Original Japanese version

Hello, this is Hayashi from the Marketing Department.
Suddenly, not many people like to work overtime, do they?

If it is also wasted overtime, even more so.

At my former company, long hours of overtime work were the norm. It was common practice to stay at the office until late at night just to check in with your boss or wait for the return of circulated documents. Looking back on it now, we wasted most of that overtime. There were many people who worked overtime to make up for their low base salary, and there was even one particular person who spent all his time at his desk making origami “turtles” to kill time (unrelated to his work, of course).

This is an extreme example, but even though sweatshops and death from overwork have become social problems, the reality is that there are still many company employees in Japan who usually return home late at night. Both workers and companies should not want to work overtime if possible.

Therefore, in this article we will explain how to reduce overtime work by improving business processes, using actual examples. Even the turtle maker in the above example, would not have to do this kind of overtime work if the company’s operations were made more efficient, leading to higher salaries.

What is the best way to reduce unnecessary overtime?

Operations need to be optimized to improve efficiency and reduce wasteful overtime.

The meaning of the word “optimization” varies depending on the situation in which it is used, but when used in the context of optimizing business processes, it refers to:

• reviewing and improving business flows and procedures

Below are some examples of operations that we would like to optimize if possible.

1. Time-consuming approvals, applications and requests for approval
2. Past cases that are difficult to refer to
3. Obviously wasteful work, such as duplication of work or duplication of effort
4. Where only the person in charge knows about the work
5. Where it is time-consuming to communicate with external parties

These are issues and problems that we see a lot in our operations.

So how can we review these points?

In the next section, we will provide examples of how we have successfully optimized operations and reduced overtime.

A Case Study of Reducing Overtime Work by Optimizing Operations
(From a case study of Ichijo Sendai Corporation)

A custom-built housing manufacturer, Ichijo Sendai Construction Co., Ltd. had a problem with excessive overtime work by site supervisors.

FAX Communication Becomes a Major Burden

In general, various types of construction work are outsourced to outside subcontractors for the construction of custom-built houses. In addition, these subcontractors are subject to a wide variety of procedures, such as requests, inspections, and payments.

The company’s business process involves reporting, communicating, and confirming these procedures by fax, so it was necessary to improve efficiency in the following areas.

• Burden of documentation (site supervisor)
• Too much time and effort required to send faxes (both site supervisor and subcontractors)
• Need to return to the office only to check the faxed documents (site supervisor)
• Burden of follow-up confirmation when faxing errors occur (both site supervisors and subcontractors)

In addition, fax communication not only caused excessive overtime for site supervisors, but also delayed construction work due to the difficulty of checking the status of the work.

Automate, Digitize and Optimize Operations

First and foremost, in order to optimize operations in this case, it was imperative to make the fax-based operations paperless. Therefore, the company decided to introduce Questetra BPM Suite to automate and digitize operations.

Specifically, construction plan data is input into Questetra BPM Suite, and PDF files of documents such as request forms and notices are automatically generated accordingly. These files are automatically sent to the subcontractors via email, greatly reducing the workload of the site supervisor in creating documents and communicating with external parties. The subcontractors can also simply reply to the email with a simple comment, and the work proceeds more smoothly, as they can report the completion of construction and notify the client of the billing process.

Files generated by Questetra BPM Suite are also automatically saved to Google Drive. This means that the foreman can now check the contents of documents on his smartphone or tablet while on site. There is no longer a need to return to the office just to check an incoming fax.

Challenges Solved by Optimization

Ichijo Sendai Corporation has succeeded in drastically reducing overtime work for site supervisors by optimizing operations.

As many of you may have noticed, the company’s case study included issues such as:

• More efficient communication with external parties
• Easier reference to records and tracking of progress
• Improving inefficient operations

This applies to the operations we mentioned at the beginning of this article, which we would like to optimize if possible. We have already mentioned that the company solved these issues by utilizing Questetra BPM Suite and Google Drive.

Although not directly mentioned in the company’s case study, the problem of time-consuming approvals, applications, and requests for approval can also be solved by eliminating paper documents through automation and paperless processes, thereby eliminating the need for a rubber stamp. In particular, cloud-based BPM tools and workflow systems can speed up the application and approval process, as they can be used anywhere as long as there is an Internet environment.

