Keep Usage Permissions of the Business System in a proper state at all times!
Q. What kind of operations do you use Questetra for?
Impress Group is a Media Enterprise group with more than a dozen subsidiaries, such as IT-related publisher Impress Japan Corp., etc. Through digital media and publishing media we provide content plus high-value-added services, according to today’s needs. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 9479)
Today, in addition to IT and PC related publications, the group sells a wide range of the content related to music, design, mountains and nature to name a few, and Impress Holding, Inc. takes care of the procurement of infrastructure and allocation of business resources.
We have introduced the Cloud-based Workflow system (Questetra) as a tool to control IT as a part of internal control reinforcement, and also as a tool to achieve operational efficiency.
Q. What kind of ‘IT control’ do you refer to?
In the Impress Group about 600 employees are using various business systems. These systems are of various types and purposes, from editing content to service providing and customer data management.
From the perspective of business process control, it is important to prevent mistakes by ensuring the appropriate use of these business systems. In addition, the business systems themselves must be managed properly.
Previously, the procedure for granting system use permissions had been carried out on paper. The requests for changes in system access due to hiring, resignations or employee transfers had been carried out by the Personnel Department or the person responsible at each subsidiary, but I must say there were various problems, such as:
Changes went unnoticed due to documents getting stuck somewhere during the paperwork processing
Difficulty searching for past procedure records
It took a long time to audit the implementation of the internal control
Now that the paperwork process has been digitized, the system usage authorization can be updated daily. In addition, the automatic recording of updates has made it easier to provide an audit trail, which has significantly reduced the cost of responding to internal control audits. I also think that the operational efficiency of the IT Systems Department has improved greatly.
Importance of an Overview of the Business Flow
Q. What was important for you to select a Workflow System?
Indeed, the digitization of our procedures was important, but I wanted to clarify the workflow. I was wondering how I could get an overview of the entire workflow system. In fact, I found Questetra while searching for images of business flow charts.
I think there are wonderful features that other products don’t have, such as the capability to set conditional expressions and to send emails to any destination at points in the workflow diagram, or the Swimlane function to automate the allocation to the person in charge of each step. I expect that the handover of operations whenever there is a change in personnel will become much easier if I can model all of the workflow diagrams on the BPM System.
Q. Is there any other important feature?
During the introduction of the workflow system, the ability to cooperate with G Suite was important. Connection configurations with G Suite were very easy, and we were able to link Questetra and G Suite in no time. We plan to continue with the application business processes in the areas of HR & Administration in the future.
Moreover, we aim to link more than one domain. We would like Questetra to have a feature to manage multiple domains like G Suite does, instead of operating Questetra on each domain separately. We are looking forward to that.
Kyoto, Japan, April 22, 2013, Questetra, Inc., the global SaaS provider of business process management (BPM), today announced that it has published the new version 9.5 of the cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite”. The new version is enhanced “Developer APIs” which are for programmers, allows to develop more advanced own applications that contribute to business process improvement.
Auto-Input APP and Monitoring System
In a Cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite” which is capable of passing business data through online, a mechanism of system cooperation called API* is available in standard. Since the publication of version 6.0 (June, 2010), Questetra has been utilized for business efficiency such as, not only a simple connection as ‘Estimate flow and Production flow’, but also ‘retrieving business data from the core system’.
*API: Application Programming Interface. A mechanism to make system functions available from the outside. Among them, Web API that enables to connect system via the Internet is spreading rapidly, since 2000. Web API is broadly classified into SOAP communication to perform strict XML file exchange, and REST communication to assume access from, such as JavaScript.
In this new version 9.5, we have enhanced “Developer APIs” which is for programmers among API that “Questetra BPM Suite” is offering. You are now able to develop such as ‘an Application for automatically enter some part of the inspection work report’ or ‘Monitoring system that displays real-time reporting Photos arriving from all over’.
Questetra BPM Suite
“Questetra BPM Suite” can be flexibly changed the flow of the business.
“Questetra BPM Suite” consists of features such as
Modeling feature: Available to build the business system without programming.
Task Operation feature: Available to enter the deliverable of accepted duties.
Enterprise Social feature: available to communicate closed to within the company.
