Automated Flow Control & User Notifications for Business transactions

To complement the EZ-Process family and to support & optimize the daily execution of business transactions, the EZ-Workflow module provides automated transaction routing and network-based tasks notification to users for all steps in workflow route/process. Including conditional routing capabilities made possible by its internal rules-based engine, EZ-Workflow also provides deadline management and application invocation (Baan and others). Very efficient in complex and time-consuming approval processes (Requisition, PO, Expenses, etc...) or any other human-intensive tasks, it enables significant productivity increase by triggering each tasks as the one before just ended, eliminating the non-productive delays between them. The web-based feedback and electronic signature enable real-time transaction tracking for each tasks in progress, and enable detailed audit trail of "Who did What When".

Functions & Features

EZ-Workflow Management Dashboard module (Client)

• ability to define unlimited customized workflow routes for different business proces
• route steps can be configure to support
• application-driven task (application invocation)
• user approval task (approve/reject feedback with ad hoc notes and electronic signature)
• manual task
• task notifications to users can include detailed work instructions (ISO, QA regulations, internal policies, etc...)
• once the initiation of the workflow route is performed, all scheduling/dispatch and completion of steps are automated by the EZ-Workflow engine (server-based)
• conditional routing rule-based engine includes
• automated workflow route selection based on transaction attributes. Each transaction (Ex.: Baan Requisitions) are not only registered and initiated for Workflow execution without human intervention (real-time triggering), but the rule-based engine will identify the appropriate route based on defined transaction attributes (Ex. Select route R2 if amount of PO > $15,000).
• conditional step execution based on transaction attributes. Once initiated for workflow execution, each route steps will be executed or skipped based on transaction attributes (Ex. Perform step #2 and skip step #3 if amount of PO > $15,000), enabling conditional flow branching (and/or modes).
• notification emails can be configured to launch applications or invoke content based on user selection
• Workflow exception handling includes the following resolution modes
• instance Manager can resolve rejected step
• instance Manager can forward rejected step to selected user (ad hoc dispatch)
• instance Manager can redirect the current workflow execution to a chosen route step, enabling selected steps to be redone (workflow re-routing)
• instance Manager can abort the rejected step, thus resuming the workflow route with the following step
• instance Manager can abort the route, thus closing the workflow execution for this instance
• supports the user "substitute" concept enabling validated delegate to act upon task notification
• each step completion can be accompanied by a user note (free format) kept in history of transaction
• real-time monitoring of on-going tasks to identify bottlenecks and inactive transactions/steps
• instance statuses includes
• Registered (application data imported but workflow execution not yet initiated)
• Active (fully initiated instance; under the control of the workflow engine))
• Suspended (workflow exception needing resolution by instance Manager)
• Closed (all workflow steps completed successfully for instance)
• Archived (moved to archive database for auditing)
• full audit trail for each Business/Baan transaction, including detailed steps information (Who did What When) and the transaction data (Baan or others)
• detailed instance monitoring & history is available also in a browser format, enabling Expeditors/Auditors to lookup instances status using only their standard browser (zero-client)
• customizable labels to customer own terminology/standards
• flexible reports generation of instances by status, by instance owner/Manager, etc
• Workflow user types
• Workflow Administrator (workflow environment setup & maintenance)
• Workflow Manager (monitoring of instance and resolution of workflow exception)
• Workflow Auditor (monitoring/auditing of instances)
• Workflow Executor (users responsible for the tasks execution)
• Workflow Resolver (resolution of workflow exception)
• Ability to complement any instance with multiple documents (multi-formats) & web-links
• Ability to add ISO documents/web-links to workflow steps to insure continuous employee training and the quality of the step execution
• Ability to add "For Your Information" users on workflow steps, to keep these informed by email when a workflow step is triggered
• Ability to send pager notifications (Mobile Messaging) to trigger user to act on "Urgent" workflow steps
• Ability to register multiple format instances ( *.doc, *.xls, *.pdf, *.rtf, etc...)
• Visibility of instances statistics (elapse time per step, per instance life cycle, etc...)
• Graphical view of workflow route and current Workflow-in-Progress (WIP) status
• Graphical editing of workflow route with conditional routing rules

EZ-Workflow FlowControl module (Server)

• usage of existing email infrastructure to transmit the workflow task notifications to users, enabling users to be informed of any transaction tasks even when traveling or using a shared computer (not their own)
• CGI-based workflow engine enabling task completion/feedback triggers, tasks comments and user electronic signatures to be managed by an HTTP channel (web-browser)
• the generic channels used (refer to above items) eliminate the need to install a client application for all tasks "executors", reducing significantly the IT installation/maintenance cost and broadening the range of users that can contribute to the tasks execution
• online "Worklist" enables installation free interface to access user tasks. The browser-based Worklist enables also detailed investigation of the instance (transaction info, route info, history info, user notes, etc...) and completion of step.
• task notification types
• task notification to users
• exception/escalation notification to instance Manager
• completion notification to instance owner
• deadline overdue notification to instance Manager
• task triggering/scheduling modes
• task notification to selected user
• task notification to selected user and his/her substitute
• task notification to members of a work-team
• task notification to role-based group of usersAbility to view online history of instance via web browser
• Ability to view online history of instance via web browser
• Ability to view online route steps information related to a specific instance
• Ability to flag selected workflow instances as "urgent" to accelerate/prioritize flow execution
• Workflow Deadline Management triggering Overdue notification to Manager when instance has been idle for a period longer than a preset value (different for "urgent" vs "normal" instance)

EZ-Workflow integration with Baan (IV and ERP-5)

• ability to capture Baan generated Requisition/PO/etc and initiate appropriate workflow route
• ability to notify specific user that the workflow route has been completed to trigger a Baan transaction to be executed
• ability to launch Baan session when task notification has been set as "application type" (BW middleware and Baan server access required)
• ability to receive from Baan key data attributes enabling the rule-based conditional route/step execution
• automated merge of external application transaction data (Ex.: Baan Purchase Requisition or external application data) into the task notification email, eliminating the need for the user to open the application to see the transaction data (useful in approval and manual tasks)

Technical Infrastructure

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