Building Workflow with Hyland Onbase
Hyland , Creator of Onbase is a world leading Enterprise Content Management and Workflow Solution listed in the Leader Quadrant for ECM .
Onbase Workflow
Onbase 15 Workflow
OnBase Workflow is a content management and electronic document routing system that enables users to process work more efficiently, quickly, and accurately. Workflow provides a rich set of point-and-click configurable rules and actions, allowing business processes to be quickly automated with no need for custom programming.
Summary
Compared to traditional paper processing , OnBase Workflow enables users to process work more efficiently, faster, and more
accurately . OnBase Workflow is beneficial whenever successive points of input or action are required
in order to complete a task, process, or procedure. Onbase Workflow streamlines collaboration and
the completion of critical business tasks. From approving expense reports to processing applications
to managing remittance processing, . Additionally, OnBase Workflow can easily integrate with and
provide the backbone to e-commerce solutions as well as be tied to organizations core ERP and CRM systems.
With OnBase Workflow, users or integrators define and configure document states, rules,
actions, and lifecycles with a comfortable Windows interface. Upon configuration,
workflow instantly routes documents through the business process as each increment of user
or system work is completed within a queue. OnBase Workflow also supports such advanced
features as alternate routing logic, automatic criteria calculation, rendezvous, simultaneous
notification, load balancing, reporting, ad hoc workflow, VB scripting, and API functionality
for integration with core legacy or ERP/CRM systems. When integrated with OnBase Web Server, the
benefits of OnBase Workflow can be made available via the Internet to users throughout your company,
regardless of their location.
Core Features
- Ensures that documents are routed in a standard, controlled, and prompt manner .
- Accommodates exceptions to the configured model by assigning specific users with rights to add or exempt stages on an ad hoc basis .
- Forwards documents without delay to each successive phase .
- Automatically distributes documents to specific work groups .
- Allows documents to be prioritized in each queue. If there is no priority assigned, the documents are sorted by the date and time they enter the lifecycle .
- Monitors and measures the time it takes to complete a process .
- Audit Queues allow periodic review for quality assurance .
- Supports Internet access for users outside of the immediate office environment .
- Processes are easily added or adjusted at the document, process, group, or enterprise level by specified users or administrators .
- Point-and-click configuration enables customization of both the routing and the user interface without programming .
- Integrates seamlessly with other OnBase modules and incorporates powerful cross-referencing to COLD, image or application documents .
- Extensive set of pre-defined rules and actions adds to ease of configuration.
- Integrates easily to other legacy systems utilizing VB scripting and robust API calls .
Applications
Non Programming Point and Click Configurable
Workflow, has been designed to allow for quick implementation ,
which is entirely point-and-click configurable, Much, if not all, of the programming that is required
by traditional workflow systems has been eliminated.
How to Design and Configure Workflows
Workflow configuration consists of two central windows:
the Tree Configuration window and the GUI Configuration window. The Tree Configuration window provides a workflow
designer with the tools to define the work (system, user, or timer) to be accomplished at each queue .
At the same time , the user is able to define the rules and actions that determine how documents will
be routed.
Non -programmers are completely able to design and deploy sophisticated workflow solutions .
This is done with Simple right-click mouse functions and easy to understand configuration windows .
To determine how the actual flow of a life cycle will appear and how documents will be transitioned
through the life cycle, The GUI Configuration window is used by the designer . Workflow life cycles are
designed within minutes,through the use of a configuration toolbar and grid map . Upon the creation
of the life cycle queues, the graphic layout and the transitions, a basic workflow has easily been established.
The designer completes the life cycle queue attributes by returning to the Tree Configuration window Once the workflow
layout and transitions have been defined . Here the designer can choose from a large pre-defined list of rules
and actions, or custom define rules or actions, utilizing VB scripting, through a robust set of exits
provided in OnBase Workflow.
How Users use the Workflow
By selecting the workflow button on the OnBase Client toolbar ,
Users enter workflow . Alternatively they can select the menu option "Workflow Inbox" Normally ,
the user will see only the queues to which he or she is assigned.Whereas the administrator can
elect to hide or show a disabled icon for those queues to which a user does not have access.
In order for a document to enter a workflow process, its document type must be associated with a
specific life cycle. A document type can be configured to enter a lifecycle at a specific queue
and automatically initiate workflow. Documents are brought into a workflow life cycle in all of
the same ways documents can currently enter OnBase COLD, DIP, Imaging, etc. Selecting a document
from the OnBase Document Retrieval window and selecting the "Execute Workflow" option will
manually start a workflow life cycle. OnBase can also initiate workflow from electronic forms,
Internet forms, and e-mail messages.Upon entering Workflow , users see , waiting in their respective
queue a list of documents . A task bar displays the user options for that queue.
The user, upon selecting a document, can , for example , "Begin User Work" , select a task to
perform from the task bar, or route the document to another user or queue. The "Begin User Work"option
prompts some type of user interaction, such as series of tasks that the user should perform or
a question for the user to answer . After the user has completed all user work and tasks, user
proceeds to the next document , while the document continues through workflow . When a document
is at the end of a lifecycle, there are options are open for eliminating, archiving, or sinking the document.
Example of a Workflow Scenario
Here is an example of a workflow scenario describing a simplified Loan Production/Approval process.
Starting the Workflow
The status of loan files
are constantly monitored by workflow and automatically routed to the appropriate person(s) based upon pre-defined
rules and process flows. It is also possible for authorized users have the ability to route documents on an
ad hoc basis , instead of automatic routing . One of the significant benefits of this system is that it
allows management to analyze the Loan Production process, plan and test changes to the work process, and
roll out those changes with relative ease.
The user does work .
The tools required for an individual to do his or her job are
readily available on the desktop , for example , all documents related to the loan are immediately
available.Users can focus on the immediate task at hand , With workflow providing all relevant
documents and tasks, directly on the screen, . In some cases, workflow identifies which task the
user is performing and automatically opens documents appropriate for that task. When a new
loan file arrives, it is assigned to an available underwriter. The underwriter selects the loan
file and workflow executes the user work specified for underwriters. As an example , a form could
be displayed in where the underwriter enters comments and selects the appropriate button: cancel,
approve or deny. A rule then tests to determine the underwriter's response and initiates the appropriate
transition - to cancel, deny or to route to the account manager.
Work is routed .
It may be necessary to route the
document to multiple underwriters for approval before submission to the account manager. a timer,
(a monitoring process running on the workflow server) automatically reassigns the loan file to
another underwriter,
Automatic routing to Load Balance work .
If the underwriter were out sick that day, When the loan file makes the
transition to the account manager queue, the system work for the account manager queue
initiates and automatically faxes the approval to the broker. The loan file rests in
the queue until the account manager selects it and begins the user work. When the
account manager completes his/her work, workflow checks to see if any outstanding
funding conditions remain. If there are no further conditions, workflow automatically
routes the appropriate documents to funding. Otherwise, the loan file remains in the
account manager queue until all conditions are fulfilled.Typically, queues are shared by groups
of individuals. Many workers can share the same queue, but they would only see
the files assigned to them. To the user, it appears as if they are the only one
using the queue. Queues can also be configured without any user work. These
are called system or server-side queues. They handle background processes
such as ticklers, timers, and other data processing functions.