By Rob Steadman, Digital Solutions
During work on an expenses process, staff were struggling to read receipts and enter the details. We changed the journey so they could take a photograph and the app would read the receipt and fill in the expense information for them.
The useful change was in the everyday action. Staff could begin with the receipt in front of them, using the phone to capture it, instead of having to type every detail from scratch.
Keeping a check before submission
Staff could check the information and correct it before submitting. That review matters: reading a receipt automatically does not remove the need to make sure the expense is right.
We kept the person involved in confirming what was being sent. The app helped prepare the record, while the user retained a chance to put mistakes right.
Making office approval straightforward
The submitted expense then appeared in the admin panel. Office staff could review it and click to approve. That connected the staff member’s task to the office’s approval task within the system.
It is a useful example of why I look at the whole flow. Improving capture at one end should make the next person’s work clearer too. A receipt photograph on its own would not explain who needed to check the details or how an expense became approved.
This change also came from looking at how people used the system. We involve staff who are less confident with technology and work towards controls that feel natural and take as little time as possible.
Our software development and mobile app development services can include connected staff and office workflows. Bring an example of your current expenses process to a consultation, including who enters the details and who checks them.