AppZen Expense
Auditing expenses instantly
Task
To improve usability of the core AI product
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Strategy
UX Strategy
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Design
UX/UI Design Lead
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Client
AppZen
In compliance with my confidentiality agreement, some information has been omitted and the design modified.
AppZen Expense is a B2B Travel & Expense fraud detection product. Instantly auditing expenses, it highlights duplicate and unauthorized expenses such as upgrades, spa, movies, and entertainment.
In enterprise companies, travel and expense teams manually verify expense reports and reimburse employees. Thousands of reports are submitted every week, and teams usually get to check 10-20% of them. Like finding a needle in a haystack, it’s hard to find any discrepancies amongst so much data.
Companies lose millions of dollars each year to human error or fraud. AppZen Expense mitigates losses efficiently, saving our clients both time and money.
Complete audit in real-time
Catch fraud
Reduce Spending
Seamless Travel & Expense Approval Process

High risk expense lines and message displays on top
It presents high risk expense line and risk message on top; therefore, users can verify receipts required attention quickly.
Previously, user needed to scroll down to find the high risk expense line to review expense report.
Display duplicate receipts side-by-side
It detects duplicate expense by varies logic in the AI model. It compares receipt images and verify if the same receipts could have been submitted in different formats, such as printed receipt against email online layout. With the side-by-side view, users can confirm and varified if it’s duplicate.


Display duplicate receipts side-by-side
It detects duplicate expense by varies logic in the AI model. It compares receipt images and verify if the same receipts could have been submitted in different formats, such as printed receipt against email online layout. With the side-by-side view, users can confirm and varified if it’s duplicate.

Simplified AI Detection Info
It only presents relevant and simple information so users can easily make a decision to approve or reject the expense.
The Challenge
This product had major usability problems as initially there was no designer and front-end team to focus on user experience. When I joined the team I was presented with a series of challenges to overcome.
- The approval report experience was not user friendly. There were many unnecessary interactions in the flow, losing users during the process.
- The AI detection message was unappealing with a robotic tone.
- The product displayed irrelevant information from AI models, confusing users.
- On average, there are 10 expense receipts per report. Sometimes these generated up to 100 lines per report based on user habit.
- Default expense rejection messages to employees were robotic.
- Difficult to verify and see duplicate receipts when detected.
- Design to support rapidly growing AppZen AI Audit Models.
- AI feedback was confusing and not relevant.
- Previously written in spaghetti code by outsource developers.


Validation
User Interview
Partnering with Customer Success Team, I conducted user interviews and observed user behaviors with customers. It helped to understand and validate user pain points that CS team has collected.
Low Fidelity Prototype & Refine User Flow
Brainstorming with PM, I created wireframes, refined user flow, and tested internally with low fidelity prototypes. I brought in engineers at the early stage for their input as well.
High-Fidelity Prototype & User Testing
With high fidelity prototypes, I had user interview and user testing with some customers for their feedback. It helped to iterate the design quickly. It also strengthened relationships with customers that they feel empowered and evolved the product together.
Finalize Interface and Experience
Collaborating with engineers and data scientists, I iterated the designs a few more rounds based on user inputs and technology constraints with the tight deadlines.




The Solution
Working with a team of brilliant minds, we were able to successfully find solutions to make AppZen Expense the success it is today.
- Redesign the whole Expense Audit Interface
- Review high-risk expense lines in long reports quickly.
- Default filter high-risk expense receipts.
- Reduce the number of clicks, scrolling, open and close overlay within the interface.
- Expense rejection response message template.
- Improve AI risk messages and information, enabling users to understand why expenses are flagged.
- Provide AI feedback without disrupting the user flow.





The Outcome
With the successful execution of the solutions with only UX/UI changes, we saw some truly incredible results. We continue improving the program, making sure it meets user needs.
70%
reduction of complaints from Red Accounts
2x
faster to review reports
2x
faster to receive reimbursements
24 hours
or less to receive reimbursement in a global enterprise company
<2 months
from research, design, ideate, user interview, develop, and test to launch
Love the updates! It's so much easier to approve reports flagged high risk now!
Great job.
SAP Expense Guru
Melinta Therapeutics
You have no idea how much you are making our life easier right now.
T&E Manager
Zappos
The new UI is AWESOME!
Sr. Director
IMG
We’ve reduced our global reimbursement time to less than a day.
Senior Director, Global Accounts Payable
High Technology
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