How I Digitized VALANI’s Manual B2B Workflows into a Scalable, Efficient Management System.
B2B Product Thinking | Workflow Optimization | Scalable System Design
Product
VALANI is a New York-based jewelry wholesaler that manages consignment sales with over 100 retail partners. This redesign project focused on digitizing their paper-based workflow into an efficient, systematic, and scalable B2B platform.
My Role
UX Designer: Led end-to-end research, information architecture, interface design, and usability testing.
Core Skills Applied
Data Entry & Retrieval
Data Scanning & Navigation
Workflow Efficiency & Reusability
Business Impact
Reduced new order creation time by ~40%, increased confidence and consistency in data entry, with 100% of trainees completed their first draft order within 30 minutes.
Client Background
VALANI operates on a consignment sales model, loaning products to retailers with a guaranteed purchase portion after a defined cycle.
For over 50 years, VALANI has built steady relationships with retail partners while relying on a manual, paper-based workflow. As the business scaled, the lack of digital infrastructure led to growing operational inefficiencies.
Major Pain Points
Through user interviews, I identified three key pain points of their current manual workflow:
Time-Consuming Paperwork
Lack of Tracking
Repetitive Data Entry
Based on these challenges, the design goal was clear:
How might we digitize VALANI’s consignment workflow to streamline order creation, maintain comprehensive records, and reduce repetitive manual work?
Design Objectives & Site map
Move to actionable solutions, I defined two design objectives to address both basic and scalable goals for operational efficiency, then listed out the corresponding key features.
The breakdown of key features helped me structure the features into site map:
Design Iterations
With core features defined, I moved into end-to-end interface design and usability testing, delivering a full consignment management system. This section highlights the design rationale and iterative process across three core UX skill areas applied throughout the project.
Create New Order
User Needs
Sales reps need a faster way to create new orders that they could retrieve and edit anytime.
Iterations
Wireframes
My initial approach was to replicate paper-based consignment sheet as a scrollable digital form.
Version 1
Pro
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Established the initial digital version of the consignment form
Con
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Too much info required upfront
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Frequent pauses & backtracking during order creation
💬 “We usually pause halfway through a new consignment and come back after more client confirmations.”
Version 2
To solve the pain points from Version 1, I restructured the workflow into two steps: quick order creation first, detailed entry later.
Pro
-
Prioritized speed & flexibility by capturing minimal required info
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Enabled progressive data entry to support multi-session workflows
Con
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Unclear input flow: users filled forms inconsistently (row-by-row vs. column-first)
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Field overflow issues: input limits were too restrictive for real client data
Final Delivery
Pro
-
Simplified to one field per row for clear visual flow
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Increased input limits from 20 to 50 characters to fit actual user data
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Resulted in consistent entry patterns and better usability
Usability Testing
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Order creation time reduced by ~55% compared to Version 1
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100% of users preferred the pop-up flow over the long scroll form
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Users reported less pressure and smoother task flow during multi-session order creation
View & Edit Consignment Orders
User Needs
After creating a draft, sales reps need to quickly view, locate, and edit specific sections without being overwhelmed.
Iterations
Version 1
Wireframe
Full-length scrollable form without segmentation
Pro
-
Standardized input fields for digital entry
Con
-
Overwhelming page scroll, hard to navigate
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Unfamiliar layout for worksheet-trained users
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Visual clarity & hierarchy still lacking
💬 “This 4-page digital form actually feels harder for me to fill and browse. At least with the worksheet, I knew where everything was.”
💬 “Although you used our brand colors, it still doesn’t feel clear or visually appealing.”
Version 2
Wireframe
Section-based tabs that segmented data into sections
Pro
-
Endless scrolling → section-based navigation
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Whole-form editing → in-section editing
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Reduced initial overwhelm from long forms
Con
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Frequent context-switching: required constant tab switching to cross-reference info
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Visual clarity & hierarchy still lacking
💬 “When editing shipment info, I need to jump back to other tabs just to check dates and order details.”
Final Delivery
Inventory Detail
Payment Detail
Client Detail
Pro
-
key info always visible on top to take reference on
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Streamlined section editing without context switching
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Improved visual hierarchy for faster scanning
Usability Testing
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Task completion time reduced by 30% compared to Version 1
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All sales reps preferred the drawer editing interaction for daily updates
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Reported improvements in speed, clarity, and reduced frustration
Order Search & Filtering
User Needs
As orders increased, sales reps needed a search system that matched their habits from paper workflows, while enabling faster, more flexible filtering.
Iterations
I start by optimizing the design at the row (cell) level, then scaling up to refine the full list view and interaction patterns (micro to macro).
