The portal nobody used
Two requests, two declines, and the data behind both decisions.
READ IN 8 SECONDS
- PROBLEM
- The client wanted to rebuild the supplier portal.
- DECISION
- Check usage first. 20% of suppliers used it. Product management was at 65%+, with more reported issues.
- RESULT
- The effort went to product management, improving three portals at once. Live stock waited for the warehouse system.
END OF SUMMARY. SCROLL FOR DETAILS ↓
9 slides · use ← → to navigate · swipe on mobile
-
READ IN 8 SECONDS
- PROBLEM
- The client wanted to rebuild the supplier portal.
- DECISION
- Check usage first. 20% of suppliers used it. Product management was at 65%+, with more reported issues.
- RESULT
- The effort went to product management, improving three portals at once. Live stock waited for the warehouse system.
END OF SUMMARY. SCROLL FOR DETAILS ↓
Tap right for next · tap left to go back
-
The request: revamp the supplier portal. A reasonable request, on paper.
-
Before writing a single story, I pulled usage figures from production.
-
Guess the number
GUESS THE NUMBER
- YOU GUESSED
- 50%
- ACTUAL
- 20%
- OFF BY
- 30%
Make a guess before you look.
-
20%, and it made sense. Most suppliers are small manufacturers in tier-3 towns who work by phone, email and WhatsApp. Those are the channels they trust.
Supplier portal20%Product management65% -
Your turn
You have one quarter. What do you build?
Choose an option before you continue.
- A. Rebuild the supplier portalB. Fix product management my pickC. Some of each
We improved product management instead. It feeds the reseller portal, the customer portal and BrandHub (opens in a new tab)'s own admin, so one fix reached three places.
Principle 01
Build where people already are
Adoption data is the least expensive research available.
-
A second request, same quarter: show live stock on every order line.
-
Showing stock early would have discouraged orders on those lines. So we shipped the warehouse system first, then stock.
-
RECEIPT · PRIORITISING WITH DATA
- SUPPLIER PORTAL USE
- 20%
- PRODUCT MANAGEMENT USE
- 65%+
- ROADMAP
- WMS FIRST
- PORTALS IMPROVED
- 3
- REQUESTS DECLINED
- 2
DECISIONS BASED ON USAGE DATA
Two nos. Both came with numbers.
The receipt
Every change from this file, on one receipt.
What I'd do next
Add adoption figures to the roadmap itself, so this discussion happens before the request, not after.
RECEIPT · PRIORITISING WITH DATA
- SUPPLIER PORTAL USE
- 20%
- PRODUCT MANAGEMENT USE
- 65%+
- ROADMAP
- WMS FIRST
- PORTALS IMPROVED
- 3
- REQUESTS DECLINED
- 2
DECISIONS BASED ON USAGE DATA
