Make ERP no longer 'anti human': This design improves both employee efficiency and satisfaction

When it comes to ERP system, many people in the workplace are full of roast: menus are hidden like a maze, high-frequency operations need to jump to seven or eight pages, and you have to check again and again if you enter an item number. It takes half of your energy to compete with the interface all day long. In fact, the more complex the ERP interface, the more professional it is. On the contrary, good design should be like a caring assistant, understanding the business, saving steps, and following the heart, making it easy for employees to operate and effectively improving efficiency. Especially for the footwear and apparel industry, the pain points of managing multiple sizes, colors, and product numbers are prominent. Interface design must accurately meet the needs in order to truly serve work, rather than dragging down efficiency.
Ultimately, the core of ERP interface design lies in two things: adapting to the actual needs of the position and simplifying complex operations. Based on the work scenarios of core positions such as orders, warehouses, and procurement in the footwear and apparel industry, we have compiled a set of practical methods to help you break free from the misconception of "designing for design" and truly adapt the system to people, rather than accommodating the system.
1、 Customize workstations according to job requirements, without creating a 'hodgepodge' interface
In shoe and clothing companies, the job responsibilities of warehouse packers and order auditors are vastly different - packers have to scan codes and check sizes all day long, while order clerks have to monitor pending documents and handle abnormal situations. If we give everyone a "big and comprehensive" interface, it's like handing the same tool to chefs and programmers, and the more we use it, the more awkward it will be.
A smart approach is to customize dedicated workbenches according to job positions, leaving only core functions and "hiding" low-frequency operations. For warehouse packers, the workbench should go straight to the point: the top displays the number of orders to be packaged, the middle places a scanning box, and the bottom is the core button - scanning code verification, printing packing list, marking shipment, without having to flip through the menu, even wearing gloves can accurately click; It also supports direct triggering of the scanning gun, without frequent switching of the mouse and scanning device, and without leaving the workflow with both hands.
The focus of the order specialist's workbench should be on "quick processing of documents": separate pending orders and abnormal orders (such as out of stock or oversold), highlight abnormal documents in red, and click to view details and handle them; The commonly used customer information query and order filtering functions are prominently displayed, and even allow employees to drag and drop modules to adjust the layout according to their own habits, making it more convenient to use. This "personalized" interface allows employees to focus on their work as soon as they log in, without wasting time on unrelated functions.
2、 Simplify the characteristic process and transform the "detour operation" into a "direct channel"
The biggest pain point in the operation of the footwear and clothing industry is undoubtedly the management of multiple sizes, colors, and item numbers - when entering the warehouse, it is necessary to check the item numbers one by one, and when leaving the warehouse, it is necessary to verify the size and color, and any slight carelessness can lead to errors. The key to interface design is targeted "reducing steps and saving time".
Firstly, we need to establish a direct channel for scanning QR codes. Whether it's inbound, outbound, or packaging, after scanning the item number, the system should automatically recognize it and immediately display the corresponding style, size, color, and inventory quantity, without the need for employees to manually input and query; If you scan the wrong item number, a prompt will pop up immediately, and you can also recommend several similar item numbers to reduce the trouble of double checking. For the footwear and apparel industry, this step can significantly reduce operational error rates, especially suitable for fast-paced warehouse operations.
Secondly, we need to strengthen the batch operation function. The high-frequency operations of releasing multiple sizes of the same product, printing packing lists in batches, and reviewing orders in batches must support "check and complete" to avoid wasting time when employees click one by one. At the same time, it is necessary to optimize the pop-up design by changing the multi-level pop-up to a side drawer style, which does not obstruct the main interface during operation, automatically refreshes data after processing, and does not require manual closing and returning, making the process smoother. Remember one principle: for any high-frequency business, the operating steps should not exceed 3 steps, and taking one more step is a burden.
3、 Visual design is down-to-earth, lowering cognitive barriers
ERP is not a design work of art, its interface is not as good as its usability. The age range of employees in shoe and clothing companies is large, and their computer operation skills vary greatly. Overly complex visual design will only increase learning costs and slow down efficiency.
