Kyoto, Japan – November 10, 2014 — Questetra, Inc., the global SaaS provider of Business Process Management (BPM), today announced that they have published the new version 10.0 of the cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite” on November 10, 2014.
In this new version which is a major upgrading since two years, it has enhanced features such as ‘Filtering Chart’ which aggregates flowed data graphically. This will help, for example, to analyze Business Progression by graphing the Issues that have been approved and Invoice PDF that has been automatically generated in it, into a chart of ‘Transition of Monthly Billing total’.
Moreover, the Number of Users Limitation on Free SaaS Edition is expanded to 10 Users, to commemorate Release of version 10.0. This will allow easier introduction of Cloud environment for the owners of smaller office or for a particular section in a company.
Graphical Business Data Analysis feature
With this feature, you can filter those Numeric data and number of Issues which has flowed on Workflow, and summarize the result in a Chart. e.g. Line Chart of ‘Weekly Estimate amount’ which shows the total price of the approved estimate in ‘Estimate flow’; Bar Chart of ‘Type of Question and its Number’ which shows the Types of Questions and its number in ‘Inquiry flow’. (Filtering Chart)
Other Improvements
Exceptional Flow Definition
In setting rules on each Step, you can set up automatic ‘terminate’ and ‘turn around to Exception flow’, instead of previous behavior at the deadline i.e. ‘Alerting’ or ‘End’. (BPMN Timer Boundary Event)
Mitigation of Looping Structure Restriction
Previously, a Looping structure which consists of only Auto-processing had not been allowed. Now you can compose Looping with Auto-processing only, such as ‘Email Transmission’ (Event element) and ‘Script processing’ (Service Task element). However, it will become an error if exceeding 500 steps before all the process is finished.
Dashboard
You will be able to display the graphs that are generated by each function in one screen, i.e. Number of processed and Total number of Issues, etc.
Enhanced HTTP Auto-request
It became to support more communication methods for Auto-request processing to external system (OAuth 2.0).
Website Creation, Network Construction, Maintenance and Operation, System Operation Technician Dispatch, Hosting and Housing Services, Remote System Maintenance and Network Monitoring, Temporary Staffing
Q. What kind of operations do you use Questetra for?
At NETPARK21 CO., LTD. we provide setup and operation support for information systems.
Specifically, we support operations such as the building of B2B online ordering systems, installation of video monitoring systems, and the installation of POS systems for retail stores, etc.
For a very specific example, we performed the total maintenance of the Network environment for an international expo, with our staff on-site full time.
We used Questetra for managing Parallel work tasks such as the set up of a large number of computer terminals by multiple workers.
Q. Please tell us about the more specific usage.
For instance, we need to set up 50 or 100 computers at once for a client company who is introducing an IT system.
The outline of this workflow is, 1) unpacking the terminals one by one, 2) setting up the initial configuration of the OS, 3) putting on the control number stickers, 4) checking the work is completed, 5) dispatching the PCs to the installation location. If you count the smaller work steps, it will be 10 to 20 steps, and multiple workers will do these concurrently.
We had been managing the work progress using paper check-sheets, so it was difficult to accurately grasp how much work had been completed.
Since we started recording the progress of all our work with Questetra now we are able to follow the progress precisely for all the terminals. There are cases when the leader at the work site confirms the progress and gives instructions to the operating team.
Ideas to Prevent Mistakes will be Added Anytime
Q. Did you come up with any creative ways to use Questetra?
We are always seeking various ideas to reduce the burden on workers and to bring down the probability of mistakes occurring.
Specifically, we put into practice some basic things such as describing detailed operation precautions on the work record input screen; for example, printer settings. Even if there are many settings issues for each computer, we made it possible to navigate through them using Questetra’s “description of the task” screen.
Besides that, as we are used to programming on a daily basis we came up with an implementation linking our own program using the Questetra API. For example, the control number stickers which are put on the terminals, will be printed out automatically from the sticker printers which have a communication link to the system.
Q. Please tell us about your future prospects.
In terms of work progress management, we would like to continue to analyze the work records more deeply.
