A voice-activated Digital Shop Assistant that transforms facilities inventory management
Digital Scientists partnered with HD Supply to design and build a tablet-based, voice-activated inventory management app and ordering interface for facilities maintenance teams -- delivered from concept to functional prototype in under 90 days.
<90
Days from Concept to Prototype
4
User Personas Defined
3
Solution Concepts Explored
2
Input Modes (Voice + Touch)
From industrial distributor to integrated service provider
HD Supply, one of the largest industrial distributors in North America, faced a critical challenge from Amazon and online retail competitors. To stay competitive, the company's leadership determined it must transition from a traditional distributor and supplier role to that of an integrated service provider -- delivering technology-driven solutions directly to facilities maintenance teams.
As an innovation research partner, Digital Scientists ran a detailed ideation exercise envisioning the role of a property maintenance manager 5-10 years from now. Instead of focusing on the transaction of buying supplies, the team zoomed out to imagine augmented reality diagnostics, image recognition for part identification, and voice recognition for hands-free ordering.
Through this process, Digital Scientists identified the first-phase solutions that could be developed and launched with speed. Because technicians had limited access to technology, the best starting point was to make the storeroom smart -- building a voice-activated Digital Shop Assistant running on an iPad mounted in facility storerooms.
Manual inventory processes burdened maintenance teams across hotels and multifamily properties
HD Supply lacked an integrated system that would allow property managers to identify and manage assets, inventory, or tasks assigned to maintenance personnel. Facilities maintenance teams within hotel and multifamily industries were burdened by manual tasks -- spending excessive time searching for parts, making trips to hardware stores, and managing inventory by hand.
Part Lookup & Identification
Technicians spent too much time searching for specific parts and had no efficient way to identify items, locate replacements, or check bin locations.
Inventory Blind Spots
No system to predict inventory replenishments or alert when consumable goods were running low. Stockouts led to emergency hardware store trips.
Ordering Friction
No way to search for and buy parts on the spot. The ordering workflow was disconnected from the maintenance context, requiring multiple systems and approvals.
No Data Collection
HD Supply had no way to collect facility data on what inventory items were needed, where, and when -- missing critical insights to optimize their distribution business.
Amazon Competition
Amazon's growing industrial supply business threatened HD Supply's core market. The company needed to demonstrate innovation and deliver added value beyond traditional distribution.
Hands-Busy Technicians
Maintenance technicians often have their hands full with tools and parts. Traditional touch-only interfaces were impractical in the storeroom environment.
What maintenance teams needed to accomplish
Locate and identify specific parts quickly, with bin number and quantity information
Check in and check out inventory items linked to work orders and job numbers
Search and order replacement parts by voice, touch, text, or barcode scan without leaving the storeroom
Receive alerts when inventory is running low before a stockout disrupts maintenance work
Browse the HD Supply catalog and place orders directly from the storeroom kiosk
Track technician activity, inventory usage patterns, and order history to optimize procurement
Four personas spanning the maintenance ecosystem
Digital Scientists defined four key personas across the facilities maintenance value chain -- from the hands-on technician to the resident waiting for a repair. Each persona's goals and pain points informed the Digital Shop Assistant's feature priorities.
Maintenance Technician
Task-oriented, not tech-savvy
Goal: Locate, identify, and order parts faster
Pain: Spends too much time searching for specific parts and making trips to hardware stores. Needs to consolidate trips to reduce time and effort.
Maintenance Supervisor
Task-oriented, manages teams
Goal: Streamline purchasing workflows and track technician locations
Pain: Struggles to keep technicians moving and completing work orders in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Property Manager
Moderately tech-savvy, cost-conscious
Goal: Ensure customer satisfaction and control repair costs
Pain: Needs resident complaints handled quickly without repeat incidents. Unhappy residents reflect poorly on the community.
Resident
Tech-savvy, needs fast resolution
Goal: Know when technicians are coming and when issues will be resolved
Pain: Needs maintenance issues resolved quickly, especially critical items like leaks, electrical issues, and HVAC failures.
Three solution concepts evaluated, one fast-tracked to prototype
Digital Scientists explored three distinct solution concepts for the Digital Shop Assistant, each representing a different technology approach. The team evaluated pros, cons, and workflows for each before selecting the Digital Assistant Appliance as the first-phase solution to prototype.
Digital Assistant Appliance
Selected for Phase 1
A tablet-mounted hub in the storeroom supporting voice search, touch-screen display, and barcode scanning -- without requiring technicians to carry a device.
Pros: Cost-efficient, limited hardware required, easier learning curve since scanning activates current jobs and information.
Wearable Device
Future Concept
Google Glass or similar AR wearables providing heads-up display for real-time product inventory and voice-driven part identification.
Pros: Hands-free operation, real-time information, future AR capabilities for field diagnostics.
Vision-Based System
Future Concept
Automated inventory control using AI-visual observation and shelf sensors -- similar to Amazon Go -- for seamless user and part identification.
Pros: Fully automated identification, preserves natural shopping behavior while offloading data tasks to automation.
Three input modes designed for novice to expert users
The Digital Shop Assistant was designed to support multiple interaction paradigms, allowing technicians to transition from traditional touch mode to voice-only as they gain experience. Each mode addresses different use case complexity levels.
