From 200 screens to 6 simple steps for cloud payroll
A complete UX transformation of the Apex® HCM Employer OnDemand platform — turning a legacy desktop payroll system into a modern, intuitive web experience for small business owners.
200
Legacy Screens Replaced
6
Streamlined Steps
8
Week Design Sprint
570
Design Hours
Modernizing payroll for the cloud era
Apex® HCM is a national leader in cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR technology. Their Employer OnDemand platform served as a flexible resource for payroll data collection, review, reporting, and printing — but it was reaching obsolescence.
The platform's legacy desktop interface required navigating over 200 screens for basic payroll tasks. Small business owners found the system unintuitive, the employee setup process was time-consuming, and communication with clients was unclear and non-standardized.
Apex engaged Digital Scientists to research, redesign, and prototype a next-generation experience that would give them a competitive advantage in the cloud-based payroll market.
Client
Apex HCM
Industry
HR Technology, Payroll, Financial Services
Services
UX Transformation, Digital Transformation, Research & Innovation, Prototyping
Engagement
8-week design sprint, April–June 2018
Method
Capabilities
A legacy system drowning in complexity
The Employer OnDemand platform had grown organically over years, accumulating screens, tabs, and form fields without a cohesive design vision. Small business owners — Apex's core users — faced a steep learning curve and lacked confidence in processing payroll through what felt like an outdated desktop application.
Time-Consuming Setup
Employee and company configuration required navigating dozens of fragmented screens with repetitive data entry across disconnected tabs.
Unclear Communication
Client support and communication lacked standardization, making it difficult for service reps and customers to stay aligned on payroll status.
Security Apprehension
Small business owners had reservations about processing sensitive payroll data through what appeared to be an aging desktop application rather than a modern, secure cloud platform.
200+ screens of complexity
Legacy dashboard with alerts, calendar, and dense navigation
Company setup required navigating dozens of form fields across multiple tabs
What SBOs told us in interviews
We conducted in-depth interviews with four external SBOs and three internal stakeholders to understand the real pain points. Their words shaped every design decision.
“We are not seeing that employees can complete the process from start to finish in one try. They always require some sort of clarification. 1 out of 5 people normally can complete the process without errors. It takes almost 100 clicks to complete the process.”
SBO Interview — Employee Setup
“I see the future as a place where clients can onboard themselves.”
SBO Interview — Customer Setup
“Make terminology consistent across the program — Employer OnDemand.”
SBO Interview — Communication
“It would be nice to be able to login as client (or client employee) to see what they are seeing. Today we need the client user/pass to do this.”
SBO Interview — Client Support
Research-driven design from kickoff to prototype
A discovery workshop was critical in building a solid foundation, getting everyone aligned, and helping to define the scope. We established a shared vision before putting pen to paper.
Our iterative design process moved from research through visual design, with regular reviews at every stage:
Competitive & Comparative Research
Analyzed leading payroll platforms including ADP, Paychex, and Thomson Reuters to identify best practices and competitive gaps.
Destination Workshop
Facilitated collaborative sessions with stakeholders to define the product vision and establish success criteria.
Story Mapping & Workflow Definition
Mapped user journeys across four primary workflows to identify pain points and simplification opportunities.
Wireframes & Clickable Prototype
Built high-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes through iterative design reviews with the Apex team.
Untangling complicated workflows
We mapped the entire existing platform to understand how 200+ screens connected, then restructured the information architecture into four clean, focused workflows: company configuration, employee configuration, dashboards, and payroll processing.
Before — Legacy Navigation Map
After — Proposed Navigation
Final IA diagram mapping the restructured platform navigation and module relationships
Before & after: a modern command center
Every major workflow was reimagined from the ground up. The cluttered, tab-heavy legacy interface gave way to a clean, card-based dashboard with at-a-glance metrics and a unified communication center.
Before — Legacy Dashboard
After — Redesigned Dashboard
Four workflows, completely reimagined
Our prototype covered four primary workflows — company configuration, employee configuration, dashboards, and payroll processing — each redesigned to minimize clicks, reduce cognitive load, and provide clear visual hierarchy.
