Sam's Club Health & Wellness · Pharmacy Associate Tool · 2023–2024

Transformed pharmacy delivery for 600+ Sam's Club stores

I led the end-to-end design of a web + mobile product suite that replaced a fragmented 18-step dispensing workflow — cutting delivery time by 55% and automating 40% of checkout for pharmacy associates.

55%

Faster delivery dispense

800+

Orders fulfilled in Q4 '23

40%

Checkout automated

92%

Associate satisfaction

Timeline

2023 – 2024

Role

Senior Product Designer

Team

20+ Engineers · 1 PM

Platform

Web + Mobile

My role

I was the lead designer on the Checkout mobile app and Order Maintenance web dashboard. My scope included field research with pharmacy technicians at multiple Sam's Club locations, journey mapping the existing 18-step fulfillment flow, and redefining the interaction patterns for the TC53 handheld device.

Field research Journey mapping Interaction design Mobile (TC53) Stakeholder facilitation Design system

Business Challenge

Time consuming process impacted on-site duties

Amy, a Sam's Club pharmacy technician, spent most of her time addressing customers beyond fulfilling orders. The overwhelming process of dispensing prescriptions for delivery orders led to human errors and business disruption.

The Core Question

How might we assist pharmacy associates to recognize and schedule delivery orders within the existing platform?

90d

Refills preferred by focused customer segment

21%

Customers not enrolled on auto refill updates

56%

Customers 55+ and mostly non-tech savvy

46%

Pharmacy revenue from delivery-preferred customers

Lack of transparency and multiple levels of interaction in legacy system

GoLocal third-party application not easily accessible for associates

Numerous back-and-forth movements between hardware and applications

User Research

Mapping the InClub order fulfillment journey

Documented the complete delivery order process from creation through fulfillment, identifying key friction points across three major stages involving pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.

Create Order

Technicians select and review orders for delivery using the legacy Connexus application

Fulfill RX Order

Scan items, fill orders manually, print labels, and drop bags in Will Call rack

Schedule Payment

Pharmacist verifies order, schedules payment via GoLocal, completes checkout on TC53

Time-Intensive Process

Average dispense time of 10 - 15 minutes per order with 18 steps across hardware and applications.

Dual User Handoff

Technicians and pharmacists had disconnected workflows, requiring manual coordination for verification and payment.

Hardware Fragmentation

Associates switched between desktop and TC53 handheld devices, causing context loss and inefficiency.

Error-Prone Legacy

Manual label printing, stock checks, and bag scanning across disconnected systems increased human error rates.

User journey map showing the InClub order fulfillment process

Research artifact documenting pharmacy workflow findings

Solution Overview

Integrated web & mobile product suite

Designed a cohesive two-part system - Order Maintenance web app for order management and a Checkout mobile app for in-store fulfillment-unifying workflows.

Web App

RxToGo Order Maintenance

Centralized order management dashboard replacing fragmented legacy tools for pharmacists and technicians.

Result: Single source of truth for all delivery orders with real-time status tracking

Mobile App

RxToGo Checkout

Handheld TC53 app streamlining the on-floor checkout and scanning workflow for pharmacy associates.

Result: 40% of checkout process automated with guided step-by-step fulfillment

Automation

Process Streamlining

Reduced 6 steps from the overall 18-step delivery dispense process through intelligent automation.

Result: Average time reduced from 10–15 min to 5–7 min per order

Integration

GoLocal & Connexus Bridge

Third-party GoLocal application was inaccessible; Connexus required manual context-switching.

Result: Unified interface bridging payment scheduling and order verification

RxToGo solution screen showing the integrated web and mobile product suite

Order Maintenance web app for pharmacy order management

Checkout mobile app for in-store prescription fulfillment

Impact

Measurable outcomes delivered

Quantifiable improvements across associate efficiency, customer satisfaction, and operational workflows through integrated web and mobile solutions.

55%

Reduction in delivery dispense time

800+

Orders fulfilled successfully in Q4 2023

84%

Customers comfortable with delivery

92%

Associates prefer this portal

5-7m

Average time vs earlier 10–15 min

40%

Checkout process automated

Process Efficiency

Reduced 6 steps from overall 18-step delivery dispense process. MVP delivery checkout workflow was time-efficient, allowing associates to focus on in-store customers.

Future Expansion

Explored expedited counter pickup and curbside opportunities through vision workshops. Dynamic checkout product enabled quick turnaround for other dispensing methods.

Key Takeaways

Lessons gained from the journey

Insights on collaboration, research foundations, and product language that shaped the design process and outcomes.

Transparency & Communication

Each partner has unique approaches. Maintaining transparency throughout product development proved beneficial for cross-functional alignment.

Research Foundation

Set a strong foundation through research and connect the dots of the process to justify product requirements with stakeholders and engineering teams.

Product Language

Resonating the product's language with field associates is important. Setting the right tone throughout their journey can alleviate chances of making errors.

MVP Approach Success

Time constraints led to smart prioritization. Focused on primary workflow enabled rapid delivery while maintaining quality and gathering feedback for future iterations.

System Integration

Leveraging existing platforms (Connexus, Walmart Mail Order app) provided familiar touchpoints while introducing improved workflows and modern design patterns.