Neomind

Author: Felipe Bahiense

  • DPA vs RPA: how to use them in my company?

    DPA vs RPA: how to use them in my company?

    Using machines to perform human work is not a recent practice, but technological advances brought more and more new alternatives and tools capable of improving performance within companies, being adaptive and versatile to follow constant and rapid market changes.

    Companies have implemented several software systems capable of automating their tasks, contributing to digital transformation, and achieving their set goals.

    In recent years, the acronyms DPA and RPA have gained prominence for their importance and for the competitive differential they can generate. But after all, what are RPA and DPA and how can they be used in your company? Read on, and check it out!

    What is RPA?

    Do you know those routine, repetitive tasks, such as sending charges, logging into an application, searching sites like SERASA or Receita Federal, verifying forms, updating spreadsheets, and copying data, among others? With RPA you literally have a robot to perform them, without errors and working 24 hours a day.

    Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology where automation is accomplished with software-robots capable of simulating and perfectly reproducing repetitive human actions. Basically, all you have to do is to configure the robot, and it performs the set tasks based on rules, which increases productivity, reduces errors, and gives employees the opportunity to dedicate themselves to strategic efforts and make a difference within the company.

    By being able to communicate with other systems, RPAs speed up processes and reduce the overall workload. Using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, it automates repetitive tasks to ensure they’re completed with consistency, accuracy, reliability, and superior speed, without requiring breaks. It can be used in various departments within a company, as long as its processes are based on rules.

    Robotic Process Automation is a very simple tool, capable of being adapted to the infrastructure and systems that any given organization uses. It’s common to find low-code RPA platforms where the user himself can create his own robot with little or no help at all from the IT department.

    What is DPA?

    Digital Process Automation (DPA), uses different technologies to automate steps, activities, and tasks to help with a company’s processes management (BPM) from end to end, providing a broad, integrated overview directly related to the organization’s objectives.

    Based on BPMN principles, with DPA processes mapping and automation is performed from end to end, which means that the activities are carried out in a simpler and standardized, logical, and collaborative way. Since the interactions and responsible parties are well defined, the tasks are completed in a correlated manner, regardless of whether they are sequential or parallel.

    Another usefulness of DPA is its information recording capability, which allows performance analysis to be carried out assertively, spotting bottlenecks, reducing cycles, and facilitating process management and monitoring.

    To learn how to map or understand where your company is in process automation, access this ebook and improve your processes.

    What are the differences?

    Now that you understand each of these tools, let’s go deeper into their differences.

    First, we need to clarify that their main contraposition is in their applicability. While RPA is about automating tasks, DPA can be used for complete processes and workflows, including those that are long and complex, because it has the ability to map and automate steps from start to finish. Processes are represented with BPMN notation, including interactions between actors, enabling clearances, and decision rules configuration. DPA is much broader, as it works with the entire process, involving several sectors and users.

    Thus, Digital Process Automation standardizes procedures, improving or creating a new process that follows a certain execution logic, facilitating communication between departments, allowing employees to interact more assertively with the systems and perform their activities quickly, with information traceability, secure data storage, and the ability to monitor the entire process and the interactions.

    Another difference is that DPA allows human interaction with electronic forms, while RPA works with specific, repetitive, and costly tasks, has a shorter duration, and user interaction is non-existent.

    In short, DPA automates and RPA robotizes, but both exist to boost the company’s performance and take its digital transformation further.

    How to use DPA and RPA in my company?

    Okay, now you understand the differences between the two, but a question remains: can I use both tools? How do I combine their execution to optimize our work routine?

    Processes that use DPA rely on RPA for repetitive or time-consuming tasks, benefiting and speeding up the process. For example, within a given sales process that has been mapped and automated, it’s possible to configure a robot to complement the data of a registration where the address is based on the zip code of the street, so when the user types in the matching numbers, the robot queries the Post Office website, and in a matter of seconds it fills in the related address fields such as street and district names. This is just one example of the many functions that the tools are able to provide when complementing each other.

    Finally, it’s essential to continue measuring the performance of the processes that were automated with DPA, both to enhance their flow and to find other tasks where RPA could be useful.

    Both tools have rapid development, standardize activities and workflow, have easy integration with other systems, have data traceability, reduce errors and costs, and enable performance analysis.

    Want to test DPA and RPA?

    Companies are increasingly emphasizing the focus of their intellectual capital on their core business, leaving for software everything that is not considered essential, especially those activities that do not require decision and are repetitive.

    It may seem complex to know which processes should be automated within your company, so it’s important to rely on a complete tool and experts who understand your needs and implement it correctly to improve the results obtained.

