D–01
Reversible Batch Actions
Users hesitated before batch association because they believed Associate All would immediately commit transactions. A review state with an explicit confirmation step eliminated this hesitation.
Financial Services • Enterprise Workflow Transformation
From Manual Chaos To Operational Clarity.
Redesigning a fragmented pension withdrawal process into a unified operational platform.
Operations teams relied on disconnected systems, spreadsheets and manual approvals to process pension withdrawals—creating delays, compliance risk, and duplicated effort.
Role
UX Manager & Lead Designer
Duration
9 months
Users
Operations & Approval Teams
Outcome
66%Faster Processing
01
Problem Framing
The brief said "fix the form."
The real problem was three systems that didn't talk to each other.
The process required navigating multiple disconnected environments, leading to high operational friction, repeated verification and avoidable delays. The objective became creating a single source of truth across the workflow.
The Context
3
Connected Systems
8+
Manual Spreadsheets
4
Operational Roles
3+
Days Processing Cycle
Why the Workflow Kept Breaking
Customer Request
XTAC
SMARTCOMM
AML
Excel
PDF
Approval
Processing Delay
Multiple manual handoffs increased turnaround time.
Compliance Risk
Information was repeatedly verified across disconnected systems.
Data Quality
Duplicate manual entry frequently introduced inconsistencies.
💡
Key Insight
The problem wasn't the withdrawal form.
The withdrawal form only exposed a deeper operational issue. Three disconnected systems, manual handoffs, duplicated verification and fragmented ownership created unnecessary delays and compliance risk. The engagement evolved from a UI redesign into an enterprise workflow transformation initiative.
02
Discovery Insights
To understand operational bottlenecks, I combined stakeholder interviews, workflow shadowing and process audits to uncover friction throughout the pension withdrawal lifecycle.
14
Stakeholder Interviews
120+
Process Steps Audited
6
Shadowing Sessions
2
Primary Roles
03
Design Strategy
Unify Operations
Consolidated multiple disconnected tools into a single operational workspace.
Key Decisions
- Unified operational portal
- Single operational workspace
- Shared workflow visibility
Impact: 3 systems consolidated into a single workflow.
Reduce Manual Effort
Eliminated repetitive data entry and spreadsheet dependency through automation.
Key Decisions
- Auto-population of customer data
- Inline validation
- Structured workflow inputs
Impact: 66% reduction in processing time.
Strengthen Governance
Introduced accountability, auditability and approval controls.
Key Decisions
- Maker-Checker workflow
- Activity history & Audit trail
- Role-based permissions
Impact: Audit-ready approval workflow.
04
Operating Model Transformation
As–Is Workflow
Fragmented systems, manual handoffs, duplicated effort, and compliance exposure.
Customer Request
XTAC
AML Tool
Excel Validation
SMARTCOMM
3 Disconnected Systems
Siloed Data
No Audit Trail
Compliance Risk
To–Be Workflow
Unified operational workflow with embedded governance and automation.
Unified OPS Portal
Auto Validation
Maker Review
Checker Review
Operational Workspace
Zero Redundancy
End-to-End Governance
End-to-End Logs
05
Solution Walkthrough
Operational Status Model
Draft
Request created
Pending Review
Awaiting review
Under Review
Actively being reviewed
Ready for Payment
Approved & awaiting payment
MAKER WORKSPACE
Associate Transactions
Search
Associate
Payment details
| Member | Tx ID | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0001231221 | TFC-001 | Leaver | £67,900 |
| 0001231221 | TFC-002 | Leaver | £12,400 |
1
Decision 01 – Auto-populated customer data
System removes one-by-one entry. Maya selects all relevant transactions and groups them under one operational workflow.
CHECKER WORKSPACE
Approval Queue
Pending
12
SLA
2 hrs
Priority
High
Pension Withdrawal Request
Member ID • 0001231221
Withdrawal TypeFull Withdrawal
Amount£67,900
ValidationPassed ✓
2
Decision 02 – Guided maker–checker approval
Reviewers receive contextual information, automated validation and clear approval actions in a single workspace, reducing manual verification and improving governance.
06
VALIDATION
Testing didn't validate the interface.It shaped the product.
Refining critical workflows and governance frameworks required more than surface-level feedback. We conducted multiple usability sessions with compliance officers and data architects to validate behaviour, uncover friction, and strengthen confidence before implementation.
14
Participants
3
Testing Rounds
11
Design Improvements
0
Critical Errors
D–02
Pre-populated Data
AML verification previously required reviewers to leave the workflow. Compliance status and validation results were surfaced directly inside the experience, removing unnecessary context switching.
D–03
Immutable Audit Documents
Editable PDFs reduced confidence during regulatory reviews. Final outputs were replaced with server-generated, digitally signed, immutable PDF documents suitable for audit trails.
07
BUSINESS IMPACT
66%
Reduction in Processing Time
100%
Audit-ready Output
1
Unified Operational Portal
3
Legacy Systems
Unified into a single workflow
Maker–Checker
Governance embedded across every approval stage.
“The new workflow eliminated unnecessary manual work and gave our teams a single, reliable process for reviewing and approving pension withdrawals.”
— Operations Lead
08
REFLECTION
What Worked
Early stakeholder involvement ensured business, compliance and operational requirements were aligned before design exploration began.
Biggest Challenge
Balancing operational efficiency with governance controls without increasing interface complexity for everyday users.
Key Takeaway
Enterprise UX succeeds when workflow design, governance and business strategy evolve together—not just the interface.
Next Case Study
Influencer Hub
Discover how a fragmented influencer management process was transformed into a scalable platform for campaign planning, collaboration and performance tracking.
View Case Study