For example, if accurate records of delays and mistakes are accumulated, we could verify the hypothesis for more drastic business improvements.
On the other hand, we would like to actively visualize internal operations. In particular, we believe that managing the monthly operation reports submitted to customers and the answers to inquiries from customers on Questetra will promote cross-business information sharing.
Q. What kind of operations do you use Questetra for?
We, i Cubed Systems, Inc., are providing CLOMO, a service that provides the operation, management, and the platform necessary to implement the corporate introduction and utilization of smart devices.
Ease of implementation is its biggest feature, achieved by a purchase system that allows customers to select only the features they need and a cloud service that customers can start using without capital investment. Now more than 5000 companies have introduced our system, mostly with large-scale users.
We use Questetra for order processing operations.
The CLOMO service comes with various optional services such as anti-virus and emergency remote lock/wipe, etc., thus there are many settings arrangements to be applied to the order handling process. We use Questetra for those purchase orders to reduce errors and mistakes.
Q. What has changed after the introduction?
We used to manage tasks on paper, so we couldn’t follow the progress of each operation, and we couldn’t shared business tips easily because our business sites were divided between two locations in Fukuoka and Tokyo. There were actually frequent exchanges asking “what should I do in such and such a case?”
I think the visualization of the progress of orders has been made possible and each work rule has been clarified since we started managing orders in Questetra.
Auto-Generation of Outsourcing Documents
Q. Are there any points that you have devised?
There are cases when procurement occurs in some of CLOMO’s optional services. We used to create document forms for procurement purchasing one by one, but now Questetra automatically generates these in the business flows.
The function of data embedded PDF forms allows us to generate documents automatically when an issue goes through an automatic processing step in each business flow diagram.
Of course it’s wonderful that the working efficiency has been improved dramatically by automation, but above all we are very thankful for the fact that we no longer have to worry about transcription errors. We apply this function in various ways, and now about 10 types of documents are automatically generated.
Q. Please tell us about your future prospects.
Questetra is very convenient as it can work with G Suite (formerly Google Apps) with single sign-on, and i Cubed Systems, Inc. already has full use of G Suite. Now, about 20 internal operations such as paid leave requests, expense reports and contract management are now also being processed on Questetra. By the way, we are using our product CLOMO GATE for single sign-on connection.
For the future, I am thinking of establishing data linkage with other systems such as Salesforce, taking advantage of the API functions of Questetra. Specifically, we would like to analyze how much each task is costing from the results of operational processing that has been accumulating in Questetra, and we want this to lead to further business improvement.
CLOMO MDM マルチデバイス/マルチOSを統合管理 -製品デモ-
*The name of “G Suite” was changed into “Google Workspace” in October 2020
E-commerce website development and support, Development of e-commerce website development support software
Industry
Professional Service
User Departments
Manufacturing dept
Visualizing the Entire Process from Order to Delivery
Q. What kind of business do you use Questetra for?
Aratana inc. is a business venture that supports E-Commerce sites (Online Shops), which started in Miyazaki prefecture.
We offer a variety of consistent services including site design, management system customization, system management on behalf of our clients and we also do consulting to attract customers, etc. (CAGO-LAB Service)
We introduced Questetra in July 2010 with the purpose of improving the service delivery flow for Online Shops. We have set various work steps, from registration of orders received to delivery. For example, in the case of constructing a new site, we have set a checking processes spanning about 2 months, which includes hearing about designs, checking deliverables and options setting.
Q. What kind of advantages did you find?
We have found it very beneficial to be able to see the progress of issues in real time.
For example, the delivery date is the most important factor in the construction of an E-Commerce site. Needless to say, if by any chance there is a delay in the delivery it could cause a great deal of inconvenience to the business of the online shop. In Aratana, the progress of all projects is monitored frequently and used as material for regular meetings. I think it is very useful because even in the situations where multiple operations are in progress concurrently, we can easily keep track of them. I also found an advantage in terms of ease of changing configurations and definitions.