    Fusion Platform is a complete, user-friendly, and low-code platform. And the best of all is that you can test Fusion for 15 days for free and understand in practice how DPA and RPA can be important tools for your success.

  • How does Change Management assist companies in their strategies?

    How does Change Management assist companies in their strategies?

    Change is more and more common and necessary in the Information Technology (IT) sector. Due to numerous new developments coming from the workforce, organizations put themselves in a position of frequent transformation to meet their customer’s needs as well as their own ones.

    It’s precisely because of the importance and criticality of change processes that methods guided by quality standards must be used; after all, this entire process must be carried out effectively and efficiently to reduce the impact of possible unforeseen events. Thus, the professionals in corporations opt for methodologies such as ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), which is an international standard for IT service management and meets the ISO 20000 standard.

    Regarding change management methods

    ITIL encompasses procedures for better user and customer satisfaction. According to ITIL, a change is the addition, modification, or removal of any task that will impact IT. Often, a change is an event that is previously authorized, analyzed, and will bring some kind of value to the organization and its customers.

    The demand for change can come from an employee or a user who finds it necessary. It can be classified as

    • Emergency change: which would be an impediment to production and tends to be more uncoordinated and with a high chance of failure; or
    • Standard change: which has low risk, a pre-established process, and it’s documented step-by-step.

    The goal of change management is to establish a pattern of procedures to manage the need for necessary transformations in an agile and efficient manner, so as to minimize risk and the impact that changes bring to an organization.

    While no practice or methodology can 100% guarantee success, they can help manage risk and secure IT services against potential unnecessary errors.

    How does the process of change take place?

    It all starts with the analysis of the requests for change. After that, the commitment to meet certain demands must be defined, while still meeting other business needs. Then we come to the approval and scheduling phases, ensuring that those involved are aware of all the necessary actions that will put changes into practice.

    It’s important to emphasize that change is something that must be planned, which includes not only implementation cycles, but also testing and correction cycles, reducing the chances of failure when a change is applied to the production environment. Documentation also plays an important role, ensuring agility for future similar demands.

    Importance of the change management process

    Planned and structured change helps minimize potential risks that come with it. At the same time, it brings significant benefits, such as aligning IT with organizational interests and increasing responsiveness to change, thereby improving staff performance for future innovations.

    Commonly, one of the biggest challenges during change management process is the resistance of those involved. Many choose to continue to perform tasks in an inefficient way, but that they are already used to.

    We emphasize that change management also plays the role of transmitting confidence to these people, since an efficient schedule involves commitment from those involved to maximize the team’s potential to adapt to the new ways of working.

    Miscommunication can create a lack of trust among those involved, and uncertainty will cause difficulties in embracing change. Employees need to be aware of what is going on, and avoid feeling disconnected and not aligned with the change objectives. And this is only possible thanks to the change management process, which understands that communication must be constant, as the whole group can help with valuable ideas.

    In conclusion

    Without a doubt, change management is an important business strategy. Maturing this process is a long way to go, but by achieving excellence in it, the organization becomes able to promptly meet its needs, adding value to itself and remaining competitive in the market.

    At Neomind, we make available to our clients the Change Management Accelerator, making organizational processes agile and productive. This accelerator is concerned with the management of a change cycle within the context of IT asset management or beyond. To do this, it generates the necessary controls for impact analysis, change planning, configuration management, and predictability. To learn more, please visit our website or contact us.

  • 6 tips for organizing your tasks and your team

    6 tips for organizing your tasks and your team

    How many times have you been frustrated because you felt you had too much to do and spent the whole day starting all those activities without finishing any of them? Or, because you didn’t know what to prioritize, you started several tasks and finished those that seemed easier, but that actually weren’t so urgent and important?

    Despite our to-do lists being different from each other, we all have the same goals: to get as much done as possible. To do this, you need a better way to manage your time and activities. In this article, we will focus on activity management and talk about task organization.

    We’ve put together 6 tips to help you stay organized and, of course, complete your activities. Check it out!

    1. Know how to prioritize

    Prioritization is the first item when it comes to task organization. It’s no good trying to multitask believing that you can do several things at the same time. You can, but in the end, you won’t get anything done right!

    When you need to prioritize tasks, a great tip is to separate what is urgent from what is important. Eisenhower’s Decision Matrix is widely used for this purpose. Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States and the owner of a famous quote: “What is important is rarely urgent and what is urgent is rarely important.

    Before we go to the decision matrix, it’s important to understand that urgent means that a task requires immediate attention. That which is considered important, on the other hand, deals with things that contribute to long-term goals, mission, values, and objectives.

