SAP/Grainger SAAS Project
Evolving a Touchstone Resource for the Digital Age

About the Project

This strategic project was a collaboration with SAP and Grainger to transform how customers and sales staff interact with Grainger’s vast product catalog in a digital environment. As the company transitioned its extensive online inventory, it focused on designing intuitive, customer-centric tools that made searching, navigating, and discovering products easier. By streamlining access to thousands of SKUs, the project enhanced the overall user experience.

 

Related Services
Interaction Design
Visual Interface Design
Future Vision Work

Role
Interaction Design Director

 
SAAS Purchase Patterns.jpg

An Intelligent and Intuitive Online Catalog

Grainger’s parts catalog is renowned for its extensive range. This project explored ways that Grainger could transition to an online format, including new methods for analyzing data and searching for items. Visual and categorical search options, proactive forecasting, and curated collections were presented to users. By analyzing both individual and corporate sales data, the system enabled repeat purchasing scheduling and provided sales staff with a comprehensive view to serve customers better.

Collections

Collections serve as a vital tool for both users and sales staff to organize site-specific content in a contextual way. These collections could encompass projects, buildings, people, or other categories, allowing users to group and manage content in a manner that is relevant and meaningful to their needs.

Proactive Forecasting

The purchasing pattern recognition feature offers a useful timeline of past and predicted future purchases, visualized through a timeline graphic. This capability enables customers to proactively plan for upcoming maintenance needs and long-term facility requirements, enhancing their ability to manage inventory and resources effectively.

 

Comparative Product Functionality

Suppliers can proactively suggest alternative products when items are improved or if supply chain challenges arise. The comparative product feature allows users to confidently research and swap products, ensuring they can find suitable substitutions without compromising on quality or performance.

Visual Browsing

Nested visual browsing tiers cater to users with different starting points, allowing them to build personalized search pathways. Intelligent pathway tracking enables users to adjust search criteria on the fly, making it easier to refine results and explore options without losing context.

SAP/Grainger Web Catalog Concept Gallery