Monitoring feature: Available to browse the progress in real time, or the performance of the past.
It is a Workflow that enables the active improvement of the business flow (business processes) continuous, to fit the actual processing situation. Programming knowledge and server knowledge is not needed. There is a limit of the number of users up to 5 people in the Free SaaS.
Screenshot: List of MyTask
APIs for Questetra BPM Suite
There are “Process Model Connecting APIs” which Workflow Designers also use, and “Developer APIs” which Programmers use. In the “Developer APIs” it will respond “JSON format” and “XML format”, etc. against the “HTTP request” (REST request). Both of “OAuth” and “Basic Authentication” are supported.
Process Model Connecting APIs
Email Receiving Process Start [Message Start Event (email)]: Automatic start triggered by email receiving *cf. [Message Throwing Intermediate Event (email)] is used to send an email that is inserted business data.
HTTP Receiving Process Start [Message Start Event (HTTP)]: Automatic start triggered by HTTP Request
HTTP receive data Capture [Message Catching Intermediate Event (HTTP)]: Data capturing *cf. [Message Throwing Intermediate Event (HTTP)] is used to transmit business data in HTTP.
Developer APIs
Workflow APIs
Process Start API: Processing the first task of business flow – e.g. Internal Affairs, Reporting of Orders
Worklist API: To confirm the User’s own allocated Tasks
Task Handling API: Processing the User’s own accepting Tasks
Monitoring API: Browsing data and current progress of the Process that is authorized to view
System Settings APIs
User Setting API: Adding, Deleting, etc. the login Users
Organization Setting API: Adding, Deleting, or changing the name of section and organization.
Membership Setting API: Updating of the Users who belong to department, etc.
Choices information API: Updating on choices that is utilized across business – e.g. Product Code List
About Questetra
Questetra, Inc. is the enterprise cloud computing company in Kyoto Japan, founded in 2008. We optimize the world’s Business Processes. Visit questetra.com
Kyoto, Japan, March 18, 2013, SaaS vendor company Questetra Inc. has published the new version 9.4 of the cloud-based Workflow product “Questetra BPM Suite SaaS Edition”. At the new version, “Sticker” is equipped on the Enterprise Social Network.(Keywords: Enterprise Social, Sticker, Cloud Workflow, SaaS BPM, Business Process Improvement)
“Questetra BPM Suite” (Cloud-based Workflow product) that provides delivery of Business data on Cloud, is equipped “Enterprise Social Network feature” as a standard. It makes the Users feel free to make advice regarding business data, and to share ‘URL’ or ‘Images’.
In the new version 9.4, “Sticker” that helps to express User’s emotion easily on the “Enterprise Social Network feature” is available. For example, when a delivery of goods has been successfully accepted, the project member can actively originate their feelings. It will promote the sharing of emotions that have been difficult by conventional internal e-mail or the report.
Questetra BPM Suite
The Business process ‘To-Be’ is changing along the changes in the business environment day by day. “Questetra BPM Suite” is a cloud-based workflow product which has a great feature of the flexibility to change the flow of the business.
“Modeling feature”, can build a Business System in non-programming
“Operating feature”, each worker can input their deliverables
“Enterprise Social Network feature”, good for sharing internal information
“Monitoring Feature”, visualizing progress and records; etc.
Aggressive improvement on the Flow of Business (Business Process) will be available because it visualizes the bottlenecks and Business challenges. You can take advantage of it for free of charge if your organization is up to 5 people. You do not need Programming knowledge nor Server Operational knowledge. In addition, the method of drawing business flow diagrams is in compliance with international standard notation, BPMN. (Other features: PDF Auto-generation, Data calculation, Google Apps connectivity, Multiple language, Open API, etc.)
“Enjoy your Routine!” We are start-up company in Kyoto Japan, have been continuing to create Business Software, and working hard to organize the world’s Business Processes.
To Manage the Progress of Accounting Support Services Work
High degree of freedom in designing the business flow.
Q. What kind of business do you use Questetra for?
We are deploying speedy accounting support services taking full advantage of IT.
In our main service, the monthly closing service, produces financial graphical reports every month which help the owners to consider their next move. We are also focused on support for starting a business, and we are providing our services to IT companies that are rapidly growing.
