Milk Stork · Internal tools · Shipping operationsReal-time shipment monitoring for time-sensitive deliveries.
Milk Stork ships breast milk for traveling parents, where delivery timing is critical. I designed Air Traffic Control, an internal tool that gives the operations team real-time visibility into every active shipment and highlights those that need attention.
My roleLead product designer: research, design and testing
TeamHead of Product, 3 engineers, Customer Success Manager, Head of Growth
UsersHR and benefits admins at employer clients
Timeline2024-2025
X
fewer late or failed deliveries
35%
fewer manual reporting requests to support
20%
increase in program use
1,000+
shipments tracked each month
01 — ProblemShipment tracking was spread across multiple carrier systems.
A shipment can move through several carriers, each with its own tracking system. Monitoring meant checking multiple sources manually, which made it difficult to identify issues before customers were affected.
Limited early warning
Issues were often identified through customer contact rather than through data.
02 — ApproachFull visibility, prioritized by risk.
I observed the operations team’s workflow, mapped each stage of the shipment journey, and designed around a core question: which shipments need attention now?
01
02
03
04
Map the journey
Every stage from pickup to delivery, with where each one fails.
Define statuses
On time, at risk and off track, with clear rules the whole team uses.
Most urgent first
Summary counts at the top, then a list sorted by urgency that can be filtered.
Test with the team
Tested with real shipments during live shifts.
03 — DecisionsDecision 1Decisions focused on helping the team identify and resolve issues quickly.
Decision 1Four status counts, color-coded by urgency
Total active, off track, at risk and on time sit at the top, so a glance tells the team how the day is going and where to start.
Filters based on team terminology
Fragmented data
Carrier, warehouse and order data were not available in one place.
No shared definitions
The team needed a consistent way to decide when a shipment was at risk.
Stage filters use the team’s established terminology, such as “stuck on the runway” and “in flight,” so the tool aligns with existing workflows.
Decision 3A single, consolidated shipment view
Order, carrier, tracking number, status, warehouse and current location in one sortable table that updates automatically, so issues can be investigated without switching tools.
04 — ImpactThe dashboard shipped to 30+ employer organizations. Manual reporting requests to support dropped 35%, and program use grew 20% among clients using the dashboard.
Earlier issue detection and more reliable deliveries.
WHAT I LEARNEDThe best data visualization isn’t the most impressive one, it’s the one that makes the right decision obvious.
DEEP DIVEFull process documentation
Process documentation
Workflow research, the shipment journey map, status definitions and developer specs are documented in Figma and available for review on request.
Journey map · Status rules · Map view · Developer specs