Episode 583: Process Improvement by Integrating Similar Workflows

In Japan, half a month has passed since a new fiscal year started, so I guess the new hires are getting used to their new environment.

In the past two weeks, we introduced workflows for "Attendance report flow" and "Daily report flow" oriented (not necessarily) for new employees. If you've "reported" properly every day, I suppose you thoroughly got used to operations of the Workflow platform.

• Episode 581: Rookies, Get Used to Workflow in Attendance Report!
• Episode 582: Look Back on the Day with a Daily Business Report!

When you compare these two Workflows, you will recognize that they are very similar

• It is automatically started and appears in [My Tasks] of all employees every morning
• An employee reports, the boss (a leader) confirms.
• The deadline has been set and if it is not finished until, it automatically terminates

Even though the contents to be reported are different as "work time" and "work contents" depending on the Workflows, their outlines are almost the same. Then, why don't you put these together?

[Attendance-Work Report]

Episode 582: Look Back on the Day with a Daily Business Report!

In the previous post, I introduced you the "Hours-worked report" which even new hires make every day. It has been designed considering input effort to be reduced by devising of initial value and input screen so that reports are made properly every day. Speaking everyday report, the daily report is one of them. Whether it is during the training period or after being assigned, it is an important task for new recruits to report the "works done" and "matters learned" to the superiors or to seniors.

Through the daily report, new hires can learn business etiquette and how to work, and also help them communicate with their boss, seniors or other employees. Above all, the opportunity to look back on the day and organize what you learned or noticed is particularly important to be in the new environment.

[Daily Report]

Episode 581: Rookies, Get Used to Workflow in Attendance Report!

In Japan, spring is the season of cherry blossom and the starting of a new life.

Another new fiscal year begins today, so an employment ceremony is held in many companies. Once a new employee is assigned, the superiors, senior employees, or HR staffs will instruct this and that of company life. Among them, it supposedly includes "how to make work report".

Recently, "Workstyle reformation" and "Discretionary working time system (Exempt employee)" are topics frequently discussed, so it is very important to be able to record and to recognize the hours worked properly. (Attendance management)
Reporting and recording of attendance and leave time has been managed in various ways, such as by filling in paper or stamping on time cards when it used to be, or now with IC cards or in a dedicated system, etc. Also, to use a general-purpose Workflow system is one of the ways.

Sometimes "Attendance report flow" is referred to as "the four major Workflow Apps", together with "Work request flow", "Procurement request flow" and "Out-of-pocket expenses claim flow" which I introduced you before as "the Starter templates pack". By managing attendance using cloud-based Workflow, you can take advantages of the following.

• Teleworkers/Remote workers or staffs with frequent outings can also be recorded in the workplace or on the go
• Daily processing allows new members to become accustomed to Workflow operations
• Possible to improve ease-of-use for the organization continuously (would lead to reform of work style)

[Hours Worked Report]

Episode 535: True Work Style Reformation is to Improve the System Continuously

Start small

"How can I get used to the system?"

Considering only the investment effect, it is effective to systemize "existing inefficient work". If there is a work being done on "paper base", you should consider systematization of that work. If systemization is applied to "core business" such as order receiving, shipping and billing, "effect" will be more than "investment" relatively easily.

However, there are also risks that you can not get "effects" at all, if in a situation which is 1) administrator: insufficient system setting skill, 2) general worker: insufficient computer literacy. It is like forcing computer graphic to an oil painting artist.

"I may worsen business efficiency introducing a system." If you have such anxiety, it may be better to start a trial run first with "a small operation" (a work to be done every day if possible).

Habit of continuing to improve

When promoting paperless and teleworking, introduction of "workflow system" will be considered.

It is a very annoying question that to which operation to apply for the first, but for example, the following small workflow called "work time report" could be a powerful candidate. It is definitely good because "inevitably to use every day".

Naturally you will understand what you need and what you can omit, by actually trying "entering data", and "approving on it". And various ideas will be born through the usage.

