Learning Launch

Challenge

I work in a consumer product company in the logistics department and my challenge is to revamp  their existing distribution network to reduce product distribution costs. It involves monitoring the  key performance metrics for examining supply chain performance. Distribution in most of the  consumer product companies happen through roadways and thus, freight shipping companies play  an essential part in delivery. The project is expected to be finished within four weeks.

Selection

After going through multiple design thinking activities, two possible ideas came up. Learning launch  was the best design thinking tool to test those ideas and gain insights.

Application

The first learning launch focussed on negotiating with our existing customers regarding their product  ordering policy. The idea was to convince the customers to order less frequently but in higher  quantity for per unit shipment charges to go down. The team selected a sample of customers for  whom the shipping charges were higher than average. These customers were sent a trial shipment  with higher quantities so that we could get real-time data and identify the possible issues in it. This  lasted about two weeks and it tested the assumption that higher volumes will reduce the shipping  and thus distribution costs.

The other learning launch was to identify the activities in the existing distribution system, where  unnecessary time and costs were incurred. Once these non-value adding activities are identified  then making changes to the current distribution system to optimise and fine-tune it. This idea, also  known as value chain analysis took two weeks and it tested the efficiency of the supply chain  through various metrics for getting insights into the possible issues.

Insight

The learning launch too proved to be very useful in testing the assumptions and uncovering hidden  insights. The outcomes were not exactly as expected but they gave a good understanding of the  underlying issues that needed to be solved. Value chain analysis was successful in identifying the  hidden inefficiencies in the supply chain and gave a direction towards improvement areas. The  leaning launch for getting customers to order in higher quantity didn’t go as expected and it  uncovered various other factors that influence distribution costs. Moving forward the team will  incorporate these learnings to design a new learning launch.

Approach

Given the type of project, learning launch tool is the most appropriate tool to test the hypothesis  with small experiments. It gives a good understanding of the underlying causes and generates  relevant data points for incorporating them into the future decision-making process. Going forward,  the team will analyse the newly gained insights and design a new experiment to test new  assumptions until we reach a workable solution.


Learning Launch Challenge I work in a consumer product company in the logistics department and my challenge is to revamp their existing distribution network to reduce product distribution costs . It involves monitoring the key performance metrics for examining supply chain performance . Distribution in most of the consumer product companies happen through roadways and thus , freight shipping companies play an essential part in delivery . The project is expected to be finished within four weeks . Selection After going through multiple design thinking activities , two possible ideas came up . Learning launch was the best design thinking tool to test those ideas and gain insights . Application The first learning launch focussed on negotiating with our existing customers regarding their product ordering policy . The idea was to convince the customers to order less frequently but in higher quantity for per unit shipment charges to go down . The team selected a sample of customers for whom the shipping charges were higher than average . These customers were sent a trial shipment with higher quantities so that we could get real - time data and identify the possible issues in it . This lasted about two weeks and it tested the assumption that higher volumes will reduce the shipping and thus distribution costs . The other learning launch was to identify the activities in the existing distribution system , where unnecessary time and costs were incurred . Once these non - value adding activities are identified then making changes to the current distribution system to optimise and fine - tune it . This idea , also known as value chain analysis took two weeks and it tested the efficiency of the supply chain through various metrics for getting insights into the possible issues . Insight The learning launch too proved to be very useful in testing the assumptions and uncovering hidden insights . The outcomes were not exactly as expected but they gave a good understanding of the underlying issues that needed to be solved . Value chain analysis was successful in identifying the hidden inefficiencies in the supply chain and gave a direction towards improvement areas . The leaning launch for getting customers to order in higher quantity did n’t go as expected and it uncovered various other factors that influence distribution costs . Moving forward the team will incorporate these learnings to design a new learning launch . Approach Given the type of project , learning launch tool is the most appropriate tool to test the hypothesis with small experiments . It gives a good understanding of the underlying causes and generates relevant data points for incorporating them into the future decision - making process . Going forward , the team will analyse the newly gained insights and design a new experiment to test new assumptions until we reach a workable solution .