Episode 570: Business Improvement in Hotel Operation (Part 3)

Operation: Information Sharing to Multitasking Full-time Employees

"Overnight front desk work", "work related with Check-out in the morning", and "housekeeping on checked-out guest rooms"...

By visualizing internal information using Workflow, a full-time employee has become capable of various work operations. (Multitasking) That is, information that there was a complaint from a guest is shared with the morning front desk clerk from the night shift staff. And from the front desk clerk who deals with checking-out, information of "guest has checked out" is smoothly shared with housekeepers.

• Episode 568: Business Improvement in Hotel Operation (Part 1)
• Episode 569: Business Improvement in Hotel Operation (Part 2)

Consequently, full-time employees are now capable of joining works such as for "overnight front desk" or "guest room housekeeping", which used to tend to count on part-timers. And at the same time, phenomenon which part-timers to get "a chance to work as a full-time employment" has emerged. (as an unexpected by-effect)

<Example of work shift for full-timers>

• Earlies (7 hrs work, 1hr break)
• Lates (7 hrs work, 1hr break)
• Overnight (12 hrs work, 1 hr break, deemed as 2 days attendance)

Challenge: Idle Time Still Occurs

However, especially in the late night hours, "idle time" (waiting time) arises inevitably.

If a full-time employee actively participate in 'night shift', he or she ought to undertake 'something productive work' even in the late night hours. So, consulting with a BPM consultant, I decided to challenge "originating a stuff blog" this time. (I also have anxiety that my expectation for "degree of multi-skill" to employees might be too much.)

By the way, there was an opinion that it would be enough to carry out "patrolling work" inside the hotel building more frequently. However, demanding "frequency to unnecessary" can not be said to be "productivity improvement". I suppose that safety is adequately guaranteed by "periodical patrol" already conducted

[Blog Write-Post]

Episode 548: Analytics API Request In Monday Morning (3)

Analytics tells 'particular building company is in trouble'?

In the last article and the one before the last, I introduced you (nearly unmanned) Workflows that informs "trends of web access of the last week" to in-house.

Once this business process is in operation, employees will be able to check the latest information obtained through the "Google Analytics Reporting API" every Monday morning by e-mail. As the result, daily work for "Customer support" or "Sales" will be more efficient.

However, it might be better if "Information that is not in Analytics" is written as well. That is, it may be possible to gain deeper understanding and insight on trend information such as "links that a lot of inflows" and "Pages that referred by specific customers", if it also has included information which is not in Analytics such as;

• 'delivered a press release on last Tuesday'
• 'held a user seminar on last Thursday (in which the particular building company participated!)'.

API acquisition of calendar information as well

The following Business Process Definition is a mechanism in which information of the events of last week, that have been written in the in-house calendar for "Public relations schedule and exhibition schedule" (Google Calendar), is added to the email notification.

When operating this Workflow, employees who would receive notification emails will be able to see "related information that may have affected Web access" at the same time.

[Website Operation Report 3]

Episode 547: Analytics API Request In Monday Morning (2)

Ranking on popular pages

In the last article, I introduced you a way of automatic generation of "weekly reports" by automated communication with "Google Analytics Reporting API".

The point was the automated Step (Service Task Addon) which automatically retrieves data aggregated in the following rule.

• Dimension： ga:hostname, ga:pagePath, ga:pageTitle
• Metrics： ga:pageviews, ga:sessions

In this Step, "List of web pages that got a lot of access" is gathered into a multi-line text. If you set to "filter" something like "ga:pagePath=~/blog/" you can also automatically get the ranking of "web pages under blog folders".

Notification email that is embedded these texts would be very useful information for Marketing team.

Tens of thousands of other patterns of aggregation method

But now, I would like to aggregate data of Google Analytics in more different perspectives.

While in the previous example, ranking was retrieved with the above "three dimensions" and "two metrics", Google Analytics has about 260 dimensions and about 230 metrics. In other words, a wide variety of data aggregation is available, by changing its combination.

For example, when you aggregate not only on the aspect of site contents ("Behavior (BEHAVIOR)") but also "AUDIENCE" or "ACQUISITION", you should be able to extract information such as "What kind of people are accessing?" or "What kind of site has it been derived from?".

Reference: Dimensions & Metrics Explorer

[Website Operation Report 2]

Episode 546: Analystic API Request In Monday Morning

Is it an analysis tool, or an aggregation tool?

Anyone who is involved in the web industry knows about the existence of "Google Analytics".