We are using Questetra as a tool for visualizing the Workflow of this accounting support service, and internally sharing the progress of report creation and certified tax accountant signatures, etc. We manage the progress of our service for each of our customers, which are more than 600 companies.
Q. Which feature of Questetra do you like best?
I like it very much because it has a high degree of freedom in designing the Workflow. Despite the fact that the deliverable varies depending on the size and industry of the customer, we are able to manage the progress of our service for all customers in one Workflow definition, because we can add the necessary tasks using the split condition settings.
The fact that it can cooperate with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is very helpful, because we have been actively using cloud services. We launch processes in batches using Google Apps Script in the customer master, and output the work completion records into a Google Spreadsheet.
Expanding to Various Services Business
Q. Has the business procedure changed compared to before the introduction of Questetra?
The basic procedures have not changed.
However, before the introduction of Questetra in the spring of 2012 we would record work progress on a check-sheet which was then passed to the supervisor to check it, but it was time-consuming to pass the paperwork around manually.
Now I think it has been sped up significantly by eliminating unnecessary delays, because we are able to report from outside the office. We have also automated the listing of completion records. We have been able to eliminate labor and errors associated with manual transcription.
Q. Are you planning to expand to other business areas?
At CHUO Accounting we believe that to achieve the Customer First principle, we must respond to our customer needs quickly.
We succeeded in visualizing the progress of service operations such as the annual settlement, a few months after introducing Questetra. We also make use of it on the new advisory contracts procedures, and on various applications inside company.
I would like to apply it to various business operations in the future. I think it is really great that I can configure the workflow easily.
また中央会計では、色々なクラウドを積極活用しているのですが G Suite（旧Google Apps）と連携できるところは非常に重宝しています。顧客マスターの Google Apps Script を使ってプロセスを一括起動したり、作業の完了記録を Google Spreadsheet に出力する等しています。
アルファベットの「3文字」って覚えにくい。今回の NFC は、アメフト（NFL）のリーグ名 NFC （National Football Conference）と同じだから覚えやすい？！？ちなみに、吉本興業の養成所は『NSC』（New Star Creation）だ。名前は似ているが中身はズイブン違う。
I have been using cloud type Office, ‘Google Apps’ since our company was established in April 2008. It’s convenient, so Questetra is a workflow product that works with Google Apps.
[!] “G Suite” would be rebranded as “Google Workspace” (2020-10)
Google announced that G Suite would be rebranded as Google Workspace on October 6, 2020, and that Workspace would emphasize increased integration between the apps, such as the ability to create Docs from within Chats, or start a Meet call from within a presentation.
The number of workflow products connecting with Google Apps has increased due to more companies adopting Google Apps.
1. What is Google Apps
It’s hard to explain it well.
However, in short words, Google will maintain a business email address (i.e. ‘example@questetra.com’ instead of ‘example@gmail.com’, therefore running the internal mail server is not useful anymore.
Google Apps has the same interface as Gmail, which not only accustoms you easily but lets a lot of people use it immediately. You can also set up a calendar (Google Calendar) and document management (Google Drive) as well as e-mail (Gmail). With these facts, Questetra applied on the day the company was founded (April 2008).
Google Apps launched the trial operation in August 2006, the full-scale for enterprise in February 2007 ( then called “Google Apps Premier Edition”), the official blog in November 2009 making it easier to access information.
2. What is a Google Apps integrated Workflow
Working on a smartphone and a tablet while transferring or going outside becomes common, for example:
Sending and receiving emails
Schedule sharing
File management
Moreover, If you handle those tasks with Google Apps, you’ll want to handle the rest of your tasks online. For example:
Sending a request for approval
Applying for expenses
Adjusting transportation expense
However, it’s hard for you to handle those tasks online merely with Google Apps features. Therefore, many companies have two options – (1) introducing workflow products, (2) paper workflow.
Incidentally, I think a workflow product is a mechanism to deliver task information online, and I suppose a Google Apps integrated workflow product is one that can use and store data in Google Apps.
*For the Executive government and large corporations, it is certainly meaningful to protect the traditional manner – paper workflow. However, I think most organizations should follow the trend of the information society.
