How we used App Studio to centralise employee queries and reclaim 20+ hours a week

Aaron Rau is the Head of People & Culture at Liven, a fast-growing SaaS company operating across 10 countries. He’s a Rippling power user who leverages the platform to create more human, scalable people experiences.

Our P&C team was drowning in repetitive, transactional tasks that left little room for meaningful, high-impact engagement. We needed to move from chaos to clarity. Here’s how we did it:

The problem: Employee questions were flooding the system

As we scaled, our P&C team was dealing with a constant stream of Slack pings, emails, and walk-ups filled with employee questions. Some were about equipment or policies; others were personal and needed real human support.

Most of these queries sat outside our internal knowledge base. And we had no single place to track or triage them. Questions got repeated, threads were dropped, and we had zero visibility into the bigger picture.

We were stuck in admin mode, reacting to every new request instead of spotting patterns and fixing root causes. Worst of all, the noise was stealing time from what matters most: being present for our people.

The solution: A single entry point for employee questions

We used Rippling’s App Studio to create a front-end app called EmpQuest, short for ‘employee questions.’ Here are the steps we took:

Step 1: Built the app in App Studio

Creating the app took less than five minutes. We chose the name EmpQuest to fit within the character limit under the icon and added a simple image so employees could easily recognise what it was for. Once published, it became part of the core dashboard where it’s visible and accessible to everyone.

Step 2: Integrated with our existing tools for structured intake

With App Studio, we linked EmpQuest to our existing request form in ClickUp. No dev work needed! 

Now, when employees launch the app from their Rippling dashboard, they’re guided through a structured intake: selecting the type of request (e.g. policy update, equipment, safety, benefits), confirming they’ve spoken with their manager first, and adding relevant details. 

This seamless flow ensures consistency, helps route requests to the right person, and integrates directly into the tools we already use. And it does it all while keeping Rippling as the single point of entry.

Step 3: Centralised tracking, and real-time visibility

Once an employee submits a request through EmpQuest, it flows directly into our tracking system (ClickUp) via App Studio. From there, our P&C team can easily filter and prioritise requests by type, region, assignee, or function. We’ve also integrated Slack alerts to ensure nothing gets missed.

By using Rippling as the single entry point, we’ve created a streamlined, end-to-end workflow that gives us full visibility without needing to bounce between tools.

Step 4: Embedded the workflow into the broader ecosystem

While EmpQuest captures the question, it also connects to other tools in our stack and is deeply embedded into the way we work. Submissions often spark policy changes, feed into our internal knowledge base, or shape future L&D content. 

Because it’s part of Rippling, it integrates seamlessly with the rest of our stack. We’ve also added other custom apps to the dashboard, including a ‘Chat to’ app that lets employees book short consults directly with our team, making Rippling the go-to hub for people support across the business.

The impact

EmpQuest gives employees one clear front door for every query, a visible path to resolution, and a better overall experience. For the P&C team, it has created one data trail for spotting patterns, and the freedom to spend more time listening, coaching, and connecting.

Time back for people work

EmpQuest takes care of the repetitive admin associated with employee questions. Our team now saves 15 to 20 hours each week that used to vanish in Slack and email. They spend that time on one-on-one coaching instead of chasing loose threads.

Clear data, faster fixes

Today, every P&C request is logged and tracked. Dashboards in Rippling show requests by type, region, assignee, and lead time. Spikes in certain questions flag a policy gap straight away. This enables our team to update our internal knowledge base or roll out new training before the same issue pops up again.

A better employee experience

Our employees across the globe now have one front door for help, available any time they need it. Each ticket gets an owner and a status, so nothing drops into a black hole. Employees see ‌their questions are noticed, tracked, and closed. And that builds trust.

Human support where it counts

With the admin handled, the P&C team is free to show up for the tough moments. For instance, personal issues, sensitive conversations, and anything else that needs a real person over a form. EmpQuest keeps the routine work moving so that the humans can focus on being human.