Questetra BPM Suite to Support Business Optimization

Questetra BPM Suite, introduced in the case study above, is a cloud-based BPM tool.

To begin with, BPM tools are software that supports the progress and improvement of business operations in accordance with the concept of BPM (Business Process Management). BPM is a business management concept that aims to keep business processes constantly optimized through the PDCA cycle.

In other words, it is inevitable that Questetra BPM Suite, a BPM tool, was used for business optimization in the case of Ichijo Sendai Corporation. Business optimization is the process of identifying problems and issues in business processes and improving them, and BPM tools play an important role in this process.

For example, with Questetra BPM Suite you can draw a business process diagram on the computer screen and proceed with the business automatically according to the diagram. In addition, it is easy to refer to past cases as data related to the business is accumulated. Such convenience in business visualization and data reference makes it easy to identify issues and problems latent in the business and strongly supports the optimization of the business.

Optimization of operations has a direct impact on improving the workplace environment, such as reducing overtime work, and leads to improved corporate performance. Why don’t you take this opportunity to take the first step toward optimizing operations to reduce wasteful overtime with Questetra BPM Suite, which you can try for free?

Hello, this is Hayashi from the Marketing Department.

In the previous article we discussed how spreadsheet-based operations can be improved from a business process management (BPM) perspective. That article was mainly about how to improve business processes within a team.

However, there are cases where business processes are not limited to those within the team, but also include those outside the team (clients and business partners, etc.). In addition, these processes may involve exchanging files and data with external companies.

Cloud storage such as Google Drive and Box are useful tools not only for sharing within a team, but also for such external interactions.

In this issue, we will discuss BPM methods and business process improvement using BPM tools with specific examples on the theme of external interactions utilizing cloud storage.

The Importance of Sharing in BPM

The details of Business Process Management (BPM) have been explained in the previous article, so I won’t go into them here, but in general, BPM is:

• A business management approach that continuously improves business processes through the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle

and the 4 components are,

1. Business modelling (definition and visualization of business processes)
2. Execution of operations
3. Monitoring of process status (grasping the situation)
4. Analysis, problem detection, and process improvement

Now, two types Sharing will be the major points in improving business processes through BPM.

The first is the sharing of business processes within the team, which is essential to the execution of operations described above. The other is the process of sharing documents and data in the business process.

In many cases, sharing such documents and data has become a business challenge. In the next section, we will introduce an example of business process improvement by reconsidering sharing from the perspective of BPM.

Sharing via Cloud Storage

In the case of Ichijo Sendai Corporation, it was reported that by reviewing the exchange/sharing of documents with external parties, operations were greatly improved.

The company is a custom-built housing manufacturer specializing in wooden houses, but in the past, communication with subcontractors involved in the construction of houses was handled by fax. This was in order to handle the wide variety of procedures involved in the construction of houses, including requests, inspections, and payments. However, each time a report, communication, or confirmation is made, a large number of documents are naturally created and sent. This was a huge burden for both companies, leading to excessive overtime work for site supervisors and delays in construction. This is a problem stemming from the sharing of documents.

The company therefore embarked on a fundamental review of its construction management operations and began to improve processes using Questetra BPM Suite.

Questetra BPM Suite is a software (BPM tool) that supports the progression and improvement of business operations based on the BPM concept. In this improvement activity, the linkage between Questetra and Google Drive was an important point.¥

In the new construction management process using Questetra, documents such as construction request forms and inspection acceptance notification forms, which were previously prepared by the person in charge and sent by fax, are now automatically generated as PDF files by Questetra and automatically sent to subcontractors via email.

Upon receiving the file via email, the subcontractor simply replies to the email with a brief comment ( which was previously done by fax), and the completion report and invoicing notice can be sent. At the same time, Questetra automatically generates the related documents (completion reports and invoicing notifications). The generated files are also automatically saved to Google Drive, so that the person in charge can check the documents with a smartphone or other device even when they are not in the office.

Results of Reviewing Sharing Procedures in BPM

Ichijo Sendai Corporation, which introduced Questetra BPM Suite and improved its business processes using BPM methods, achieved the following results.

