Workflow Sample

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 [Add-on XML] 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 [Script Step] with self-made [Auto-Step].

[Translation Process-Add-on]

A) A document before translation
B) A document after translation

Want to record the "number of characters" of these automatically.

If "a human is required to count the number of characters", you will never implement this operation. However, if "a Workflow system would tell the number automatically", you might think of leaving it as a record...

In "Questetra BPM Suite", a Cloud-based Workflow, you can easily add automatic processing of the following, since Auto-step icons have been incorporated in it in advance.

To combine string A and string B (M227)
To Sum numeric A and numeric B (M227)
To generate a PDF by embedding strings into Template PDF (M228)
To store files at Google Drive (M229)

However, in order to automate an operation like this example of "Count the number of characters", you were required to place a versatile automated Step referred to as [Script Task] (Script Step) (M230), and to set Scripts (ECMA-Script/JavaScript) as its property. (As of Ver. 11.0)

[Translation Process-Characters Counter]

Processing a particular "Business data"
Converting a particular "Business data"
Retrieving the number of characters as a property of a particular "Business data"

Basically, a "Workflow system" automates "transactions" of Business data. I want to automate not only "transactions", but also "Tasks themselves" as far as possible.(To be unmanned) Especially, for "Mechanical routine"...

In "Questetra BPM Suite", a Cloud-based Workflow, using a feature of Auto-Step which has equipped originally, it is capable of server side processing, such as

To combine String A and String B (M227)
To sum Numeric A and Numeric B (M227)
To generate PDF file embedding strings to a Template PDF (M228)
To back up files tin Google Drive (M229)

However, it won't do for a "Processing that is more unique" even a little bit.

The "Character number counter" in the following Workflow is an automated Step that is, for example, to count the number of characters in String type data of X which has been entered at upstream Step, and to store the number into a Numeric type data item. (All done on the Server side) For such a case, you need to place a versatile Step which is referred to as [Script Step] (Script Task: M230), and to set a Script (ECMA-Script/JavaScript) into it. (as of version 11.0)

[Character Number Counter]

Day-to-day work is full of Team passwords...

When you install a wifi router, you configure "Admin password". When you apply for online printing service, you register a "Business account". When you just buy a scanner, you are demanded "User registration". Despite I have grown up having been taught "Never share your password" since my childhood, there are lots of passwords that are inevitable to share in the real adult life! (And, top secret files are stored in the file server of the company...)

The following Workflow is a Business Process for managing "Team password".

You may regard it as a "Password manager" of an organization. It is devised to disclose a password after ten minutes when an employee makes a request. All the information, such as When it was used, Who used it, and Which password, will be recorded. (Moreover, "Password change" by the administrator will be recorded, as well.)

[Password Request]

In many companies, "Client lists" are managed with spreadsheet software.

And I just think that "Google SpreadSheet" and "kintone", which are Cloud-based database, are utilized more and more now, comparing to 10 years ago when "Excel files" had been created as a matter of course. After all, at a reasonable price (or even for Free), you can enjoy the benefit of convenience,such as

Accessible from anywhere at any time
Minimize the risk of data lost
No need to duplicate data to carry
Access logs are preservable depending on the service plan

It would be grateful especially for the small and medium-sized and micro enterprises.

[API communication]

Moreover, you will be able to build a mechanism which an external system to refer a "Client list", using Cloud-based database. (API function: Application Programming Interface)

The following Workflow is an automated flow for retrieving a "Client list on Google SpreadSheet" into Workflow platform. In this example, "Client list" will be automatically synchronized every night at one o'clock. (The flow itself is almost the same as Synchronization with kintone which I introduced previously.)

[Client master Synchronization - SpreadSheet Integration]

"Are you transcribing the banking logs?"

Every bank in Japan give you a booklet referred to "Passbook". When you insert it into an ATM, all the records of deposit and withdrawal will be printed on it fine and clear. However, as long as the "Passbook" is a paper booklet, people who are accessible to the information in it are limited. Yet, it is cumbersome to enter the data into "Bank book.xis" manually.

The following Business flow is an operation of exporting account activity to Google SpreadSheet.

It is a mechanism that automatically appending to specified SpreadSheet when importing "Account activity" which can be obtained through online service provided by the bank. In this example, a Script has been set to retrieve a tab delimited file in a format referred as "ANSER-API" which is widely used in Japanese Banks.

I would call this as "Online Passbook"... Isn't it convenient?

[Activity Log Registration]

"Too many input fields!"

Dissatisfactions for a Workflow system, many of them are "labor for data input". However, it tends to increase the number of data which is "inevitable to input", for continuing Business Process improvement. Then...

It might seem surprising, but the most efficient burden reduction measures is "to enable to Click-input for some common data". Although nothing is better than to experience actually, the work efficiency becomes very good if one click entry was possible even for five or ten letters. And you will feel so good, if you can input one after another to a lot of input forms that have placed in a row.

The following sample is an altered version of "Button input", which I introduced to you previously, by adding "a button for automatic generation and input of a password". By arranging such a button, you will be able to correspond to a work such as, for example, "issuing a system account" with concentrating.

Reference) Episode 481: Devising of "Button Input" to Input Form

[Test flow for Input Form 2]