E-Commerce site management may require a flexible response to external changes, such as changes in specifications of linked systems, new design trends and technological evolution. In some cases, we need to change the business rules and work procedures of Aratana. I like Questetra for its business flow settings, which can be changed simply using only a browser. Because I can run tests as soon as I make changes I also felt as if I was playing a game.
Incidentally, especially when it was first introduced there were complaints such as “I don’t know what to input” or “I can’t find my incoming work”. It is very good that we can make small changes to solve problems and make improvements, like descriptive notes on the operating screen or email notifications when issues arrive.
I found myself using it in all kinds of operations
Q. Have you applied Workflow to more operations since then?
Now it has been more than three years since its introduction, and we are using Questetra for everything.
It had been used only in business in the service providing department at first, but after a while it came to be used for application approval flows that all employees use.
Application based flows came to be maintained by the Administrative department. It was very helpful because the operation screen is very easy to understand, so members of the Administrative department could use it soon after a brief explanation of the operation.
Even recently it has been updated continuously, and also the number of operations that are processed in Questetra have increased. We think the new staff can integrate into the company smoothly if operations are defined in Questetra. Some mid-career employees have said they were impressed that it is managed more neatly than expected. We found that a business definition (Process Model) which has been running since the introduction of Questetra has been updated 128 times.
Incidentally, in some cases there’s a large difference between the newly created business definition and the business in reality. In such cases, the members involved analyze it and make changes little by little.
Q. Please tell us if you came up with any creative ways to use Questetra.
In the development team they can now transfer business data seamlessly by API in conjunction with the cloud-based project management system “Backlog” (Nulab Inc.). I think it became very efficient.
The management philosophy of Aratana is to create employment for 1,000 people in Miyazaki.
Group companies are increasing. The number of people involved in the business is also increasing. Yet I believe that we must be able to provide services which comply with business rules and the Workflow. We would like to actively incorporate automation mechanisms such as API integration.
Kyoto, Japan, April 28, 2014, Questetra, Inc., the global SaaS provider of Business Process Management (BPM), today announced that they have published the new version 9.9 of the cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite” on April 28, 2014. With the new version, export function of ‘Business Process Definition’ (Process Model) is largely enhanced. For example, you will be able to copy the whole business procedure of Strong performance branch or, to copy the whole business procedure of the campaign in the past easily.
Process Model Exporting
Questetra BPM Suite
“Questetra BPM Suite” is a Workflow product which makes you be able to handle your business data on the Cloud. It will contribute to enhancing internal control and operational efficiency. It has a great feature that you can modify the configurations with easy Drag & Drop operation for the business rule or business flow. Non-technical uses can systemize complicated business process such as Decision-making, Translating, or Complaint handling. (Free of charge up to 5 Users)
Process Definition Export Feature
A Business process is defined by setting 3 elements that are, ‘Flow of the business (Process Diagram)’, ‘Assignment rule at each Steps (Operator)’ and ‘Data Items’. With the Business process Definition file (extension .QAR), Users can run the business system (Workflow system) at any time. It has been possible to save the “business process definition file” so far. But v9.9 and later, now it is possible to bundle a group of related files. In the business process that “to mail the quotation to the customer after getting supervisor’s approval”, for example, it will be able to include the files which are associated with, such as “Master Data of customer segments” or “PDF template for quotation”, within the archive.
If a corporation that has developed sales offices in many regions, it becomes much easier to let other branch offices to learn Quotation submission flow of the Strong performance office, or to let each branch arrange ‘New business procedure’ which the head quarter has created. Also for consulting companies, it is possible to improve the reusability of the business process proposed in the past.
In addition, we Questetra already have published more than 500 business templates. From now on, we are going to publish business templates using features of v9.9.
Other Improvements
In the new version 9.9, we have implemented various improvements other than ‘Business Process Definition export’.
Separation of company-wide use master and individual business master
We have separated the management of “master that can be used for cross-business (company-wide)” and management of “master to be used only on an individual business” explicitly. Also, we have separated the management of “Template PDF to be used only on an individual business” and management of “Template PDF that can be used for cross-business” explicitly.
