PACKEM WMS – STARTUPWarehouse management system, enterprise power with consumer grade usability.
PRODUCT STRATEGY, RESEARCH, BRAND, UI/UX– 2023
introductionPackemWMS
The warehouse technology market is dominated by enterprise-grade WMS platforms—powerful, but bloated and expensive. Independent operators often resort to spreadsheets, paper tracking, or patchwork tools, leaving them at a disadvantage against larger competitors.
I set out to design a product that could change this dynamic. If successful, PackemWMS would prove that an operations-first, mobile-first system could deliver measurable business value by reducing errors, increasing throughput, and enabling growth without enterprise overhead.
2021 – 2023 FOUNDING PRODUCT DESIGNERoverviewWhat is warehouse management?
At its core, it’s the coordination of inventory, people, and processes to ensure goods move efficiently through a facility. For growing operators, the challenge is that most warehouse management systems (WMS) were never designed with them in mind—they’re enterprise-first products that prioritize accounting over day-to-day operations.
PackemWMS was conceived as the inverse: an operations-first platform that puts workflows like receiving, picking, and shipping at the center. My role extended beyond visual design—I partnered with leadership to frame the opportunity, test assumptions with operators, and shape product strategy from discovery through launch.
THE ASK“
How might we design a warehouse management system that is simple enough to adopt quickly, but robust enough to scale—delivering both operational value for users and strategic growth for the business?
problemIndependent warehouses and 3PLs lacked access to tools that matched their needs. Existing WMS products were either too costly, too complex, or poorly aligned with the workflows that drive daily operations, resulting in inefficiency and lost revenue.
HYPOTHESISA mobile-first WMS optimized for speed and clarity, operators would adopt it quickly and see measurable improvements in efficiency. Unlike enterprise systems, PackemWMS could win by reducing friction, not adding features.
Personally, I was inclined to believe that designing for the floor first—prioritizing the people scanning, picking, and moving inventory—would be the key. By addressing their needs directly, the product would create a ripple effect of value for managers and owners.
Research I took a multi-layered approach to research: observing real warehouses, interviewing across roles, benchmarking competitors, and validating flows with lightweight prototypes.
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Workers lost time chasing paperwork, double-entering data, and relying on verbal instructions.
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Managers lacked visibility, workers faced constant bottlenecks, and owners struggled with rising costs.
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Systems took weeks to learn, forced desktop use, and buried core tasks in complexity. Furthermore, the training curve for operators was steep and costly.
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Operators flagged friction in scan flows, button placement, and offline syncing.
InsightsOperations in a warehouse are time sensitive and involve many types or floor workers…. paragraph about language barrier, training time, temp workers, highly skilled forklift operators….
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Speed and reliability mattered most—workers struggled when tasks required too many steps or delays.
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Small details had outsized impact: button placement, scan flow, and offline support determined whether the system worked in practice.
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How might we provide visibility of core warehouse operations in a consumer-grade user experience.
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Different roles had different needs: managers needed visibility, workers wanted smooth flows, and owners focused on efficiency and cost.
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Most warehouse workers are temp staff, meaning that they rotated often and ease of onboarding would determine success for the WMS.
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How might we provide visibility of core warehouse operations in a consumer-grade user experience.
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Enterprise WMS systems created friction—long onboarding, desktop-only interfaces, and complex menus slowed adoption.
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Workflows in ERP systems were not representative of the sequencing on the floor. Designing navigation patterns in the app that followed operations logic would improve usability across all user types.
PrinciplesAs an admin, I should be able to be start and complete every inventory movement within the desktop application without the need for external data sources or mobile inputs.
Design for immediacy – every action should feel quick and obvious.
Prioritize the floor – mobile-first experiences come before desktop oversight.
Frictionless onboarding – new employees should be able to use the system within minutes.
Scalable simplicity – start lightweight, with a feature set that can take an operation live within days.
Solution name (feature?)Approach to early ideation… design goals in detail
Solution name (feature?)Approach to early ideation… design goals in detail
OUTCOMES
PackemWMS achieved rapid adoption among independent warehouses, validating the product-market fit for an operations-first, mobile-first WMS. Onboarding times dropped from weeks to hours, enabling faster deployment and immediate operational impact.
Efficiency improvements were measurable: teams experienced fewer errors, smoother workflows, and increased throughput without additional staffing.
The product demonstrated clear competitive differentiation in a market dominated by enterprise solutions. By addressing operational pain points directly, PackemWMS positioned itself as a scalable, user-centered alternative that could grow with its customers.