Transforming a warehouse execution system into an industry-leading platform
Digital Scientists partnered with Fortna to overhaul the FortnaWES platform, delivering a modern executive experience with real-time dashboards, intuitive navigation, and a cohesive design system for 360-degree warehouse visibility.
8
Executive Interviews Conducted
2
Detailed Personas Created
4
Competitors Analyzed
360°
Warehouse Visibility
From executive UX redesign to full-scale platform transformation
Fortna, Inc., a leading logistics distribution consulting and engineering firm, sought Digital Scientists' assistance in providing UX research and design expertise to lead an overhaul of their current FortnaWES platform experience. In the initial engagement, Digital Scientists partnered with Fortna to survey and define individual user personas for each experience, create workflow and information architecture diagrams, and design wireframes and visual designs that articulate the executive experience.
The project goal was clear: overhaul the FortnaWES platform executive experience -- modernizing it, solving pain points, and increasing Fortna's competitive advantage in the market. The engagement expanded beyond the original scope to encompass a full-scale redesign, rebranding, and productization of the WES platform, with a vision for Fortna to become the industry's technology leader.
Digital Scientists took a design thinking approach to solving complex problems for users, diving deep to uncover underlying issues not always visible on the surface. Through alignment workshops, user research, persona development, journey mapping, and iterative visual design, the team delivered a modern, data-rich executive experience that provides real-time warehouse visibility and control.
Executives lacked real-time visibility into warehouse operations
Through 8 executive interviews across roles including Director of Supply Chain, VP of Global Supply Chain Technology, and Reverse Logistics Director, Digital Scientists uncovered critical pain points in the existing FortnaWES platform that hindered decision-making and operational efficiency.
Delayed Reporting
Executives received reporting only on a daily or weekly basis with no real-time view into distribution center operations, making proactive decision-making impossible.
Cost Mapping Complexity
Relating warehouse reporting back to cost was a multi-step process. Executives needed insights on how data points mapped against targets and affected the bottom line.
Multi-DC Management
Making decisions for both inbound and outbound logistics between multiple distribution centers was extremely challenging without real-time data across facilities.
Fragmented Systems
Systems did not integrate easily. Matching up reports from WMS, LMS, WES, ERP, and BI tools to tell a single coherent story was time-consuming and error-prone.
Slow Issue Escalation
DC leaders were concerned with dealing with issues before they escalated to upper management, but lacked the tools to identify and resolve problems quickly.
Unpredictable Resources
Staffing was unpredictable even between shifts. Knowing the best way to allocate resources to maximize throughput and meet SLAs was a constant challenge.
What warehouse executives needed to accomplish
Streamline and improve DC operations so that product is moved as efficiently as possible
Get notified as soon as an issue arises to respond quickly, mitigating or reducing potential impact
Gain insights into current operations that enable improvement and problem-solving across DC facets
Ensure DC execution systems are optimally configured and positioned to minimize resource costs
Maximize warehouse profitability with a system best suited to each DC's specific configuration and needs
Control costs across transportation, inventory, and labor with real-time data mapped to targets and projections
Alignment workshops and design thinking to uncover root problems
Digital Scientists kicked off the engagement with a comprehensive alignment workshop and research phase. Using Miro-based exercises including vision canvases, competitive radar mapping, stakeholder maps, rose-thorn-bud analysis, and MoSCoW prioritization, the team aligned both organizations on what would guide the FortnaWES roadmap.
Vision Canvas
Aligned both teams on Fortna's product vision "to become the industry's technology leader" with its WES system, identifying bold steps and challenges.
Competitive Radar
Mapped four main competitors -- Dematic, Knapp, Vargo, and Bastian -- identifying threats from mature integrations to interface personalization capabilities.
Stakeholder Maps
Visually identified actors and interactions across three persona types: Executives, Managers/Supervisors, and Operators within distribution centers.
MoSCoW Prioritization
Classified features into Must, Should, Could, and Won't categories. Key "Musts" included clear IA, modular widgets, and easy-to-understand data summaries.
Two executive personas built from 8 in-depth interviews
The primary research question was: "How might we describe the executive user experience using FortnaWES software?" Digital Scientists interviewed 8 participants across executive roles including Directors of Supply Chain, VP of Global Supply Chain Technology, and Reverse Logistics Directors. From this research, two detailed personas emerged.
