Case Study: How Ontrac Scaled Product Design for a Fortune 500 Pharmacy
Read Time 3 mins | Written by: Owais Yusuf
When one of the largest retail pharmacy companies in the United States needed to expand their digital product design and research capabilities, they turned to Ontrac Solutions. The result: a faster-moving UX research function, higher-quality digital products, and measurably improved customer adoption — delivered through a model that goes well beyond traditional staffing.
The Challenge: Building a Design & UX Research Team That Drives Business Outcomes
The client's challenge wasn't simply about finding designers — it was about building a team capable of uncovering customer insights, translating them into elegant digital solutions, and ensuring every product decision was anchored in real-world user needs. In retail pharmacy, where digital health experiences directly affect patient outcomes and customer loyalty, that distinction matters enormously.
Why Ontrac Solutions for Product Design Consulting in Healthcare & Retail
Ontrac Solutions was built for exactly this kind of engagement. Our team has delivered end-to-end eCommerce platforms and led digital transformations across retail, healthcare, and financial services. That operational experience means we deeply understand the nuances of customer journey mapping, accessibility requirements (WCAG compliance), and how user research shapes experiences that resonate at scale.
Beyond Staff Augmentation: A Strategic Design Partnership
Traditional staff augmentation firms stop at sourcing talent. Ontrac Solutions operates as a strategic partner — aligning every role we fill with the client's design vision and business objectives. Our consulting background, combined with our extended PCG relationship, enables us to:
- Identify gaps in research and design thinking before they become costly roadblocks in the product cycle.
- Provide cross-functional teams that balance creative problem-solving with measurable business rigor.
- Integrate designers directly into broader product development cycles, so insights flow into execution — not into a research archive no one reads.
Measurable Impact: What the Right UX Research Staffing Delivers
By bringing in the right product design and research talent, the retail pharmacy client achieved concrete improvements across their digital product portfolio:
- Accelerated research velocity: Customer research initiatives and usability studies moved faster, unblocking downstream product decisions.
- Stronger product roadmaps: Research insights translated directly into feature prioritization and roadmap planning, reducing wasted sprint cycles.
- Higher digital adoption: Improved design quality drove measurably higher customer adoption and satisfaction scores across key digital health products.
Why Product Design Research Is a Competitive Differentiator in Retail Pharmacy
In high-stakes industries like retail pharmacy, product design and UX research are not optional line items — they are critical differentiators. A frictionless prescription refill experience, an accessible telehealth interface, or a personalized wellness portal can be the difference between customer retention and churn. With Ontrac Solutions, clients gain not just resources, but a partner who knows how to align design and research investment with measurable growth outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is product design consulting for retail pharmacy?
Product design consulting for retail pharmacy involves embedding experienced UX researchers and digital product designers into a pharmacy's technology team to improve customer-facing digital experiences — such as prescription management apps, digital health portals, and eCommerce platforms. Ontrac Solutions specializes in this space, combining design expertise with deep healthcare and retail domain knowledge.
How is Ontrac Solutions different from a traditional staff augmentation firm?
Unlike firms that focus solely on sourcing talent, Ontrac Solutions acts as a strategic design partner. We identify research and design gaps before they become roadblocks, provide teams that balance creativity with business rigor, and integrate designers into product development cycles so that insights flow directly into execution.
What results can a retail pharmacy expect from UX research staffing?
Companies that partner with Ontrac Solutions for UX research and product design staffing typically see accelerated research initiatives, sharper product roadmaps with clearer feature prioritization, and higher customer adoption and satisfaction with digital health products.
Does Ontrac Solutions have experience in healthcare digital transformation?
Yes. Ontrac has delivered end-to-end eCommerce platforms and guided digital transformations across retail, healthcare, and financial services. Our team has direct experience with customer journey mapping, WCAG accessibility compliance, and applying user research to create digital products that meet real-world patient and customer needs.
