Workflow Sample

Want to "move" to new system with "business data" of the past, together ?
It's the 'migration' that most of SIers hate. Customers of Questetra often ask question about it.

However...
In the first place, "the date of processed" of each Tasks is that important. It doesn't make much sense to move "business data" as final deliverable alone. No, rather you shouldn't move 'business data' at all... (Whoops, I shouldn't be curt that way. Some people want solution seriously.)

If you do want to migrate "business data" in your workflow to your new system, you've got to do is to setup a 'data spout'. For a concrete example, I will show you a process model in my latest article "Learn BPMN by 'Daily Report'". The workflow definition (Workflow Diagram) below looks like the same as the one before at a glance. But there added one strange Start point.

[Daily Report flow - Record Tasks]

"It is easy to understand a business by looking 'BPMN', but when it comes to draw, it is hard."
(BPMN：Business Process Model and Notation)

Yes, it sure is hard. But in other words, if people do not consider "A Work flow to be", they would never be able to draw forever.

How many work to do will come out in daily ? And how many more at Accounting period-end ?
Who to be processing ? How many personnel to do ?

In any how, knowledge of how the business flow are must eventually. Knowledge of 'IT' are rather not asked.

Well then, how could you let BPMN penetrate within the company ? There is no way but start drawing simple daily work in BPMN. If you are writing daily report or let your people to write, I recommend you 'Daily Report flow'.

[Daily Report flow]

The Workflow notation nowadays are easy to understand. (BPMN)
The most fascinating point is 'anyone can understand flow of works at first sight'. And it's also good that it is 'World's standard' De facto.

But in the other hand...
Employees who work on site can participate in the discussion, and exchange hot debate about 'Workflow to be'. As the result, Process owners will be in the situation that their adjusting ability to be asked. That's right, they can't be helped because it is what they are working for, but they can get Knowledge armament by reading "The Golden Rules of Business Process Modeling". Yes, BPMN is also an 'discussion tool'.

Now...
There is a request on Decision Making Flow, that an approver himself can add other approver before the approval. There are somebody to be asked to approve, even by the regulation (Business rule) does not require to do so. Behind-the-scenes work, or NEMAWASHI in Japanese... Well now, what you do?

[Decision Making Flow]

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]

Wireless LAN is convenient, though the initial configurations are troublesome.

" WEP is Dead and WPA implementation", 'MAC addresses limit', 'Multiple SSID operation', 'WLAN access control'... They all sounds complicated, and they comes one after another. Yet, BYOD is "Trend of the times".

* BYOD / Bring Your Own Device.

In this Cloud computing era, it is as a matter of course that 'Information System' is available from anywhere at any time. You cannot take advantage of Cloud Technology with the idea of only protecting your 'Information System' in closed communication network.

Android, iPhone, iPad, Nintendo(?), PSP(!?)...

# Just to mention for a precaution, for an "Information system which requires advanced security", there should be a policy such as can be accessed only from particular room (Security Zone).

To begin with, we would like to establish a application flow for 'MAC addresses* limit'.
Who and when requested connecting from which terminal device? Who and when has approved it? Who and when has configured the connection?
As a matter of course, it is ridiculous that accepting the application in 'papers' or 'email'. Lack of searchability, possibilities of mistakes, and extra labor for inputting. We are going to construct a business process which let the applicant enter the 'terminal device information' into Workflow, and enable to remand if necessary.

* Media Access Control address

[WLAN Connection request [2. Approval] screen]

When it comes to duties such as 'Facebook marketing', for example, I don't want spare any time to make Operating rules separately. The time I finish making the Operating Manual, the spec of Facebook might have been changed. Just give up Business rules or Manuals filled with words, you'd rather regard a Workflow diagram (BPMN) as business rule. You can bring it running right now. (That will also reduce the time for Boards meeting.)

By the way, posting to 'Official Facebook Page' can be done by email. With a setting of automatic email sending in the middle of the Workflow, the article through the "necessary procedures" will be automatically posted without misses. (Can attach Images as well!)

[Facebook Page Posting flow]

Monthly tasks to do.
For general employee, it will be submitting Attendance record, applying for Reimbursement of expenses, etc.
In other hand, for the managers of general administration department or sales department, maybe it will be to and so on.

The motivation is high for developing a Workflow on usual monthly processing of Accounting Department or Labor - Personnel Department, because many employees use it.
But, Workflow development on tasks for only few employees such as creating monthly trial balance and updating sales forecast, tend to be put off.

However, the meaning of designing those into Workflow, which make sales management operations into official records is very large. For example, new coming "Data Viewer" such as new coming executive can browse recorded data of business process of the past at any time.

[Sales Prospect Monthly Report flow]