Case Study — 02

Streamlining Operational Workflows and Payroll Validation for Nephrologists

Baxter International Inc.

Healthcare B2C

6 months

Experience / Visual Designer

2 Designers, PM, BA, Stakeholders, Devs

Overview

From Cumbersome Excel Sheets to a Streamlined Digital Portal

Baxter International Inc. is an American multinational healthcare company focused on products to treat chronic and acute medical conditions. Their nephrologists and administrative staff were managing payroll validation through a cumbersome Excel-based system — leading to manual errors, lengthy search times, and reduced productivity.

The goal was to design a digital portal that streamlined payroll validation workflows, reduced manual effort, and allowed nephrologists to focus on what matters most: patient care.

Baxter digital portal — multi-screen dashboard overview
The Challenge

Legacy Excel Workflows Were Slowing Critical Operations

The Excel Reality

The existing system relied entirely on spreadsheets for payroll validation.

  • Many files to review — navigating sheets was complex and time-consuming
  • Difficulty locating important information led to lengthy searches
  • Limited pathways with cluttered interfaces and suboptimal information architecture
  • Manual errors introduced risk into monthly nephrologist settlements
  • Strong resistance to change from users accustomed to the familiar system

The Digital Vision

A centralized portal that matched how nephrologists actually work.

  • Single source of truth for all payroll validation data
  • Clear, structured layout that reduced cognitive load
  • Automated validation to eliminate manual errors
  • Aligned with existing workflows to minimize disruption
  • Data accuracy and security built into the foundation
Legacy CRM — old Excel-based data entry interface
Legacy system — period consolidation view
Legacy system — discount calculation interface

The legacy Excel-based CRM screens that nephrologists navigated daily

User Research

Understanding the Needs of Nephrologists & Administrative Staff

Nephrologists needed a faster, more transparent way to review and approve payroll without getting bogged down in administrative tasks. Administrative teams required tools that minimized manual errors and improved workflow efficiency.

Research Methods
  • Card Sorting — to understand how users mentally organize payroll data
  • Ideation & Sketching — to rapidly explore potential design directions
  • Prototyping — to validate flows before committing to high-fidelity design
"When I am a nephrologist managing payroll, I want to efficiently validate payroll data without excessive manual effort, so I can ensure accuracy and focus on more critical tasks."
Dayan leading a user research and ideation session with Baxter stakeholders
Early ideation sketch — mapping user pain points and system concepts
The Approach

Three Research Pillars Drove Every Decision

Problem Framing

Developed a clear understanding of the problems users face, ensuring solutions were well-targeted and effective — not just aesthetically improved versions of the old Excel system.

Identify Pain Points

Discovered existing challenges in the customer journey — from file navigation to data consolidation — and converted them into specific, actionable areas for design improvement.

Gain User Insights

Combined design sprint, design thinking, and lean principles to foster a comprehensive understanding of user needs, values, challenges, and limitations throughout the project.

How do we digitize the Excel spreadsheets?
↓
How do we redesign the workflow so nephrologists never have to think about payroll?
Solution

A Clean, Centralized Portal Built Around Real Workflows

The new Baxter portal replaced the Excel system with a structured, role-based digital interface. A clean sidebar navigation, clear data tables, and automated validation replaced manual lookups and consolidation entirely.

Baxter Indicadores — nephrologist payroll validation dashboard
Baxter — ad-hoc annual report builder interface
Baxter — Distribución de Presupuesto data view
Baxter — Ventas notas performance analytics
Users

Who We Designed For

Primary

Nephrologist

Reviews and approves monthly payroll settlements. Needs a clear, fast way to validate data without being pulled away from patient care responsibilities.

Primary

Administrative Staff

Manages operational workflows, budget distribution, and data entry. Needs tools that minimize manual effort and eliminate the risk of payroll processing errors.

Secondary

Finance Manager

Reviews consolidated reports and analytics. Needs high-level visibility into payroll distribution and structured data export for compliance reporting.

Impact

Transforming Complexity into Clarity

Faster Payroll Validation

Automated consolidation and structured data views eliminated time-consuming manual lookups, reducing validation time significantly for every settlement cycle.

Reduced Administrative Burden

Nephrologists no longer needed to cross-reference multiple Excel files. The portal centralized all data into a single, role-based interface matching their workflow.

Improved Workflow Efficiency

Administrative staff reported significantly improved accuracy and reduced error rates. Rapid design sprint iterations enabled quick validation and continuous refinement.

What I Learned

Key Takeaways

Collaboration is Key

Close coordination with stakeholders at every sprint cycle ensured the solution met all objectives and gained adoption — not just approval — from the teams who'd use it daily.

User-Centered Design Drives Success

Addressing actual pain points — not assumed ones — resulted in significant workflow improvements. Understanding the job before designing the solution made all the difference.

Rapid Iteration Enhances Outcomes

Design sprints enabled quick validation and refinement, preventing costly rework and keeping the team aligned with evolving user needs throughout the six-month engagement.

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