Background: A regional consultancy used a standard timesheet package to track all employees' time. Although the package included many features for special rates and hours, it had no workflow functions. The consultancy complained that it didn't use the special functions, but spent hours every week trying to get timesheets gathered on time, and correcting and approving errors in those sheets. One member of the accounting staff was fully dedicated to correcting errors in project and customer codes prior to billing. And the forms, database and reports of the system all required proprietary programming knowledge.
Problems: - Each person filled out timesheet form on his computer
- Accounting reminded everyone each week to fill out and file the form
- Forms were filed via the local area network, and reports were available
- Managers were responsible for reviewing reports - accounting chased them
- If time entered was incorrect, manager called employee and got it changed
Solutions: - Every Monday timesheet forms for prior week are issued automatically via email
- If a sheet is not returned by Wednesday, the system prompts the employee and advises his manager
- When a sheet is returned, it is automatically sent to the manager for approval
- Timely approval by managers is also tracked and prompted
- If a manager rejects a sheet, it is returned with his comments automatically to the employee
- Approved sheets update the central database
- When all sheets are in, managers receive reports for their employees
- Finance and executive management gets complete report every week
- The workflow, database and worksheets are modifiable by the company - no black box here
Complexity: 5
Features: - Using Excel data validation drop-down lists loaded from central database
- Form approvals allowed only at manager level
- Database calculations used to create unique sheet IDs
Author: D. Gleason, Nobilis Support staff (
contact)
Product Launch Application
Description: This application tracks progress on product development and project status. Color-coded spreadsheets are routed to participants, who complete and send to a manager for approval via the Nobilis process engine. Reminders are sent at predefined intervals.
Download |
More details
Approvals Application
Description: This process sends images to appropriate managers for approval. The process engine tracks follow-ups and re-sends the image(s) until a response is received. The process runs continuously, and actions are triggered by changes to records in a central database.
Download |
More details