Although I might not need to explain again, "Google Analytics" is a service that is to know the number of visits and visitors on particular website, and it is an indispensable tool for people who work in the industry, for surveying such as "popular pages" and "unpopular pages" or "investment effect of online ads".

On the other hand, for many people it can be said "a too much functional tool".

In order to display the information which you want to see, you must go through complicated procedures because its multifunctionality. Even those who log in to "Google Analytics" every week, to make "in-house weekly newsletter" for example, actually use only a few functions of it. Therefore, many people use "custom reports" (dashboards) and "custom alerts" (email notifications) trying to make the every time work efficient.

No abnormality in aggregated value this week!

The following Business Process Definition is "Website Operation Status Reporting Process" to be conducted weekly. Every Monday morning, "a draft of report that aggregated data of Google Analytics has been inserted" will be prepared. Therefore, marketers can complete a report for the entire company just by entering a brief commentary. You do not need to log into "Google Analytics" unless remarkable changes occur.

[Website Operation Report]

Episode 498: Variations of Data Processing at Automated Step (Part 5)

"Want to share translated document with the team..."

Indeed, "Share by Email" is not so bad. A translated sentences would be shared quickly with the team by a setting to send automatically to Team ML (Mailing List) upon completion of translating. Feedback about mistranslated or brushing up might be obtained.

However, it would not be happy that when a person who has received an email wants to reply, he or she must reply by email. Enterprise Social Networking is the mainstream for in-house information exchange, nowadays.


The Workflow definition below, it is devised to post to [OpenChat], which is an Enterprise Social Networking of Questetra, upon completion of translating. It allows co-workers to Like immediately on a High-quality translation.

[Translation Process-OpenChat Post]

Episode 497: Variations of Data Processing at Automated Step (Part 4)

• Instruction manual sentences that described in multiple language
• Manuscripts of Website (HTML)
• Source codes

A Creation flow for these drafts ought to be devised to record (not only "Number of characters", also) "Hash value" automatically.

A Hash value is a "Message digest". It is also referred to as "fingerprint". In short, it generates "32 of hexadecimal characters" (in the case of MD5 method) from any data instantly, allowing to validate data falsification of even a single character. (For more details, please see Wikipedia, etc.)

In the following workflow, [Auto-steps](Service Task) of "Hash generation (MD5)" and "Hash generation (SHA256)" have been arranged. Both of them will be available when you conduct feature expansion with [Addon XML]. (Questetra BPM Suite v11.1. Releasing in early September?)

[Translation Process-Hash Value]

Episode 496: Variations of Data Processing at Automated Step (Part 3)

I definitely want an Auto-step icon that is needed in this business!

Everybody who designs Business Processes (Modeling) tends to desire to automate various processing.

In version 11.1 of Cloud-based Workflow, "Questetra BPM Suite", which we are going to release at the end of August 2016, you will be able to use additional Auto-step icons. More specifically, your original auto-step icons will be available by; obtaining packaged "Add-on XML" and importing it as Additional feature file (Process Model file).

You will get these &#91;Add-on XML&#93; mostly by

• Downloading from Questetra's Website
• Provision from third-party

Whereas, it will be also capable of creating yourself, as you can guess from the words of "Add-on XML".

The following is the same "Translation Process" workflow that I have introduced you in the last post. And in which I made a substitution to &#91;Script Step&#93; with self-made &#91;Auto-Step&#93;.

[Translation Process-Add-on]

Episode 485: Auto-addition to "Catalogue Mailing List"

"I can hardly get rid of mistakes in Catalogue mailing..."

You want to correspond to "Request for a Catalogue", which you have accepted via published web form, as quickly as you can. However, it won't be a joke if you made mistakes in the "Address" or "Company name" that the customer has entered. When creating "Cover sheet" with Microsoft Word by Copy & Paste, for example, made mistake that shifted ane line of the record in the list to be referred, and results in complaint,such as

• Our company name is not like this.
• There is no employee in the name of this.

In the worst case, it might be a "Personal information leakage incidents".


In the following Business Process, "a personnel in charge of accepting" checks entries via web form

• if the address was not inappropriate such as erroneously submitted in the middle of the input?
• if the address was not nonsense for mischief purpose?
• if it does not contain abbreviations or unnecessary space?

After the check, "Cover sheets PDF" will be generated automatically, then "a personnel in charge of Mailing" will print it out and enclose the Cover sheet with the Catalogue. No manpower be involved, there.

