Case Study
Houston, we had a problem
Transforming Procurement for a Major Oil & Gas Corporation
The Problem
A leading Oil & Gas corporation struggled with major inefficiencies in its procurement process, causing delays, increased costs, and frustration among employees and vendors. The company relied on outdated software that no longer met its needs, forcing employees to spend excessive time filling out long, cumbersome forms while vendors lacked proper integration with internal systems.
These inefficiencies were not just an inconvenience—they were costing the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually in processing delays and fulfillment issues.
Our goal was to identify core issues from real end-users and recommend a procurement software solution that would resolve the most pressing challenges.
The Team
As Design Director and Strategy Lead, I worked with a cross-functional team of five, including:
- 1 Engagement Manager
- 1 Sr. Associate Strategist
- 2 Associate Business Analysts
The Results
Impact
Our UX strategy led to key wins for the company:
70%
of identified problems were solved by selecting a third-party procurement system that best fit their needs.
Win
Based on our findings, we were selected to lead a major digital transformation initiative to build and implement the remaining custom functionality.
Lessons Learned
- There is such a thing as too many user interviews – While valuable, extensive interviews can sometimes yield redundant insights.
- Journey maps are great for visualization but need actionable takeaways – They must be paired with clear implementation strategies.
- Recording interviews (when possible) is invaluable – It ensures accurate insights and reduces reliance on memory.
- Remote locations make user research more challenging – Oil rigs, for example, present logistical difficulties for interviews.
- Taking good notes is an art – Detailed documentation is crucial for extracting meaningful insights later.
The Approach
User Research & Interviews
To truly understand the problem, we took a human-centered approach by interviewing 120 employees across the company. This involved on-site visits to refineries, satellite offices in Texas, corporate headquarters, and even oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
The objective was to uncover:
- How employees were using the current system
- Their biggest pain points
- Their wish lists for an improved experience
- Process inefficiencies that were slowing down procurement
By conducting in-depth, empathy-driven conversations, we identified why users didn’t realize the full potential of their tools and how we could create a more seamless, efficient experience.
Personas & Journey Mapping
I translated our research into detailed personas, current and future-state journey maps, and a prioritized feature list.
Personas helped us understand user motivations, frustrations, and workflows across different roles.
Journey maps visualized the procurement process from start to finish, highlighting bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
We overlaid the journey maps with key pain points and suggested solutions, providing a clear roadmap for transformation.
Facilitating a Design Thinking Workshop
With our findings in hand, I led a workshop with stakeholders to brainstorm ways to optimize the procurement process.
We collaborated on pain points and solutions, covering everything from system usability to automation opportunities.
The session resulted in a conference room full of sticky notes and whiteboards covered in insights.
Turning Insights into Actionable Solutions
To communicate our vision to C-level stakeholders, I transformed the top-requested features into illustrative narratives that demonstrated how proposed solutions would improve workflows and business outcomes.