• Reduced the burden of paperwork
• Eliminated the need to return to the office to confirm receipt of faxes (significantly reducing overtime work)
• Reduced the time and effort required to exchange documents with subcontractors
• Significantly reduced construction delays due to fax omissions, etc.

The key point of this business improvement is that the sharing of documents for construction management, which used to be done by fax, was made more efficient by linking Questetra BPM Suite, a BPM tool, with Google Drive, a cloud storage system. The effect was not only to reduce the time and effort required for document preparation, transmission, and confirmation, but also to drastically reduce overtime work for site supervisors and construction delays.

Further Improvement by Integrating Questetra BPM Suite and Cloud Storage

Incidentally, the Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Foundation, which also utilized Questetra BPM Suite to streamline its purchasing process, cited the following reason for choosing Questetra BPM Suite over other workflow products:

• Questetra comes standard with functions that can be integrated with Box

As more and more companies and organizations are utilizing Box for their business operations in recent years, Questetra is also strengthening its Box integration functions.

Cloud storage, which allows access to files and data from anywhere with an Internet environment, is a tool that can be used on its own to improve business efficiency. However, as shown in the above case study, when considering further streamlining and improving business processes, including file sharing via cloud storage, integration with BPM tools is an effective option.

Why don’t you start with Questetra BPM Suite, a free trial of which is also available, to connect with BPM tools that will take your business on the next step towards improving efficiency by implementing cloud storage?

Original Japanese version

Hello, this is Hayashi from the Marketing Department.

Today, many companies utilize a variety of tools on their PCs, ranging from simple programs such as Word and Excel to workflow systems that manage the entire business. Without these tools, many companies would not be able to conduct their daily operations.

Furthermore, in the past few years there have been major changes in work styles, as typified by remote work. Many companies are reviewing their business processes (work flow and procedures) and re-selecting the tools used in their operations.

BPM (Business Process Management) is an effective business management method for reviewing and improving such business processes. The use of appropriate tools is an important aspect of business process improvement.

In this series, we will examine how typical tools used in the office can be used to improve business operations from a BPM perspective.

In the first session, we will discuss spreadsheet software such as Excel, based on actual examples of business efficiency improvement.

What is BPM (Business Process Management)?

BPM (Business Process Management) is a business management approach that continuously improves business processes through the PDCA cycle and consists of the following four elements:

1. Modeling of business operations (definition and visualization of business processes)
2. Business implementation
3. Process condition monitoring (monitoring the status of process conditions)
4. Analysis, problem identification and process improvement

The purpose of BPM is to constantly optimize business processes by repeating these elements. If a system is established in which the status of business processes is constantly checked and problems are immediately corrected when discovered, errors and retention will be reduced, and business can always proceed efficiently.

In addition, the field’s ability to independently identify and improve operational issues and problems will help improve organizational capabilities.

For more information on the relationship between the PDCA cycle and BPM, please refer to this article.

Relationship between BPM and Tools

We will now discuss the relationship between spreadsheets and BPM.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Excel

Many companies use Excel in their operations.

One of the advantages of Excel is its versatility; it does not require special knowledge to write or save data and can be handled by anyone. Spreadsheet software such as Excel is indispensable, especially for administrative tasks that involve tabulation.

In the past Excel had weaknesses such as:

• Difficulty sharing files in real time
• Multiple people could not edit a file at the same time

However, with the advent of Excel Online, a cloud-based service, these disadvantages have been improved considerably.

However, when Excel is used by itself, the time-consuming process of adding and deleting information is a point where there is room for improvement.

It is not uncommon for the updating process of opening an Excel file, entering and deleting information, and so on, to become a burden on the business process. If this work is done manually, there is a risk of input errors and omissions.

In the next section, we will discuss the possibilities of integrating tools based on a case study that successfully improved the efficiency of tabulation operations from the perspective of BPM.

Manual Input into Spreadsheet Software Becomes a Burden on Operations

In the case study of Impress Professional Works Inc. it was reported that the company succeeded in going paperless and improving efficiency by utilizing Questetra BPM Suite to handle inquiries that were previously handled by paper-based systems.

