Business Process Management Using Document Workflow

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Let's say you have to get an invoice paid

Let's say you have to get an invoice paid. The bill comes to you. Then it goes back out, for signatures. Then to your boss. After that, the Accounting department. Perhaps there are additional approvals. If someone misses a step, then the invoice doesn't get paid on time, or at all.

Or what about if you're responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for Information (RFI)? These are broad documents that require the help of many teams; they go through several versions and review cycles. How do you manage version control and approvals? What's the best way to organize, share, and record all that information? Or: If your processes are regulated by ISO standards or other compliance or legal requirements, there can be substantial cost penalties for getting it wrong.

All these seemingly overwhelming challenges can be solved by a simple solution: document workflow as part of business process management (BPM).

What is a process?

Simply put, a process is how you get work done. Everything you do at work has a process.

Every day, employees in your organization collaborate in processes. They involve creating, receiving, routing, reviewing, or approving documents. In some cases, the process is defined and routine; in other cases, it might be more of an "ad hoc" way of doing things.

No matter what your processes look like, automating how you get them done (which we'll call "workflow") can significantly cut costs and improve productivity. The best way to do this? Electronic document management.

Document Workflow tools make it easier

Each business is different. And electronic document management is fully customizable for your unique needs.

Electronic document management gives you control over your workflow, thus improving overall performance. All the tasks that drop through the cracks become second-nature when your processes are automated. Automation eliminates confusion and guessing, and promotes trust among stakeholders and managers.

Electronic document management systems help you create consistent yet flexible plans that allow employees to quickly build, manage, and support both simple and complex workflows. Once you've created a document workflow route, you can reuse and change it as needed. For example, if you need to build in another review cycle that can be easily modified.

All this automation provides consistency and structure, improving efficiency, accuracy, and accountability. No longer will paper based processes get delayed through user error.

Lastly, time is money: You'll save both.

How it can help your business

Document management systems offer tools for collaboration, document version control, notifications and workflow, voting, and more.

You'll be able to automate both small and large steps, including yes and no decisions, and custom actions, enabling you to automate everything from simple vacation requests to complicated vendor submissions involving numerous people and hundreds of documents. You can even include "pause" steps that let you build in additional time, like waiting for a package delivery.

Here are some other examples that show how online document management can streamline what you do every day:

-Set task time limits so workflow doesn't lag

-Use reminder messages for workflow steps, ensuring users stay aware of critical time limits

-Assign alternate workers to workflow steps as backup

-Override a workflow if there are unexpected snags

-Immediately view which tasks have been completed and which are still pending

-Attach templates and other related documents to workflow routes so users don't have to search for them to complete a task, and to ensure the right documents are used

-Monitor workflow progress and access workflow history

-Keep track of workflows that you've submitted

Process shouldn't be a scary term. It's something that should be simple and seamless. With tools like electronic document management, endless review cycles and bottlenecks can be yet another relic of the past.

by: Carin Moonin

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