How did we solve a problem in less than a sec for a retail client with 120+ pharmacy outlets?

The problem was critical and it would have taken a couple of weeks and a substantial investment otherwise.

Not bragging about my team’s #problemsolving skills. Haha. True story and a great case study to learn from.

Problem#0: Client was not able to persuade customers to fill up a detailed form for a loyalty program.

💡Solution? Obvious. To shorten the length of the form with less questions.

No, there are few more layers to the problem.

Problem#1: A good investment was anticipated to print forms for all stores.

Problem#2: What to do with half a million forms they already had?

I was having this discussion with the client at one of their outlets. I had a form in my hand. I took a pen and struck through the unnecessary fields.

The problem was solved. Zero investment, no loss of existing forms.

But was that scalable?

Yes, it was. Each store had 4–5 sales reps with no or less footfalls in the noon. Everyday, a sales guy will strikethrough a dozen forms for the next day. Also, the rep will use a coloured bold marker that will complement the form aesthetically.

#ProblemSolvingGyan
✔️Don’t sit on the problem
✔️Ask for help from other domains
✔️Brainstorm with the devil’s advocates

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