Workflow Sample: Episode 515: Approval on Contract through Workflow! (Improved version)

"Contract flow" and "Decision making Flow" are popular in 2016 as well

This is the last post of this year. We were able to deliver Business Templates every week in 2016 as well. This is also thanks to the "support message" and "Like" from the readers.

Yes. We will try harder next year (2017) as well.

Well, this blog has disclosed over 500 articles (and nearly 800 templates) over the past seven years so far, what kind of articles were read well in this year of 2016? I immediately examined the access log of this year.

<Top 5 Articles>

2010-11-12: Making an Extensive Agreement History List with an Agreement Workflow
2015-07-06: National Identification Number in Workflow (4)
2011-10-03: Fault! Report It Through Workflow!
2013-03-25: How to Design a Workflow Chart of decision making by the Boss and Their Boss: part 2
2011-05-02: Processing Ringi Approvals Simultaneously

Again, online approval (paperless) on "Contracts" and "Decision-making request" seems to be a popular agenda. (Note: This is the result of the Japanese version)

How do I write it at the present time? "Contract approval flow"

However, this article was written already six years ago.

As being in a position of a person who draws Business Processes every day, I cannot stop thinking that "I would recommend a different Process now". (Though it cannot be helped to be "often read", because it comes at the top when searching for "contract workflow" in Google search in Japanese, currently...)

So, in the last article of this year, I would like to rework the "Contract approval Process" in a simple way.

[Contract approval Process (2010-11-12)]

[Contract approval Process]

[Contract approval Process:"1. Register Contract draft" screen]

Want to reduce the occurrence of Rework

What caught my eye at first is the way to write "return flow".

There are many "Steps that cannot be handled immediately" in business flows like Contract approval, so-called "staying" tends to occur. In particular, the process of "reworking on returned" is often caused "to be left to later".

It certainly is good to draw a Workflow to sending back to [1. Register Contract draft] from the Step of [2. Approval by superior]. But I dare to define it to flow to [1x. Rework], the Step dedicated to sending-back. By doing so, you will be able to set operational measures such as

setting "alarm after 24 hours after arrival" in the sent back process,
listing the processes that are currently staying more frequently, and listing the Issues that are staying (Heat map).

For example, from the position of a supervisor, you can easily check "How many contracts I have sent back are staying unprocessed", at any time.

Related Manual) M401 BUSINESS FLOW: Setting: Separate the Steps of Application from Reworking for the sake of Easy Monitoring

[Heat map]

Want to subroutine a Business Process

What I became concerned next is the Step of "mailing process".

Of course, as in the article six years ago, it does not matter "postal processing" is drawn within the contract approval flow, but the postal affairs for the General Affairs department is not limited to "contracts". Besides the contract, they are dealing with various postal affairs such as "bills" and "invoices". Therefore, in order to improve the postal affairs itself being led by the General Affairs department, I would like to leave it as a separate process of "Postal affairs process".

In fact, by setting it as an independent "mailing work process", the General Affairs department itself (instead of the Legal department) will be able to make devise such as notes on the processing screen or automation of printing using the Cloud printer.

We hope that business processes around the world will be improved!

In this article I gave two points as "points of concern". However, there are many other points that can be discussed.

In other words, it can be described as dozens of varieties in the same "contract approval process", and "To-Be" for each company differs depending on the frequency of cases, importance of work, the number of personnel and their proficiency level etc. It must continue to "try" and to discover "mistakes" (mismatch).

I would like to do harder in 2017 as well, wishing if this blog, "Workflow sample", can contribute to improving Business Process worldwide even a little.