Time Period Governance: Locking & Approvals
Client
7pace | Appfire
Role
Lead Product Designer
Year
2025
Context
I led the design of time period governance features for 7pace, introducing locking and approvals across Azure DevOps, Jira, and monday.com. The goal was to support organizational control without disrupting the day-to-day logging experience.
Problem
Time tracking lacked structure at the period level. Teams had no clear boundaries for when time could be edited or finalized, leading to inconsistent data, late submissions, and friction between contributors and managers during reporting cycles.
Concept
I introduced a system of controlled time periods, where entries can be submitted, reviewed, and eventually locked. The design balanced flexibility with accountability: users could manage their time freely within open periods, while managers gained visibility and control through approvals and status tracking. Clear system states and feedback were critical to ensure users always understood what actions were available.
Outcome
The feature brought structure and predictability to time tracking workflows. Teams could close periods with confidence, reduce back-and-forth, and ensure data integrity for reporting and billing. It also created a foundation for scalable approval workflows across organizations.