• Administrator: Will be Increased the skill of designing workflow
• General worker: Understand the basic usage of handling Steps

[Hours Worked Report]

Episode 531: Automatic Search on TV Listings

Is information collection a "business"?

There seems to be various opinions. If you watching television programs in the conference room, it might be a "business".

And if you are working for a department store, you may care about news concerning "Department stores". Or if you work for an Internet company, you might be curious about keywords such as 'AI', 'IoT', and 'big-data'.

If "special program" related to those keywords is scheduled as a television broadcast, you can't miss it. Particularly if it is planned by public broadcasting station, the impact on society could be very big.

＜NHK API control screen＞

NHK API that opened to anyone

NHK, a public broadcasting station in Japan, has published "Program Guide API". In June 2016, they started provision of Ver.2 , and it is now possible to acquire program information of "7 days ahead".

Response excerpt

"id" : "2017041215654",
"event_id" : "15654",
"start_time" : "2017-04-12T04:30:00+09:00",
"end_time" : "2017-04-12T05:00:00+09:00",
"title" : "ＮＨＫニュース　おはよう日本",
"subtitle" : "▼国内外の最新ニュース　▼スポーツ情報　▼地域の課題や話題のリポート　▼日本と世界の気象情報",
"content" : "※番組内容は変更になる場合があります　▼番組ＨＰ　ｈｔｔｐ：／／ｗｗｗ．ｎｈｋ．ｏｒ．ｊｐ／ｏｈａｙｏｕ／",
"act" : "【キャスター】森田洋平，【気象キャスター】酒井千佳",


This API is a very simple OPEN API.

As long as you register yourself, anyone can access it immediately, and regarding usage rules, it is very clear that "up to 300 accesses a day".
There is no authorization flow such as OAuth1 / OAuth2, it is not even secure communication (HTTPS)!

On the other hand, it can be said that it is APIs strict to standard specifications.

That is, if you are using various APIs on a daily basis, you would suppose that the characters that can be used on the website (UTF - 8) are communicated as they are. However, it is "Truly NHK". They firmly comply to the rule which "Send and receive with only alphanumeric characters (ASCII characters)" (Unicode escape) (JSON RFC7159) , so each and every Japanese character is converted to \nXXXX. (Even though It is hard to use in verifying communication log etc.)

[Keyword Search on TV Listing]

Episode 524: Automation of Work with Server-side JavaScript

Utilization of programming knowledge

"Script Step" is a kind of "automated Step" within a Business Process.

These are Steps for automatically executing "program processing", such as, for example;

• with reference to "attendance time" and "leaving time" entered in the upstream process,
• automatically calculates "working time" ({leaving time} - {attendance time}).

Conversely, if you incorporated such a Script Step into the Daily report flow, employees do not have to fill in "hours worked " each time.

What can be done?

Automatic processing performed on the Workflow platform is so-called "Server side processing".

In other words, when an Issue flowing through a Business Process reaches the "Script step", data are automatically referenced and updated. All processing is executed while human beings are not aware or concerned.

The program code to be set there will be a configuration like;

• starting with "to reference business data",
• via "various arithmetic processing",
• end with "updating business data".

What kinds of "operations" are possible?

For example, in the case of "Questetra BPM Suite" which is a cloud based Workflow product, it is given the specification as "(*) capable of setting Server-side JavaScript (ECMA Script)". And the following operations are available.

• Basic numerical data operation (four arithmetic operations, square root, exponent, round-off, random number...)
• Basic character string data manipulation (join, split, reshape, extract, replace, search ...)
• Basic date and time data operation (addition, subtraction, progress calculation, day of week judgement, Japanese calendar conversion ...)
• Generation and analysis of JSON data
• Generation and analysis of XML data
• Sending HTTP request (data GET, data POST, OAuth2 communication, Basic authentication ...)
• Send SMTP request (send email, attachment file generation, convert character code ...)

* You can also use Java methods that can be handled by the Rhino engine, and Questetra extension methods. [R2300]
※ The details are HERE and THERE.

