Streamlining multi-vendor Purchase Orders for procurement efficiency

User problems

• Single-vendor limitation: The system allowed creating purchase orders for only one vendor at a time, forcing officers to repeat the process for every supplier.
• Inefficient workflow: Procurement teams often needed to raise 4–6 POs in one go, leading to repetitive actions, slow turnaround, and higher chances of input errors.
• Lack of visibility: Users had no consolidated overview of all selected items and vendors before confirmation, making it hard to review or adjust.
• Cognitive overload: Switching repeatedly between vendor and item screens created mental fatigue and reduced focus during busy procurement cycles.

Business problems

• Low productivity: The one-by-one workflow increased time per procurement cycle and delayed vendor orders.
• Error cost: Manual entry repetition caused mismatched data and additional rework for validation teams.
• Scaling barrier: The existing system couldn’t handle the growing procurement volume efficiently.
• User frustration: Repeated feedback from officers highlighted inefficiency and poor usability, reducing confidence in the digital system.

The goal was to simplify and speed up purchase order creation by enabling multi-vendor workflows in one go. The strategy focused on removing repetitive steps, improving data accuracy, and giving procurement managers better control before confirming orders. The redesign emphasized workflow efficiency over visual complexity, ensuring it fit naturally into existing procurement habits.

We began by observing how procurement managers created purchase orders in their daily workflow to understand pain points and repetitive actions. These insights shaped early sketches and wireframes that reimagined the flow into a single, streamlined session.
Using Figma, I built interactive prototypes and validated them through quick feedback sessions with managers. The final design balanced usability with backend feasibility — refined through close collaboration with product managers and developers.

Step 1: Identify Shortfall and Add Items

Procurement managers start by viewing shortfall alerts for each plant location. The system highlights which items are below required levels and allows adding them directly to the purchase order list.

Step 2: Add Items to Purchase List

After identifying shortfall items, procurement managers can add selected products to the purchase list on the same screen. As items are added, they appear instantly in the PO Item List for quick reference.

Step 3: Select Multiple Vendors

Procurement managers can now choose multiple vendors for the selected items within the same workflow. Each vendor card displays performance metrics and delivery terms to support informed decisions.

Step 4: Allocate Items Across Vendors

Procurement managers can now split and allocate item quantities across multiple vendors within the same interface. Each cell allows editing of both quantity and price, offering full control over distribution and negotiation.

Step 5: Review and Send Purchase Orders

Procurement managers can review all vendor and item details before confirming. Each vendor has a dedicated tab summarizing items, quantities, and total amounts ensuring accuracy before final submission. Once confirmed, the system instantly generates and shares individual purchase orders with each vendor.

Impact