James
Sr. Director of Supply Chain · DC Operations
18 years experience · Inside the Warehouse
Bachelor's in Economics, Master's in Industrial Engineering. Helps run one of four US distribution centers. Responsible for overseeing supply chain logistics, strategy, and operations to maximize efficiency and productivity.
Goals
- Control costs in transportation, inventory, and labor
- Ensure a healthy, productive warehouse meeting SLAs
- Resolve issues swiftly to avoid long-term impacts
Tools & Devices
Laptop, Tablet, Control Tower screens · WMS, LMS, ERP, Excel, BI reporting, Custom dashboards
Charlotte
VP of Supply Chain · Organization Logistics
35 years experience · Outside the Warehouse
Background in industrial engineering (undergrad, graduate, MBA). VP overseeing multiple DCs across North America. Focused on product development, transportation, distribution, manufacturing, and operations optimization.
Goals
- Control inbound and outbound logistic costs across supply chain
- Ensure systems across DCs are optimally integrated and configured
- Understand performance of each DC with real-time alerts
Tools & Devices
Desktop, Laptop, Tablet · Custom dashboards, BI reporting, Excel, WMS, ERP
Key Research Insights
Real-time data matters most to DC-present executives
Those most concerned with real-time data were the ones present in the distribution centers and responsible for problem-solving on the floor.
Avoiding escalation is a top DC leader priority
Leaders of individual DCs are primarily concerned with resolving issues quickly to avoid attention from upper management and prevent downstream impacts.
Target projections and cost are the most critical data
Executives are most interested in the implications from analytical data -- how a data point maps against targets and will affect the bottom line.
A new information architecture for 360-degree warehouse visibility
Based on deep understanding of executive user personas, their needs, and analysis of the current FortnaWES platform, Digital Scientists proposed a new information architecture that would improve not only navigation but the overall user experience for all system users.
The IA organized the platform around three primary dashboard categories -- Order Management, Productivity Management, and Equipment Management -- each providing drill-down capabilities from high-level overviews to granular table views. Analytics, Configuration, and Global Search rounded out the architecture.
Executive Experience Workflows
In agreement with the Fortna team, Digital Scientists laid out the primary executive user workflows for the engagement. These intentionally low-fidelity flows brought focus and agreement on the screens, steps, and interactions throughout the executive experience.
Sign In / Home -- Secure entry to the personalized dashboard
Dashboard Views -- Primary and sub-dashboards with configurable data tiles
Look Up Views -- Detailed table views with inline actions and bulk editing
Search -- Global search with faceted filtering and saved queries
A real-time executive dashboard with customizable warehouse tiles
The main dashboard provides an overview of warehouse health, broken into category-themed tiles -- Orders, Operations, Resources, Equipment, Waves, and MHS/FRC -- with real-time data points that use color coding and notifications to highlight operational status at a glance.
Main dashboard -- light mode
Main dashboard -- dark mode
Customizable Tile View
Category-themed tiles with customizable data points allow executives to configure their dashboard around the metrics most relevant to their role.
Interactive Data
High-level visuals illustrate real-time warehouse performance. Color coding and notifications highlight the health of operations at a glance.
Quick Access to Details
Dashboard modules allow executives to drill down for more detail -- either to more detailed dashboards or directly into actionable table views.
Granular operational data at every level of detail
The detailed Orders Dashboard allows executives to dive deeper within a designated section of the main dashboard, receiving granular real-time stats with the ability to customize visible data points based on the information most relevant to each user.
Key metrics include Completed Orders, Completed Lines, Completed Units, Order Cycle Time, Fill Rate, Order Stages, Order Completion, Aging Orders, and channel-specific breakdowns for E-Commerce, Retail, and Cross Docking operations.
Look Up View with Inline Actions
Coming from the dashboard, navigation, or search, the Quick Look Up view displays customizable granular data in a table format. With smart filters and bulk editing, users can configure data into specific views.
Items that need attention are brought to the top of the table, and instant actions can be taken directly on the row when applicable -- reducing the steps required to resolve issues from multiple screen changes down to a single click.
Navigation, notifications, and search designed for speed
Simplified Navigation
A singular, simplified navigation allows users to access any portion of FortnaWES quickly from any screen. User permissions control which categories each role has access to.
Smart Notifications
Users can follow specific alerts by category, see what has been resolved by team members, and receive real-time notifications when updates are made. Priority, resolved, and informational items are clearly grouped.
Global Search & Quick Look Up
Quick search allows users to query data and see results from a variety of categories. Search history provides access to common queries, and categorized filters refine results across timeframes.
