Oracle Expense Tool: Transformative Redesign of Expense Submission, Enhancing User Experience and Efficiency
Opportunity
The expense submission process (with over 100,000 active users from 254 different companies) was outdated, cumbersome, and not user friendly.
Our objective was to streamline the workflow, enabling users to easily get reimbursed while promoting responsible spending and adherence to company policies.
This project involved a comprehensive overhaul of the entire program, including incremental updates to the existing software on a different tech stack than the new rollout, which utilized the still-in-development Redwood design system. Additionally, we collaborated with the chatbot team to ensure seamless integration with chatbot-driven expense submissions. We also redesigned the approver experience and email communications to enhance clarity and efficiency in expense submission status updates.
Team: Starting out as the only designer, I grew the team to five designers, a creative technologist, and dedicated research partner. I lead all parts of the design process from vision to delivery.
Collaborating closely with the policy and compliance department, we developed a system that adheres to strict regulations while automating expense submissions, approvals, and audits. This initiative led to changes in some expense requirements at Oracle, significantly reducing submission time.
Our efforts have garnered positive feedback from both customers and internal users, highlighting the value of both incremental updates and the new-generation product.
Our work was showcased in a keynote at Oracle OpenWorld 2019, generating enthusiasm among leadership, development, and product management teams, and setting a new benchmark for industry standards.
Impact
Research
Our discovery research phase included both qualitative and quantitative methods to ensure a comprehensive understanding of user needs and system requirements. We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 diverse stakeholders, including executives, administrative assistants, managers, high-volume sales representatives, and auditors. These discussions provided valuable insights into user pain points, competitive dynamics, and relevant company and government policies affecting product requirements.
To structure our findings and measure success, we developed a "Jobs to Be Done" framework complemented by specific metrics.
We analyzed telemetry data from 14,797,423 transactions across 369 different customers, which revealed key trends, such as the top expenses submission types. In response, we prioritized designing input screens for these expense types and ensured they were prominently featured at the top of the category selection list.
Additionally, we created low-fidelity prototypes to test critical workflows and design concepts with 10 participants, including submitters, delegates, and approvers. The feedback from these usability tests was instrumental in refining our designs. The video below provides a detailed overview of the screens and scenarios we evaluated during this phase.
We came up with 22 big ideas that we prioritized with internal stakeholders, balancing business goals with direct user feedback.
Design
Aggregated error resolution (manage by exception): designed so that submitters can quickly complete details without having to search for and deep dive into expense items.
On-the-go capture: Touchless and semi-touchless expense capture so submitters can capture, complete and submit their expense at the point of purchase
Implementation
We navigated the challenge of integrating incremental updates into an existing product while simultaneously advancing our strategic vision. Our approach involved creating a detailed plan to ensure that ongoing updates seamlessly aligned with new project goals, providing a cohesive user experience throughout. I collaborated closely with the Product Manager and development team to prioritize features and coordinate rollout schedules, ensuring that each enhancement supported both current needs and future developments.
