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Zoro (W.W. Grainger, Inc.) | Sr. Product Manager, E-commerce
The Challenge
Zoro’s enterprise ecosystem faced critical accessibility gaps that created significant usability barriers and legal exposure. Beyond the technical fragmentation, the initiative lacked initial leadership backing, as accessibility was viewed as a "nice-to-have" rather than a business priority. Compounding this was a stark talent deficit: the engineering and design organizations lacked the specialized skill sets required to implement complex WCAG 2.1.1 AA standards across legacy applications.
The Strategy
I led a shift toward "Accessibility by Default" by integrating WCAG standards directly into the burgeoning Dispatch Design System. To overcome the lack of institutional support, I quantified the risk of non-compliance to secure C-suite legal buy-in and synchronized Figma libraries with coded output, as well as the new CMS platform (Builder.io). This created a single source of truth where assets were pre-vetted, removing the burden of specialized knowledge from individuals.
The Execution
To bypass traditional delivery hurdles, I led a cross-functional Agile team in deploying a production-grade prototyping model that slashed delivery timelines by 90%. I simultaneously embedded accessibility into the engineering DNA by launching an ambassador program and automated testing suites, ensuring that high-quality, compliant components were delivered ahead of schedule through proactive risk mitigation.
The Impact
The transformation redefined Zoro’s operational capacity, increasing overall delivery speed by 30% and successfully migrating three major applications to 100% WCAG 2.1 AA status. By delivering the rebrand 50% faster than projected, we strengthened brand sentiment and established a scalable, future-proof foundation that allows the organization to pivot with total consistency.