[Hours-worked report-Hours and minutes]

Episode 523: Tracking the Hours Worked on Cloud

This article has the improved version.

Amelioration of Excessive Work Hours

In the Japanese government, "health damage due to overwork" has been actively discussed. The rise of this discussion is not an exaggeration to say that triggered by the "new employee suicide for overwork" (2015) in a major advertising agency. And it is expected that a new rule will be added such as "at most of 60 hours of monthly average overtime work under whatever employment contract", within the next one or two years.

In companies and government agencies where work hours are over 220 hours a month persistently, it may be necessary to take various actions, such as "drastic review of business processes" and "consideration of adopting of deemed hours worked system".

Reference) Labor Standards Act of Japan

• Employers shall not have Workers work more than 40 hours per week, excluding rest periods.
• Employers shall not have Workers work more than 8 hours per day for each day of the week, excluding rest periods.

Learning by implicit instruction is also included to hours worked

Certainly, it is true that there are people who think "want to work more for learning and experience" (staying in the office) with a pure heart.

Today, however, "learning necessary for work" is also defined as working hours. Given the fact that the case of trying to disguise the working hours as short as possible by letting workers to report as "self-development" or "private information gathering", this guidelines may be "unavoidable".

Common recognition within the team about working hours

Hours worked is defined as "time that a worker is objectively evaluated as being placed under command of the employer".

However, taking into consideration the situation as described above, it is very effective to once again discuss the common perception of each department of each company regarding "how to measure working hours concretely".

For example, not only "preparation of materials" at home but also "learning of technology trends" should be measured as working hours. However, on the other hand, if a server administrator who is required to confirm the latest security trends, included the time for "checking the Web for information" and "subscribing to the email newsletter", all the awaking time could be the hours worked.

[Hours-worked report]

Episode 516: Method of Starting Workflow by "Email"

Happy New Year

New Year 's Days in Japan are "almost like holidays" from January 1 to 3, and will gradually return to "normal" from the 4th.

"Stock exchange", for example, it is decided to start trading (unless Saturdays and Sundays) on January 4th. (December 31 to January 3 are all closed holidays) Also, in the "Act on Holidays of Administrative Organs", December 29th to January 3rd is stipulated as "administrative organs holidays".

So, today (January 2), many workers in Japan are spending a lot of time doing nothing.

Whereas, if you are working as (*) a planner, you might want to put "inspired idea" on workflow even if you are on such a holiday.
* Reporter, Composer, New product planner, etc.

Business Process that can also be started by email

In the following Workflow, you can separately start [1x. Idea registration] by emailing, besides starting a Process" from [1. Idea registration] like other general application Workflow.

The point is where the person in charge of handling of the first processing Step (person in charge of Swimlane in which the first Step is) is decided by using the "From address" of the email.

Even though somebody might say 'if it is 'inspired idea', it is enough to just email to oneself'... If you understand this mechanism, for example, it can be applied to "Email linkage with other systems" etc. Taking advantage of consecutive holidays, you ought to try out "Business modeling" with the free version of Cloud based Workflow.

[Email Starting]

Episode 512: The Shortest Business Process in the World?

"I want to try business flow designing..."

In the world of "programming" it is said that "the only way to learn it is to write a program". In fact, everyone writes a program that displays a string "Hello World" at start learning programming. Similarly to this, "try to draw a Business Process" is very important even in the world of "modeling".

The following Business Process is started by "receive mail", and it ends with "chat post".

In the commonplace, a Business Process begins with some sort of "trigger", and several "Steps" follow after it. Whereas, there is only one processing step of "Post to chat" in this example. And, that is a "processing by computer" (automatic processing), so there is no "handling by human" at all. (What a heck!)

[Chat Post flow]

Episode 503: "Master Reference" is for Eliminating the Fluctuation! (kintone version)

"Want to manage the Customer Master in kintone!"

"kintone" is a Cloud-based Database that is popular in Japan. Comparing to the "Google Spreadsheet" which is likewise a simple Cloud-based database, it is easy to use for beginners of the Cloud computing even though it has some functional limitation.