The company’s conventional inquiry response operations had the following problems:

• Time-consuming data entry and tabulation
• Difficulty keeping track of progress

This was due to the fact that the company used to manage and tally the status of responses using paper inquiry response forms, and the data necessary for tallying was manually entered into a spreadsheet software program by counting the number of inquiry response forms. In addition, it was impossible to confirm who was in charge of which case and how the case was being handled without asking the person in charge about the progress of the case.

Therefore, the company introduced Questetra BPM Suite, a BPM tool, and embarked on full-scale business improvement.

What is the Right Tool for BPM Promotion?

Questetra BPM Suite and other BPM tools are software specialized for promoting business and operational improvements in line with the concept of Business Process Management (BPM).

Software known as BPM tools or workflow systems are characterized by their ability to approach the entire business process, for example, a BPM tool can easily do things like:

• Schematize business processes and automatically execute operations according to the diagram (modeling and execution of operations)
• Real-time display of the progress of operations and the workload of each person (monitoring)
• See how long it took to complete a process (analysis and problem detection)

Now, the figure below is a sample screen of a business process visualized by Questetra BPM Suite.

Questetra visualizes the progress of operations in real time, so the problem of struggling to grasp the progress status described in the above section is easily solved.

Real-life Examples of Business Improvement by Linking Tools

On the other hand, the company solved the other problem of time-consuming data entry and tabulation by linking the tools together.

This was done by using the ability to link data from Questetra BPM Suite to Google SpreadSheet, and the company has built a business process so that inquiry data is automatically added to Google SpreadSheet. The integration of these tools has greatly reduced the time and effort required for data entry and tabulation.

Smoothly Implement BPM with Questetra BPM Suite

As in the case study described in the section above, the options for business process improvement can be greatly expanded by linking BPM tools with other tools. Furthermore, it cannot be overlooked that such improvements are greatly influenced by the BPM concept of visualizing business processes, monitoring the processes, and identifying and improving issues and problems.

As mentioned at the beginning, Questetra BPM Suite is a BPM tool that supports business progress and process improvement in line with the concept of BPM. These BPM tools are indispensable for the smooth implementation of the BPM method.

Questetra BPM Suite, a cloud-based BPM tool, can be used immediately after application, and a free trial is also available. Why don’t you take this opportunity to improve your business processes by BPM with Questetra BPM Suite?

Original Japanese version

Hello, I am Hayashi from the Marketing Department.
Who hasn’t experienced an inadvertent mistake at work?

As human beings, it is difficult to eliminate 100% of these mistakes.

However, sometimes a small mistake in work can develop into a major situation that could affect the company’s credibility, so error prevention is a major issue regardless of industry.

In this article we will explain how to create a system to prevent work errors in the context of business processes.

What are the Causes of Work Erarors?

Careless mistakes are often caused by a lack of attention. Forgetting a task that needs to be done or skipping a necessary step are examples of such mistakes.

So why do these mistakes happen? The causes can vary. For example, if fatigue is causing a loss of attention and concentration, taking appropriate breaks may help prevent mistakes.

However, if there are problems with work procedures or the work environment that are causing frequent errors, then these need to be reviewed from the ground up.

Problem #1: No “check” process

If no one in the business process checks the work (deliverables), then;

• Establishing a “checking process”

…may help to reduce errors in the work process.

The figure below shows a business process diagram for handling inquiries.

At first glance, there appears to be no problem, but there is no checking step in this process, and no measures are taken to prevent operational errors. This could result in a response email with errors or misspellings being overlooked.

Therefore, we will improve this as shown in the figure below.

By designating a third party to perform the checks, errors can be detected at an early stage and their effects can be prevented from spreading.

Another method is to incorporate processes such as double-checking if a simple check is not sufficient. However, it is also important to keep in mind that checking also costs time, labor, and other costs, and to be careful to avoid unnecessary duplication of work.

Problem #2: Operations are not Standardized

On the other hand, there are cases in which each individual has his or her own way of doing the work, which may cause work errors.

While veteran workers can perform tasks according to the procedures that are easiest for them, newcomers have a disadvantage in that they find it difficult to understand the correct procedures.

