procurement landscape with confidence and strategic insight.
In future iterations, the Coupa Procurement Dashboard will aim to incorporate advanced data visualization and reporting capabilities, like tracking order trends over time. This addition will empower users to gain insights into order volumes, streamline approvals, and analyze purchasing behavior across departments. By providing a comprehensive view, we can further enhance decision-making and operational efficiency within the procurement process.
