In this episode, we share how less than 10 hours of research saved millions of dollars, countless hours of work, and turned a multi-quarter project into a streamlined four-sprint success. It’s a perfect example of why even quick research can make a massive impact.
The challenge began with a team tasked to improve supplier onboarding at Wayfair, focusing on API and EDI integrations to help suppliers sell faster—a key metric for retention. Initially, the team was overwhelmed by the complexity of legacy systems and unclear requirements. But during the kickoff meeting, an engineer reframed the problem by asking, “Do we really care about API and EDI, or do we just want suppliers selling quickly?” This shift in perspective led to a critical decision: pause and gather insights.
In just a few days, interviews with Supplier Support staff and recently onboarded suppliers revealed that 80% of suppliers didn’t need complex integrations. Instead, the real bottleneck was an unsustainable process burdening Supplier Support with manual tasks. Armed with this insight, the team pivoted to a simpler solution that avoided unnecessary technical work while streamlining onboarding for most suppliers.
This story proves that even minimal research can prevent costly mistakes and uncover better paths forward. Sometimes, all it takes is asking the right questions. For more details on this project and its solution, check out the portfolio entry on Supplier Integrations mentioned in the episode.
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