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PROJECT CASE STUDY - 4

Case Study: Operational Workflow Revamp for Automotive E-Commerce Business

Role: Operations Supervisor
Timeline: 6 Weeks
Team Coverage: Customer Service • Order Processing • Maintenance • Warehouse

Project Context

The operations team worked hard. However, tasks lived in chats, follow-ups got lost, and no one had a shared view of what needed doing, who owned what, or whether we were hitting targets. We didn’t have a formal project management tool, but we did have growing complexity and a team that needed structure fast.

My goal was simple:
Build a lightweight workflow system the team would actually use — one that created clarity, accountability, and daily operational flow.

The Challenge

  • No standardized process for daily or weekly tasks

  • No PM tool or tracking system

  • Communication silos across four departments

  • Strong resistance to new platforms (especially OneDrive, ERPs)

  • Operational delays caused by unclear ownership

  • Managers lacked visibility into bottlenecks, daily focus, or weekly goals

My Approach

1. Build a Simple, Adoptable Workflow System

I designed a kanban-style tracking tool using Excel to mimic the functionality of Trello — but simple enough for non-technical staff.

Resistance hit immediately.
The team was unfamiliar with OneDrive, so adoption stalled.

Solution:
Pivoted to Google Sheets and rebuilt the entire system there — adoption skyrocketed.

2. Create a 4-Tab Operational Command Center

~ Daily Tasks

Guiding question: “What top 3 challenges do we need to solve today?”

~ Weekly Priorities

Guiding question: “What does success look like this week?”

~ Issues & Escalations

Captured blockers, delays, and required approvals.

~ KPIs & Checks

Tracked the operational heartbeat and daily performance checks.

I also set permission levels: editors vs. viewers — maintaining structure while giving everyone visibility.

3. Standardize Processes

I created one-page SOPs for each department to reduce confusion, align expectations, and ensure consistency in customer service, order flow, maintenance tasks, and warehouse operations.

Key Contributions

  • Spearheaded design and implementation of the entire system

  • Coordinated onboarding and change management across 4 departments

  • Simplified daily huddles with the aligned questions and structured visibility

  • Maintained oversight on task accountability and prioritization

Key Metrics & Results

  • 60% reduction in daily inter-department back-and-forth

  • Clearer daily focus due to “Top 3 Challenges” structure

  • Weekly alignment improved through shared, visible priorities

  • Operational notes and escalations became trackable instead of buried

  • SOPs reduced repetitive explanations and increased autonomy

  • Adoption rate hit 100% after shifting to Google Sheets

Outcome & Impact

The workflow revamp transformed a previously reactive operations environment into a structured, transparent, and accountable system — all without needing a formal PM platform.
Teams gained clarity, managers gained visibility, and operations finally had a predictable rhythm.

The new system became the daily “source of truth,” empowering the team to track progress, spot issues early, and align around outcomes not noise.