SAS

2026

SAS AML Suspicious Activity Report Design

A streamlined Suspicious Activity Report Experience for SAS Anti-Money Laundering, simplifying complex workflows and improving the reporting process for investigators

Role

Product Design Intern

Timeline

May 2026 - Jul 2026

Team

Esha Macha

Platform

Suspicious Activity Report

Role

Product Design Intern

Timeline

May 2026 - Jul 2026

Team

Esha Macha

Platform

Suspicious Activity Report

Overview

This case study focuses on my design work at SAS, a global analytics and software company that helps organizations make better decisions through data, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics.

During my internship, I worked on several projects spanning user research, workflow analysis, and product design. This case study focuses on my improvements to the Suspicious Activity Report experience within SAS Anti-Money Laundering. Through research and design exploration, I identified opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce complexity, and support more efficient regulatory reporting.

Problem

Summary

The Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) process within SAS Anti-Money Laundering was fragmented. The challenge was to simplify the information architecture and reporting workflow to reduce friction, improve usability, and help investigators create accurate regulatory reports more efficiently.

My Role

As the UX designer, I conducted user research with AML subject matter experts and stakeholders, analyzed existing workflows and pain points, and translated those insights into redesigned user flows, information architecture, and interface concepts to improve the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) experience.

Existing Issues

The existing SAR experience was fragmented and heavily reliant on manual processes. Users were required to navigate across multiple disconnected pages, repeatedly enter information that already existed elsewhere in the system, and switch between different sections to complete a single report.

Data-Driven Insights

Client feedback consistently highlighted frustrations with the SAR reporting process, particularly around excessive navigation, fragmented workflows, and repetitive data entry. Users noted that critical information was spread across multiple pages, making it difficult to maintain context and efficiently complete reports. They also expressed challenges with creating SAR narratives and cited the overall reporting experience as unnecessarily complex and time-consuming.

Goals

Summary

• Simplify the SAR reporting experience by reducing navigation complexity and unnecessary clicks.

• Create a more intuitive, task-driven workflow that aligns with how investigators naturally build and submit reports.

• Reduce manual and repetitive data entry by improving information organization and workflow efficiency.

• Improve the quality and consistency of SAR submissions through clearer structure and better user guidance.

Guiding Questions

• How might I reduce the number of steps and screens required to complete a SAR?

• How might I organize information in a way that matches investigators' mental models and workflows?

• How might I make the SAR process more intuitive while maintaining regulatory requirements?

• How might I transform a fragmented reporting experience into a unified, seamless workflow?

Research

Competitive Analysis

I conducted a competitive analysis of leading AML solutions to understand how SAR reporting is structured across the industry. By examining workflows, navigation models, and reporting features, I identified patterns and opportunities that informed the redesign of the SAR experience.

User Interviews

I conducted user interviews with AML experts and business stakeholders who work closely with investigators and regulatory reporting workflows. During each session, I asked open-ended questions about current processes, pain points, user needs, and industry practices, while also exploring how different organizations structure their AML programs.

Card Sorting Exercise

To redesign the SAR information architecture, I conducted a card sorting exercise using the existing SAR fields and sections. Each field was written on an individual card and grouped into categories based on logical relationships and user mental models. This helped simplify the information architecture, reduce navigation complexity, and create a workflow that better aligns with how investigators think and work.

Design Process

Information Architecture

The existing SAR experience was fragmented across multiple pages and organized around system objects rather than user tasks. Investigators had to navigate between separate sections for subjects, institutions, filers, and reports, creating unnecessary complexity and slowing down the reporting process.

To improve usability, I redesigned the information architecture into a unified SAR Workspace organized around how investigators think and work. Information was grouped into intuitive sections such as Overview, Subject, Activity, Suspicion, Narrative, and Review & Submit, creating a more streamlined workflow that reduces clicks, improves navigation, and supports efficient report creation.

Final Design

The final design transforms the SAR reporting experience from a fragmented, multi-page process into a unified SAR Workspace that guides investigators through report creation from start to finish. By reorganizing the information architecture around user tasks, reducing navigation complexity, and consolidating related information into a single workflow, the solution creates a more intuitive and efficient reporting experience.

Key features of the redesign include a streamlined information architecture, user friendly navigation bar, a AI guided narrative-writing experience, an integrated review and submission process, and an AI review agent to aid the investigator. Together, these improvements reduce manual effort, improve discoverability, and help investigators create accurate, high-quality SARs with greater efficiency and confidence.

Final Design

Lessons

Final Thoughts

This project challenged me to think beyond interface design and focus on solving a real business problem within a complex enterprise product. I learned how to balance user needs, regulatory requirements, technical constraints, and business goals to create solutions that are both usable and practical.

One of the most valuable experiences was collaborating directly with AML subject matter experts, business stakeholders, and product team members. These conversations taught me how to ask meaningful questions, synthesize large amounts of qualitative feedback, and translate research insights into actionable design decisions. I also had the opportunity to present my findings and design recommendations to stakeholders and developers.

Most importantly, this project showed me how design can create measurable impact in enterprise software. Rather than focusing solely on visual improvements, I learned how thoughtful UX can simplify complex workflows, reduce friction, and improve efficiency for users performing critical tasks. By approaching the SAR experience as both a user problem and a business problem, I was able to develop a solution that better supports investigators while addressing the broader goals.

This experience strengthened my skills in user research, information architecture, systems thinking, stakeholder communication, and problem solving, while giving me firsthand experience designing for real users and real business challenges in a large-scale enterprise environment.