The excellent point is that not a "list" will be created in this business operation. The risk of information leakage will be extremely reduced. And as soon as the sealing job is completed, data such as "company name" and "telephone number" will be automatically added to the Cloud-based database. (Although it is apparent, it is also assumed a flow to ask "Sales representative" in case of receiving a message such as "Want an estimate together".)

[Catalogue Request Correspondence]

Efficiency by 'Template Sentence'

In the case of writing a 'Description of the company', for example, there will be various ways such as;

• Lightly in short sentences / tightly in long sentences
• Current property / history of the past

Or in the case of writing a 'description of a product', the way of writing may vary according to

• to write concept of the product / details of the functions
• to write toward people who see for the first time / write toward people who already know

Certainly, for the experienced staffs, the ' writing' could be done quick and easy. However, for rookies and newcomers, it would be a time-consuming duty.

The following Business Process is a Workflow for registering "reusable sentence (template)", and at the same time, accepting "Improving comments". It might be a knowledge database, rather than a workflow. It is not only to improve the deskwork efficiency, but also to build common recognition in the company. (Also for people who register, it becomes note for future reference.)

1. Originating (ordinary): Product introduction, Technology description, Business description
2. Originating (extraordinary): Failure announcement, Emergency action report, Questioning
3. Replying: Appreciation for inquiry, Apology to the complaint, Refusal against Sales

[Registration of Template and Review]

Blog Article Posting Workflow, 400 Titles through Repetition in 5 Years

Few days until the end of 2014...

Thanks to you reader's support, I could achieve "Weekly posts" somehow. This entry will be 52nd in 2014, 411th in total proposing Business process.(*) Taking this opportunity, please allow me to express my sincerest gratitude to the readers of Workflow Samples, especially who gave me requests to write specific Processes, and who gave me comments and impressions on my posting.

*) 51 titles in 2014, 52 in 2013, 53 in 2012, 186 in 2011, 68 in 2010
*) One or two business samples [QAR] attached to each article, so the total number of the samples has become approximately 700.

Looking back, people talk about me that 'I'll be a quitter soon', especially the very beginning of this blog. Well, indeed, there is some proposition of Business Process which are 'no big deal' among them. But I'm willing to continue writing articles. So please help me by giving me 'pep talk' and 'straightforward feedback'


Articles Most Read in Japanese in 2014

• Making an Extensive Agreement History List with an Agreement Workflow (2010-11-12)
• Split Conditions are a Basic Concept in BPMN (2011-04-03)
• A Simple Flow Against Complaint (2011-06-06)
• A Workflow Definition that Guides Daily and Weekly Report (2011-11-07)
• Returning a Prompt Initial Response Is Crucial (2011-04-02)

Articles Most Read in English in 2014]

• Improving Your Accounts Payable Process in Steps (2011-05-13)
• Reporting Each Client Visit Right After Returning to the Office (2011-02-15)
• Visualization of Testing Process in Software Development (2010-12-20)
• Workflow Across The Enterprise, From Quotation To Payment Confirmation (2011-06-05)
• Is Complaint Management Perfect for Training New Employees? (2011-04-01)

Well, now,

The following is the last introducing of Business examples in 2014, which is a very simple 'Blog Entry flow'.

[Blog Entry flow]

Take Advantage of the Exhibition Questionnaire

The questionnaire paper, it leaves the tough work of 'Data entry'.

Even though... passing a pen and a sheet are realistic at 'Exhibition fair' or 'Housing Exhibition'. The next day, facing with its enormous "bunch of questionnaire", to input into Excel with division of labor. (as is often ...) The finished Excel file will be added pie graph and bar graph, and finally will be reported at the meeting.... (Is that all?)

Still, I would like to standardized approach business for "the prospects". (Follow-up plan)

If the procedure can be defined, it is better to input to Workflow (process-oriented system) rather than entering Excel such as (data-oriented systems). (You can export to Excel at ANY time.)

In the following Workflow, each one of the 'prospective client' will be handled in the flow. That is, prospective client data that has been entered, will be underwritten by a salesperson to be confirmed whether or not to visit, with 'appointment by phone'. Then, if it should be visited, the salesperson will approach to see if it could become business talk by visiting.

You can monitor the progress of getting into business talk in real time.

And at the same time, information about 'whether or not got into business talk' will be added to the data written on the questionnaire. Awesome.

[Prospective Client Questionnaire]

Automatic Posting to a Blog System (OAuth 2.0 Connection)

"Official Blog Site" of an enterprise is no longer unusual.
Or rather, it is getting to be 'for granted' as well as 'Website'. Needless to mention, it is very convenient for publicity of latest business information. It also could be a tool for communication with customers.