Even those who know the work well may make mistakes due to carelessness caused by familiarity, and performing work without a clear understanding of the procedures is a high-risk activity.

Therefore, standardization of operations is necessary.

Standardization of operations means extracting the best business procedures at that point in time, and then creating manuals so that everyone can follow the same procedures.

If standardization is properly implemented, it will be easier to avoid mistakes caused by lack of knowledge or experience. However, even if a manual is prepared for a person who is familiar with the work, he or she may ignore the manual and skip processes that are not considered necessary or cut corners in less important processes.

This disregard for manuals is troublesome because it may lead to more efficient work for the employee, but if this disregard for manuals becomes the norm, it is hard to understand why manuals exist.

Therefore, it is important to constantly optimize the work process by promptly improving the manual when a problem is discovered or a better method is found. By taking the initiative in this process, each member of the team will have a sense of ownership, and a culture of compliance with the manual will be fostered.

Establish Business Processes to Prevent Work Errors

Now, we have discussed the causes of work errors and their solutions. As many of you may have already noticed, preventing work errors is closely related to improving business processes.

For example, whether it is improving or restructuring a business process to include a checking process, or extracting the best procedures and creating a manual, such work cannot be done without first gaining a firm grasp of the entire business process.

What is needed is visualization of business operations.

The modelling of business operations is intended to make it easier to grasp the flow of business operations by presenting a graphical representation of the flow. In the above section, process diagrams without checking processes and process diagrams with checking processes have already appeared, but these are business process diagrams (workflow diagrams) drawn in BPMN notation.

For example, the figure below is an example of a basic business process diagram drawn using BPMN. The “process” part actually includes specific tasks, but this diagrammatic representation allows anyone to intuitively grasp the flow of the entire business process.

Other business processes can also be represented visually to obtain advantages such as the following:

• Gain a bird’s eye view of the entire business
• Make it easier to identify problems and issues

For example, bottlenecks in operations (points where operations have become stagnant) and unnecessary duplication of work, which have been somehow overlooked, may become clear at a glance when they are depicted in a diagram.

Automate Operations to Prevent Work Errors

On the other hand, there is a solution to avoid human error, although it may sound a bit rough, which is to not have humans perform the work.

For example, if the work involves data collection, entry, and processing, one approach is to introduce RPA tools and have robots take charge of these tasks. Of course, there is a cost involved in introducing RPA, but the advantage of RPA is that by having a robot perform simple tasks on behalf of a human, the human can focus on more important tasks. Robots do not lose concentration due to fatigue, nor do they make mistakes because of it.

Another effective way to prevent work errors is to use BPM tools to automate the progress and management of the entire business. In the case of Sanshin Electric Co. Ltd. which uses Questetra BPM Suite for order management, it is reported that the introduction of BPM tools has not only reduced input errors but also succeeded in reducing costs.

Questetra Helps Build a System to Prevent Work Errors

In the above section, we discussed two types of software: RPA tools and BPM tools. Roughly speaking, RPA tools are tools that automate specific tasks that are part of business operations, while BPM tools automate the progress and management of the entire business.

However, there are cases in which the handing over of tasks becomes an issue when introducing RPA tools, for example. This is because there are cases where it is time-consuming for a human to give work instructions to a robot or for a human to receive the results of work done by a robot.

However, these issues can be solved by linking BPM tools with RPA tools.

This is a collaboration in which the entire business process is managed by the BPM tool and the process by the RPA tool is incorporated into the BPM tool. This linkage automates the work transfer between humans and robots and enhances the effectiveness of RPA tool implementation.

Questetra BPM Suite, introduced in the case study mentioned above, is a cloud-based BPM tool that can be widely integrated with RPA tools.

Reference: Collaboration between BPM Workflow and RPA Tool

Questetra BPM Suite is available for free trial. Why don’t you start by visualizing and reviewing your business processes with Questetra and practice preventing work errors?

Are companies making progress in DX?

※ According to the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan’s DX White Paper (2021), about 54% of companies are working on DX (based on a company-wide strategy). Compared with 79% in the U.S., the number of companies promoting DX in Japan is still small.

