↓ Overview
↓ Problem
↓ Insight
↓ Idea
↓ Implement
↓ Impact

Brendan Appe

Ownership Summary
I led the design strategy for Frito-Lay’s multi-year transformation, shaping the product vision, influencing cross-functional priorities, and driving alignment between frontline needs and business goals.

Alongside these strategic efforts, I balanced hands-on execution with design leadership—owning experiences like Snack Score, Smart Swaps, and merchandising workflows, while mentoring teams on features spanning SalesHub, task verification, and small-format ordering.

The Problem: Outdated Tools & Lost Revenue

Frito-Lay’s salesforce of over 25,000 reps services hundreds of thousands of retail locations every week. But the tools supporting them and the storeowners they served were outdated and inconsistent. Legacy handhelds were being sunset, frontline teams had little real-time data, and retailers lacked the confidence to stock the right mix of products.

Stockouts, inefficient routes, and operational blind spots eroded both revenue and trust.

“Some days I’d be rushing between stores, calling dispatch just to figure out where I was supposed to be next. If a shelf was missing something, I’d find out way too late. We need something to help us stay ahead.”
Anonymous Frontline Sales Rep, Frito-Lay

Legacy tools leveraged by frontline sales represenatives were functionally limited and uninuitive.

This was an opportunity to build smarter systems for labor, ordering, and shelf management. These systems were tailored to
challenges faced by frontline workers and storeowners alike.