Reducing a 9-step manual process to 4 digital steps
Digital Scientists mapped James' current-state journey for resolving a picker error -- a 9-step manual process involving walking the floor, talking to supervisors, and making phone calls. The redesigned experience reduced this to 4 steps: error notification appears on the dashboard, drill down to table view, take inline action to reassign, and receive push notification confirming resolution.
Current State: 9 Manual Steps
Asks about the performance of area
Looks over supervisor's shoulder at order tables for delays
Walks onto the floor to talk to the supervisor
Discovers a physical problem with offline sorter
Calls maintenance
Discovers understaffing
Works with manager to re-prioritize order assignments
Calls supervisors to discuss re-assigning resources
Resources finally reassigned
New State: 4 Digital Steps
Error Notification
Picker error is called out on the dashboard in the Equipment tile with workspace notification and error state.
Diagnosis
Clicks on the error to drill down to the table view to see the specific issue that needs action.
Actionable Table Views
Clicks on the row with an issue to quickly re-assign, seeing all applicable information in one place.
Confirmation
Receives push notification of successful reassignment. Error message disappears from table and dashboard.
Warehouse-optimized dark mode with consistent color science
To provide a low-light view for warehouse control towers and floor environments, Digital Scientists created an alternative dark-mode toggle within the menu to switch between views depending on user preference.
Chart colors were carefully selected to function compatibly between both modes effortlessly, ensuring that critical data visualizations remain equally readable whether an executive is in a bright office or a dimly lit control tower.
Product Style Guide
To solve for new UI use cases that arise in product development, Digital Scientists expanded the Fortna marketing style guide into a comprehensive product design system. Mirroring the primary Fortna brand, the additions serve as an extension that assists in evolving the brand as the product grows while maintaining consistency and familiarity.
The style guide covers surface treatments, color palettes for both light and dark modes, typography, component states, data visualization conventions, and alert/warning systems -- ensuring visual coherence across every screen of the platform.
Rose, Thorn, Bud analysis of the existing platform
Digital Scientists conducted a Rose, Thorn, Bud exercise to align teams on the positives, pains, and opportunities of the existing FortnaWES products. This analysis surfaced honest insights about what worked, what did not, and where opportunity lay.
Roses (Positives)
Reliability and robust routing functionality provided a strong foundation to build upon.
Thorns (Pains)
Simplistic and unhelpful modules, confusing navigation, and a dated visual design that hindered user efficiency.
Buds (Opportunities)
Opportunities for real-time dashboards, executive-focused experiences, and a modern design system that differentiates Fortna in the market.
A comprehensive UX transformation from research to clickable prototype
Engagement Activities
Alignment workshop material and vision canvas
Company context and competitive research across 4 primary competitors
8 executive user interviews across 6 supply chain roles
Executive user journey mapping with current vs. new state comparisons
MoSCoW prioritization and design criteria classification
Project Deliverables
Alignment workshop output documentation
User research insights and detailed persona profiles (James & Charlotte)
Executive user information architecture and workflows
Executive user wireframes with light and dark mode treatments
Clickable visual design prototype with video walkthroughs
Product style guide extending the Fortna brand for UI use cases
A branded entry point that sets the tone
The login experience was redesigned to reflect Fortna's brand identity while providing a clean, professional entry to the executive dashboard. The split-screen design features a warehouse interior backdrop that reinforces the product's purpose.
From the login screen, executives enter directly into their personalized dashboard view with real-time data already populated, eliminating unnecessary steps between authentication and actionable insights.
From platform overhaul to industry technology leadership
Through this UX transformation, Fortna gained a modern, data-rich executive experience that delivers 360-degree warehouse visibility and control. The redesigned FortnaWES platform provides real-time dashboards with customizable tiles, a streamlined navigation system, inline actionable table views, smart notifications, global search, and a warehouse-optimized dark mode -- all built on a cohesive product style guide that extends the Fortna brand.
The engagement validated Fortna's vision to become the industry's technology leader with its WES system. By grounding the redesign in rigorous user research -- 8 executive interviews, 2 detailed personas, competitive analysis of 4 industry players, and journey mapping that reduced a 9-step manual process to 4 digital steps -- Digital Scientists delivered a platform experience that differentiates Fortna in a competitive market of mature WES providers.
360°
Warehouse visibility through unified real-time dashboards
56%
Fewer steps to resolve a picker error (9 to 4 steps)
2
View modes (light & dark) for any environment
7
Core deliverables from research to clickable prototype
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