Workflow Sample: September 2014

Thinking about an operation called 'In-house Questionnaire'. Nothing special, it is a questionnaire given to the staffs within an organization.

For example;
(1) A method of 'Web form' for answering
Speaking in Business Process definition of Questetra, it is the [Form Start Event] to place on the top of the flow. A 'Web form for answering' will be created automatically. Each time answers are entered, a Workflow will be Started. (Not restricted to in-house users)
=> Tour 220: [Auto Start] Auto Starting Triggered by Published Web Form Entry

Or;
(2) A method that a Task of 'Answer Questionnaire' to be assigned periodically.
To place [Timer Start Event] of Questetra on the top of the Flow. A task will appear on the list of [My Tasks] of people concerned, at configured time such as 'once a month' or '4 times a year, certain date and time'.
=> Tour 217: [Auto Start] Auto Starting at the Time You Fix

In either of these methods, a variety of working steps such as "Confirmation to respondents for a description that can be interpreted in different meanings" or "sending a thank for answering" can be designed in the downstream process. However, it means to create a Business Process definition (Process Model) each time giving a questionnaire in both of the methods. These methods would be good for questionnaires which is importance or be given repeatedly.

Can't I put various questionnaires on the flow, more easily and freely?

To check the level of understanding, to aggregate the opinion, to vote for candidates of get-together venue, for example... What kind of Process diagram could be a Questionnaire Workflow which can be used for general purposes? (Even though, it will be good enough that creating another Business process definition by duplicating a [Process Model] and editing on the necessary points.)

[General Purpose Questionnaire / Review]

[General Purpose Questionnaire / Review:'1. Setting Questions and Answer Choices' screen]

In the first place, 'a Business operation' is a series of working steps. Along these working steps, day-to-day issues are flowed repeatedly.

It may be confusing, but counting of "flowing Issues" will be varied by "how you think about the Operation". In this particular questionnaire case, depending on the assumption which is at the level of 'A. Each every answer' or at the level of 'B. Each every time of the questionnaire given', the definition of the business will differ greatly, and its number will be also different.

This Business Process definition, is something like generic and repeatedly usable, and allows that given the questionnaire in its upstream and be answered by the workers in the downstream. That is, the iterating cycle is assumed at the level of 'B. Giving of the questionnaire'.

A variety of questionnaires to be given, such as 'asking evaluation on the workmanship of the new poster' or 'asking improvement of the draft proposal', are set in the upstream and it will be answered at the downstream. Although, the degree of freedom such as number of questions you like to set, is reduced because the format of data set (data items) in the Business Process is basically the same.

It can be said, though in strange way but, it's not a bad sample to recognize about the level of abstraction (unit of repetition) of operations.

Reference) What is This Thing Called 'Business Process'?

P.S.
It might be confusing but, Questetra has an expansion to define a Working Step on which unspecified number of users can work. (We call it 'a Team Task'.)
It is not in the world standard notation of BPMN, but Dr. Soley, the CEO of Object Management Group, mentioned that 'It's a very interesting extension, very Japanese!'. (It might become a part of the world standard in the future.)

[List of Process Data Item]

[Download]

Business Template: General_Purpose_Questionnaire-Review

How do You Correspond to Grievance Complaint from Outside the Company? (Response Operation flow) (2014-02-17)
Response to Brochure Request, Fully Automated? (2014-03-31)
Sending Certificate of Participation for Event in PDF (Workflow Automation) (2014-03-17)

<<Related Articles>>

The evolution of "Remote Work platform" is awesome. Cloud-based services are evolving rapidly, for example;

Email
Calendar
File manager
Web conferencing
Workflow(!)
etc.

File sharing was achieved only on Corporate LAN when it was 5-10 years ago. But now, it can be 'Always synchronize with local' on the cloud. That means, there are no longer spatial constraints on the file sharing with coworkers, even if for translating job, for Web designing job, or support service job.

In recent, "Sqwiggle", a tool for remote work of which free use limitation has been expanded, is notable. Briefly, it is a device to share the appearance of work at home, etc. with the teammates, by 'still image of every 5 minutes'. The 'presence' of coworkers can be recognized each other in a natural way, for it is not the live broadcasting of video. After all, it provides 'motivations as if they are working seated next to each other'. Well, speaking in detail, there might be some negative opinions in various levels, such as 'possibility of information leakage from still images' or 'Load on CPU by the camera'. (Shall we federate Questetra with it?)

