Planning, production, and sales of various contents using the Internet and other media, as well as operation of services related to these contents.
Industry
Hitech
User Departments
Approval Flows
Renewed upon the transition to Google Workspace
Q. What kind of work are you using Questetra for?
At POCKE INC. we provide content services related to fortune telling, child-rearing, weight loss, weather, etc. based on the concept of creating a smile in the world.
Our fortune-telling service has been very popular thanks to collaboration with fortune-tellers who frequently appear on TV and various media. Also, a headache forecast service, “Zutool“, which was derived from our weather service has been featured in the media, making it a popular service. In addition to providing content, we have also recently begun to offer a “trading desk” service that uses our expertise in attracting customers through content to manage advertising.
We are using Questetra for various application approval tasks within the company, such as decision-making requests, applications for general affairs, accounting, and legal affairs.
Q. Please tell me how you are using it specifically.
Previously, we were using a Workflow system which had been included in a groupware package. Since it was functionally simple there were many jobs that had yet to be digitised and were still carried out on paper.
We decided to migrate our groupware to Google workspace (at that time Google Apps), and so had to replace the Workflow system accordingly. At that time, we compared several workflow services that can cooperate with Google workspace by evaluating the following:
The ability to handle loops, such as returning to a specified process, rather than simply returning to the applicant
The ability to organize and visualize workflows
The ability to handle complex content creation flows
Based on these factors we decided to adopt Questetra.
Work that had to be done on paper up to that point could proceed with the transition to Questetra, and now there are only very few operations still done on paper.
Secure collection of Individual Numbers
Q. I heard you are also using it for the collection of Individual Numbers.
In addition to our employee’s Individual Numbers we also need to manage those of the self-employed who we deal with for fortune-telling services, etc.
Because I wanted to avoid building a new system just for collecting Individual Numbers, and I knew samples were prepared for it, so we made it possible to collect Individual Numbers with Questetra.
It was a great help that I could build a system that can securely collect Individual Numbers in the short-term at a low-cost by slightly modifying the samples prepared by Questetra. Even now we are using that flow as part of our induction process.
Q. Please tell me anything you have devised.
When collecting the Individual Numbers of external business people, I tried to link to Questetra from the web form created in-house. By doing so, we are able to carry out processing without delays or omission. Also, there are operations in which we keep the master data used by Questetra on a Google Spreadsheet, since Questetra has a high affinity with Google workspace. In addition, day-to-day internal communication to prompt the submission of overtime work applications, and regular contact at the end of the month have been automated by Questetra to make it more efficient.
Although I am using Questetra quite a lot with the help of Questetra’s customer support staff who taught me a lot, I would like to use it more extensively in the future.
Integrated Management from Application Acceptance to Service Provision
Q. What kind of business are you using Questetra for?
Silver Egg Technology Co. Ltd. develops and provides artificial intelligence (AI) based Web marketing services. We mainly offer the “Aigent Recommender” which is a real time recommendation service.
A recommendation service is a system that recommends goods and information that match the user’s preferences on EC sites and various other services. Our recommendation service is based on our uniquely developed AI algorithm, which understands and analyzes the site access, purchase status and the behavior flow of each user in real time, so that it can display recommended products and information suitable for each person’s preference instantaneously.
We are using Questetra for the management of our ad-serving service, from the application to the implementation (server setting, parameters, banner creation, etc.).
We are managing the progress of each task starting from service application acceptance to implementation work (server setting / parameter arrangement / banner production etc.). We have been using it since the launch of our advertisement distribution business in 2012, and about 20 people manage hundreds of cases per year.
Q. What kind of challenges did you have?
Prior to launching the advertisement distribution business we had been managing issues with Excel.
When an application was made, it was filled in the application sheet in Excel and the person in charge of the implementation work viewed it periodically and carried out the work. However, with Excel-based management there was often missing entries, errors and delays, so it was not possible to accurately grasp the status of the work being carried out and respond the delays in the progress.
In addition, since the implementation process requires multiple tasks being carried out concurrently, it was difficult to understand which tasks were affecting the overall progress. Therefore, we needed a tool that would allow us to understand the work currently underway in the flow diagram.
Stable Utilization for about 6 Years from Launch of New Business
Q. How did you develop the Workflow at the time of its introduction?
Workflow design was the responsibility of just one person.
We designed the workflow to coincide with the launch of our ad serving business. After three months of trial work, we made some minor changes to the workflow and finalised it. The system has been in full operation since December 2012 and we have had no significant problems in the six years since then.
Q. Is there anything you have devised?
In order to grasp the progress status of a project at a glance we have devised a way of drawing flow diagrams.
We were careful not to reduce the visibility of the workflow diagram by not intersecting the arrow lines (sequence flow) that connect the Steps, and not dividing the Process more than necessary. By doing this, we can easily grasp the backlog status of detailed issue information.
We have also made it more convenient by promoting the use of Questetra using smartphones, so that those on business trips can get access from outside the office.
Connect to Workflow from the Backbone System more securely.
