Workflow Sample: Meeting

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"I can't see how many man-hours inside..."

"Visualization of operating costs" is an important subject in the corporate activities. Moreover, a wide variety of expression technique should be possible by the evolution of Information Processing Technology and Communication Technology of today.

"GPS logger", moving path can be seen (Move map)
"Thermography", heat distribution can be seen (Infrared thermal image)
"EVM graph", budget history can be seen (Completion transition graph)

* GPS: Global Positioning System, EVM: Earned Value Management

"Hmm, I want to visualize it somehow..."

However, on the other hand, how to collect the information of "Actual work time", which is essential data, would be the major challenge when you want to put "internal man-hours" as the theme.

[General-purpose work request - work cost]

'I want to experience "Workflow", but don't know how should try it out with which business.'

Especially, it would be worrisome if you 'want to try as an organization' rather than 'trying alone'. For example, supposing if you want to put 'Daily reporting' on Workflow to achieve paperless, it is pitiful for the testing people as they must do the both of conventional manner and Cloud manner during the test period.

The following is a "General work request flow" that is often set at the time of trial for a Workflow product.
It can be used in the operations that is not "Workflow & paperless". That is, if you brought this template into operation as a Workflow, you are able to experience that throwing various requests to the member of the company. And also people on the side that has received the request can experience that "My Tasks" are accumulated gradually to the Workflow product.

'Please create icons for the new product.'
'I'd like a review on the created material.'
'Can I ask you the data extraction from the previous ad?'

Insidentally, although this "General-purpose work request" is a workflow which has been introduced here and there, the exceelency of "General work request flow" here in this article is the indication of "Time cost" on the screen for making request.

(Even though I cannot express very well,) it makes you 'hard to ask a request' in a good sense. (You cannot make request so freely.) In other words, you will become more precise in making requests.

<Time cost> (criterion)

Officer: $100 /h
Manager: $75/h
Regular employee: $ 50/h
Part-timer: $ 25 /h

[General-purpose work request]

In the previous article, I introduced Japanese "Civil Procedure" and a Process Diagram of it.

The following represents trial process of "Criminal Procedure" in Japan.

This Process Diagram will be helpful for understanding the outline of Criminal Procedure, its "Three-trial system" and the "positioning of the Summary Court". Also, it will help to aware of the "difference between Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure" by comparing with trial process of Civil Procedure.

For instance, it has not generally been recognized that an appellate against the "first instance in Summary Court" moves to "High Court in a Criminal procedure, whereas it is brought in District Court in Civil Procedure. Or else, recognition by the Flow chart will promote understanding the difference which "submission of Indictment" by prosecutor will trigger a Criminal Procedure, whereas "Filing of Complaint" by plaintiff will do a Civil Procedure.

"Process Diagram" is indispensable in understanding the "rules" whatever it is the law statement or the company regulations.

<Reference>

[Criminal Procedure flow]

Most of what is called "rule" are described in "text".

Law
Administrative Procedures
Company regulations
School regulations

And therein, the "flow of the procedure " is also described.

Needless to say, the costs for "understanding the entire rule" would be significantly reduced if there was a"Process Diagram". The Process Diagram, "Deliberation Process on the Bill" which I have introduced in the last article, is also very useful for understanding the Japanese legislative rules.

The following Process Diagram, which I am going to introduce this time, is "Court Process for Civil Litigation."

The "judicial rules" in Japan has been drawn there, and it can be said that is an effective figure for understanding the "Three-trial system" or "positioning of the summary court". For example, if they have embedded this diagram onto their website, it would surely contribute to the understanding of site visitors.

Incidentally, please be noted that the following business Process Diagram is described as being limited to "ordinary suit" (legal disputes between individuals) within the "Civil Suits". (Not includes Criminal procedure, Administrative litigation, Patent litigation, Domestic Relations Cases or Juvenile Cases)

[Civil Suits flow]

'I see, In Japan, Laws are established through the deliberations by both of "the house of Representatives" and "the House of Councillors".'

If you want to let someone to understand this basic framework (only), the Business Process Diagram (Workflow Chart) which I introduced before contains too many information. I can hardly say that it is easy to browse / to understand. That is because it describes a variety of details of Flows that may happen.

Indeed, even though it has been described focusing on "pathways which may realistically chosen", I cannot hardly say that it is easily to understand (e.g.) the notable "Flow of 60 days rule", which is a measure for the conclusion by re-vote in the House of Representatives when deliberations in the House of Councillors were prolonged. Further consideration will be needed if it is used for "Civics textbook" or for "newspaper article".

The following Business Process Diagram is a simplified version of previous Business Process Diagram.

This also can be said that a flow chart for explaining the "backbone" of the Business Process. Although some part of "procedures actually possibly occur" has been omitted, there is no inconvenience in understanding the mechanism or to check the status of deliberations. (Cases that the succeeding House passed the bill with alteration, etc.)

[Bill Deliberation in the National Diet-2]

"The establishment process of the bill is hard to understand."

Japanese laws are created in the Diet of Japan. Anyone knows that. However, when it comes to "How they are created?"(rules and its procedure), it is not easy to explain.

In the first place, there are various tasks for the "business" of the National Diet other than "examination on the bill", those approvals to such as "budget" and "nomination of the Prime Minister" or "conclusion of a treaty", and resolutions including "motion of no confidence". These Business Processes resemble to each other, but there are also differences. For example, steps like "re-passed by the 60-day rule" which is told by the media on a daily basis recently does not exist in the procedure to determine the "budget".

