How Do Most Organizations Handle Business Processes?
Most often, the answer is to create an electronic form using a spreadsheet and email to send the form to the individuals involved in the process.
This system works but does have its drawbacks, including:
- Delivery of the form relies upon human interaction via email.
- As the form is forwarded to each individual, multiple copies of the form are created.
- Timelines for the process are hard to track, especially as the number of people involved in the process grows.
These drawbacks also create questions in the minds of the people involved in the document workflow process.
- Who are we waiting on to approve the current step?
- Who has the most up to date version of the form?
- What is the deadline for approval?
- What is the form’s status?
These questions often require more than one person to get a conclusive answer which results in additional delays. Without the answers, your team never knows what the status of the document is at any given time and critical business processes are interrupted.
How can the workflow process be automated to account for these shortcomings?
SharePoint Forms and Workflow
Using SharePoint and the built-in workflow technology, approval form processing can be automated with the following key features:
- Forms are filled out in a single secure location.
- Users can be assigned roles resulting in better accountability.
- Automated notifications can be sent to individuals based on role assignment, form status, and deadlines.
- The current status of the form and related information is available at all times.
- Rules for processing the form are set in the workflow.
YOU May Already Have SharePoint
- Your company may already have an on premise SharePoint server.
- Microsoft SharePoint is included with some Microsoft Office 365 plans.
- As another option, you can get Microsoft Office 365 SharePoint On Line for $8/month per user. For example, if your company has 10 people involved in a workflow process, SharePoint will cost only $80/month total.
Where do we go from here?
Our SharePoint specialist can help you design and implement a workflow process that meets your needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Karen Albright
DMC Technology Group, Inc.
Karen.albright@dmctechgroup.com
