Moonstruck Chocolates - Online Order Redesign

Challenge

Moonstruck Chocolate requested a modification to their existing eCommerce shopping cart. The client required the ability to define multiple shipping locations and "sub-carts" within a single order.
 

Solution

In order to meet the client's requirements I had to audit the existing customer order process and the management services for internal employees. I devised a process for assigning multiple items within a shopping cart to multiple shipment locations within a single order. The user could define shipment locations and requested delivery dates for each delivery location. We also had to devise a series of business rules for delivery of items because of the nature of the items Moonstruck provided. Chocolate is a perishable item and also requires refrigeration in the spring and summer months. The ordering and delivery system needed to take this requirement into account when providing estimated delivery dates. Likewise, the management system needed to take such rules into account when orders were set to be delivered weeks or months in advance. The system would check orders every day and when an order was set to be delivered within a four day period it would put the item into the pick queue for processing and delivery.
 

Results

After a few procedural issues were repaired the client was very happy with the modifications and new features.
 

Robert's Thoughts

This project was my first business analysis and development effort with my new employer. The analysis process was very easy to address, but the negotiations with the internal team were tiring, it appears that the estimate for the work was defined before the scope was defined (an aspect of the project I had no control over) and as I conducted my analysis I identified additional business rules and issues which were not taken into account by the management team at the budgeting phase. So, we had several long meetings to discuss the scope and cost implications on the issues I identified. In the end we compromised on many aspects of the system while still meeting the goals that reduced features and development time.