500 Applications Per Month Completely Digitized! Reduced Labour and Eliminated Printing and Mailing Costs
Main Business
General gas pipeline business, etc.
Industry
Electricity and Gas
User Department
Company-wide application processes, departmental administrative tasks.
About the roles of the company and department
Toho Gas Network Co., Ltd. is an infrastructure company that supports local communities and industries by supplying city gas. The Pipeline Department & Engineering Center, Negotiation and Design Section handles the front-line duties of receiving various applications and consultation requests from external design firms.
As part of their specific duties they handle daily tasks such as receiving requests for gas pipe drawings and surveys of buried gas pipe structures. They then forward the necessary information to the relevant internal departments, and, after the investigation and confirmation are complete, they provide a response.
Business Issues
The Negotiation and Design Section is working on reviewing and improving its overall workflow, as well as implementing and operating various new tools, in addition to its daily tasks. Based on the challenges we’ve encountered while managing day-to-day operations, we have been exploring ways to improve efficiency and gain better visibility into our processes. Specifically, we’ve felt the limitations of using a paper and email-based system to handle over 500 applications per month.
The Toho Gas Group as a whole is also prioritizing business digitization as part of its broader DX (Digital Transformation) strategy. As a department, we strongly recognize the need to actively drive these specific initiatives.
Issues Before Adopting Questetra BPM Suite
When handling applications, we previously used a paper-based system.
Applicants had to fill out, print, and mail their forms. On our end, we would receive, review, and distribute the documents internally, then print and mail a response. This process was extremely burdensome. Not only was each task time-consuming, but the lead time for mailing, the effort of printing and filing, and the need for physical storage space created a significant workload.
With over 500 applications per month, we were spending a massive amount of time on administrative tasks alone. It was also difficult to track the status of each application, making it a challenge to visualize progress and expedite our responses.
How We Learned About and Chose Questetra BPM Suite
We compared several tools while considering a complete review of our workflow.
Among the options, Questetra BPM Suite stood out because it allowed us to design business processes using visual diagrams and its cloud-based operation.
Additionally, the fact that another department had been using it for about 10 years gave us confidence in its reliability.
The most significant factor was its ability to build workflow applications with no-code. This meant we wouldn’t need to rely on the IT department, and as the people who fully understood the on-site operations, we could instead freely design and adjust the workflows ourselves. This ability for rapid improvement was very appealing.
Another major reason for our decision was the user-friendly web form feature for applicants. We felt it was so intuitive that anyone could fill it out without getting confused.
Questetra BPM Suite Solution and Implementation Process
We began our digital transformation by tackling two specific tasks: requests for drawings and surveys of buried structures.
We started by organizing our workflow for each process. We then defined them as a formal process and converted them into workflow applications using Questetra BPM Suite.
With our new system, applicants submit their information through a web form. This data is then automatically assigned to the relevant internal department. When an employee completes an assigned task, the process automatically moves to the next step.
This has nearly eliminated the need for our previous paper, email, and phone-based communication, significantly improving both the speed and accuracy of our work.
Additionally, the progress of each step is now visible in real-time, allowing us to track the entire process and ensure consistent handling of every application.
Benefits of Implementation
Quantitative Benefits
By fully digitizing more than 500 applications per month, we were able to eliminate tasks related to printing and mailing, such as preparing envelopes, tracking mail, and managing physical storage. This resulted in a reduction of several dozen hours of work per month.
We also completely eliminated all costs related to printing and postage.
Qualitative Effects
The user-friendly web form has nearly eliminated inquiries from applicants. Previously, we received frequent questions like “How should I fill out this field?”, but we no longer receive any.
We’ve also received a lot of positive feedback from end-users, with many saying they appreciate being able to complete the entire application and response process without having to visit our office. This has made the experience significantly more convenient for them. The increase in operational speed has also been well-received, with users commenting that they now get a response much faster.
Useful Features of Questetra BPM Suite
What we find particularly useful is the high degree of customization for web forms. Information entered into the forms can be captured in the exact format we need, which makes our internal processes much smoother.
Additionally, the standard feature for managing the status of ongoing projects is a major help. We can see at a glance what stage each project is in, which prevents us from missing any steps.
Another significant benefit is that, as a cloud service, it allows us to check and respond to tasks from anywhere. This gives us the flexibility to work without being tied to a specific time or location.
Message to Companies Facing Similar Challenges
To any company that feels the limitations of a paper and email-based workflow, I encourage you to give Questetra BPM Suite a try. Since you can build workflow apps without any coding knowledge, your team can take the lead in improving your processes.
What’s more, the support from Questetra’s customer service team makes the barrier to entry much lower than we expected. Initially, we were worried about whether it would work for us, but now it’s an indispensable tool for our daily operations.
You can start with just one business process. I believe that taking that first step will lead to your next major success.
* This case study is based on information from the time of the interview.