And "Customer management" is one of the most common kintone use applications.


The following Workflow is a synchronization process for updating "Customer Master on the Workflow platform" in referencing "Customer Master on kintone". It is exactly the same flow of the previous article "Episode 502: "Master Reference" is for Eliminating the Fluctuation!". Automatically runs at five o'clock in every morning.

The only difference is that it refers to "the Master on kintone", instead of "the Master on Google SpreadSheet".

[Customer Master Synchronization-kintone]

Episode 502: "Master Reference" is for Eliminating the Fluctuation!

"Fluctuation" occurs frequently to corporate name!

Destination data in a Quotation or an Invoice differs like "Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation" or "Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp." or "NTT Corporation" ... Yet, the SELECT method must be adopted for an input form in Quote creation flow or Billing flow (instead of TEXT form). Otherwise, data that are not worthy to be aggregated would be accumulated, on and on.

Even though we manage so-called "Customer Master" in a Spreadsheet...


In the following Workflow, it is devised that a "Customer Master for Workflow platform" to be updated automatically with data in a Google Spreadsheet. The "Customer Master" will be maintained to be always up-to-date.

* The Auto-step (Service Task) referred to [Sheet reference] which is utilized here, will become available by feature expansion with [Addon XML] beforehand. (v11.1: 2016-09-05)

[Customer Master Synchronization]

Episode 489: Placing A Button for Measuring the Work Time Automatically

We do measure the translation work time, using a stopwatch!

Wonderful! That is too wonderful! They even measure to seconds... Moreover, they give a pause to the stopwatch for "Away Time" and "Interruption time". Yeah, yeah... "Recording of the exact actual work state" is essential for business improvement.

To the people like that, I would like to suggest a configuration to display buttons of "Start", "Stop", and "Clear" on the Input screen. With this configuration, you will be able to measure time easily without a stopwatch (or a Smartphone?). With this configuration, you will be able to measure time easily without a stopwatch (or a Smartphone?).

Above all, it is excellent that it works on the same "Work time" form (String type / hh:mm:ss), to which we used to input manually. That means you don't need to copy the Measurement result.

[Translation flow]

Episode 472: Detect Signs of Flu in Business System?

• My husband caught "Chickenpox"!
• My child caught "Flu"!

Anyone wants to reduce risks of "Infectious diseases to be prevalent in the workplace" to zero. Everyone wants the company to take the "appropriate measures against infectious diseases".

Speaking "Infectious disease", it differs widely. There are severe illnesses that have defined as "Category 1 infections" in "Infectious diseases law", such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever", extremely strong infectivity. Also there are infectious diseases such as "Chickenpox" an "Seasonal flu" which have been defined as "Category 5", and the countermeasures is left to each organization. (The national authority would take countermeasure against Category 1.)


The following Workflow is a modified version of "Attendance Report flow" which I had presented in "Episode 465: Attendance Management in Cloud-based Workflow!"

It is nothing special. I Just added an input form of "Questionnaire for signs of infectious disease (optional)" beneath "Time and attendance report form" which everyone inputs daily.

• I myself might have been infected with Seasonal flu, Rubella, Chickenpox, etc. (0/1/2/3)
• My family member might have been infected with Seasonal flu, Rubella, Chickenpox, etc. (0/1/2/3)
• 0: Almost no possibility of infection
• 1: Feel like the symptoms began to appear
• 2: I think the symptoms began to appear strongly
• 3: Test positive of infection

[Attendance Report flow]

Episode 465: Attendance Management in Cloud-based Workflow!

"We are trying to do all the work on Workflow. So please make Time and attendance reports also possible on Workflow!"

Attendance management (Time and attendance report) is performed by "Time card" in many companies. (Monthly confirmation)

However, if you are doing the routine work on the Workflow, you should consider how to make possible to report of "Coming to work" and "Leaving work" on the Workflow as well. Above all, it is significant that it allows real-time confirmation on the attendance of "Persons in positions of supervision or management" (Article 41 of Labor Standards Act in Japan). (Daily confirmation)

In this Workflow, a Task of "1. Coming to work Report" will be allocated as [My Task] to all the employees at 7 o'clock in the morning of every weekday.