3. The Scope of Workflow
There are various ways to deliver task information online.
Daily reports (internal report)
Approving estimates
Handling complaints
Tasks from the automatic generation of estimates to their delivery and issuing invoices
Tasks from the arrangement of dispatching field engineers to the recording of the outline of the visit
The functions required for workflow products change depending on the types of workflows you want to bring online. If the workflow is complex you must prepare a workflow product that supports looping and concurrent processing for that.
4. What are the workflow products for Google Apps
On the day when Google Apps Marketplace was launched, Questetra applied for the workflows category.
The next day, when 4 products were listed, I remember that Questetra’s entry from Japan was somehow unusual. However, that gave us an opportunity to be interviewed by TechCrunch, the global media.
Meanwhile, there are some G-Suite workflow products that haven’t been listed on the Marketplace, yet.
Sateraito Office/ Workflow for Google Apps
Tsunayoshi Workflow: $2
Agileworks Google Apps: $2.4million
X-point2 Google Apps：$6000
Cloud Gate UNO: $2
DSK Option Service Workflow: unknown
The number of services running on the GAE platform has increased (Google App Engine: A server software environment launched as a paid version service in February 2009). It runs on the platform of the PaaS system provided by Google so operating costs can be reduced. However, in many cases, that means workflows that are only available to Google Apps users. Moreover, Questetra also considered running the system on the GAE platform several times, but the server software is so big that it’s not realistic to let the system run on the GAE PaaS.
5. Tips on how to choose the best Workflow Product
I only can say the selection should be made based on the careful consideration of the tasks to be handled online. In other words, it cannot be said that all companies seek Questetra’s products.
Specifically, I considered the following things.
The number of types of workflow
Complexity of each workflow
Necessity of mechanical processing (automatic processing)
The number of tasks (Issues) flowing to them
*Questetra publishes all the actual service levels. In 2012, we marked four nines (99.99% availability record) while three (99.9%) is an industrial standard. Please refer to the following URL if you’re interested. (https://questetra.com/en/security-en/)
6. Conclusion
Questetra provides a starter plan so that you can use the application immediately.
Moreover, you can integrate with Google Apps even in the free version as much as you want, although there are some restrictions, such as automatic suspension after 15 days and the number of available users (10 users). If you are interested, please feel free to apply for it!
PS. search Japanese workflow products, so many products…
1. R@bitFlow: RICOH JAPAN ：$5million
2. X-point・AgileWorks: ATLED: $5
3. rakumo: rakumo inc. : $3
4. SpaceFinder: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES,LTD : 3million for 25 licences
5. intra-mart: NTT DATA INTRAMART: unknown
6. Workflow EX: Knowlbo: unknown
7. rakrak workflow: Sumitomo Electric Information Systems Co., Ltd.: unknown
8. Cybouzu Garoon: Cybozu, Inc.: $8
9. Streamline: mitori :$3
10. WaWaFlow: iii@oec: $4
11. J-MOTTO Workflow: Rismon Business Portal Co., Ltd.: $20
12. DocGear Cabinet: Shachihata Inc. : $8000 (excluding tax)
13. LS CloudWare: LittleSoft Corporation : $3
14. MajorFlow Cloud: Panasonic Net Solutions Co., Ltd: $300
15. OpenCube WorkFlow R/1 for SharePoint: NTT DATA Smart Sourcing Corporation: $5000
16. Create!Webflow: Infotec,Inc :$6000
17. Questetra BPM Suite: Questetra : $10 per user/ Free
18. EXPLANNER/FL・FlowLites: NEC Corporation $3million
19. Organizational Workflow : NextSet, Inc : $1
20. Web Plant: Canon IT Solutions Inc :$2million
21. Gluegent Flow: Gluegent, Inc: $3
22. ArielAirOne Enterprise: Works Applications Co., Ltd: unknown
23. Activiti: Alfresco Software, Inc: unknown
24. Cloudstep Workflow: Systena Corporation: $30
25. Integrated WorkFlow: NCI SYSTEMS INTEGRATION, INC: unknown
Google announced that Google Apps would be rebranded as G Suite on September 29, 2016. (Google は、2016年9月29日に “Google Apps” のブランド名を “G Suite” に変更すると発表しました。)