Kyoto, Japan – September 11th, 2017 – Questetra, Inc., the global SaaS provider of Business Process Management (BPM), today announced that they have published the new version 11.4 of the Cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite” on Sep 11th, 2017. In this new version, you can configure “Allowed IP” onto each Data Catching Event (API Endpoint) of Workflow. (API IP Filtering)
To improve the productivity of day-to-day operations, automation of Business Processes is essential. Work style reform is recommended today, and cases of API connection, such as automatically starting a Workflow system from a business system in an in-house server or cloud storage service AWS, are no longer unusual. (e.g. Starting “Materials sending Process” when there is an application to the campaign site, starting “Lecturing Process” upon service contract, etc.)
On and after the new version 11.4, you can set “list of IPs that allow access” for each API-URI (Endpoint of Questetra BPM Suite). We have supported various kinds of secure communication so far, but from now on, it will be possible to realize cooperation between systems with even higher security levels.
Questetra BPM Suite
Cloud-based Workflow “Questetra BPM Suite” is a business platform for realizing environments of paper-less and remote-working.
Business issues are controlled according with Business Flow Diagram. When a process reaches human task, the user will be asked to input. Also, when an issue reaches to automated Step, the predetermined processing (server-side processing) such as “Generate PDF” and “Save to cloud storage” is performed automatically. (BPM: Business Process Management)
You can apply it to various business operations such as “Approval request flow”, “Document translation flow”, “Quality check process”, “Invoice issuance process”. Process owner of each Business Process can practice “improvement of Business Process” little by little in daily work.
API IP Filtering function
Regarding access to Start Event and Catching Intermediate Event (“Message Catch Event API”), you can set “source IP address to allow access” for the URI path, in addition to the access restriction by the “API key” so far (Whitelisting by “Source IP” or “IP range CIDR”). You can apply different IP restrictions to each one of plural events. System administrator privilege is required for setting.
Message Start Event (HTTP): Starting a Process upon an HTTP request comes to the URI
Catching Message Intermediate Event (HTTP): Standing by for an HTTP request coming to the URI
Message Start Event (Form): Starting a Process if there is a post on a Web form for huma
Note 1) The Workflow App connection (Process Model connection) within the same Workflow platform is not affected by the API IP Filtering.
Note 2) Developer APIs such as “System Setting APIs” to change setting of Workflow platform and “Workflow APIs” to control flowing Issues are not subject to the API IP Filtering function, initially. Please use secure communication by “OAuth 2 authorization” or “Basic authentication” as before.
IP Filtering setting for “Message start event (form)” will restrict access by human.
IP Address Filtering
Other Improvements
User-Interface IP Filtering
“Source IP address to allow access” can be set also for user access from personal computers, smartphones, etc. (Whitelisting)
Format of API Access URI
Resource information such as “Workflow App ID” and “Event Node ID” was specified in the query part and body part when accessing Start Event and Catching Intermediate Event (“Message Catch Event API”), so far. From now on, it will be possible to specify it by “path parameter “. (e.g. “/System/Event/MessageStart/APP-ID/NODE-ID/start”)
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing function
It is possible to set to allow CORS access to “Message Catch Event API” and “Workflow Control API” etc.
日常業務の生産性向上のためには業務プロセスの自動化が欠かせません。働き方改革が叫ばれる今日では、社内サーバや AWS クラウド等にある業務システムからワークフローシステムを自動的にスタートさせるといった API 連携の事例も珍しくなくなってきたと言えます。（キャンペーンサイトへの申し込みがあった際に「資料発送プロセス」を開始させる、サービス成約時に「レクチャー・プロセス」を開始させる、など）
新バージョン 11.4 からは、API URI（Questetra BPM Suite のエンドポイント）それぞれに対して「アクセスを許可する接続元 IPのリスト」が設定できるようになります。これまでにおいても様々なセキュア通信をサポートしておりましたが、今後は、より一層セキュリティレベルの高いシステム間連携を実現していただく事が可能となります。
業務案件は業務フロー図に従ってコントロールされ、案件が人間工程に到達すれば担当者はアウトプットを求められます。また、案件が自動工程に到達した際には、「PDFの生成」や「クラウドストレージへの保存」といった既定の処理（サーバサイド処理）が自動的に行われます。（BPM: Business Process Management）
ソフトウェアの「カテゴリ名」である。 ※ まずもって、「そう思っているヒト」と「そう思ってないヒト」では、議論は噛み合わない。（←どうしても定義は必要… Wikipedia によれば『ホワイトカラー業務の効率化・自動化の取組み』とある。それはそれで正しい。しかし、もう少し深く認識していただきたい点は『人間によるコンピュータ操作を再現するソフトウェアである』(※)という説明だ。
英語版の Wikipedia： a software application that replicates the actions of a human being interacting with the user interface of a computer system （日本語版 Wikipedia の現状は、『人間と同じように操作を行うことができるようなソフトウェア』と…、ナンダカ分かりにくい文章になっている）
Achieve time-saving and quality improvements in AWS operation business with automation
Q. What kind of work do you use Questetra for?
Serverworks Co., Ltd. is a cloud integrator (system development firm) that is developing cutting-edge domestic cloud services centered on AWS.
