With over 200 physical locations worldwide, Copart Inc, or simply Copart, is the largest global provider of online vehicle auction and remarketing services to automotive resellers such as insurance, rental car, fleet and finance companies.
Copart
Principal / Lead UX/UI Designer
Sales & Inventory Mgmt Platform
Since Copart integrated this application there were the following measurable improvements.
Overview
Copart was opening new properties in Oman, Bahrain, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and more and needed an internal sales and inventory management solution while they were integrating SAP.
As a UX designer collaborating with a top-tier development team from Outbid, we were thrilled to partner with Copart to design and build a solution that could adapt and scale to Copart’s dynamic needs.
This internal system was designed to facilitate smoother sales and inventory management processes across Copart’s expanding global footprint with particular attention to the diverse requirements of each new region.
"CW was hired to help design the UX from our Outbid subsidiary. He hit the ground running and became a key contributor immediately. He was instrumental in moving the design forward by incorporating best-in-class techniques like rapid interactive prototyping and interactive usability sessions. He's an expert in design and his work was used throughout other products in the broader Copart firm, where he also became a key contributor.."
Vincent Phillips
Chief Technology Officer
Copart
Copart asked me and the team from Outbid to design and build an internal inventory management and sales platform because they loved the work we did with Outbid. I knew right away from talks with the major stakeholders that this was going to be a project focused on designing simply for highly complex functionality.
I started by conducting extensive interviews with business analysts and stakeholders from the Global Business Process team to define the MVP, understand unique country-specific processes and laws, business requirements, user needs, and end goals.
I started by conducting extensive interviews with business analysts and stakeholders from the Global Business Process team to define the MVP, understand unique country-specific processes and laws, business requirements, user needs, and end goals.
Once the data was refined I conducted many whiteboarding sessions with members of the the departments to flesh out user flows specific to each country.
From the early research I identified a common IA and design pattern that could be applied across the application for all countries. The start was the Lot list. To design the list of vehicles or Lots, I diplayed only the necessary required data at a glance that could be used for any country. Additional consideration had to be given to usability and scannability for smaller viewports.
Filtering and alpha numeric sorting could easily be done from the secondary header and by click / tapping on a specific column.
Since the application is single instance but used in several countries we needed a solution for the admin user to easily change copy within the application so it would translate.
I designed a Find and Replace feature that allows the user to find a word or term using auto suggest and replace it. I added a five language glossary expandable so the user can reference any word or term in their language and compare to other languages.
This had a tremendous positive impact for the company and end user making it simple and fast to translate and understand particulars when interacting with Copart properties in other countries
Based on user and team interviews I designed the item process flow in stages.
Due to the amount of data per stage, I designed each stage as an expandable component. This allowed the user to easily scan and find a stage without being exposed to unnecessary information, commands, and controls. This ensured that the UI would be intuitive, lean, and that the user would be displayed only the elements that would be useful to them, unlike the CASS and SAP systems.
Copart Takeaways
Working with Copart such a rewarding experience. I thoroughly enjoyed researching and designing an end-to-end platform with a highly talented team. It showcased the effectiveness of agile methods in delivering high-quality work within tight deadlines.
Managing expectations and educating stakeholders about the design process were valuable lessons that enhanced my communication skills and advocacy ensuring that design decisions were understood and supported by all parties involved. The project emphasized the importance of teamwork, agility, and effective communication for project success, further fueling my passion for UX/UI design.
Copart wanted the team to move to Texas but we decided not to leave the Bay Area. We then offboarded and transfered our knowledge to the team in Texas.
Initally an interim solution, Copart chose the platform over SAP and was first launched in Germany, Spain, Brazil, Oman, and Bahrain with much success in 2015.
