Hello, this is Hayashi from the Marketing Department
As a matter of course, companies perform many tasks on a daily basis. Some of these tasks, however, may leave you wondering, “Is that really necessary?”
Are you bothered by formal processes and procedures that have no value, but are done because you have always done things that way or because it’s too much trouble to change?
In this issue, we will explain how workflow can be used to remove these meaningless tasks from business operations and refocus on efficient, productive business processes.
Value vs Waste Part 1: Going Paperless
In recent years, an increasing number of companies have been streamlining and going paperless in order to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
However, it is not uncommon for many people to feel that paper-based communication is inefficient and frustrating, but they cannot stop their bosses from rubber stamping and circulating documents.
Why Can’t We Go Paperless?
At my former company, all product proposals and advertising designs had to be checked by the president.
So the president said,
“I’ll look over all the documents!”
And then, for some reason, even the managing director said,
“I’ll look over all the documents too!”
and eventually it became a rule that all documents were circulated to the president and the managing director.
The company was a mail-order manufacturer with about 300 employees, but the number of documents circulated to the president and managing director was quite large. Even a small rough draft of an advertisement had to be circulated from the leader to the managing director to the president, and it took about a week before it was returned. However, the president had ordered this ineffective circulation process, so no one could do anything to stop it.
Well, this is an extreme example, but I think there are many cases where people simply cannot change their long-standing habits (i.e. it is troublesome to change them).
Successfully Going Paperless…
On the other hand, many companies have found that going paperless has helped them improve operational efficiency and cut costs.
For example, in the case of Sanshin Electronics Co., Ltd, which has introduced Questetra BPM Suite, it is reported that they have reduced their administrative costs by 50% by making their ordering and application processes paperless. Similarly, Vital Information, Inc. also reported a reduction of 20 hours per month of work time in their administration department by using Questetra BPM Suite to make their order approval process paperless.
In addition, according to a survey conducted by the Japan Management Association in 2021, more than 80% of the respondents indicated that going paperless in the workplace is beneficial (from the 2021 Survey of 1,000 Businesspersons [Status of Paperless Implementation] by the Japan Management Association).
Read more about going paperless here.
Value vs Waste Part 2: Is This Meeting Really Necessary?
Speaking of pointless work, conferences and meetings are another example.
Of course, there will be meetings and conferences that are absolutely necessary for business purposes. In addition, now that remote work has become commonplace, there are times when face-to-face communication is important. However, if the number of meetings and the preparation of materials for meetings are becoming too burdensome, it may be necessary to rethink the way things are done.
Young Employees Burnt Out on Documentation
This is a different company from the one I mentioned in Part 1, but at a publishing company I used to work for it was common to see young employees staying up all night preparing materials for meetings. After the meeting was over, the employees, exhausted from preparing the materials, would lie down on their desks and sleep. It is not uncommon to find employees burdened with the task of preparing materials for meetings.
But is there any other way to share information without having to go through all that trouble? Or rather, is it necessary to hold a meeting just to share information?
Even for small-group meetings, if the content of the meeting cannot be conveyed in writing via email or internal social networking services, but the purpose of the meeting is to share information or to listen to the boss, it may simply be a waste of time.
Use Open Chat for Smooth Information Sharing
Speaking of information sharing, Questetra BPM Suite has an internal chat function called “Open Chat”.
A major advantage of chat tools is the ability to share information in real time. In Open Chat it is possible to attach files and send mentions to specific people. In addition, you can check business details from the Open Chat screen with simple operations, post messages from the workflow task processing screen, and link to the business processes you have established in a variety of ways.
Open Chat will facilitate the sharing of information and reduce wasteful meetings and conferences.
Also, with Questetra BPM Suite, business processes can be easily changed and shared. This eliminates the need for meetings and conferences due to changes in business procedures.
Questetra BPM Suite Enables Business Processes with Real Value
Reviewing the business process by examining the tasks that are not really necessary is essential for improving business efficiency and productivity, and for reducing costs. If the burden of waste is reduced, employees will be able to focus more on their primary tasks.
So, what should we do to abandon worthless work habits and build beneficial business processes?
This is a long preface, but if you utilize Questetra BPM Suite it will be easier to construct business processes that have genuine value. Questetra BPM Suite is a BPM tool that automatically executes the business process according to the business process diagram created on a PC.
Questetra BPM Suite shows business processes in the form of a diagram. This makes it easier to find redundant parts of a process and makes it easier to validate, change, and share processes.
In addition, Questetra BPM Suite is a cloud-based software, so you can access the same system as in your office wherever you are, as long as you have an Internet connection, and perform the necessary tasks at the necessary time. Another advantage of Questetra BPM Suite is that you can start using it immediately without any troublesome procedures after applying.
Why don’t you take the first step toward building beneficial business processes with Questetra BPM Suite by taking this opportunity to start with a free trial?
