a UX-focused feature add
Enabling enterprise accountants to track millions in cash flow
Overview
I saved us years of data architecture issues and our users hundreds of hours of labor.
When asked to expand the functionality of an internal team's accounting platform, we thought it would be as simple as adding columns to a table, but discovery uncovered missing requirements that would have created data architecture that was not scalable.
By digging into the business process and bringing all of the stakeholders to the table, I was able to design a solution that scaled across the entire business, eliminated hundreds of hours of manual process, and created visibility for millions of dollars moving through the system on a daily basis.
The Prescribed Solution
The existing solution was a quick fix that saved the business millions in delinquent payments. Now we wanted to expand it to manage monthly payments, automating the process for hundreds of transactions per day.
Prescribed Solution
Add a couple of columns to the data tables to enable us to import and manage other types of transactions.
Research Found
In mapping out the user processes for these new transactions, I realized that our product discovery had left a lot of stones unturned - some of which would cause us major problems as the platform grew and evolved.
We weren't accounting for the whole process.
We were missing a lot of data on the upstream and downstream workflows, and we were building to accommodate the data, not the users.
Users weren't on board with the future state.
Our vision for the platform didn't match the users' or their current needs. We needed better alignment before we built anything else.
Our solution wasn't going to scale.
We had boxed ourselves in on the navigation. When it came time to add other transaction types to the system, we would find ourselves here again.
Clearing Obstacles for the User
Our users are matching dozens of transactions per day. When I mapped out the process for each transaction, it was easy to see where time was being wasted.
From giving users whiplash
Much of the most important information was on the right side of the screen, or buried alongside text that was similarly formatted — requiring users to search for information in a process they were completing dozens of times per day.
To enabling laser-focus.
By observing how our users interacted with the system, I made significant improvements to workflow with minimal UI changes, bringing the data our users needed into a more conventional "F" pattern while making it more findable.
Designing for the Future State
Our users are matching dozens of transactions per day. When I mapped out the process for each transaction, it was easy to see where time was being wasted.
Overcrowding the global nav.
The current solution uses the global navigation to switch between transaction types. As we add other transaction types or need to create high-level navigation for other tools, the navigation will quickly become crowded and unintuitive.
A more familiar navigation pattern.
By moving the table views to a nav bar, I created more visibility for the users' options and brought the navigation in line with other parts of the platform.
Perpetuating a misused pattern.
The dropdown pattern used to navigate between full-screen versions of the table were being used elsewhere in the system to denote a different kind of data. It needed to be reworked to maintain system-wide consistency.
Simpler and scalable.
By putting all of the transaction types on one page and enabling users to filter via a dropdown, I simplified the data architecture and created more flexibility as transaction types are added.
Results
Retired hours of monthly and daily manual process, eliminated two layers of manual approval, and created a shared portal that enables downstream teams to see when payments have come in without having to pick up the phone or wait for an email response.
Increased Efficiency
Positive User Feedback
Users reported a significant increase to user satisfaction and a 90% reduction in input errors.