Anyway, the environment, in which we can experience the 'new ways of working' that we never knew, is growing.

As enterprises, they can only continue to experience "new ways of working", by incorporating the new information and communication technologies. If you do not go to experience sequentially in the trial and error, you will not be able to even experience the tools of the next. (If you are doing nothing but only feel pity for a person who attends to a computer beginner's class, you will be standing on the side to be pitied.)

The following is an Online timecard system, which also serves as a daily report.

If you provide it as one of the Workflows, the worker will be able to submit daily report, in the same way processing other tasks flowing on it. You don't need another dedicating timecard system. As the first step for "Remote working" (Telework / Telecommuting), how about experience for trial of clarifying 'Hours worked'.

[Daily Report-Timecard]

Improvement on 'Business efficiency'.
Improvement on 'Business flow'.
Ah? Could 'Business Costs' be reduced to Zero?

In my daily life that thinking about the way how 'Business operations To Be', sometimes I imagine the ultimate of it. Even though it is a very simple idea, but won't it be the ultimate summit, if 'the labor' becomes zero, and so as 'the Costs'?

In fact, there are not only few Business Process in which human processing can be completely eliminated, such as 'Auto-answering to Online Estimate', or 'Auto issuance of Event Participation'. When it comes to 'Stock Trading' or 'Currency Trading', you'll get better result if you leave it to Automated trading system.

However, it is risky to go to completely automation at a jump.

There might be cases to fall into trouble just because it is automated (human could have avoided), for example, because lack of consideration on 'Exceptions', or not assumed 'Malicious use'. Or even, there would be new human trouble cases because not having a good command of automated tools.

The following Workflow, "Internal Reminder", is a Business Process which contains no human processing. (Full automation operations)

It is nothing but just a very rudimentary Business Process that is only to send precautionary email for quarterly fiscal closing date before two weeks in advance. Yes, it is a very tiny Business Process. However! It could be the "Great First-step" for 'an organization which targets and goals is automation as far as possible'.

[Internal Scheduled Reminder]

Working passively!?

It sounds so negative expression. However, fundamentally 'works' are categorized into;

A. Leader-driven Business Process
B. Member-driven Business Process

And there are a lot of Business Steps (Task) that are to be classified to 'A. Leader-driven'. These are the operations which are triggered by the followings.

a1. Boss requests the translation of a document.
a2. Boss instructs to finalize the Planning paper.
a3. Boss assigns the responder of client's inquiry.

On the other hand, triggers to 'B. Member-driven' jobs are as follows.

b1. Submitting a Daily report to Boss.
b2. Submitting a Decision-making request.
b3. Requesting approval on an estimate for a client to Boss

As you imagine, it is easy rather in 'A. Leader-driven', doing the jobs that come falling from the leader. That's the way human beings are.

Now, the following Workflow which is in a sort of 'the job done at a certain time', is neither 'A. Leader-driven' nor 'B. Member-driven'. It is a trigger to be called as 'T. Timer Start'. This comes under so-called 'Routine work'.

In fact, this is very easy. Many people impose tasks to themselves on Mondays or Fridays. After all, issues that are started automatically, would establish a rhythm of work.

[Timed Email-Timer Start]

Business Flow Diagrams are mainly drawn for the purpose of business improvement of 'Team operation'.

However, jobs done by 'more than one person' are not the only business operation. There exist so many jobs which to be completed by a single person. The following Workflow (Business Flow Diagram) is a Business operation of encouraging "somebody of the future". (What?)

First, let's try encouraging 'yourself of the future'. (Totally, all by yourself...)

The way how, is simple. You just make an email to be delivered to future you. New school term starts from today (Sept. the 1st), if you were a student. Why don't you try sending an email to you, at 9 o'clock in the morning of the day of one week after, writing 'you are ready to recite all of "Addition theorem of trigonometric", now?'

Indeed, drawing a Business Flow Diagram for 'One-man job' is nonsense. Moreover, It almost completely doesn't make sense, if