View Screen + Voice
Screen guides the user along. Can stand a few feet away from the device. Works well if the user does not have commands memorized.
Voice Only
Commands and actions need to be memorized. Does not need to look at the device. Works well for small, routine interactions.
Touch + Voice Hybrid
Some actions are easier with direct screen interaction. Needs to stand close to the tablet. Works well for complex interactions like catalog browsing.
Voice-activated inventory management with the “Hey FM” hotword
The Digital Shop Assistant responds to the hotword “Hey FM” followed by natural voice commands. Common actions are listed on the dashboard, search results display with real-time inventory levels, and contextual voice help is always available -- just ask “Hey FM: What can I do?”
Voice search results with inventory status indicators
Product detail with pricing, location, and quick actions
Hotword Detection
Snowboy hotword detection activates the assistant when technicians say “Hey FM.” Contextual voice commands are displayed on screen for guidance.
Real-Time Inventory
Search results show pricing, bin location, quantity remaining, and stock status. Running Low and Out of Stock indicators alert technicians immediately.
Voice + Touch Actions
Check in, check out, add to cart, search, browse catalog -- all available through voice commands or touch interaction, adapting to user preference.
Simple and compound voice commands for every inventory task
Digital Scientists designed a comprehensive voice command system supporting both simple one-word commands and compound natural-language phrases. The system was built to handle the challenges of voice control -- including multilingual support, noisy environments, and rigid syntax -- with contextual on-screen guidance.
Simple Commands
“Hi FM”
Wake up assistant
“Search inventory”
Search on-site items
“Check in”
Return items
“Check out”
Take items for job
“Help”
Show available commands
“Mayday”
Tech support call
Compound Commands
“We're running low on [item name]”
Prompts for quantity and location details
“What's the price of [item name]?”
Looks up item and provides pricing
“Where are the air filters located?”
Provides bin location for item
Simple part checkout: from walk-in to walk-out in under a minute
Digital Scientists designed the primary use case around the maintenance technician's storeroom visit. The scenario demonstrates how the Digital Shop Assistant transforms a multi-step manual process into a streamlined voice-driven interaction.
Conversational Flow
Identification
Joe: “Hey, this is Joe.” → DA: “Hi Joe. Showing your dashboard.”
Part Search
Joe: “I need a faucet.” → DA: “Showing inventory for Faucets.”
Selection & Checkout
Joe: “I need the bath faucet from Unit 201. Check out this item.” → DA: “Okay. Item checked out.”
Low Inventory Alert
DA: “We're running low on these items.” Joe: “Let's get 5 more of the first one.” → DA: “Adding items to cart.”
Exit & Summary
Joe: “Okay, that's all.” → DA: “Logging you out and sending a summary to your phone.”
Primary Use Case Flow
Tech walks in and is recognized via NFC, Bluetooth, camera, voice, or ID badge scan
Selects a job number -- parts required for that job are shown automatically
System shows item location, bin number, and quantity remaining
Inventory system records part checkout and updates counts
Out-of-stock items can be added to cart for ordering via voice or touch
Push notifications sent to technician and maintenance manager with summary
Work order, cart, tech location, and time are all updated in real time
Built with React Native and Snowboy hotword detection
Digital Scientists selected a technology stack optimized for cross-platform deployment and voice interaction. The team also conducted extensive comparative research across voice platforms, hardware options, and interaction patterns to inform the design.
Core Technology
React Native -- cross-platform mobile framework
Snowboy Hotword Detection -- on-device “Hey FM” wake word
Native iOS & Android -- dual platform deployment
Swagger API -- standardized API documentation
SSML -- Speech Synthesis Markup Language for voice responses
Comparative Research
Google Assistant & Lens -- voice and image recognition patterns
Apple Siri -- on-screen help state patterns
Amazon Alexa & Dash -- voice skill design and IoT ordering
Amazon Go -- vision-based automated checkout
Square POS & Houndify -- kiosk hardware and NLP APIs
A functional prototype that signaled innovation to HD Supply's customers
In just over 90 days, Digital Scientists built a functional prototype that demonstrated HD Supply's commitment to innovation and value creation. The prototype opened lines of communication with customers, alerting them that technology-driven efficiencies were on the way.
While other companies begin at the wrong point and build an app without talking to customers first, the HD Supply team acknowledged the importance of focusing on the customer first -- starting the process with a deep understanding of maintenance teams' needs through persona research, comparative analysis, and use case scenarios.
90
Days from concept to working prototype
4
Personas researched across the maintenance ecosystem
13+
Voice commands designed for simple and compound interactions
3
Input modes: voice, touch, and hybrid
Benefits Delivered
More efficient inventory management system with real-time tracking
Increased customer and guest satisfaction through faster repairs
Better inventory planning with predictive low-stock alerts
Detailed customer data on where and what inventory items are needed
Deliverables
Persona and stakeholder assessment
Comparative technology research (voice AI, hardware, IoT)
Use case scenarios and voice command design
Wireframes, visual design, and clickable prototype
Functional React Native prototype with voice integration
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