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[Case 06]

Designing a document drawer and intake workflow that centralizes monthly claims files and automates Vista reporting.

B2B SaaS · Health Benefits · Analytics

Vista Document Drawer: Operationalizing Claims Reporting

Designing a document intake and tracking experience that standardizes monthly submissions and unlocks automated Vista dashboards.

[Project Overview]

Design a document drawer and intake workflow for Vista that centralizes all monthly claims submissions and prepares data for automated dashboards. Mployer Vista is a claims reporting and budget tracking platform for brokers and employers, analyzing medical and pharmacy claims, high claimants, and plan performance. Until now, the data behind these dashboards depended on manual Excel and PowerQuery processes, scattered files, and ad hoc email follow-ups. My role was to translate a detailed PRD into a coherent end-to-end experience that supports clients and internal teams with clear statuses, consistent file requirements, and a foundation for automated pipelines.

[Problem Statement]

Vista dashboards promise automated, reliable claims reporting, but the underlying inputs were fragmented across spreadsheets, email attachments, and one-off file structures. Internal teams spent significant time chasing clients for missing documents, reconciling file types, and manually transforming data. Clients had no clear sense of what was required each month or whether they were actually done. This created delays, inconsistent reporting, and limited Mployer’s ability to scale Vista to more clients and plan types.

[Opportunities]

Centralize all monthly documents in a single drawer per client, with clear status and history. Standardize file types across Standard and Non-Standard reports while still allowing client-specific templates. Automate reminders and notifications so internal teams do less manual chasing. Provide one-click access to branded HTML dashboards and exports in PDF, CSV, and Excel for internal review and client delivery. Replace manual Excel workflows with structured intake that prepares data for automated pipelines.

[Industry]

B2B SaaS · Health Benefits · Analytics

[My Role]

Senior Product Designer

[Platforms]

Web · Desktop

[Timeline]

Nov–Dec 2025 · Discovery to design handoff

[Project Type]

MVP

[Status]

Shipped

[Persona]

man in blue button up shirt
Eric Thompson

Employee Benefits Account Manager

41

Columbus, OH

Comfortable with spreadsheets and dashboards

Male

[Goal]

Know exactly which files are required, what has been received, and what is still missing for each client.

Reduce the amount of time spent chasing clients and reconciling file types every month.

Deliver accurate, branded reports and dashboards on time without manually stitching together data.

[Frustrations]

No single source of truth for which documents have been uploaded or approved each month.

Manual email reminders and ad hoc spreadsheets that make it easy to miss a file or use the wrong version.

Complex Excel workflows that are fragile, hard to scale, and difficult to explain to new team members.

[Process]

Understanding Vista Workflows

Reviewed existing claims reporting process, including Excel and PowerQuery flows, to understand data requirements and constraints.

Interviewed internal stakeholders, and external users, to map how files currently move from client inboxes into dashboards.

Analyzed client onboarding artifacts and file examples to understand variation in file types, naming, and schedules across employers.

Understanding Vista Workflows

Reviewed existing claims reporting process, including Excel and PowerQuery flows, to understand data requirements and constraints.

Interviewed internal stakeholders, and external users, to map how files currently move from client inboxes into dashboards.

Analyzed client onboarding artifacts and file examples to understand variation in file types, naming, and schedules across employers.

Understanding Vista Workflows

Reviewed existing claims reporting process, including Excel and PowerQuery flows, to understand data requirements and constraints.

Interviewed internal stakeholders, and external users, to map how files currently move from client inboxes into dashboards.

Analyzed client onboarding artifacts and file examples to understand variation in file types, naming, and schedules across employers.

Synthesizing Operational Insights

Most delays were caused not by complex analytics but by inconsistent file intake and unclear completion signals for clients and internal teams.

Standard and non-standard file types needed to be clearly distinguished while still supporting per-client customization via templates.

Automation would only be trusted if the UI surfaced transparent statuses, lock states, and clear next steps for both sides.

Synthesizing Operational Insights

Most delays were caused not by complex analytics but by inconsistent file intake and unclear completion signals for clients and internal teams.

Standard and non-standard file types needed to be clearly distinguished while still supporting per-client customization via templates.

Automation would only be trusted if the UI surfaced transparent statuses, lock states, and clear next steps for both sides.

Synthesizing Operational Insights

Most delays were caused not by complex analytics but by inconsistent file intake and unclear completion signals for clients and internal teams.

Standard and non-standard file types needed to be clearly distinguished while still supporting per-client customization via templates.

Automation would only be trusted if the UI surfaced transparent statuses, lock states, and clear next steps for both sides.

Designing the Drawer and Dashboards

Defined a drawer-based pattern that anchors monthly activity around a single view of required files, statuses, and actions.

Designed an intake flow with employer selection, initial questionnaire, and upload confirmation, ensuring that every file is assigned to a category before submission.

Created management views for internal users with per-client status overviews, document history, and quick access to exports and HTML dashboards.

Designing the Drawer and Dashboards

Defined a drawer-based pattern that anchors monthly activity around a single view of required files, statuses, and actions.

Designed an intake flow with employer selection, initial questionnaire, and upload confirmation, ensuring that every file is assigned to a category before submission.

Created management views for internal users with per-client status overviews, document history, and quick access to exports and HTML dashboards.

Designing the Drawer and Dashboards

Defined a drawer-based pattern that anchors monthly activity around a single view of required files, statuses, and actions.

Designed an intake flow with employer selection, initial questionnaire, and upload confirmation, ensuring that every file is assigned to a category before submission.

Created management views for internal users with per-client status overviews, document history, and quick access to exports and HTML dashboards.

[Outcome]

Defined a scalable document drawer pattern that centralizes monthly submissions and links directly to Vista dashboards.
Standardized file requirements and templates so internal teams spend less time reconciling inputs and more time advising clients.
Created clear status, lock, and notification logic that sets the foundation for automated pipelines to replace manual Excel processes.

[Key Learning]

Operations Are the UX

For data products like Vista, the real experience starts long before a user opens a dashboard; the intake and operational workflows must be designed with equal care.

Operations Are the UX

For data products like Vista, the real experience starts long before a user opens a dashboard; the intake and operational workflows must be designed with equal care.

Operations Are the UX

For data products like Vista, the real experience starts long before a user opens a dashboard; the intake and operational workflows must be designed with equal care.

Standardization With Flexibility

Standard and non-standard file types need clear visual treatment and templates, but the system still has to flex to client-specific reality.

Standardization With Flexibility

Standard and non-standard file types need clear visual treatment and templates, but the system still has to flex to client-specific reality.

Standardization With Flexibility

Standard and non-standard file types need clear visual treatment and templates, but the system still has to flex to client-specific reality.

Automation Needs Transparency

Lock states, status labels, and notifications are critical to building trust in automation; users need to see what the system is doing and why.

Automation Needs Transparency

Lock states, status labels, and notifications are critical to building trust in automation; users need to see what the system is doing and why.

Automation Needs Transparency

Lock states, status labels, and notifications are critical to building trust in automation; users need to see what the system is doing and why.

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