Each employee will register the time of start working by clicking on the [Now] button upon starting to work to finish the Task of "1. Coming to work Report". (Of course, arbitrary time can be entered manually as well.) Likewise, handle the Task of "2. Leaving work Report" at the end of the day's work. Incidentally, in case someone forgets clock-out, the regular time will be recorded automatically. (For a day of regular time work, only reporting in the morning is enough.)

It might be rather a natural mechanism for a company in which a lot of "Teleworkers", "Remote workers" or "Outside sales people", etc.

[Attendance Report flow]

GPS Recording in Daily Report Process

'Certainly, Sales daily report is "sober reporting work". Yet, it is also a "very significant activities record" at the same time.' (Daily Sales Report Referring to Customer Master Data)

Corresponding to the above previous post, some people gave me a request that 'want to record "GPS information" as well, so that the value of the record would increase'.

Indeed. For example, suppose a salesperson is working in a style which making a report right after a visit using Smart phone. Then, the "Latitude and longitude information" (GPS information) which has been obtained in the Smart Phone ought to be utilized at that time. That "GPS information" will be very useful information as a record for supporting Salespersons. (GPS: Global Positioning System)


"GPS information" has become very easy to use, today. That is, many browsers now have a "function of acquiring GPS information", it is possible to acquire accurate position information even in a PC, not limited to the smartphone. In fact, this function (called "Geolocation") is the most popular function among the new display format "HTML5" (by W3C).


The following is an improved version of 'Daily Sales report' which I have posted before.

The only change is the addition of two buttons in [Input Hint] below the input item of "Activity Detail" (texterea). However, it is very useful.

• "A button for indicating Google Maps URL"
• "A button for pasting the indicated URL to texterea"

[Daily Sales Report flow (Geolocation)]

Daily Sales Report Referring to Customer Master Data

Certainly, Sales daily report is "sober reporting work". Yet, it is also a "very significant activities record" at the same time.

There is no way of analysis if there was no activity record of the month;

• when you think looking back at "month that sales were strong",
• when you think trying to remorse on "month that ended in failure".

For example, suppose if you try to analysis on what and to which client group you have been pushing as the entire Sales department. It will take a considerable time for "decent analytical materials" to be completed, even if you conducted hearings to each member.

The day-to-day Sales daily report, in other words, is important foundation material for considering" the next sales strategy".

To say so, it has no meaning if there were inaccuracies in input of "attribute of the customer" or "customer name" or "activities". On the other hand, if it took time and effort for inputting, it is preposterous. (It really is difficult...)

The following is a "very simple Business Process" which is composed of only "Visit record" and "Superior's comment".

Even though, I say that the excellent point of this is the mechanism of the input support. That is, it allows referring to"Customer Master Data", which is managed centrally on the Workflow platform, for the "customer attributes" and "customer name". Also, it is able to refer to a list of "Basic activities and Concentrative proposal activities" for "Sales activity".

[Daily Sales Report flow]

Using SaaS Workflow for Backend of Smartphone App for Business

'I leave the rest to you!'

In the article before, I introduced several patterns about 'Postal Matter system' as Backend. These were mechanisms which "Postal matter file and Addressee" are conveyed through

• An employee makes a request in the 'Input screen' at upstream Step
• Another Workflow transmits via API

On the Backend side, tasks of 'Printing out documents, Signature, Enclosement and post' are carried out systematically.

It will never depend on the circumstances like 'tough negotiation on descriptions in agreement'. It's a mission of a backend that sending by post, solemnly without mistakes without delay. (Truly a 'Behind the scenes role')

Well today, we often see or hear the word "Backend" in a phrase of 'Backend as a Service'. That is, focusing on development of Smartphone App which End Users face directly, and leave the processing on the Backend side to 'Backend as a Service'. That is, focusing on development of Smartphone App which End Users face directly, and leave the processing on the Backend side to 'Backend as a Service'. Therefore, the development period of the whole system becomes shorter.