By industry, both Japan and the U.S. are seeing more DX in the information and communications industry, the financial industry, and the insurance industry (although compared to 91.0% in the U.S., Japan’s ICT industry lags far behind at 57.5%). On the other hand, Japan’s distribution, retail, manufacturing, and service industries have low ratios and have not made much progress in DX.

Source: DX White Paper 2021, Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan
（Copyright DX White Paper 2021（2021） IPA）

※ Survey target: 534 companies in 26 industries (manufacturing/non-manufacturing) within the scope of the METI Information Processing Survey. Survey period: July – August 2021

What will happen if we don’t work on DX?

The 2021 edition of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ White Paper on Information and Communications measures the relationship between a company’s level of DX promotion and its sales. (The degree of DX promotion is defined by classifying the level of progress from 1 to 3 based on whether or not the company is working on the development of an internal organization and vision for DX promotion, as well as external collaboration.)

The chart below shows the increase/decrease in sales (in FY2020) by the level of DX progress, with companies with higher levels of DX progress reportedly reporting higher sales compared to the previous year.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, White Paper on Information and Communications 2021

The report also simulates the impact on sales if DX were to progress to the same degree in Japan as in the U.S. As a result, it is estimated that sales in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries would increase by approximately 5%.

In other words, it has been shown that if DX is not addressed, sales growth will be sluggish and if it is addressed, sales growth is likely to increase.

What is needed to promote DX?

Digital transformation (DX) is the use of digital technology to adapt organizations and businesses to changes in the external environment (technological innovation). This creates new value (in terms of customer experience, systems, etc.), enhances the competitiveness of the company, and eventually transforms social systems and systems culture.

However, it is difficult to suddenly change existing systems or create new systems in society. For this reason, companies that have yet to promote DX should first work on digitization and digitalization.

Digitization is the conversion of analog information/business processes into digital format by introducing in-house digital tools, as represented by buzzwords such as digitization and paperless.

Digitalization, on the other hand, is an effort to digitize not only the company’s internal efforts but also the entire business process, including external parties such as clients and partners, and includes the method of providing products and services and the transformation of business models.

Indeed, digitization/digitalization and DX are completely different. Digitization/digitalization is the digitization of existing analog operations, while DX focuses on the creation of new value that is not based on existing analog operations. The scope of influence of the former is limited to the company (in the case of a company) and its customer partners, while DX extends to society as a whole.

However, it is difficult for companies whose existing operations are in an analog state to move forward with DX. In other words, it is not realistic for companies that are already in business to skip digitization and engage in DX.

※ Digital technologies: 3rd platform (cloud, mobility, big data/analytics, social technologies)

Start with Digitization

Efforts to renew product/service delivery methods and business models through digitization and digitalization also face high implementation hurdles.

Therefore, we recommend starting with digitization. The first step toward DX is to digitize the analog information and business processes that remain in the company.

Some of the digitization being done at Questetra is as follows.

– Digitalization of business processes

• Attendance management
• Internal communication, information sharing/recording
• Application/Approval
• Customer Management
• Billing Management
• SNS Posting Management
• Blog Posting Management
• Landing Page Creation Management

– Business Automation

• Inquiry reception/response
• Free Trial Reception/Response
• Scheduled Email Campaign (nurturing)
• Aggregation
• Receiving/responding to applications for useful information

All of this is done with the cloud workflow Questetra BPM Suite. It can also be linked to cloud services such as Google Workspace and Box, which are used for other business operations, so appointments can be automatically added to Google Calendar and files can be automatically saved to Box.

Questetra BPM Suite can create systems (workflow applications) related to the above business processes with no code. Therefore, even non-engineers can easily start digitization.

The Status of Paperless Implementation

According to the Japan Management Association’s 2021 Survey of 1,000 Businesspersons [Status of Paperless Implementation]*, more than half of the respondents (approximately 56%) have not gone paperless in the past year.

Regarding the paperless progress by work, attendance management is the most advanced, and about 70% of the total (n=770) seems to have been computerized (completely/partially computerized). On the other hand, the paperless rate of seals, faxes, and contracts is generally less than half, which is still low.

