A recent survey shows that more than 55% of senior managers spend one full day per week on doing repeated manual tasks. These manual tasks can be eliminated so that the creative minds of the managers can be focused on multiple business prospects. Let us discuss how to eliminate manual work and also increase the productivity and business prosperity.
What is workflow:This can be simply defined as a series of activities that are necessary to complete a task. If we look closely we can find that every organization whether they are small or big depends on a series of tasks that has to be carried out in a systematically streamlined pattern to complete a process.
A traditional example here is when an employee needs a new item he has to go through different sections and process. First he has to write a requisition form, including specification and the cost. This should be reviewed by his supervisor or manager to approve it. Then it goes to the accounts department. Once this is checked by the accounts it might go to the senior manager for the final approval. Once it is approved the purchase department will collect quotes from a chain of vendors and then the quotes will be collated and again send it back to the senior manager and the accounts to finalize the lowest quote and then a purchase order is created and the purchase will finally be made.
What is Workflow Automation:A very simple everyday example can be sited here. Whenever we get an unsolicited email it bypasses our inbox and goes straight to our SPAM folder. We do not have to open every email, read it or delete it or report it. Because all activities of deleting and sending the junk to SPAM happens automatically.
In an organization most of the creative minds are killed every day while laboriously creating Expense reports, purchase orders, acquisition forms, monthly payroll process, Capex and Opex calculations, insurance calculation and documentation, financial auditing and employee onboarding and much more. Business operations can be tedious and document-heavy. Documents get passed from one department to the next, requiring approval or changes at each stop can be automated by using a simple software so that they seamlessly keep moving from one phase to another.
Which industry needs it?Any type of industry using lot of documents and involve in lengthy processes like creating requests, approvals, filling forms, new application forms, contracts, agreements and so on needs automation process to streamline their bloodline. Legal, banks, financial institutions, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, real estate, universities so on to exemplify.
Time savings:Recently we came across a hospitality management company with 50 plus hotel properties where they were processing 20 plus contracts every month from each hotel. Almost 1000 contracts were being processed every month excluding lease and legal documents. The task was so cumbersome and monotonous to do manually and they could not afford for any mistakes and delay. They realized that they are spending lot of money and man hours on these repetitive tasks. They were looking for the right solution which can automate the whole process from creating a contract, processing and send for approval and finally with a signature in a short period.
They are very happy that our Ultra Workflow helped them to ease their pain. Ultra Workflow has been designed keeping in mind every pain points of various industries face in streamlining their workflow process. It is a total tool which can do end to-end process of the whole workflow from creating, modifying and sending to hundreds of external vendors for review and approval. It enables both the client and the vendors to interact and modify whatever they like, triggering reminders, deadlines and automating escalation. They are now satisfied to realize that they could able to save 20 to 30% time and cost. Most of their team members involved in doing these repetitive administrational work are highly relived and were assigned to more productive work.
Multiple Access facility:One of our customers thought that it is highly impractical to expect their vendors to register with them to login each time to receive their documents like RFQ, Work Orders, new contracts, agreements and so on. The External User feature in our Ultra Workflow helped them to login and review your document and do some changes if they need and help to set the document complete. It is an interactive workflow process where multiple vendors can participate in making and completing the contract or any document for approval.
Tracking:Since the process is lengthy and needs to be modified often we need to keep track of the status of the document every now and then. Ultra Workflow keeps watch and track the document from starting to end. You can check where the document got struck, remind and alert the person to approve and escalate so no tasks fall in to the cracks.
Digital Signature:The next challenging part is getting signature. We need to print, scan and courier the documents to the customers and they have to do the same thing like print, scan and courier them back. If the customer is not in the office, he has to hunt for printing, scanning and couriering. We have to wait for the signed document. Ultra Workflow avoids this delay and enables electronic signature. Your customer can electronically sign the document wherever he is and whatever device he uses.
Creating comprehensive Documents:The advanced scenario is some customer has the need to professionally prepare document before sending for the approval. Creating comprehensive documentation for a system at the beginning is difficult and has many setbacks. For example if your team spends months documenting their requirement, analysis, design and test cases and by the time you completed it will be already out of date. Ultra Workflow cut short the process and the time and helps you to combine documents and adding Riders and so on.
Document Preparation:Ultra Workflow also helps you to prepare documents by merging changes, and converting the updates in to presentable formats before sending for signature.
Building/Modifying the content across teams:Ultra Workflow helps you to make changes by including or deleting few texts and modify documents by different teams including your customers. For example legal documents and contracts may require various changes before signature
Gathering Data:This is an advanced scenario where several of our customers have the need to capture the data first, and then format it into a PDF or a Word document, and send it through several steps of approval process. Ultra Workflow helped them to solve this issue.
