Habitat For Humanity: Developing an E-Commerce Inventory System for the Ashland ReStore

Project Description

The Ashland ReStore had implemented an e-commerce program to improve revenue, but lacked a comprehensive inventory system to support it. Drawing on over 608 hours of fieldwork, along with expert stakeholder interviews, we designed an updated, user-friendly inventory system to address this need. Employing an iterative design model, multiple rounds of feedback and user testing were conducted on the system. Upon completion of the project, the new system was implemented, and supporting documentation, including training manuals, was created and provided to the ReStore. By streamlining online operations, the system will expand its reach, increase revenue, and ultimately support Habitat for Humanity’s mission of making housing more affordable and accessible for those in need.

Project Sponsor

Every year, Americans discard over 12 million tons of furniture, with 80% of it ending up in landfills, much of which is still usable and could be repurposed (US EPA, 2024a). At the same time, millions of families struggled to afford essential household items. This disconnect highlights the growing need for sustainability and affordable solutions. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores work to meet this need by keeping unwanted furniture out of landfills.

Student Researchers

Arya Bharadwaj, class of 2026, is an international student from Bangalore, India, studying Mechanical Engineering, B.S.

Mikel Nourse, class of 2026, studying Computer Science, with a concentration in cybersecurity, B.S.

Samura Poncet, class of 2027, studying Computer Science, with a concentration in cybersecurity, B.S.

Morgan Vasiliou, class of 2026, studying Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, B.S.

Project Goal and Objectives

The goal of our project was to assist the Ashland ReStore in improving its online sales by developing an inventory system. To accomplish this goal, we identified four objectives:

Determine available e-commerce resources and past practices.
Understand the ReStore’s needs and expectations for the e-commerce inventory system.
Develop and test a new inventory system.
Create and gather feedback on the training manual for the new system.

We achieved these objectives by employing qualitative techniques, including participant observation, conducting an environmental scan, interviews, and user testing.

Final Report and Deliverables

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