Fanatics

Overview

New Card Factory (NCF) is Topps' digital transformation: moving from a waterfall of spreadsheets to an integrated enterprise platform. Before NCF, editorial wrote text in Word docs that were manually copy-pasted into InDesign, product managers calculated pack odds in offline Excel files, and inventory for expensive autographs was tracked in Airtable—disconnected from product definitions.

I led the UX strategy and design architecture for the entire ecosystem, creating a unified system where product logic, assets, and inventory are linked by a single data thread.

Problem

Before NCF, Topps' production was a "waterfall of spreadsheets":

Fragmented Tools and Processes

• Editorial wrote text in Word docs that were manually copy-pasted into InDesign
• Product Managers calculated pack odds ("Alchemy") in offline Excel files that often broke
• Inventory for expensive autographs and relics was tracked in Airtable, disconnected from product definitions, leading to "double-booking" athletes and missed street dates

Poor Performance Metrics

• Hitting only ~30% of street dates on time
• Product cycle time of 12-18 months was too slow for new licenses
• QA failure rates around ~20% due to manual handoffs
• No way to scale beyond current 1B cards/year capacity

Business Pressure The business goal was "10x the Hobby"—scaling to handle new massive licenses (WWE, Marvel, F1) which the old manual methods physically could not support.

Goals

The transformation required moving the organization from "Document-Based" to "Data-Based":

• Increase on-time street dates from ~30% to 90%
• Reduce product cycle time from 12-18 months to 6 months
• Scale production capacity from 1B to 4B cards per year
• Reduce QA failure rates from ~20% to <5%
• Create single source of truth for product data
• Eliminate manual handoffs and data loss between departments
• Enable the business to onboard complex new licenses without linearly scaling headcount

Process

Vision: An Organizational Nervous System We moved the organization from "Document-Based" to "Data-Based." Instead of passing files, teams would interact with a live database. The strategy was built on three architectural pillars:

1. Product Builder (The Brain): A central logic engine where the Product Definition (PD), Subject List (SL), and Bill of Materials (BOM) live dynamically
2. Workfront (The Pulse): The workflow engine that triggers tasks and approvals based on milestones, ensuring no step is skipped
3. Autos & Relics (The Nerves): A sensor network connecting physical inventory (Oracle) to digital product plans, alerting PMs immediately if a requested relic was out of stock

The PIVOT Framework To manage complexity, I introduced the PIVOT governance framework within the UI. The interface explicitly visualizes the state of data:

• Draft: Flexible, sandbox mode for PMs
• Locked: The "Handshake" state where changes trigger a Product Change Request (PCR)
• Released: Read-only data sent to Manufacturing

This governance model prevents the chaos of uncontrolled changes while maintaining necessary flexibility.

Phased "Strangler Fig" Rollout We couldn't shut down the factory to build the software. We adopted a phased strategy:

• Wave 1 (The Brain): Launched Product Builder first for simple Baseball products to establish the data schema
• Wave 2 (The Pulse): Migrated scheduling from Airtable to Workfront
• Wave 3 (The Nerves): Connected Autos & Relics inventory logic to Product Builder
• Wave 4 (The Hands): PPE/Proofing integration with Frame.io

Technical Stack We utilized Adobe Fusion as the "glue" layer, synchronizing data between the custom React/Elixir frontend (Product Builder) and enterprise monoliths (Oracle, Workfront, AEM). This allowed us to build a modern UX without rewriting the entire backend ERP immediately.

Solution

Core User Flow: The Happy Path The "Happy Path" for a Product Manager in NCF follows the data lifecycle:

1. Define Structure (PB): The PM creates the "Product Description" (PD) and "Subject List" (SL) in Product Builder. They import 500 players from the Subject Manager and tag them for "Autos" or "Relics"
2. Validate Logic (Alchemy): The PM uses the Alchemy visualizer to balance insert rates (e.g., ensuring a 1:24 pack drop rate matches the physical case configuration)
3. Assess Feasibility (A&R): The system automatically triggers an Assessment Task. The A&R team receives a signal, checks Oracle inventory, and reserves specific jerseys/bats. If stock is low, the PM gets a red alert in PB immediately
4. Execute (PPE): Once locked, data flows to Pre-Press. Editorial writes back-text in the tool, and assets are routed through Frame.io for proofing

"Heartbeat" Navigation We organized the massive tool suite (15+ modules) into a sidebar reflecting the production chronology rather than department silos:

• Plan (Upstream): Program Planning, Financials
• Define (Midstream): Product Builder, Subject Manager
• Execute (Downstream): PPE, A&R, Manufacturing

This forced cross-functional empathy; a Designer had to enter the "Product Builder" (PM territory) to see the Subject List, breaking down the silo walls.

Visualizing "Alchemy" One of the hardest UX challenges was the Alchemy module. Previously a massive grid of Excel formulas, we turned it into a visual matrix:

• The Grid: A visual representation of a "Case" of cards
• Heatmap Logic: Users can see "hot spots" where expensive inserts clash, preventing physical packing errors before they happen

The Alchemy logic had to match physical sheet sizes and packaging hoppers perfectly, or the manufacturing line would jam. The visual interface made this physical constraint comprehensible.

FC Tech Design System Created a comprehensive design system standardizing tokens for typography, spacing, and status colors across all 15 modules, drastically reducing dev handover time and ensuring consistency across the entire ecosystem.

Result

NCF transformed Topps from a heritage print shop into a tech-enabled manufacturer:

Strategic Impact

• Enabled the business to onboard complex new licenses (e.g., Global Football, WWE, Marvel) without linearly scaling headcount
• Platform roadmap targets reduction in product cycle time from 12-18 months to 6 months
• Targets increase in on-time street dates from ~30% to 90%
• Targets reduction in QA failure rates from ~20% to <5%

Cultural Transformation

• Shifted the "blame culture" (e.g., "Editorial didn't send the file") to systemic transparency
• Everyone can see exactly where a project is stuck via the Dashboard
• Established Product Builder as the single source of truth, creating live sync between Creative (Adobe AEM), Workflow (Workfront), and Inventory (Oracle)

Design Velocity

• Created the FC Tech Design System, standardizing all UI elements across 15 modules
• Drastically reduced development handover time through consistent patterns and documented components
• Enabled cross-functional teams to work in the same system rather than passing files between tools

The platform provides the foundation for Topps to scale from 1B to 4B cards per year—a true 10x transformation enabled by moving from documents to data.