03
Operational density designed for the floor, not the boardroom.

QCL: Real-Time Operations for the Line

A quality control, OTIF, and emissions tracking system designed for factory floor operators — not for spreadsheets or boardroom dashboards. Glanceable metrics, task-tier escalation, gloves-on interactions. Real-time operational density.

Client
QCL Suite
Role
Lead Product Designer (Operations/UX)
Collaborators
Operations Manager, Engineering, Floor Supervisors
Timeline
14 months design + research + build
Status
Live, 47 data points tracked per shipment
Scope
SaaS Product Design
QCL supply chain ops — bubble dashboard on desktop and mobile
Client
QCL Suite
Role
Lead Product Designer (Operations/UX)
Collaborators
Operations Manager, Engineering, Floor Supervisors
Timeline
14 months design + research + build
Status
Live, 47 data points tracked per shipment
Scope
SaaS Product Design
Discovery · The Challenge

Understanding the Problem

Plant managers needed real-time quality control, OTIF, and CO₂ at a glance — but existing dashboards were built for HQ, not the factory floor. Managers couldn't get insights without stepping away from the line. Decisions were delayed, metrics were stale.

Context

  • Manufacturing operations across 3 facilities (Southeast Asia)
  • Operations teams managing 40–50 shipments/day per facility
  • Compliance: OTIF tracking, quality audits, emissions reporting
  • Existing tools: fragmented dashboards, manual checklists, spreadsheets
Interactive prototype

QCL — Main dashboard

Glanceable, task-tier operations surface designed for the line.

Interactive Prototype

QCL — Main dashboard

Glanceable, task-tier operations surface designed for the line.

Interactive Prototype

QCL — Main phone app

Mobile companion for floor operators — inspections in the palm of your hand.

QCL WAP — size check flow
QCL WAP — all inspections (1)
QCL WAP — all inspections (2)
Research Insight

Physical workflows teach interface design. I spent a week on the line with operators and managers. What I learned: they don't need more data — they need the right decision at the right moment. A manager doesn't check a dashboard when a shipment fails QC; they need to know 'what do I do about this shipment right now?' The interface should guide the action, not show the data.

Shell · Design Approach

How I Tackled It

Operational intensity is beautiful when clear. Complex systems don't need to feel chaotic — they need good information design and task-first navigation.

A glanceable ops surface with task-tier escalation, gloves-on interactions, and metric-to-action paths in two taps.

Key Decisions

01

Task-Tier Escalation

Routine checks live in the background (green). Escalations surface prominently (orange). Critical issues demand attention (red). Colour-coded task hierarchy, not a sea of metrics.

Why: Operators have 30–40 metrics to track. My job wasn't to show all 40 — it was to show 'here's your action right now' and surface context only when needed.

02

Gloves-On Interactions

Touchscreen UI designed for gloved hands. Buttons 48px+. No hover states. Voice-input capable for common tasks.

Why: Operators work with heavy gloves on. UI can't assume fine motor control. I tested with actual work gloves.

03

Metric-to-Action Paths

Every metric has a clear next-step if it fails. QC flag? Show the rework workflow. OTIF slip? Show the acceleration options.

Why: Data without action is just noise. I tied every metric to its decision point.

Process Note

I spent 2 weeks on-site, timed actual workflows, identified decision moments, and designed the interface around those moments — not around a generic dashboard template.