Critical Queue Strategy Decisions Powered by Cross-Functional Facilitation
In two weeks, I orchestrated a strategy to define a vision and make decisions for queue management. This resulted in unblocking the cross-functional team (product, design, engineering, store design, operations, visual marketing), deciding on a queueing system, technology partner, station numbering system, standard operating procedures (for different cases), and scaling phases with success indicators.
Role & Responsibilities
TITLE
Lead experience design strategy, discovery and delivery
Team
I collaborated with the Product, Engineering, and Operations Leads
It was a distributed team where we would gather in-person at least quarterly.
Cross-functional team included:
PM, Engineer
Business Ops
Store Tech
Store Builds
Visual Marketing Creative team
Project Manager
Involved
Directors
Cross-team leads
Informed
VP, Additional business unit leads
Remote, distributed
Timeline
2 weeks
The timeline was informed by the need to make decisions in building the physical space and procuring the vendor, hardware, and software.
The 150K sq ft flagship would supply customers with fixed checkout options and impulse purchase products. Pre-determined aspects included queue space, register placement, and utility provisions. Other decisions, such as how customers would be called to the register and the numbering of the registers, still needed to be made.
Context
- Challenge identified. Planned into Roadmap. Overlapped timing with on-site time together at the Lab
- Challenge alignment, kickoff (what are our constraints? why? scenarios to consider? ecosystem inputs and impacts?)
- Bodystorming was a new concept for the team. I enrolled the team and leadership by involving them in the review of the activity
- Facilitated activity (collaborated cross-functionally, invited directors and anyone in-town to participate). Co-created. Directed. Batched the activity with other timely decisions about the physical space.
- Resulted in decisions being made with confidence: a queueing system, technology partner, station numbering system, standard operating procedures (for different cases), and scaling phases with success indicators.
- When we were stuck with deciding on one of three numbering options - I drafted ideas with pros/cons and used vendor SMEs to solidify a direction with Ops partner
- Reviewed and acted out the scenario, increasing fidelity with cross-org leaders. Prototyped the experience + visual/motion of queueing visual
Conflict
- Change in leadership questioned decisions, asked to scale down cost --
Lead by supporting the area and questioning the value of the volume of registers—based on what we know now (compared to when the decision was made 12+ months prior, would this still be true?) Compare the cost of the fixed-lane registers (floorspace, fixture, electric and internet drops, hardware, software, and labor) to the value of more employees on the salesfloor with mobile checkout options. How might this differ at different times of year? (ie: peak holiday)
Climax
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Resulted in leanest Phase 1, with door open to scale based on demonstrated needs. Prepared timeline and costs required to implement future phases.
I learned…
Question the flexibility of previous decisions. How much room is there for flexibility? What's the risk of following the path? What's the risk of adjusting or not adjusting?
Stay as lean as needed while still supporting the objective (ideation = leaner than execution, phase levels of execution to grow in fidelity, complexity (and therefore likely cost) as demonstrated)
If faced with a similar experience…
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