Design
Rules engines without staff friction
Every clause in an expense handbook does not deserve a hard block. Treating them equally is how automation earns a reputation for cruelty — and how staff invent workarounds that auditors later find.
We teach three postures. Block for clear, high-risk breaches with clean data (duplicate invoices, blocked merchants). Warn for grey zones where context matters (client entertainment near thresholds). Ignore in-app for items better handled by sampling after the fact.
Match posture to data quality
If OCR routinely misreads taxi receipts, a hard block on “missing line items” will punish honest travellers. Prefer a warn with a prompt to attach a clearer photo. Save blocks for fields the system reads reliably.
Explain the posture in the UI copy
Staff friction drops when the app says why it paused a claim. One sentence tied to the handbook section is enough. In the Expense Policy Automation Studio we draft those sentences before configuration day so IT is not inventing tone under pressure.
Friction is not the enemy of control. Unexplained friction is. Design the engine so people understand the rule — then they are less likely to route around it.