Version 1
Single Row Iterations
Designed and tested single row’s layouts
Pro
-
Explored spatial relationships between key fields and foundational cell structure
Con
-
Visual hierarchy unclear: key data (Order ID, Client) not emphasized
💬 “I need to spot the right order quickly. Important info should be visible at first glance.”
Version 2
Information Hierarchy Exploration
Continued exploring single row’s layouts and how to highlight important fields
Pro
-
Aligned data display with user scanning patterns (Z-pattern, left-to-right flow)
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Removed low-priority fields (SKU, Paid Date)
Con
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Unclear how this layout would feel in a full table context
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Need improvements in visual prioritization
Final Delivery
Holistic Table Refinement
Shifted from single-row tweaks to refining the entire table view for better overall visibility and task efficiency:
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Consolidated multiple actions into a dropdown menu to improved interaction clarity
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Balanced dense data display with usability and clarity
💬 “The new layout makes it easier to spot the right order without digging — everything important stands out.”
Usability Testing
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Task completion time reduced by 30% compared to Version 1
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All sales reps preferred the drawer editing interaction for daily updates
-
Reported improvements in speed, clarity, and reduced frustration
Order Search & Filtering
User Needs
As orders increased, sales reps needed a search system that matched their habits from paper workflows, while enabling faster, more flexible filtering.
Iterations
Version 1
Search Strategy Exploration
Interviewed users to understand how they typically searched orders previously, then tested layouts combination.
Pro
-
Established filtering logic based on real-world mental models
Con
-
Search/filter combinations felt unintuitive and inconsistent
💬 “I wasn’t sure what to use when, some filters felt useful, others just made it harder.”
Version 2
Behavior-Aligned Search Flow
Restructured the flow to mirror real-world habits: first selected order status, then applied filters
Pro
-
Prioritized high-frequency filters and improved result sorting
Con
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Search panel took up too much space
Need improvements in visual prioritization
Final Delivery
Streamlined Interface
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Collapsed rarely used filters to reduce visual overload
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Introduced pagination for easier result browsing
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Enhanced styling for clarity and grouping
Pros
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Reduced visual overload
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Improved list control and scannability
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Faster, more intuitive search experience
Usability Testing
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Search task time decreased by 40% compared to V1
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Users described the final version as “cleaner, faster, and easier to scan”
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Stakeholder feedback highlighted its efficiency over the previous paperwork model
With the core features in place, I turned to the scalable objective: supporting more efficient workflows by minimizing repetitive data entry.
Copy from Previous Order
User Needs
In the paper-based system, reps often skipped recording similar consignments because it was time-consuming. They needed a faster way to reuse existing data without disrupting their core task flow.
Iterations
Version 1
Dashboard-Based Access
Introduced a new dashboard-like overview page where users could duplicate past orders, modeled after common CRM patterns.
Con
-
Misaligned with user priorities: reduce efficiency to daily workflow
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Users preferred staying in the main consignment list for all actions
💬 “Our jewelry isn’t fast-fashion, we don’t get new orders every day. What matters most is tracking what’s already out there..”
Final Delivery
Embedded in List Actions
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Moved the function into existing action menu in the consignment list to minimize extra steps
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Revised the UX writing to clarify intent: addressed confusion from earlier tests where users thought “Duplicate” meant creating a literal copy, not starting a new editable order.
Pros
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Maintained familiarity, reduced learning curve by avoiding new UI paths
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Clarified functionality and user intent
Usability Testing
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The updated button text led to zero confusion during testing, compared to multiple clarification questions in earlier versions
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Stakeholder praised it as a "smart shortcut that fits perfectly into how we already work."
Final Delivery & Stakeholder Feedback
After delivering the redesigned system, the final full-stack product was handed off to the VANALI team and successfully adopted by their internal sales operation. Key outcomes include:
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100% opt-in rate from sales reps during the trial phase
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Faster onboarding as all trainees completed their first draft order within 30 minutes
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Reduced new order creation time by approximately 40%
What I learned
After delivering the redesigned system, the final full-stack product was handed off to the VANALI team and successfully adopted by their internal sales operation. Key outcomes include:
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Workflow design requires systems thinking. Features like progressive entry, search filtering, and data reuse should align with user intent, backend logic, and future scalability
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Interaction design must serve operational clarity. The most effective solutions supported team workflows, reduced ambiguity, and fit into daily routines without disrupting major tasks.
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Strategic UX requires aligning design with business priorities. Balancing stakeholder needs and user behavior meant advocating for solutions that supported long-term efficiency and adoption.