There are a lot of needs for Smartphone App Development in the world of Business Apps.

For example, implement a BEACON transmitter in the office. A smartphone throws the time that detect for the first time of the day towards Backend as 'Attendance time'. Also, when it doesn't detect the signal more than two hours, it will send the time that beginning of not detecting towards Backend as 'Leaving time'. There are enterprises which actively utilizing the Apps that adopted Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for their Business improvement.

Then, into the following Workflow for 'Daily Report', what kind of APIs should we add to automatically incorporate these 'Attendance time' and ' Leave time'?

[Daily Report Workflow]

Workflow which to be Started at the External Environment Changes, e.g. "Power Utilization": part 2

General public to cooperate in the "power saving".

'Consumers' thoughtfully suppress 'purchasing', understanding the circumstance of the service provider (power firms). What a humble story... Contrary to the "economic rationality". However, now in Japan, many citizens are cooperating, recognizing the necessity of it. Especially the local government and public institutions, they must attempt the power saving initiatively. (Innovations for 'energy saving' and 'cost down for renewable energy' are being desired.)

In the previous article, we studied a mechanism of auto-detection, in which

• 1) a Workflow is launched in the morning on weekdays
• 2) it records the power supply and demand hourly (utilizing APIs)
• 3) it alerts if the usage rate exceeded '89%'
• and when it exceeds '94%', human will perform 'power saving procedure'.

This can be said that 'systemizing the crisis management manual'. If you use a cloud-based workflow, it will be built in three-four hours.

Yet, in this setting, we did not assume the business scenario, i.e. 'case that suddenly raising of power usage, 88% to 96% within an hour'. Realistically, it won't happen. (rare case) However, If it requires only few changes, we want to incorporate it into the setting. Now, how should we do?

[Power Saving Procedure flow] (Previously shown)

Workflow which to be Started at the External Environment Changes, e.g. "Power Utilization"

'Checking every an hour... 10 times a day...' (Loop)

It is really annoying though, I have to do... Since we are a public institution, so we must take the initiative to perform "Power saving". The checking operation I mentioned before, is about "power usage" which the electric power firm announces. Alert when the actual value of 1 hour average exceeds 89%, and if it exceeds 94%, 1) Turn off MFP and the shredder, 2) Turn off the hot water supply machine, 3) Turn off the office lighting, 4) Stop the elevator, etc..

Since '3.11' in 2011 (Earthquake & nuclear accident), power firms in Japan are publishing 'power usage' every 3 minutes (or 5). Despite in autumn or winter other than midsummer, the usage exceeds 90% once or twice a month.

Indeed, 'People who are really need the power' should be priority, but frankly, it is an annoying job. Even though I'm using Twitter and Email notification service, they don't totally fit our business. I wonder if I could manage, using APIs?

[Power Saving Procedure flow]

Create a Mechanism that 'Daily Report' which might have been Piled up, won't be so!

In the morning, a Task in the title of "Daily Report, Nov. 4th" is added in your 'My Tasks'.

Not bad...

If it were not for this function, you would have forgotten to submit 'Daily Report' on the half of the weekdays. (I'm sure about it.) Incidentally, 'Submit by the time you leave' is its rule. Submit it on the next day, even if you forgot. Even worse, in the morning after the next, at least.

However...

Although all the members are flowing a 'Daily' on this Workflow in their own way,,, I'm aware of something wrong in this function of [Automated Start].

That is, the mechanism is that the Task is automatically added to 'my Tasks' of all in every morning of Monday to Friday, whereas it will be piled up in vain when you took a few days off.
For example;

• Bereavement leave, major holidays, Christmas holidays, etc..
• Childcare leave, maternity leave, nursing leave, etc..
• (There might be irregular shift workers...)

Well, on the Reports for few days, you would have worked hard, one by one. But for amount of 30 day, 60 days, or even for one year, it is definitely impossible.

[Daily Report flow 1]