The following is a "Process for examination on bills". The function of "Deemed rejection" (60 day rule) can be understood well.

By the way, in the "process" here, so-called "consensus-building process" of the parliamentary Steering Committee is not included. (Such things are too complex to write...)

[Bill Deliberation in the National Diet]

There is a term of "Business Process Improvement".

A person who speak of it in abbreviation BPI, may be a severe 'Improvement-maniac'. Nevertheless, to keep on delusioning a vision of a 'Business Process' To-Be on the daily basis, is wonderful. After all, After all, Day-to-day operations of all would be a subject that should be improved along with the progress of science and technology. A "Business Process Management System" is merely a tool to help for conceiving the improvement idea. No improvement, no growth!

Well... I have covered the Business Processes that employees to submit their 'Improvement proposals', so far. Those are in the following two articles which explains effective frameworks for an Organization to accumulate improvement ideas.

The Sample before the last: Framework in which employees themselves can enter their improvement proposals voluntarily at anytime
The last: Framework for letting the workers to submit improvement proposals forcibly

However, ideas always come up suddenly. Particularly, a good idea that I hit upon, it comes up always on unfavorable occasion... In my bed, in shower, or even in the bathroom... Then, the next moment, it starts to evaporate into the air.

On such a scene, you'd better type it down on the email apps in your Smartphone.

In the following Business Process definition sample, I have added a trick that on receiving an email of 'scribble of an idea', it will be saved as a draft in [My Tasks] of the sender. That is, you will brush up your 'scribbled idea' into a formal 'Improvement proposal' to submit, when next time you are at your desk.

[Improvement Proposal flow (Designation / Email start)]

The purpose of Business Process Management (BPM) is 'Continuous Business Improvement'.

Indeed, if you create a "Business Process Definition" once, business data will be passed efficiently, and be accumulated with less noises, under the name of Business Standardization. That makes you feel like as if your business has been improved magnificently. However, on the other hand, suppose if you continue using it as it is. The way of proceeding your business will become stale soon, and it will no longer be able to keep up with changes in the market environment.

It is needless to say, but it is desirable that improvement proposal of "Business process Definition" will keep on springing naturally from inside the company, in order to achieve continuous improvement. That is, by their free will, employees should continuously submit improvement proposal, such as;

What if changing [the Business flow] to ******?
How about changing [the notes on Operating screen] as ******?

In the last article of "Business Process for Business Process Improvement!?", I have considered about an environment in which all the employees can propose at anytime.

Whereas, it is still difficult to continue pointing out the improvement challenges realistically. So today, we are going to discuss about a mechanism which you can let workers submit improvement proposals forcibly, by expanding the previous sample.

[Improvement Proposal flow (Designation)]

Want to improve Business Process. Everyone thinks so.

Want tochange the 'flow'.
Want tochange the 'data items'
Want to change the "team formation"

Having said so, there are not many supervisors who understand (a) What is 'to be improved'? Suppose some of them have acknowledged several challenges, there are quite less supervisors who understand (b) which improvement is on high priority now. Furthermore, suppose some of them knew the priority, supervisors who know (c) how to improve the, are very rare...

Even if there is a platform (BPM System) to improve the Business Processes, it is human that actually makes changes in the rules.

Unfortunately, it is a long way to go to the days when a computer would give proposals for improvement to humans, understanding the company policy, personality of the members, and the situation of society, etc... All we can do is to start to recognize the points which should be improved.

a. Recognition of what to improve.
b. Consideration over the priority.
c. Formulation of improvement policy (consensus)

The following Workflow is a Business process which the workers at their work site propose 'what to be improved' to help their supervisor to 'a. Recognize what to improve'. Even if all the employees make their proposal once a week, quite a lot of 'things to be improved' will be accumulated.

Incidentally, this is, "Easier said than done".

It might be taken to devise such as:

All the proposals will be rewarded with $ 5.
Monthly commendation of MVP (Most Valuable Proposal)

[Improvement Proposal flow]

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

There is no one to explain the Workflow to.
There is no one to monitor the progress of the Issues flowing there.

However, please reconsider well...

[Timed Email]

[The Intention of the company] is determined by the board of directors.

In many cases, it is decided through the "deepening of the discussion". Or rather, the typical pattern is that the president tried to convince the directors, and over the discussions like "this or that" beforehand, finally it is determined at the Board of Directors. As a matter of course, it is recorded only "as the result of careful deliberation, the proposal was approved without objection" in the [Board minutes]. Such as the initial opinion of each director and complicated interactions will not remain in the official records.

Yet, the most [important information] is the "process" till the determination.
It is "the process" till the determination, that information which directors of the future would want to read.

The following workflow is a system that each director can record their opinions independently. First, select from "-2, Disagree", "-1, Somewhat Disagree", "0, Neither Disagree nor Agree/ Pending", "+1, Somewhat Agree", "+2, Agree". Then record their own opinions freely. Anyhow, it will be operated separately from the "minutes" which prone to formalism. That is, it is utilized for the assertion of opinions and ideas before the meeting, or to record the post-discussion opinion and thoughts over the discussion after the meeting. It is definitely different from mere "electronic voting system".

[Opinion Expressing flow]