Specifically, we build information systems for our customers on Amazon Web Service (AWS) and we also operate the system on their behalf if required. So far, we have delivered 3100 projects to 500 companies (as of May 2017), and for the third consecutive year we have been certified as an AWS Partner Network Premier Consulting Partner.
We are using Questetra for all kinds of work in the company, but especially we are taking full advantage of it in the management of agency work in AWS operation.
Q. Please tell me how you are using it specifically.
The service that sets up AWS on behalf of the customer is called “AWS operation work”, and every day we must perform various operations based on their requests, such as account creation and authoritization settings, etc.
Each task itself is not difficult. However, at Serverworks we have a system where (1) we get prior approval for the work in the Questetra flow, and (2) template work is done by calling a script from Questetra.
To put it simply, we are using Questetra to control our daily work to prevent work from being carried out based on one worker’s assumption, or to prevent mistakes due to manual work from occurring.
Reduced labor in information system management tasks by utilizing APIs
Q. Was there any difficulty in automating the process?
At Serverworks we use various cloud services such as Slack, Salesforce, G suite, Backlog, etc. for internal work. For example, when someone wants to create an in-house mailing list, Questetra has been set up so that as soon as the boss approves it the G Suite API will be automatically invoked.
As we are familiar with the Cloud APIs we might think that labor-saving and automation would lead to fewer mistakes in tasks for customers.
In fact, the key point of choosing Questetra from a number of Workflow systems is that it has the ability to be an API client for many cloud systems, and can also receive API access from them.
Disseminating information about utilization of Questetra’s APIs by blog
Q. Please let us know what you expect from Questetra in the future.
Currently, we use Slack as an internal communication tool.
Recently I learned of the existence of the [Service Task] add-on which allows you to automatically post to Slack, so I am now planning to set it up so that various requests for approval will be posted automatically in the future.
However, there are still a lot of unknowns as to what type of information should be put on which channel so that approval processing can be done quickly and without errors.
I look forward to more active dissemination of information regarding how to link APIs between clouds, as well as more detailed know-how for collaboration or efficiency improvement tips.
サーバーワークスでは、社内業務においても Slack、 Salesforce、 G Suite、 Backlog など、様々なクラウドサービスを活用しています。たとえば「社内メーリングリストを作りたい」といった場合には、申請が上司承認され次第、自動的に G Suite の API が呼び出されるように Questetra で設定しています。
このように日ごろからクラウド API に慣れ親しんでいるため、お客様向けの作業こそ「省力化」や「自動化」がミスの軽減に繋がると考えることができるのかも知れません。
事実、数多くのワークフローシステムから Questetra を選んだ大きなポイントは、多くのクラウドシステムに対して API クライアントになれる機能が備わっており、また多くのクラウドシステムからの API アクセスを受けられるところです。
Full-time employees: 120, Operators: 800 (as of May 2024)
Business
Operation of call centers and back offices, Outsourcing of back-office (BPO) operations, Human resources, telecommunications, and content-related businesses, Various debugging services, Development, sales, and maintenance of call center systems
Q. What kind of business do you use Questetra BPM Suite for?
We develop, sell, and maintain InfiniTalk, a telephone system used in call centers.
With InfiniTalk as the core, we have developed the “CTI solution” service that proposes the construction of the entire call center, and is being used by over 10,000 seats in 300 companies in 48 industries. Today, we also offer a cloud-based telephone system service which contributes greatly to the early launch of call centers.
We use Questetra for various application-related tasks across the company.
Q. What kind of challenges did you face?
For the task of purchasing hardware, etc. the salesperson applies for purchase, the superior approves it and the management department places the order. Prior to using Questetra, we used to have a paper a rule: application -> approval -> order processing by the Management department. However, it used to take time from the request application to order placement, since the superior was not available and the applicant himself had placed the order request after the approval.
Since we started using Questetra the superior has been able to give approval from anywhere, and information on the order request is now transferred to the Management department at the same time as approval, so the time from application to ordering has been reduced.
Furthermore, In addition to purchasing, work such as contract approval and expense settlement are subject to business audit, and since all the past processes are managed in Questetra it also leads to cost reduction for the business audit.
further productivity improvement such as automation of PDF generation
Q. Is there anything you have devised?
In the expense reimbursement process we have a “Receipt Attachment Form” which is automatically generated as a PDF.
On this form, information such as the application ID or applicant’s name is automatically filled in. After applying through Questetra the applicant prints out the automatically generated Receipt Attachment Form, attaches receipts to it and submits it to the Management department.
For the applicants, they don’t need to make the Receipt Attachment Form by themselves anymore, and for the Management department it became very easy to process because of the unified format.
Q. Please tell me about your expansion plan for the future.
I would like to make use of Questetra for further improvements in the operational efficiency of the Sales department.
We are using the Cloud SFA service and we manage information on business opportunities there. We are using Questetra to carry out the task of creating an estimate, but we are not yet able to link it with Cloud SFA.
In the future, I would like to make it possible to use the business partner information that has been stored in the cloud SFA in Questetra, or to make information of the estimates which have been approved on Questetra be automatically stored in the Cloud SFA.
