Workflow Sample

"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]

There are many occasions to write "Address data" in business.

Step of "Inputting mailing address of invoice" in Billing Process
Step of "Inputting answer data" in Questionnaire aggregation Process
Step of "Inputting the location where inspection was conducted" in Elevator maintenance Process

etc... Staffs in a variety of sections are inputting "address data" in their day-to-day business.

The following Workflow definition is a Business process for databasing "collected Name cards / Questionnaire paper". A large amount of business cards and questionnaires paper that have been acquired at exhibitions or events, etc. will be databased.

The inputting screen has been implemented a mechanism of automatic enumeration of candidate addresses by "partial input".

What is excellent in this Process, is that it refers "postal code data, including large offices" (about 150,000) for its refining search. That means, if you type a part of the name of a government office or a major company, all of the rest of information such as "postal code", "address", and "the name of the company", will be indicated for assisted input.

* Japan Post Co., Ltd. has assigned dedicating postal codes for each large establishment that receives massive deliveries.

In addition, when you type "otsu city hall", it will indicate

"otsu city hall" and
"izumiotsu city hall" as the candidate.

[Personal information databasing]

More than 10 years have passed since the technology of "Web-API" attracted attention.

The Web-API, in layman's terms, is "Web server that responds to the data request". * Application Programming Interface

Suppose if, preparing an environment in which anyone can refer / collect the latest information that changes from moment to moment such as "Weather information", "Exchange information", "Stock quotes", "Postal code", "Power usage", at any time hopefully for Free, information systems around the world will evolve more and more. Web-API may be said "foundation technology of data infrastructure".

And the development of "data infrastructure" is the key to develop human society. (It's something like "traffic infrastructure" (roads) that people and vehicles use.)

However, for the time being, there is almost no "useful Web-API" that can be used for free.

In the first place, there is almost no "benefits for the side which continue providing the information". (You can't attach advertisement...) And yet, it must endure against the enormous amount of Requests (+ attacks) from computers around the world. (Even though no doubt that it is "the reason why those are the seeds of new business"...)

December, 2015.
In such situation, Japanese Government (National Tax Agency) is going to start an information reference service for "Corporation Number" (Individual Number Act). It is referred to as "Corporation Number system API". It has two major functions. I want them working hard by all means,(at all costs).

A Obtain corporate information by '13-digit number'
B Obtain updated corporate information by specifying 'period'

The following Workflow Definition is a mechanism to call "Corporation Number system API" in the middle of the flow.

[Web-API-Corporation Number]

'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)]

"We will sincerely correspond to your voice"

Easier said than done. Actually, sometimes it might be impossible to "Immediately respond to customer voice". Suppose if you set up a framework to dynamically scaling up the "human resources", it will have its limit. No, wait. First of all, the policy of "simply increase manpower" will lead to "increase of cost". Consequently, it will not be for your customers.

Hmm, what truly is "corresponding sincerely"?

"ISO 100002" will be a great hint. That is, focusing on "making continual improvement by PDCA cycle for Complaint handling process". (It may also be said that to increase the maturity of the organization.)

Specifically speaking, it is to capture and to record the progress between the completion of answering to the customer, from the acceptance of the opinion and demands from customers. And then, continue to improve the "flow of Complaint handling process" or the "Work Manuals".

ISO 10002: Quality management (Customer satisfaction):
Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations (2004)

The following Workflow Definition is a very simple "Complaint handling process."

* You may refer to as "Claim handling process" or " Inquiry handling process", as well.

To begin with, you run this simple Workflow for "Customer voice" for a week or a month. And then you will conduct the first Process alteration based on the accumulated handling records and actual experiences. Thereafter, iterate the improvement cycle.

In addition, it is excellent that it refers "Customer Master". If you have prepared the "customer master", operators will be able to input "customer name without fluctuation", easily.

[Inquiry Correspondence process]

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]