1. Project Summary

KraftHeinz, a global leader in the food and beverage industry, sought to modernise its Microsoft Access-based applications into a centralised web portal. This digital transformation initiative aimed to improve usability, accessibility, and efficiency while addressing pain points in UI/UX, system performance, and data management.

This project focused on:

• Reviewing existing Access applications to understand business rules, workflows, and data structures.

• Designing a modern, centralised web portal with an intuitive UI, optimised for usability, efficiency, and accessibility.

• Enhancing performance & business impact, giving back 2000+ hours annually to business teams.

Key Challenges:

• Outdated UI & Poor User Experience – The existing system lacked modern UI principles, making it difficult for users (primarily aged 40-50) to navigate efficiently.

• Lack of Mobility & Accessibility – The Microsoft Access-based system was inflexible, requiring local installations and lacking 24/7 access.

• Inefficient Navigation & Workflows – Users struggled to locate key information, leading to longer processing times and errors.

• Data Overload & Poor Visual Hierarchy – The complex, unstructured tables made it hard to scan & interpret large datasets.

2. Problem Statement & Business Impact

The Problem Statement

• Inefficient workflows resulted in productivity loss & operational bottlenecks.

• UI issues (small text, poor contrast, cluttered screens) hindered usability, particularly for older users.

• The lack of a centralised system made data inconsistent & difficult to track across departments.

• Navigation was unintuitive, requiring excessive steps to access key functions.

Business & User Impact

• 📉 2000+ hours saved annually by improving workflow automation & tracking.

• 📈 Significantly reduced processing times for leaders, production planners, and technicians.

• ⚡ Improved system reliability & access, enabling 24/7 availability.

• 💰 Enhanced revenue impact by optimising operational efficiency.

3. My Roles as a Product Manager

• Stakeholder Collaboration & Business Research – Worked with leaders, production planners, and technicians to define user needs.

• Product Roadmap & Prioritization – Outlined MVP scope & feature prioritization based on business impact & user feedback.

• Cross-Functional Team Leadership – Coordinated UX designers, engineers, and business analysts to ensure alignment.

• End-to-End Product Lifecycle Management – Managed the planning, execution, testing, and optimisation of the new web portal.

• Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement – Implemented key performance metrics (KPIs) to measure efficiency gains & adoption rates.

Also, guide the team:

• UI Redesign Focused on Accessibility – Designed larger buttons, clearer typography (Roboto), and an optimized color palette for older users.

• Improved Navigation & Information Architecture – Introduced breadcrumbs, clear menu hierarchies, and larger touch targets for easier interaction.

• Table Redesign for Enhanced Data Scanning – Applied Horizontal Line Styling for better readability, aligning data based on type (text, numeric, percentage).

• Modernised Forms & Popups – Replaced cluttered, outdated modals with streamlined, purpose-driven popups.

• Responsive & Mobile-Friendly UI – Ensured optimal usability on all devices, allowing users to access the system anywhere.

4. Research & Insights (Understanding the Problem)

User Research & System Analysis

🔍 Target Audience: Leaders, Production Planners, Technicians, Senior Planners (ages 40-50).

📊 Pain Points: Users struggled with poor UI contrast, confusing navigation, and dense, unreadable data tables.

📈 Industry Benchmarking: Studied best practices in enterprise UX for data-heavy applications.

💡 Key Insights & Takeaways

• Users needed a UI with high contrast, clear typography, and intuitive navigation.

• The existing color scheme & fonts (Arial, pastels) created usability issues.

• Navigation was inefficient, requiring multiple clicks to find key information.

5. Solution & Execution (How We Solved It)

🎨 Improved UI Design for Accessibility & Readability

• Introduced high-contrast colors (blue for reliability, red for energy, soft oranges for warmth).

• Switched to Roboto Font for improved readability across different screen sizes.

🗺️ Simplified Navigation & User Workflows

• Added breadcrumb navigation & hierarchical menus to improve workflow tracking.

• Used icons & big-text labels for easy menu recognition.

📊 Table Optimisation & Data Presentation

• Redesigned tables using Horizontal Line Styling, ensuring clearer data visualization.

• Aligned data based on type (left-aligned for text, right-aligned for numerical values).

📂 Centralised Web Portal with Responsive Design

• Migrated all Microsoft Access applications into a single, web-based platform.

• Enabled mobile access & 24/7 availability for better business continuity.

🚀 Optimised Performance & Workflow Automation

• Automated audit tracking, reporting, and user management tools to improve efficiency.