Implementing your workflow applications

TWO Consult has gained a great deal of experience in implementing workflows running forms that are filled with valuable information. It is over 10 years now since we first created our first workflow engine in Lotus Notes, which has made possible numerous standard applications (Non-Conformities / Corrective Actions, Audits) and specific applications (complaints, customer returns, product modifications). More recently, we have developed the TOBFlow tool, an Open Source workflow engine, in partnership with Audaxis. And now, thanks to our expertise with Microsoft platforms, we are also able to offer workflows based on SharePoint / Workflow Foundation.

Workflows, yes, but good ones!

Too many businesses embark on workflow projects thinking that all they have to do is buy a tool, carry out a test on a simple case such as applications for holiday entitlements, and then it will be easy to create as many workflows as necessary to simplify administrative tasks. Very often these initiatives fail because users reject them: the forms are incomplete or not clear, users have no idea where other documents required are located and real cases need to be dealt with differently than was first thought. It all makes for tough going and no valid information can be gained from the exercise, etc. As a result, major modifications have to be made if the tool selected is not to show its limitations.

Our experience has shown that the work involved in developing the workflow (activities, transitions, statements, etc.) represents no more than 20 to 30% of the workload, with the bulk being in the business analysis of the process, establishing a consensus among the parties involved and developing user-friendly forms with links between the forms themselves and to the company data.

The quality of the tool is then important for designing and developing useful workflows; we believe that it must allow workflows and the associated forms to be modelled together, and hence in particular to:

define the fields of different types and position them in the form,
define how the fields behave (visible, editable) according to the status of the document in the workflow,
define sections and/or tabs in the form corresponding to the stages of the workflow,
insert a list of other elements in the form providing direct access to other workflow forms or to external databases,
synchronise with different workflows, etc.

Progress through workflows

Being able to respond quickly to events, share information and take advantage of experiences, whether good or bad, is one of the keystones of customer satisfaction and improvement. Which is why there are processes going through the whole organisation that deal with documents such as:

requests for improvement, corrective actions, incident sheets, progress sheets, non-conformities, etc., which are required by management systems,
complaints, returns, requests for product modifications, purchase requests, experience feedback, creating new customer, etc., to fulfil critical business requirements. They are sometimes used to collect and validate the data to be entered into the company’s ERP system.

The way these documents are processed can be greatly facilitated by workflows such as those we are recommending. Each member involved within the company can then make a better contribution, based on his or her responsibilities and skills, to the rapid circulation of information and the quality of management. The processes, better synchronised as a result, can then be shortened and made more accurate. The numerous tasks carried out by the people involved are better coordinated. The completeness of the forms makes it possible to structure the content for retrieval at a later date, as well as analyse the information they contain and extract indicators.

Implementation project

The project is designed to meet the objectives above.

Contact us to receive the full details of our workflows project methodology…