Reframing from warehouse issues to keep store data accuracy
B2B
Research based
Data accuracy
Overview
Over Fall 2024, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Kroger design team on a research-driven project focused on inventory accuracy in a multi-party retail system. Initially, we explored warehouse-level refund optimization, but through user interviews and system mapping, we identified a more actionable challenge at the store level—data inaccuracies caused by limited communication between Kroger and third-party shoppers like Instacart.
To unpack this problem, our group mapped the end-to-end journey of order and inventory flow across both systems and created a service blueprint integrating user behavior, backend processes, and third-party interactions. Through this, we uncovered pain points faced by Kroger staff, such as inconsistent "Out of Stock" markings and limited visibility into third-party fulfillment decisions.
Timeline
Aug - Dec 2024
Team
Arjun R
Rutuja Patil
Sixuan Cheng
Sakshi Girish
Shreya Gururaj
Yu-Fei Hwang
Rutvi Bhavsar
Kaidi Fan
Tools
Figma
Impact
Informed future opportunities to bridge the communication gap with fulfillment partners
💡 Challenge
This was an open-ended, research-driven project in which we were asked to explore potential opportunities within Kroger’s supply chain. Rather than being assigned a predefined problem to solve, we were encouraged to identify meaningful issues through user research, system analysis, and stakeholder collaboration.
The biggest challenge we faced was navigating ambiguity. With such a broad scope, it was unclear where the most critical pain points lay or which part of the supply chain would offer the most actionable value.
Phase 1
Where we get Initial scope—
Warehouse refund optimization during supply chain process at Kroger
Presented the initial research
Me
We learned that warehouse refunds were a essential issue, —— yes, it is.
However, as we conducted research finding three potential issues (shipping errors, inventory misplacements, and fraud patterns), we realized the scope was too broad and deeply tied to supplier policies and logistics.
Through discussions with our sponsor, we confirmed that we had limited authority and ability to control this constraints. we strategically shifted our focus to a more direct and actionable space—store experience. This decision allowed us to generate insights that could lead to real improvements.
Suppliers
Warehouse
Smart Distribution
Stores
Customers
What happened
The whole supply chain process
Phase 2
Refining the Focus –
From limited warehouse to actionable store refund experience
Our initial assumption was that users might experience friction in the return and refund process. However, after conducting several user interviews, we found that refunds were generally straightforward for direct customers, contrary to our expectations.
But, we uncovered a new challenge—when we interviewed with Kroger staff, that inventory accuracy and refund decisions became increasingly complicated when third-party shoppers were involved. This realization led us to narrow our focus even further, setting the stage for our next phase: understanding the communication gap between Kroger and third-party shoppers.
User Interview
Kroger Staff interview
“ Refund process were generally straightforward for direct customers”
Phase 3
Narrow down third-party involvement –
Communication gap between Kroger X Instacart (third-party)
What we did ?
Mapped the User Journey from Order to Fulfillment (based on interviewed with shopper)
Aligned Assumptions with Sponsor to Confirm Direction
Understood Kroger’s Internal Backend System Process
Highlight insights based on research
Insight 1
Refund and replacement decisions were sometimes made without a structured validation process, causing missing data update in the internal system
Insight 2
Third-party shoppers rely on Kroger’s systems for inventory information, but discrepancies often occur due to delayed or incorrect updates on product availability.
Goal
HMW improve communication between Kroger and Instacart to enhance inventory accuracy and reduce stock errors.
How to unpack this problem?
We created a service blueprint that visualizes the flow of order information across different touchpoints, to help us find the opportunities. Here are three key layers:
Kroger system
Instacart system
Journey stsp
Event details
Opportunity
details have been omitted due to NDA requirements.
What do we want to know
Understand how user actions trigger backend updates
Identify breakdowns in communication between third-party shoppers and Kroger’s internal systems
Pinpoint where inventory inaccuracies may occur, and why they are difficult for Kroger to detect or correct
Opportunity
We found that when things go wrong, such as a shopper scanning the wrong item or placing it in the wrong location, these “order corrections” were not captured or reflected by Kroger’s internal systems. On top of that, the order info is inconsistent across different internal system, which leads to inaccurate data.
Reflection
Collaboration was key
From aligning with our sponsor to working closely with teammates, we made every major decision together. Navigating ambiguity required constant communication, feedback, and support across the team.
Grew as a researcher
With no clear problem given, we had to define it ourselves. This meant conducting user interviews, mapping backend systems, and continuously reframing the challenge based on what we learned.
Balanced user and system thinking
I learned to connect user behavior with system-level breakdowns, identifying where real operational issues were hiding beneath surface-level pain points.
Our team
Arjun
Sixian
Rutvi
Rutuja
Sakshi
Shreya
Kaidi
Phoebe