Workflow Sample: March 2014

Product catalog
Product Manual
Instruction manual...

In this time of "Paperless"(!?), the information should be distributed as "data (PDF)". 'Paper resources' would be wasted, bookshelf space would be filled.

However, there are merits to "paper"booklet on the other hand. It is not fewer cases that "paper booklet" is preferable, by the type of the information, by the access frequency, by the situation of the reader.

Easy to read < high resolution
Easy to write < good with a pencil
Not dependent on the computer < no power supply

Even for 'function' of "finding the information" that is often compared, there are cases you can find quickly in a "strange way" which is different from the search of the computer. (Finger marks, dog ears, layouts of the information, SMELL...?)

The following Business Process defines the operation of shipping (Mail-In Service) of manual booklets (paper booklet). It is devised that Workflow will be Started automatically when a person makes a request by entering 'address' and 'name' on the Website. The entry form is to be embedded in an existing Website. (Response operations to the "Web Brochure Request")

[Booklet Mail-In Service]

When you assume 100, 500, 1000 applicants, you will try very hard to build an 'Automatic Processing System'.
On the other hand, however, suppose if the scale of 10, 20, 50?

Sending Certificate of Participation for Event in PDF (Workflow Automation) (Workflow-Sample 2014-03-17)

An event acceptance for a "small seminar", for example...
The quickest way is to set an Email address for application to the event, and let the accepting operation <email correspondence by the person in charge>. It's good at it. To act quickly in everything, it is very important.

But if it become "events that are repeatedly held", you may be better out from <email correspondence by the person in charge> at certain timing. That is, eliminate the situation called "only the person in charge knows" about the operations, and make it (semi-automatically as much as possible) exactly to be [recorded].

A. Data management
B. Flow improvement

Once you have made it into Workflow on the basis of the two perspectives, [taking over on replacement] of the person in charge of the acceptance becomes easier. When you [increase the number of personnel] who is in charge of acceptance, you can achieve cooperative correspondence quickly. And even though if it is an event of "once a year", you will not fall into the situation that 'How we did it last year?'.

[Event Acceptance flow]

(On the phone) 'An invoice to other companies addressed to me, but...'

This,,, is,,, sooooo Bad!

Well, I guess most companies have experienced once or twice(?!), but I wonder it is just an issue of Clerical worker's inattention?

Imagine you yourself are working on it. If there is an assumption that "you create the documents required for business in Word or Excel respectively", you will make one mistake out of 100 sheets. Suppose if you implemented a double check system (preventive measures), mistakes would still occur about one out of 1,000. Boils down, the occurrence of errors is a "matter of time".

The following Workflow is for corresponding to event acceptance. The Steps of creating "Event Participation Certificate PDF" and "Receipt PDF" are automated, and sending of each document by e-mail attachments is automated as well. (Payment check work is on manpower.)

[Event Participation Acceptance]

Let the "Invoice data" to be managed centralized. in the Cloud!
Let the "Invoice PDF" to be generated automatically!

In Japan, "consumption tax" (including local consumption tax) is going to be raised from '5%' to '8%' since coming April. It is also decided that it will be raised to '10%' in the near future. The possibility of occurrence of a mistake in the description in invoices will grow more and more.

The important thing above all is to keep the system that you can quickly search for "when and which invoice was issued?".

In the following workflow, "automatic PDF document generation processing" has been incorporated into a simple approval Workflow. The person in the position to issue an invoice enters the necessary data on the Web browser, then the supervisor gives an approve, the invoice the PDF' will be automatically generated. (I may call it an "Invoice PDF Generator"?)

Using this system, you can record all the Invoice data and Invoice PDF in centrally. After all, you will be able to search / aggregate "issued invoices" by the any data item such as "billing amount", "Customer Name" and "Issued date".

[Invoice PDF Generation flow]

"Updating the Website" is operations that exist in most companies.
And the "Workflow" for it is shrouded in secrecy...

First of all, speaking about "site update", there are a variety of "levels".

Correcting the typographical errors.
Adding a blog post
Adding information such as press release news, etc..
Adding the introduction page of product service.
Replacing the induction banner on the homepage.
Changing the site design as far as leading to advertising campaign.
Changing the platform (CMS), major relocation and major modification.
Outsourcing to a professional company, build a project of large-scale modification.

In the following Workflow, it aims to up to "level 5" of the above 8. In plain words, this workflow smoothes the "operations of the Web site on a daily basis". And it records adding or editing on the Web page automatically.

At any time, people who concerned will be able to see who created which content (= governance point of view), how many times a month each member makes updating (= personnel evaluation point of view), as well as the history of the Website (= governance point of view).

[Website Updating]