In terms of layout, the classic structure of "left menu+right content" is preferred. The menu is classified into three levels: "department function sub function", and the core modules of order management and inventory management are placed at the top for easy access; The content area is arranged in a card style layout, and different business modules are distinguished by light gray borders, with clear organization and no clutter. Color matching should be restrained, and the main color tone should be soft neutral colors such as blue and gray to avoid high saturation colors that are too bright; Key operation buttons, such as "confirm shipment" and "approve" in green, and "delete" and "cancel" in red, form clear visual distinctions that even beginners can quickly recognize.
Data display should also be straightforward. The size and color of shoes and clothing do not need to be listed purely in text, but are assisted by simple icons, such as red squares representing red styles and black squares representing black styles, which are clear at a glance; Inventory data should be differentiated into "in warehouse", "in transit", and "pre occupied" states, labeled with different color tags, so that employees can know the status of the goods at a glance without checking line by line. The font should be easy to read, such as Microsoft Yahei, with a font size of no less than 12px, which can be clearly seen even in complex warehouse lighting environments.
4、 Intelligent assistance+personalization, adapted to different needs
A good ERP interface should be both "universal and easy to use" and "personalized and thoughtful". After all, each employee has different operating habits, and a unified setting may not be suitable for everyone.
It can be equipped with some intelligent assistance functions to help employees reduce errors. For example, when scanning the product number during packaging, the system automatically compares it with the size and color requirements of the order, and immediately reminds if it does not match; When entering data, provide a drop-down selection box and fuzzy search. Enter "sports shoes" to automatically match the relevant item number, avoiding manual input errors. Custom shortcut keys can also be set, such as F5 refresh and Ctrl+P print, which are suitable for warehouse employees to quickly operate without frequent mouse movements.
Personalized settings are also essential. Support interface theme switching, with bright colors suitable for offices and dark colors suitable for warehouse night work; Allow employees to customize display fields, for example, the order list can choose to show or hide customer addresses and payment methods, leaving only the information they need; Remember the common filtering criteria for employees, and apply them automatically the next time you log in without having to repeatedly set them. At the same time, precise control of permissions is necessary. The packager can only see the packaging related functions and cannot modify the order price. This not only avoids misoperation but also simplifies the interface, allowing employees to focus on their work.
5、 Provide guidance and feedback to reduce learning and usage costs
The new system is online, and employees are most afraid of not knowing how to use it and not having anyone to help them when problems arise. The interface design should come with "guiding properties" to enable beginners to quickly get started, while providing timely feedback on the operation results, giving employees a sufficient sense of security.
When new employees log in for the first time, a step-by-step guidance pop-up window is provided, which demonstrates the core operations of the current position, such as "how to scan and package" and "how to review orders". It supports skipping and re viewing, and does not require specialized training to get started. During the operation process, feedback should be timely and clear: if the printing is successful and the shipping mark is completed, a concise prompt will pop up in the upper right corner, which will automatically disappear after 2 seconds without interfering with subsequent operations; If the operation fails, such as insufficient inventory or mismatched item numbers, it is necessary to clearly explain the reason and provide a solution, such as "insufficient inventory, suggest transferring goods from XX warehouse", to help employees quickly solve the problem.
In addition, a "Help" button can be set in the upper right corner of the interface, which can be clicked to view the operation manual or short video tutorial of the current function. It supports keyword search, such as searching for "item number verification" to quickly find relevant guides; In addition, there is a "Feedback" button where employees can submit suggestions at any time when encountering operational pain points. Based on the feedback, iterative optimization will be carried out to make the interface more user-friendly.
In fact, the essence of ERP interface design is to "put employees at the center" and transform complex business logic into simple operational processes. For the footwear and apparel industry, there is no need to pursue fancy features. As long as it fits the job scenario, simplifies the operation steps, and lowers the threshold for use, it can improve employees' operational efficiency and enhance their satisfaction with use. After all, the core value of an ERP system lies in allowing employees to focus more on core business by reducing their competition with the system.