Tesla - FinOps
FinOps is Tesla’s internal credit and funding management platform used across North America, APAC, EMEA, and China. Its purpose is to provide visibility into credit and funding status for credit specialists, funding specialists, and delivery associates—ensuring that cars are properly credited and funded before delivery.
Previously, specialists had to navigate between five disconnected systems (FinOps, CMT, myAdmin, Excel, and email), leading to inefficiencies, inaccurate records, and delays in resolving credit and funding cases.
The project goal was to consolidate workflows into a single platform, streamline case resolution, and support global scalability.
Client
Tesla
Type
Product Design
Year
2023
Process
Involvement & Role
Role: Lead UX/UI Designer (Independent Contributor)
Contributions:
Conducted user research interviews and in-person observation sessions
Designed and prototyped dashboards for multiple personas
Ran rapid prototyping tests and a feedback panel before implementation
Created custom components and migrated designs into the Tesla Design System (TDS)
Collaboration: Partnered with 4 PMs, 2 engineering leads, and 10 developers
Duration: Two weeks to five weeks per feature, with design oversight spanning two years
Targeted Users
Credit Specialists: Review ~100–150 credit applications daily, resolve issues, and communicate with sales advisors
Funding Specialists: Ensure banks receive complete documentation to fund vehicles
Delivery Associates: Track credit/funding status to ensure vehicles are cleared before delivery
Problems to Solve
Specialists switched between five separate systems, slowing resolution times
Status tracking was in Excel, often inaccurate and not real-time
Missing or fragmented information forced users to cross-reference multiple systems
Credit specialists had no clear workflow for prioritizing or categorizing cases
Old designs required scrolling and searching manually (Ctrl+F) to find cases
Solutions
Unified Dashboard: Consolidated case information by issue type with search and filters (e.g., by RN or credit issue type)
Role-Specific Dashboards:
Credit Specialist Dashboard – consolidated issues and eliminated need to check CMT manually
Funding Specialist Dashboard – provided missing customer details, credit application status, and funding history
Reusable UI Framework: Applied to both credit and funding specialists for consistency and scalability
Integration with External Systems: Links to CMT and myAdmin only when needed
Adoption of TDS Design System: Ensured consistency and alignment with enterprise-wide guidelines
Outcome
Efficiency Gains: Reduced credit reviewing process by 20 seconds to 1 minute per application
At ~100+ applications per specialist per day, this saved ~33–100 minutes daily per user
System Consolidation: Reduced from five platforms into one, cutting context switching
Scalability: Rolled out across global markets (NA, APAC, EMEA, China)
Improved Tracking: Managers gained visibility into case resolution and team performance
Adoption: New design templates were later reused for related funding dashboards, proving long-term value
