Tractor Supply Co. Training Resources
Tractor Supply Co.
A Case Study in Training & Resources
OVERVIEW
PROJECT TYPE
User Research
Digital Design Solution
MY ROLE
UX Researcher
DURATION
12 weeks
UX Designer
Background
Tractor Supply Company is a home improvement and feed store with over 45,000 employees across the United States. My proposed design solution offers ways for Tractor Supply employees to learn their job in the environment they will be working in rather than at a desk. It also gives employees a place for continued access to training resources even after they have finished onboarding training.
THE PROBLEM
Tractor Supply team members experience difficulty bridging the gap between training on a computer and putting the knowledge to use because training is not conducted with the many variables of real-world situations.
HYPOTHESIS
An optimization of time and resources will occur within Tractor Supply stores if we bridge the gap between training and the application of skills through a mobile app that allows for hands-on and long-term training resources.
PROCESS
RESEARCH
Surveys, interviews, field observations, and proto-personas
DESIGN
Ideations, sketches, and low-high fidelity designs
TEST
Moderated user tests, user observations, and user interviews
Research
To begin my research stage, I gathered initial insights from frontline workers in a digital adoption survey. Once I had a broad idea of the impact that technology has on retail workers, I began interviewing current and former employees of Tractor Supply. These interviews, along with field studies and on-site observations, later informed all of my design decisions.
SURVEY INSIGHTS
Through an in-depth survey of of frontline workers, I gathered information about the impact of technology, the best ways people learn new information, and the frustrations they have while using technology at work.
IMPACT OF TECH
95% of participants in retail, ages 19-59, found that technology makes their job easier.
LEARNING METHODS
Hands-on was the highest preferred method of learning for retail participants ages 19-29.
FRUSTRATIONS
Tech issues were the most frequent causes of frustration for all frontline workers.
PROTO-PERSONAS
Personas helped to make a connection between gathered insights and potential users. These personas are focused on the potential roles, needs, and obstacles of employees in retail.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Tractor Supply's current employee training consists of videos, diagrams, and quizzes and is completed on a desktop computer. Time allotted for training is around 1 week, but if the store needs support from new employees, they will begin working before they are fully trained.
4,500+
people employed by Tractor Supply Co.
1,900+
stores across 49 states
1 WEEK
allotted for training new employees
8 HRS
average daily shift length
INTERVIEWS
I met with current and former Tractor Supply employees to ask them about their onboarding and continued training experiences.
CASHIER | AGE 40-45
01.
Unreliable devices are a major paint point
02.
Customers get frustrated when she calls for manager and waits for help
03.
Would like to see quick examples of work tasks on the go
No one explained it to me, they just handed over the scanner and said good luck as they left for break.
RECEIVER | AGE 25-30
01.
Frustrated with inconsistent training methods
02.
Store operating procedures change often and updates are not shared regularly
03.
Communication and updates are all via radio message with limited details for tasks
I was thrown to the wolves the first week of work. I was on track for training videos but the boss was shorthanded and I never got back to finish them.
FIELD STUDY & JOURNEY MAP
I spent two days observing a Tractor Supply employee during her shifts. I was able to gather important information about her training, use of technology, and pain points that she did not bring up during our initial interview. Click the map below to follow her work day journey.
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This stage of my research was the most insightful and guided my design solution so it could help solve existing problems with both technology and store operations.
Design Stages & User Testing
My design process began with putting all of my ideas on paper. From those ideas, I was able to craft rough sketches that began to outline the design solution. From that point, I moved to low, mid, and high-fidelity prototypes which I tested with users along the way.
IDEATION & SKETCHES
These sketches and notes show the first stages of my design process. I gathered information from the research I conducted and began to plan out how training information would be delivered within a mobile app.
SITEMAP
This preliminary sitemap is how I chose to organize potential content based on my sketches and research. I also gathered information about the current digital systems used by Tractor Supply employees so I could add useful features that would usually be in other programs.
LO-FI DESIGN & TESTING INSIGHTS
Following sketches and sitemaps, I began to construct a low-fidelity prototype of the training optimization system.This first iteration focused on dividing content into sections for employees to be able to find items quickly. It also created one place for all daily communications between managers, team leads, and team members.
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During user testing, I gained insights that impacted my next steps:
MID-FI DESIGN & TESTING INSIGHTS
Based on the first round of user testing, I made changes to the information architecture of my design system. During the design of this version, I also did further research into the most common paint points for current and former Tractor Supply employees. I found that employees came across the most issues with special item checkout at the register, customer load outs, and keeping track of their new hire training progress.
Testing for this prototype was conducted on current Tractor Supply employees and team leads. These insights strongly impacted my next steps:
HI-FI DESIGN & TESTING INSIGHTS
Using the takeaways I gathered from the second round of user testing, I was able to build my design solution to a higher fidelity that would present effective training and work solutions for Tractor Supply employees.
I tested users with retail experience, but no knowledge of Tractor Supply or training and operations are conducted. Expanding my user pool to include people without Tractor Supply experience was an important part of the testing process and helped to determine if new hires would be able to easily adapt and understand the system.
This final round of testing gave me these insights for my final solution:
Final Solution
This final design solution for Tractor Supply Company will provide long-term training and resources for employees while increasing efficiency and communication within the stores.
KEY FEATURES
01.
All company information, training resources, and updates in one place
04.
Notifications for new tasks include instructions and safety guidelines
02.
Mobile system for hands-on learning and application in all areas of the stores
05.
Resource Library lets users quickly reference consistent store information
03.
Mobile app available for personal or work devices to combat shortages
06.
Monthly training topics ensure that all employees are kept up to date
FINAL THOUGHTS
By diving into multiple research methods for this design system, I was able and uncover specific user needs and prove effective functionality. I found that the most useful research method was field observations so I could pick up on details that may have been overlooked during an interview with an intended user. Overall, learning from research and usability testing proved to be crucial to the whole design process.