Automation & Workflow

Automation and workflow introduction

All companies (and individuals) have processes that they would love to automate. These could be the expenses form, the time management system for timesheets or anything that involves passing information from one person to another. Our automation product allows you to define all this without any technical knowledge. It is a web based system that will send e-mails, so approvals can be done by just clicking on an e-mail link.

 

Automating your processes can lead to huge advantages, to list just a few:

 

• More Secure - User ID and password protection ensures only the correct person makes the decision.
• Audit trial - Who did what to whom and when are all recorded
• History - User customisable views allow you to see all present and past activity, sorted to your preference.
• Location independant - No matter where your people are, the request is pushed directly to their e-mail inbox.
• Easy - just click on a button within an e-mail and you're done.
• Validation - Most data input errors can be stopped using our easy to use field validator.
• Export - The data can be easily exported to other applications such as Excel, for reporting.
• Reminders - If someone hasn't done something by a certain time, the system can automatically send a reminder.

 

There will be a growing range of templates for popular workflow applications such as timesheets, so you can be up and running in minutes. If you don't like the template, you can change it or wite your own from scratch. All with no technical expertise.

 

However, if you do have technical expertise (or know someone who does), then you can completely change things to be just how you like it, by supplying your own HTML and/or validation code.

 

A timesheet system example is shown below. If you want to be informed as soon as the system is ready, then add your e-mail address below. Or sign up as a new customer here, both methods are free and easy. Note that 42 Developments will never pass on your details to any third party.

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So why haven't you done this before?

Workflow as a concept can trace it's roots back to the 1920s and the first computer based systems appeared in the 80s, so it's been around for a while. Some of the reasons companies have not taken advantage of the approach are:

• Complexity - Some of the systems out there are insanely complex and difficult to use. Our automation product focuses on easy of use and rapid setup time.
• Your time - After spending 25 years building IT systems for businesses, we realise how busy you are and our automation product is designed to take as little of your time as possible.

Walkthrough of a time management (timesheet) application - Step 1, the logon

 

Although it's possible to have anonymous processes, you wouldn't normally want to do this and would normally insist that the person identifies themselves. You can add people to the address book or allow them to add themselves and can control things such as:

• Password strength
• Can the 'remember me' box be used
• Do you require an additional image to prevent automated logons
• Password recovery
• Who is allowed to use each workflow
• How many login attempts are allowed before the account is locked

Walkthrough of a time management (timesheet) application - Step 2, the workflow selection

If more that one workflow is defined for the logged in user, then a list will be displayed. You can also go directly to the workflow that you are interested in.

Walkthrough of a time management (timesheet) application - Step 3, the data views

The image above is an example of a data view. You can define the columns and have unlimited views. These views can then be placed in a drop down menu which is displayed to the left of the view as shown below:

 

To the left of the views is a multi level drop down menu of all the views available. For each entry you can decide who is allowed to see it. For example, you might only give the 'My staff' views to people who are defined as managers.

Walkthrough of a time management (timesheet) application - Step 4, the forms

The above image shows a data entry form for a timesheet application. Here John Smith has entered his time for the week and entered the optional comment to explain the reason why he is claiming for a Sunday. You can easy define forms with any number of data entry fields. Each step in the workflow can be defined to use a different form

Walkthrough of a time management (timesheet) application - Step 4, the e-mails

The above is an extract from the Outlook inbox of John Smith's manager and shows how easy it is for him to approve the timesheet.

 

Here Paul enters an optional comment and clicks on the approve button. This moves the workflow on to the next step and sends the originator (John Smith) a confirmation e-mail as seen below.

 

 

This could now be the end of the workflow, or it could then move on to a third step asking the accounts team to make the payment.

 

 

Build an apllication in ten minutes

With new computer systems typically demanding weeks or months of user's time and costing large sums of money, it's not surprising they never get off the ground. But how about if you could get one in ten minutes at an incredibly low cost?

 

Here's a typical process:

 

• Sign on as administrator and add a new application from a prebuilt template.
• Add your company logo and other details
• Add the people involved to the address book or import them from another address book.
• Review the attributes of each person added in the address book and their system access.
• Review the workflow steps to ensure they match your processes. If not add or delete them
• Review the forms & views and make any changes you might require.
• Review the e-mail templates and make sure that the content suits you.

 

Providing that you accept most of the defaults, ten minutes is not unrealistic!