Expense management software should empower your team, not frustrate them. The right system should be user-friendly and intuitive to drive product adoption and, therefore, policy compliance, making spend control and visibility much easier.
User adoption is often the bane of any new process or software implementation. Without it, you've only really purchased another piece of software or implemented yet another process. Ensuring smooth user adoption is critical, especially in expense management, where relying on outdated systems or multiple tools can create chaos — resulting in fragmented data, inefficiencies, and a tangled web of communication issues.
People won't use complicated software, so new systems need to be easy to use, fast, and offer real benefits. User-friendly software should work for everyone, with simple navigation that will reduce manual work and improve the quality of your final results.
Fintech software and expense management solutions are "not all created equal". In fact, in a recent report, we found that "Only 35% of CFOs believe their current tech stack meets their needs, with 99% experiencing significant issues in the past year, often data-related. CFOs are looking to invest in technologies that enhance their ability to gather insights, streamline operations, and support global ambitions."
With so much at stake, it's very difficult to find the perfect expense management solution for your needs (both across finance and non-finance teams), and even knowing where to start can seem littered with pitfalls.
To help, we've worked across our product and account teams to put together a list of the top seven features that should be non-negotiable in an expense management tool:
Is there anything more soul-destroying than logging into a piece of software to be met by chaos? All you want to do is check your multi-entity dashboard, but you can't see the wood for the trees. You want to log in and know exactly where to go to get the expense data you need, meaning you need simple language, clear instructions and directions, and a menu with items labelled as you'd expect them to be.
It sounds basic, but sometimes, the software can be all-consuming and may even overlook the basic layout and structure design principles. At Payhawk, we design our software with finance people in mind (while still ensuring it's user-friendly for non-finance stakeholders). You can ask our own finance team members, who are usually among the first adopters and beta testers.
Don't pick a solution with a long, drawn-out onboarding process. It will be tedious for users, so you need a solution with slick onboarding to achieve optimal productivity. The more streamlined the process, the quicker your organisation can implement efficiency-boosting expense management changes.
Look for an expense solution with instant corporate card activation. At Payhawk, for example, we automatically activate the corporate cards as soon as your finance manager (maybe you) or team leader issues them. Your employees can start spending immediately, and you can set the rules you need around spending.
Adding the card to your digital wallet is straightforward, too. You can add it through Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, as you usually do. Alternatively, you can add your card to either digital wallet through the Payhawk app by choosing your card and selecting 'add to Apple wallet' or 'add to G pay'.
How fast is Payhawk's onboarding? Finance Manager at the World Federation of Advertisers, Andrew Mowbray, shares:
What set Payhawk apart was the speed of onboarding. Spendesk told us it would take three to four months to get us up and running, but Payhawk was ready to go immediately."
Users need to access your chosen expense management software from multiple devices and want a consistent experience regardless of their device. Yes, a mobile version might be paired back because of a smaller screen size, but it should stay within the core software elements your users are familiar with.
You want your users to be able to open the mobile app and know exactly where to go to find what they're looking for without switching screens or getting confused.
To streamline your search for expense management software, focus on solutions that offer cross-device accessibility.
If you want every employee to embrace your spend culture and use your spend management platform, you need to make its features easy to use on the go.
With our mobile app, employees can seamlessly submit and cancel fund requests, ensuring they can always access necessary resources without delay. The mobile app also simplifies expense reporting; users just need to scan their receipts and invoices with their cameras, and the software will do its magic. It will extract all the relevant details with the help of OCR technology, categorise the expense, and submit it for approval.
Additionally, we streamline expense document management through capabilities that allow for uploading invoices from the phone's Gallery or Files or directly from emails. This helps you keep your company spend organised, compliant, and visible in real time.
Our G2 rating is an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5, and many of our reviews include statements like:
The whole point of transitioning from manual expense management to automated software is to streamline all of your expense processes and eliminate many admin-heavy and repetitive tasks.
If your expense software lacks automated approvals or AI for receipts and invoices, it’s time to find a better, user-friendly solution.
Expense tools like ours leverage automation to improve expense data accuracy, increase company spending visibility, and give you control over every process.
It will always take some time to adjust to using a new piece of software, and that's why good onboarding support and resources are vital. You should:
One of the standout features of a modern expense management solution is the ability to communicate directly within the platform. At Payhawk, we've introduced a commenting system to help you enhance collaboration across your organisation.
Whether it's an expense, purchase request, or invoice, adding comments directly in the solution ensures you capture all and any context you need. It's also easy to access in the desktop portal or mobile app.This feature not only speeds up the approval process but also fosters a transparent and accountable environment.
One thing's clear: you need an expense solution that works for you and your business.
Without a user-centric approach, features go unused, and productivity and efficiency nose dive. An expense solution should remove barriers to streamlined processes, spend control, and visibility, not add to your problems.
And that’s exactly what we do at Payhawk…
Melina Bale, Head of International Brand Marketing & Communications at Astrid & Miyu, says:
One of the main things we love about switching to Payhawk is the app. It's super efficient. It means that we can just do approvals on the go and I can give the team autonomy... I don't have to sit for two hours at the end of the month doing all my expenses, it's done on the go and it's finished!
Our solution simplifies expense management. It enables digital tracking of business expenses and budget allocation. Our solution helps you identify spending patterns, allowing you to cut costs or reallocate resources with confidence. You can report with accurate data and always stay on top of spend.
With Payhawk, you not only have the power to control spend tightly while empowering your employees to a spend culture with accountability, but you're implementing an easy-to-use expense management solution that is easy to understand and accessible for every member of your team, whether they're office-based or travelling the country.
Ready to see just how user-friendly the Payhawk portal is? Schedule a free demo, and our team will walk you through how easily our software will slot into your existing tech stack (and you'll wonder how you coped without it).
Tsvety is the creative force behind Payhawk's product marketing initiatives. She's dedicated to shaping our brand's image, refining messaging, and orchestrating our go-to-market strategy. Beyond her strategic role, she unwinds with a love for exquisite food, finds solace in yoga, and explores the world, fueled by a passion for live music experiences.
Whether you have tens, hundreds, or thousands of employees, we’re making your business spend work for you, giving you control over spending at scale with a single solution. Say goodbye to tedious finance tasks, schedule a demo with us today.
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