AccTech eWorkflow Escalations

AccTech eWorkflow is an effective, flexible solution - enforcing your business policy pertaining to specific procedures within your organisation which results in controlled and authorised financial transactions within your ERP system. However one challenge still remains: for a solution to effectively streamline your business processes, each user must participate in a timely manner, yet often this is not the case.

Workflow ‘bottlenecks’ and delayed transactions can cripple operations in every industry – eWorkflow Escalations is the answer! eWorkflow Escalations is a flexible service that can be implemented in various forms depending on the customer’s specific requirements.

Escalations mainly consist of two types:

• Notification Escalation and/or

• Granting additional user access to a document.

How does it work?

eWorkflow Escalation consists of a set of escalation rules which are set up in the Designer of eWorkflow. A Windows Service monitors the rules that are in place on a periodic basis and applies the necessary measures as set up by the rules. All data is stored in the Workflow database.

Where can I apply Escalation?

Escalation can be applied on various levels within your eWorkflow environment. For instance your organisation might have a specific method for purchasing certain items or services pertaining to your daily operations, which without timely execution will not only delay your main function, but drastically impact your business financially. To assist with the timely execution of your Operational procurement, you can apply Escalation on:

Level 1 – Specific Activities within a Process (for instance Escalation should be effected upon an Approval Review of a document);
Level 2 – Specific Process (for instance each Activity within a specified Process);
Level 3 – Default Activity Type (for instance Escalation should be effect on all Request for Quote Activities across all Processes);
Level 4 – Default (Escalation should be applied across the entire eWorkflow Environment).

How can I apply Escalation?

Each Rule can be configured by the Organisation to suit its requirements. The Properties of a Rule include:

• Action – Our Rule should either send a Notification or Grant Additional User Access;
• Notification Template (Select the appropriate Notification template if your action is to notify);
• Action To – Depending on your Rule Action, determine who should be notified or granted access (The Originating Role, Specified Role, Org Chart Lookup or if sending Notification – The Originating User, Specified User);
• Interval – When must your Rule Action take place (specified Days, Hours or Minutes and can be linked to Document Urgency levels);
• Number or Repetitions – If your Rule Action is Notification, determine how many notifications it must send with every interval reached.
• Action – Our Rule should either send a Notification or Grant Additional User Access;

How can I use it in my organisation?

For the organisation to ensure timely flow of their operational purchasing process, they might choose to apply first a Notification Rule if an urgent document is not approved within 4hours after being submitted. This Rule might determine that an eMail notification is sent to the Approver after 4 hours, every hour for another 3 hours.

If the Approver has not yet responded to the document after the 3rd Notification, a second Rule will be executed, determining that Additional Access be granted to another Rule within the Organisation to action the Urgent Document.

The organisation might even choose to add additional Notification or Access Rules to this scenario to ensure that the document is executed in a timely manner.

Additional Features:

• The Organisation’s Working Time calendar is easily incorporated to ensure that Escalation intervals are calculated during production time, and not over a period when the company is closed for business.
• Import Microsoft Outlook.hol (holiday), effortlessly incorporating public holidays into your Working Calendar as well.
• Notifications can be executed through eMail or SMS (SMS notifications functionality dependent on the AccTech Advanced SMS application).
• Configuration of Individual Rules and Rule Sets ensure a flexible solution of Escalating documents where the organisation needs it most.
• eWorkflow Escalation is included as a standard feature of the eWorkflow 6.1.2 solution.

For more information regarding eWorkflow, please contact AccTech Sales Division on Tel: +27 12 640 2600
or email: workflow@acctech.biz