Added Auto-overwrite function of Choice Master (company-wide use)
We have added a feature to overwrite ‘Choice Master to be used Cross-business’. For example, it will be able to automatically retrieve an office list or the product master, and stores them as the Choice data which can be used for all business.
Changed the locations of the Menu buttons (Model Editor screen)
In modeling screen for business process definition, we have changed to menu placement that would allow more intuitive business designing. Also, we have implemented a warning displaying on the operation of the “close button” or “back button” of the browser. In addition, we have speeding up the rendering speed and enriched the modeling guide.
Future Works
“Cloud computing” is now entering the stage of spreading both domestic and overseas. Especially, in the computer system such as email groupware or CRM (customer relationship management), paradigm shift “from ownership to use” is accelerating. Cloud based workflow “Questetra BPM Suite” that has grown to be used in 4000 companies in 100 countries (including Free SaaS), has the plan of enhancing the features to grasp the business progress and processing performance more easily.
About Questetra, Inc.
Questetra, Inc. is the enterprise cloud computing company in Kyoto Japan, founded in 2008. We optimize the world’s Business Processes.
WOM SYSTEM DESIGN is a system development company that specializes in warehouse management systems.
Speaking of warehouses, there are a variety of warehouses from clothing warehouse for the apparel industry to cold storage warehouses for groceries. The range of differences that a warehouse management system must absorb is vast, such as differences in terminal equipment used or differences in work procedures. Even if the name of the operations involved, such as product picking or inventory management, are the same, there are many differences.
We at WOM SYSTEM DESIGN are proposing “KURA STAR”, the best warehouse management system (WMS) for each of our customers, by modularizing the functions that are required at each step. We have introduced Questetra BPM Suite to standardize the internal procedures. I think that the sharing of information between the Management department and the Sales Force has significantly improved, because the progress of estimates, orders and billing can be monitored in real-time. ※ WMS = Warehouse Management System
Q. How many types of flow diagram are you using?
We are running about 20 different Business flows. Among them, 3 operations have the Business flow at their core, which are: Status Investigation – Approximate Estimate, Detailed Design – Formal Estimate, and System Construction start – System Start.
The first one is a free of charge procedure which the Sales Department carries out with a survey of the current situation in order to submit an approximate estimate. Final quotations for expensive cases require explicit approval by the Management department and the Sales Manager. The second is a Process to create and submit the system specification and formal quotation. This process incurs a fee, therefore it has been defined so that the process of receiving inspection reports and the invoicing are done by the Management department. The third is actually the process of building the system and deployment. This process has been defined up to the step where the invoice is issued by the management department.
From the point of view of order management, it has been defined as three separate flows. However, the required data is set to be shared (across the business flows) automatically. It used to be very difficult to capture the real progress because it was managed in Excel, but since it started being recorded automatically in Questetra the status of cases can be grasped very easily.
Long-term Perspective is Important for the Improvement Cycle
Q. Please tell us about the difficulties faced during deployment.
I think that there was confusion in the field, because conventional procedures which were not clear were standardized for the first time clearly.
For example, the details of the quote were closed to two of the developers and the Sales staff, but now we are required to register it in Questetra to get explicit approval. I guess there were many workers who felt frustrated that it was troublesome.
However, thanks to this verification rule, I found it has helped to significantly reduce ambiguous expressions in the quote documents. I think the internal information gap became less and reviewing the project became easier. In other words, at first there was a period when operational efficiency dropped, but now I can see the real improvement of the business processes.
Q. Do you have any expansion plans for the future?
To be honest, sometimes I felt there was a lack of features in Questetra a few years ago, and for a certain period I actually covered some processes with Excel. However, various functions of Questetra were enhanced in the last couple of years, and now I feel that it has features which we are not using now that I want to use.
We now would like to actively incorporate automatic processing in the existing Workflows (Process Models). Particularly, we are feeling a variety of challenges in managing formal documents, so we are trying to expand the automatic generation of PDF documents to more operations.
