One of the most challenging parts of improving an approval experience is compliance. Whether it’s an external regulation for your industry or a self-imposed restriction, these requirements are typically the reason complexity exists. Complexity is the enemy of a great experience; so how do we improve if we are required to capture the details of each approval?
Let’s say that a request to approve a food product for sale requires four pages of details. This report shows the packaging and testing details of the particular product which is being reviewed. This approval is required prior to sale and deviating from the standard submission process could mean a lack of compliance and lost revenue.
It might seem impossible to improve this experience, but there are many things we can do as process engineers and system designers. One tip to improve approval experience is to explain what is required and why. This simple step will help new participants understand why these are required (and canNOT deviate), and also remind experienced veterans why we’re stepping through hoops for compliance approval.
Transparency plays a large part in improving an approval experience, particularly for the person submitting for approval. Sending records into a black-box without knowing when they will come out, or what is happening can cause frustration. Make sure that requesters know both how long an approval will take and the current status. This simple step may eliminate unnecessary communications about the flow.
For approvers, giving the necessary information to approve with confidence is just the start. Giving approvers the option of approving on a mobile device is a great way to decrease pending approval wait times and encourage timely discussion of the request between colleagues.
These are the safest ways to improve an experience without getting into more specific details of your team, system and culture. If you want to read more about improving the experience, check out Approval Essentials an in-depth article with many more experience points explored. If you’re a leader, process engineer, designer, or application developer you have no doubt dealt with approvals. We would love to hear your stories, tips and challenges. Please ask Wally@KineticData.com a question. Finally, to read more about the technology we use to solve these challenges check out The Kinetic Platform.
Cassy Lueneburg