This article has taken the form of a blog of "Workflow sample", as well...
Questetra Inc., is running a blog called "Questetra Blog"...
(Whoops, the official blog of Google's, well well, how many would be there?)

The following Workflow definition, "Official Blog Publishing flow" is (obvious to look into the Process diagram, though) a mechanism that a draft which have reviewed will be automatically posted to blog system. I wish to ensure the readability and accuracy of the article through various devices such as "mechanical automatic cooperation" or "human reviewing process" as in this example.

[Official Blog Publishing flow]

10 Tips for Selecting BPM Products

"a BPM Product" = "a Workflow Product" + {Helpful Features}

That isn't wrong. Yeah, that is right. A "BPM Product" is a "Workflow Product" as well. (On the other hand, it is hard to say '"a Workflow product"is "a BPM product"'.)
As the IT Research company Gartner, pointing out in "Component of a Business Process Management Suite", the core of a BPM product is 'Workflow Engine (Process Execution and State Management Engine)'. That is, a BPM Product always includes Workflow function.

1. Process Execution and State Management Engine
2. Model-Driven Composition Environment
3. Document and Content Interaction
4. User and Group Interaction
5. Basic Connectivity
6. BAM and Business Event Support
7. Simulation and Optimization
8. Business Rule Engine
9. System Management and Administration
10. Process Component Registry / Repository

However in fact, there is a difference in supporting 'type of Workflow diagram' between "BPM Products" and "(conventional) Workflow Products ".

[Publicity Production flow]

Improving How to Write 'Customer Story' on Workflow

"Case Studies" or "Customer Story" articles on the Website is important. Especially for IT companies, "Sales" might depend on the quality of these contents.

In fact, companies like Microsoft, IBM, SAP,,,
,,, Oracle, Google, Salesforce,,, so on
almost all the IT vendors with their own products, are listing 'Customer Case Study' on their Website. As a matter of course, Questetra as well. => Customers

The following Workflow is for writing a "Case Study Article". In some cases, the duty would take more than a month to be completed. Visualizing the "progress" clearly, aggregating the "performance" occasionally, and keep on improving for the business process 'To-Be'.

[Case-study Publishing flow]

Information to be Announced, Managed with the Cloud-based Workflow

"Announcement of the new service", "Occurring of failure", "Occurring of conflict"...
Information disclosure duties that require both of "swiftness" and "accuracy" is tough. Nowadays like IT terminal has evolved, "timely disclosure" is essential, not only to investors, but also customers, suppliers, employees... to all of your stakeholders. In other words, if you can not spread the fact widely and quickly, you will not win the trust as an enterprise. Speaking further, it does not matter "Listed company or not" or "size of the organization." Neither the distinction of "administrative or private". In reality, the organization which rarely updated content of their website, such as the News or Information, they can not get the endorsement.

Traditionally, "information" of this kind are classified as, [1] the determined fact (endogenous), [2] the occurred fact (extrinsic), [3] the statement of accounts.
In any of these "", it will be important how much you can gather inside company information. Through the "Information Disclosure process"Those information will be selected and eliminated, will be considered about the announcement whether necessary, and the content, and the date of the announcement, and eventually some of which would be announced.

As the theory of the "business process management", you should better to start the development of information disclosure process, with [1] endogenous the determined fact.

[Information Disclosure flow]

Workflow for Creating 'PayPal Button'

'Create a "Buy Now" button of PayPal, please !'

Today, 'Online Sell' is possible even by an individual easily. You can sell any products and services like 'Images' and 'Visiting Services' on your Web site, setting Buy buttons that you create. It only costs commission of '3.4%' + '$0.30 USD'.

Specifically, a seller logs in to "PayPal", goes to "Website Payments Standard" in "Products & Services" menu and selects the button type, then the seller can start making buttons.

1. Single items
2. Multiple items
3. Automated payments

But...
But, however,
It is not a desirable situation in which everyone in the organization can create the "Buy Now" button. Need unification for naming convention of the button (which stored in PayPal), as well as for the setting.

[PayPal button creation flow]

Uniform Management on 'prompt decision by the Top' and 'Result of request for decision workflow'

'Buying a computer', 'hiring a person'...
In fact, sometimes things are promptly decided by 'Top-down', sometimes are approved from 'bottom-up'. You cannot tell whichone is always the better. However, it should be better recorded unitarily both of 'top-down decisions' and 'bottom-up approval', as decision information as an organization.

