ERP System -
Internal Operations
Conceptual design of an internal ERP platform built to connect Engineering, Quality, and Marketing teams.
The system focuses on material tracking, drawing approvals, and supplier management — improving visibility and collaboration across departments.
Objective
The objective was to design an internal ERP system that connects Engineering, Quality, and Marketing through a single collaborative platform.
The solution enables real-time control of packaging materials, digital approval of technical drawings, and traceability of supplier specifications — streamlining operations and reducing approval times across departments.
My Role
-
UX/UI Design
-
Scrum Master
-
Workflow & Process Mapping
-
Wireframing & Prototyping
-
System Architecture & Interaction Logic
-
Visual Design
Tools
-
Figma
-
Illustrator
-
Power BI
-
Miro
-
Jira / Trello
Duration
-
Research & Discovery - 8 weeks
-
Process Mapping & Requirements Definition – 8 weeks
-
Information Architecture & Wireframing - 6 weeks
-
UX/UI Design System - 15 weeks
-
Usability Testing & Iteration - 8 weeks
-
Sprint Reviews – Weekly
The Challenge
The existing internal processes for managing packaging materials, technical drawings, and supplier documentation were fragmented across multiple tools — Excel files, shared drives, and long email chains.
This lack of integration made it difficult for Engineering, Quality, and Marketing teams to collaborate efficiently, leading to delays, duplicated work, and limited visibility over project status.
NatureSweet needed a centralized platform that could unify these processes into a single system — improving traceability, reducing approval times, and enabling better cross-department communication.
The new platform needed to:
-
Centralize packaging data, drawings, and supplier documentation in one system.
-
Enable digital approval workflows between Engineering, Quality, and Marketing.
-
Improve visibility and traceability for every material and artwork revision.
-
Reduce approval times and eliminate redundant communication loops.
-
Provide a clear, intuitive interface that supports daily operations across teams.
The Solution
The ERP System concept introduces a unified, user-centered platform that streamlines daily operations across Engineering, Quality, and Marketing teams.
By connecting material inventories, drawing approvals, and supplier specifications, the platform transforms disconnected tasks into an integrated workflow — reducing delays, errors, and redundant communication.
The system is designed to:
-
Centralize all packaging data, drawings, and supplier records in one secure database.
-
Automate approvals through digital workflows with defined roles and permissions.
-
Visualize progress and version history through dashboards and status indicators.
-
Enhance collaboration by allowing simultaneous reviews and shared feedback.
-
Ensure compliance by linking approved materials to valid supplier certifications.
Research and Discovery
Before jumping into design, I conducted stakeholder interviews and process mapping sessions to understand how each department managed packaging specifications, supplier data, and approvals.
Key insights revealed:
-
Repeated manual data entry across departments.
-
Lack of visibility on approval status.
-
Outdated or duplicated versions of drawings circulating by email.
-
Need for a centralized, traceable approval workflow.
These findings became the foundation for defining user flows and dashboard requirements.
Workflow Mapping & Information Architecture
The ERP platform was structured around cross-functional workflows that connect every department involved in packaging operations.
Through mapping sessions and iterative diagramming, the system’s architecture was divided into three core modules, each addressing specific pain points and user needs.
This structure ensures data consistency, traceability, and real-time collaboration between teams.
The workflow mapping revealed interdependencies between departments that required real-time visibility and unified data structures. The resulting information architecture connects five departments and three ERP modules, ensuring that all drawings, specifications, and approvals are synchronized through a single data model.
The Process
Designing an internal ERP system for NatureSweet required combining UX research, systems thinking, and iterative prototyping.
The goal was to transform a fragmented approval process into a seamless, traceable workflow connecting Engineering, Quality, Marketing, and Buyers.
Each phase of the design process was focused on understanding user pain points and translating operational complexity into clear, data-driven interfaces.
1. User Research & Discovery
To begin, I conducted qualitative interviews and shadowed daily workflows across the Packaging, Quality, and Marketing teams.
The goal was to map out the tools, dependencies, and communication patterns behind every specification and approval cycle.
Key findings included:
-
Manual approvals via email created redundant steps and delays.
-
Lack of visibility led to outdated drawings being used in production.
-
Different departments used isolated Excel sheets, with no single source of truth.
-
Users needed a faster way to track document ownership and revision history.
📘 Tools: Miro, Notion, internal survey forms
💡 Insight: “The real problem isn’t data — it’s visibility and accountability.”
2. Workflow Mapping
After consolidating research insights, I designed a workflow blueprint that visualized how requests moved between departments.
This mapping phase became the foundation of the ERP’s information architecture, ensuring every module addressed a clear operational gap.
Each workflow iteration went through review sessions with stakeholders to validate logic and dependencies between stages.
📘 Tools: Miro, Figma Flow, Lucidchart
💡 Outcome: 3 connected modules — Inventory Management, Drawings & Approvals, and Specification Control Center.
4. Prototyping & Testing
Mid-fidelity prototypes were tested with mock users from different departments to evaluate usability.
The primary goal was to confirm whether users could:
-
Identify the current status of a document,
-
Understand who was responsible for the next action, and
-
Navigate between modules without losing context.
Feedback helped refine microinteractions (hover states, tooltips, status icons) and reduce unnecessary complexity.
📘 Tools: Figma Interactive Prototypes, Maze Testing
💡 Iteration: Simplified tables, consistent icons, improved spacing for readability.
5. Final UI & Design System
The visual layer was built to match NatureSweet’s corporate branding, using blue and neutral tones for structure and clarity.
Components were modular, accessible, and ready for developer handoff.
Each dashboard was designed with consistent spacing, shadows, and iconography, ensuring cohesion across the ERP suite.
📘 Tools: Figma Auto Layout, Component Variants, Styles Library
💡 Design Principles: Consistency, scalability, and functional aesthetics.
“We often lose track of which artwork version was approved. Having a central dashboard would help us know exactly which design is ready for print.”
- Katia, 34, Marketing
“Quality reviews take too long because specs arrive incomplete or outdated. If we could see the latest approved drawings instantly, we’d reduce rework.”
- Jorge, 41, Quality Inspector
“I manage supplier data and inventory, but each team keeps its own spreadsheet. One shared system would make tracking materials and stock so much easier.”
- Sonia, 37, Procurement
The Impact
The ERP concept demonstrated how strategic UX design can enhance collaboration and data consistency across cross-functional teams. By aligning Engineering, Quality, Marketing, and Procurement within a single digital ecosystem, the system provided measurable operational improvements and long-term scalability.
METRIC
DESCRIPTION
⏱ 40% reduction in approval cycle time
Automated routing and visibility minimized idle time between departments.
📦 100% specification traceability
All drawings, material data, and revisions are now centralized in one repository.
🧾 Elimination of duplicate documentation
Version control reduced redundant files and confusion during audits.
🤝 Cross-departmental alignment achieved
Unified workflows improved coordination between Engineering, QA, and Marketing.
💡 Data-driven decision-making
Dashboards enabled managers to monitor progress, pending approvals, and supplier performance in real time.
🔹 Strategic Value
-
Provided a scalable framework that could later integrate with supplier portals and manufacturing execution systems (MES).
-
Strengthened data governance by standardizing approval logs and revision records.
-
Enhanced corporate transparency, ensuring that packaging and material changes followed clear, auditable processes.
-
Served as a proof of concept for how UX-driven systems can transform operational workflows within manufacturing contexts.
“The ERP system transformed fragmented, manual workflows into a cohesive digital environment where every department shares the same data, the same tools, and the same vision of quality.”
