eCommerce grocery app for all Loblaw brands

PC Express – App Store Link – Play Store Link

Steering the Course of Loblaw’s Grocery eCommerce App

At PC Express, I led the iOS and Android teams in enhancing Loblaw’s grocery eCommerce app. Initially, the project was outsourced to contractors, but I was brought in to lead the newly internalized team. My first task was a rapid learning curve, absorbing as much as possible from the departing contractors within three months. This period was crucial in understanding not only the technical aspects but also the team dynamics and existing processes.

Key among my contributions was establishing a robust Mobile Support process, ensuring consistent app performance and issue triage. This included transitioning the team to a monthly release train, replacing the previous ad hoc approach. This shift highlighted several manual steps in our process, leading to significant automation improvements. In doing so, I introduced calendar versioning for the apps, aligning them more effectively with product and marketing timelines. This decision streamlined our release process and enhanced cross-team coordination.

During my tenure, I managed two cross-functional teams:

1. Customer Journey Team: We revamped the app’s onboarding process and introduced the Guest Mode feature on iOS. This feature allowed users to experience the app without full sign-up, enhancing user accessibility and convenience.

2. Product Surfacing Team: This team’s key achievement was the development of the customer-selected substitution feature, allowing customers to choose alternatives for low stock or out-of-stock items. This innovation significantly improved the shopping experience by giving customers more control and flexibility.

In managing these teams, I was responsible for guiding the development, ensuring smooth collaboration, and aligning technical efforts with business goals, ultimately enhancing both the app’s functionality and user satisfaction.

Additionally, I was instrumental in improving the Android app’s stability, achieving over 90% crash-free sessions, and migrating the navigation stack to Jetpack Navigation from a closed source custom navigation framework build by the contractors. Overall, this improved the perceived speed and fluidity of the Android app.

I tripled the team size and implemented a structured onboarding process, greatly enhancing team efficiency and cohesion. This expansion and the introduction of managerial leadership significantly boosted team engagement and productivity.