The following business process definition is an example of 'a Decision-making process' that allows recording (aside the proposer) the final decision maker, decision time, decision content, in a same format. Decisions as an organization, it is sufficient to refer to the process that has flown on it. There, it never be recorded 'top-down decisions' as if it was 'bottom-up approval'.

In this age of cloud computing, it is as a matter of course to digitize the "data of the decisions as an organization", but like this case, it is also important to assume multiple 'decisions as an organization flow' for securing organizational mobility.

# You would hardly be able to even find the "decision of the past" if you had saved the 'request for approval documents' in 'paper'.


In addition...
In Japan, there is a mechanism called 'RINGI, request for decision' the recording format of a bottom-up decision-making.

Drawn up by the authority responsible for drafting stipulated by internal regulations, after obtaining the consent of the multiplayer, will be approved by the final decision maker. For example when placement "a massive advertisement", the people responsible for drafting must create a document that is an overview of advertising or the reason why the massive advertisement is needed, and submit along with an estimate of the cost of each ad. Actually, it takes considerable time and effort to the RINGI, the request for approval, to arrive at the approver.

But from a different perspective of view, I can say the discussion about;

• Is there really a need to "massive advertising"?
• There might be a need to be more "massive advertising"?
• The "risk" accompanying the ad have been supported?
• "Effect" obtained by the ad are expected correctly?

has been done well at the time of the approval. That is, after the approval, work of advertisements placement will be processed surprisingly quickly and smoothly. In many cases, the top himself is not necessary to instruct for tasks of advertisement placement.
RINGI is a mechanism that has been deeply supported by Japanese companies, and it would survive enduringly in the future.

[Procurement Approval flow]

Translation Workflow should be Cooperated with In-house SNS

Workflow system goes well with Desk workers'.
Translators for example, who spend most of their work stuck on their PC, they are really in good chemistry with Workflow.

The following is a 'Translation flow' mainly for Web contents.
It is a device which putting a document in Japanese in it, and the translation in English and in Spanish would be completed.(!?) After running this flow to some extent, gradually you will see the correlation of the amount of original document and duration of processing.

[Translation workflow]

[In-house SNS]

Transmission Reservation of Internet FAX in Workflow

In the manufacturing industry and the construction industry or B2C business, FAX is still active.
Here, we would like to introduce a mechanism to automatically send FAX of the "business documents in a workflow" via the Internet. When all is said, FAX sender achieve Paperless. In addition, all FAX transmission related information such as transmission date-time and transmitting data, will be as are recorded automatically! (Easy visualization to Operational efficiency indicators as well.)

It may sound cool somehow, but calmly thinking, it is wrong that the fact that the routing of

1. Printout by the MFP, then
2. Scan the paper and send a FAX by the same MFP

has not been eradicated until now, in this year of 2012 which "2001: A Space Odyssey" of course is supposed to be finished even "2010: Odyssey Two".

[Internet FAX Outbound]

The Only Way to "Write-off" the Entertainment Expense

Only few Nations allow companies to simply include their Entertainment Expenses. As a general rule, it should not be the "deductible" on the tax in Japan.

It is persuasive in the logic of governor saying;

• Must tax for every economic benefit.,or
• It's unfair that taxing less corporate taxes on the companies often spending on useless matters.

However, We cannot say it's always a rational system, because "judging if it is entertainment expense or not" is tiresome, and the "Tax calculation" is complicated.

From the BPM (Business Process management) point of view, it's not few cases to simplify the company's system to smoothen the process through in-house. In my personal opinion, National system should apply the directivity for labor saving on paperwork with IT. That is, now is the time for driving great simplification force on Tax system.

More specifically, I want the nation to show the directivity of abolishing the income tax (taxpayer and who bears are the same) that is a direct tax which is extremely difficult to calculate and to capture, and focus on the indirect tax that is the high rates of payments automation.

• a. Indirect taxation to the public utility charges which is more efficient in settlement procedure, and to be suppressed. (electricity, water, etc. )
• b. Commensurate indirect taxation on legalizing gambling and adult entertainment businesses.
• c. Strengthening of indirect tax to luxury goods such as gasoline, alcohol and tobacco.

(Oops, I am introducing the business template...)
Here I introduce you a Workflow in which let an employee application in beforehand of 'entertainment', and if necessary, give the employee a lecture for expenditure, to include the entertainment fee as 'Expense' anyhow.

[Application for Entertainment Expense]