Google announced that G Suite would be rebranded as Google Workspace on October 6, 2020, and that Workspace would emphasize increased integration between the apps, such as the ability to create Docs from within Chats, or start a Meet call from within a presentation. (Google は、2020年10 月6日に G Suite を Google Workspace にブランド変更し、Workspace ではチャット内からドキュメントを作成したり、プレゼンテーション内から Meet 通話を開始したりする機能など、アプリ間の統合の強化を重視すると発表しました。)
なんせ Gmail と同じインターフェースなのだから、慣れるも何も、多くの人がスグに使える。ちなみに、メールだけじゃなく、カレンダー（Google Calendar）と文書管理（Google Drive）などもセットで使える。「コリャ便利だわ」と、クエステトラ社は、会社が設立された日（2008年4月）に申し込んだ。当時の名称は Google Apps Premier Edition。もちろん製品としての弱点や私なりの不満点が無い訳ではないが、やっぱ、スゴイ。。。
ちなみに歴史は、2006年8月に試運転開始、2007年2月に企業向けに本格リリースされ（当時のサービス名称は「Google Apps Premier Edition」）、2009年11月に公式ブログが始まり、情報を入手しやすくなったところ。ちなみにライバル製品は、Microsoft の「Office 365」、IBM の「SmartCloud」。
Achieving Simultaneous Review Flow by Multiple Officers
Q. What kind of operations do you use Questetra for?
Mitsubishi Pencil group consists of Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., 43 subsidiaries and 3 associated companies with approximately 2800 employees. We manufacture and sell writing instruments and peripheral products in Japan and overseas, including “uni” brand products.
Since our foundation in 1887, we have been working to improve quality and innovation as the market-leading writing instruments manufacturer in the world, under the company motto ‘the highest quality is the best service’. Now about 45% of our sales are overseas.
We are using Questetra for about 30 business operations from General Affairs to Human Resources, such as, for example, the Decision Making flow which we call “President’s Office Approval”. In the President’s Office Approval the important management projects will be reviewed by multiple directors at the same time, such as investment in new facilities or a new information system.
Q. What workflow system were you using before introducing Questetra?
We were using Notes 6.5 before Questetra.
The Workflow was quite well built so we had no functional problem, but we wanted to replace it with cloud-based general-purpose software and standardize operations by the end of 2012. This is also in line with medium-term management plan to improve the efficiency of existing operations, which began in 2010.
We actually investigated and tried a variety of products and found that most of the cloud-based Workflow products are simple and linear, so those did not meet our requirements. And then at a cloud-related exhibition we were lucky to find Questetra, which can easy perform complex tasks such as concurrent processing and looping in the cloud. It was a major advantage compared to Notes that the Workflow creation screen is very graphical and intuitive, so complex workflows can be created even without being an application expert.
Implementing the Migration to Questetra from Notes By in-house Members
Q. What trouble did you have in the Migration process?
We assumed a replacement period of about six months, and I think it actually progressed as we assumed. It was completed successfully without major problems.
Specifically speaking, we started the test run in small groups of 10-20 members from around December of 2011, then increased the number of users gradually since the beginning of 2012. By July 2012 approximately 800 employees were using the system for day-to-day operations and procedures.
Though we omitted some parts that were implemented in Notes, I think it is great that with only a small number of in-house members we have realized the building and operation of the workflow system. Also, we are once again satisfied with the fact that we can change the flow of operations by ourselves as many times as we want to improve the usability for the users.
One of the difficulties was to respond to internal requests from employees who were used to Notes’ screens and operations until they got used to the new Questetra screens. We had some meetings between administrators of users of each Workflow to work out the specifications for the replacement. At the same time we created a manual for all users and held briefings at each site. After starting operation we followed up by responding to enquiries, and in a few months I’d say it has settled down.
Q. Are you going to increase the number of Apps in the future?
For example, we are planning to actively utilize it in the administrative procedures of domestic offices and overseas plants.
For overseas factories, there are procedures such as factory shipment, domestic inspection and shipping, and we consider it necessary to promote the visualization of bottleneck processes and rework points.