* Survey period: August 2021; survey target: 1,000 regular employees/officers/managers working for companies (organizations) nationwide, aged 20 to 69; survey method: Internet survey

Paperless Promotion Awareness and Challenges

What is the mindset of business people in a situation where paperless systems are not yet in place?

According to the survey, more than 80% of the respondents said that going paperless in the workplace is beneficial, thus many people feel that going paperless is beneficial.

So what are the challenges?

According to the survey, more than 60% of all respondents were concerned about going paperless, of which more than 40% were concerned about IT skills and security.

What are the Advantages of Going Paperless?

Going paperless means changing the destination for recording/storing information from paper to electronic media. This electronic conversion reduces the costs associated with paper media. It also increases the flexibility and speed of information exchange. Specifically, it enables work to be performed remotely and speeds up the retrieval, revision, and sharing of information. Such operational efficiency improvements will ultimately lead to cost reductions. In addition, the paperless system reduces the risk of information leaks and enables BCP measures due to its ease of information management.

Specific benefits are as follows.

Cost reduction

• Paper purchase/printing/disposal costs
• Storage space cost
• Shipping costs

Improved business efficiency

• Improved searchability
• Improvement of correction speed
• Improvement of information sharing speed
• Increased speed of application approval
• Easy backup of information

Reduce the risk of information leakage

• Prevention of loss/theft
• Viewing restrictions are possible

BCP Measures

• Preventing loss of documents due to disasters

What is the Objective of Paperless Systems?

The paper media to be digitized include documents used internally and contracts with customers. The main items are as follows.

Internal documents

• Approval documents
• Expense report
• Various application forms
• Conference materials
• Minutes
• Forms
• Articles of incorporation
• Financial statements

External Documents/Materials

• Quotations
• Invoices
• Receipts
• Proposals
• Product/service introduction materials
• Contracts (some contracts cannot be converted to electronic format)

On the other hand, there are some items that cannot be digitized. Examples include ship’s manuals (which are highly readable in case of emergency) and licenses/permits (which are highly physical) that are subject to treaty restrictions.

Specific Methods of Paperless Conversion

Data entry, scanning/OCR, etc. are methods of digitizing existing paper media, and cloud storage is a method of storing the data.

After the digitization of such existing media is completed, it is necessary to consider how the workflow should be implemented to record/store the data in electronic media from the outset. This is because although the application forms and other media themselves have been digitized, we are faced with the problem of how to transfer tasks such as application/approval methods.

The solution to this problem is the computerization of business processes.

How to Digitize/Automate Business Processes

Cloud Workflow Questetra BPM Suite makes it easy to digitize and automate business processes.

Questetra BPM Suite is not just a paperless system, but also provides the following benefits by digitizing business processes.

• Reduction of operational errors
• Visualization of business progress
• Automation of operations
  • Automation of task handover
  • Automation of task processing

The main features of Questetra BPM Suite are as follows.

• No-code/low-code business applications can be created
  Build systems by drawing workflow diagrams

• The workflow diagram you create becomes a business application by itself
  The workflow diagram becomes a business manual and tasks can be processed according to predetermined rules

• Business progress is visualized
  Actual performance, progress, and flow status can be checked in real time for each task on the workflow diagram

• Tasks can be automated
  ・Task processing can be automated. (Automatic sending of e-mails / insertion of business data / automatic calculation and aggregation of data, etc.)
  
  ・Able to automate processing of cloud services linked with APIs

With these features, Questetra BPM Suite solves many of the concerns of going paperless.

Lack of IT literacy

• No-code development is possible, so engineers are not necessarily needed.

Increased cost

• No need to hire new engineers thanks to no-code development. In addition, costs (paper media-related costs/production costs due to more efficient operations, etc.) can be expected to be reduced through the introduction of the system.

Security

• Various access privileges can be set for each situation. (App Administrator authority / Process Manager authority / Data Viewer authority / Data Viewer (only Progress Information) authority)
• Automatic processing of API-linked cloud services eliminates the need for individual logins to cloud services. (It is also possible to limit the services used by each employee so that they can be controlled by the authority settings of Questetra BPM Suite.)

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to go paperless.