Company Configuration
The legacy company setup form crammed dozens of fields into a single dense screen with tiny labels and confusing tab navigation. Our redesign introduced a step-by-step wizard with clear section tabs — Company Info, Payroll Setup, Taxes, Earnings & Deductions, Billing, General Ledger, and Market Place.
Each section uses progressive disclosure to show only what's relevant, with optional fields clearly labeled so users can skip what doesn't apply.
Company Setup — Process Flow
Employee Configuration
Adding a new employee previously meant navigating a maze of sub-tabs within sub-tabs. The redesigned employee profile consolidates General Info, Employment, Deductions, Accruals, Taxes, Bank, and Documents into a clean left-nav layout with employee photo and summary visible at all times.
The employee dashboard surfaces key metrics at a glance — hours this pay period, PTO earned, weekly schedule — giving managers immediate visibility without drilling into reports.
Payroll — Process Flow
Payroll Processing
The core payroll workflow — the task SBOs performed most frequently — was reduced from a labyrinth of screens to a three-step process: Enter Payroll, Pre-Process review, and Finalize. A progress indicator keeps users oriented throughout.
The clean data table shows all employees with pay frequency, hours, overtime, PTO, bonuses, and commissions in a scannable format. Import, Save & Exit, and Next actions are always visible so users never lose their place.
Unified Dashboard
The new dashboard serves as a true command center for payroll operations. At-a-glance cards show Gross Payrolls trends, Quick Payroll completion status, Customer Details, and current employee count with recent activity.
A unified Communication Center consolidates system notifications, tax reminders, and team messages into a single stream — replacing the scattered alert system of the legacy platform. The weekly Calendar provides payroll deadline visibility.
Every screen, thoughtfully redesigned
Side-by-side comparisons show the transformation from dense, cluttered legacy screens to clean, modern interfaces that guide users through their tasks.
Before — Employee List
After — Employee Dashboard
Before — Payroll Entry
After — Payroll Center
Testing with real SBOs before engineering
We recommended moderated usability sessions with 5–8 SBOs to validate the redesigned workflows before handing off to engineering. Each 60–90 minute session guided users through the clickable prototype while recording their actions and reactions.
After testing, we compiled a synthesis report with key findings and actionable recommendations — providing critical insights that also helped marketing efforts to promote the new platform.
Testing early mitigates risk and allows for faster iteration.
Moderated concept validation session with SBO walking through the clickable prototype
A competitive edge in cloud payroll
Through our design transformation, the Employer OnDemand platform was streamlined from a 200-screen process down to just six simple steps. The redesigned information architecture made navigation intuitive, eliminated repetitive processes, and gave small business owners confidence in processing payroll through a modern, secure platform.
Apex gained a progressive and competitive advantage in the cloud-based payroll market with a product blueprint ready for engineering implementation — complete with development solution architecture, product roadmap, feature estimation, final visual design, and a comprehensive style guide.
97% Screen Reduction
Reduced the complete payroll workflow from 200+ screens to 6 streamlined steps.
Modern, Trustworthy Interface
Replaced legacy desktop chrome with a clean cloud-native design that builds SBO confidence.
Product Blueprint Delivered
Complete development-ready package with solution architecture, roadmap, feature estimates, and style guide.
Unified Communication
Consolidated notifications, messages, and alerts into a single Communication Center for clear client-service rep interaction.
End-to-end design transformation
Competitive Research
Landscape analysis of leading payroll and HR platforms including ADP, Paychex, Thomson Reuters, and more.
Wireframes & IA
Complete information architecture restructuring and high-fidelity wireframes for all four primary workflows.
Clickable Prototype
Interactive prototype demonstrating the complete user experience across company setup, employee management, payroll, and dashboards.
Product Blueprint
Development-ready package including solution architecture, product roadmap, feature estimation, visual design, and style guide.
Ready to transform your legacy platform?
Let's talk about how Digital Scientists can modernize your product experience through research-driven design.