    Thus, in Eisenhower’s Decision Matrix, there are:

    • Urgent and important tasks: in task organization, these are the tasks that require our immediate attention and contribute to the achievement of goals.
    • Non-urgent and important tasks: activities that do not have an urgent deadline, but that, nevertheless, help you achieve your goals.
    • Urgent and non-important tasks: require our attention now (urgent), but don’t help us achieve our goals or fulfill our mission (unimportant). Most tasks here are interruptions from other people.
    • Non-urgent, non-important tasks: these are the so-called distractions.

    Investing your time in organizing non-urgent but important tasks can prevent them from becoming urgent AND important in the future. By doing so, you act proactively to avoid great problems.

    2. Create a plan

    You and your team have worked to prioritize activities. Now you need to develop a plan. In this step, you must identify the responsible parties and deadlines for completing each of the tasks in order to organize them in a way that truly makes sense.

    Here, note that it’s important that the whole team has a detailed and clear view of what needs to be done. Each member should be aware of what is expected in each task. This will help each individual to organize their time and prioritize tasks on a daily basis.

    To create the plan itself, we recommend the next tip:

    3. Use the right tools

    There is no right or wrong here. For simplified task management, there are tools like Trello, Evernote, Todoist, and Kanban itself that can help.

    However, when it comes to corporate projects, task organization has to go to a higher professional level. This is because just leaving tasks organized is not enough. It’s necessary to monitor them, to know whether they are overdue or not, who is responsible for them, and what their deadlines are.

    In other words, tasks need to be on a flowchart. For example, imagine the activity of hiring a new employee. Hiring goes through the process of job advertising, interviews, approval from the direct superior, and the entire procedure of hiring the chosen employee. A failure in the organization of these tasks can cause a step to be forgotten, or to be managed without much attention.

    Human Resources processes are just one of the countless examples that could be given of the importance of using the right tools in managing and organizing tasks. We can talk about hiring and service management, campaign approval, problem management, and conducting public consultation, among many others.

    4. Track delegated tasks

    When working with task organization, you will find that there are tasks that can be delegated. Once you have assigned a task to a team member, it’s definitely worth it to use software that helps you keep track of their progress.

    This kind of control will also allow you to analyze where productivity is falling off or where it can be put to better use. For tracking to be done properly, we not only need to use the right tools, but also keep the team’s tasks centralized, which brings us to the next tip:

    5. Keep your tasks organized in one place

    Having a work environment where the organization of tasks isn’t taken seriously is a sure way to lower team’s productivity.

    One method to avoid this and keep tasks organized is to centralize them. There is no point in having a task described on a piece of paper on your desk when its completion depends on the effort of another employee, who in turn needs to know at what stage it’s supposed to be done.

    Once again, tools are essential here. By having the tasks accessible in a single place, it will be possible not only to monitor them but also to perform them on time, within the required deadline.

    6. Review the tasks

    Some people like to do this at the end of each day. But you can set one day a week to analyze what went well, what needs improvement, and which tasks will need adjusting.

    The focus of organizing tasks is not to make you run back and forth to do them. The idea is not to keep yourself busy all the time, but to do the tasks that really need to be done in order for you and your team to achieve the expected goals (have you read our post on goal management and strategies?).

    Task organization: take the next step

    When tasks enter a flow, it is quite common to have bottlenecks. To solve this issue, and to take your company to the next step of task management and organization, a process management platform is fundamental.

    With a BPM software, your company has a unique environment that provides teams with total control over activities, such as appointment times, deadline control, and flags, among others.

    So, get to know Fusion Platform! Our solution has a BPM module that allows process creation and management in a simple way, with the added benefit of a high level of integration with other management systems. In addition, we have accelerators for task management and organization to meet the varied needs of a company (such as for example, Client Registration Management, Electronic Timetable, PPE Request, and others).

  • GED and ECM: what are they and what are their differences?

    GED and ECM: what are they and what are their differences?

    Sometimes, understanding Information Management’s terminology ends up being difficult. Sometimes this is the case for ECM and EDM, whether by misinformation or simply the absence of content that clarifies their differences.

    Here in our blog we have already explained the distinction between BPM x Workflow.

    In this article, we will answer what may be one of the most common questions involving Information Management: what is the difference between Electronic Document Management (EDM) and Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?

    First, the background

    The technology related to both terms emerged in the late 80s and early 90s, when Document Management System (DMS), or Electronic Document Management (EDM), began to be used to capture and store documents in organizations.

    However, the growing complexity and increasing demand from companies for specific functionalities gave birth to the term Enterprise Content Management (ECM), in the early 2000s. At that time, ECM could be considered an evolved version of the Document Management System (DMS).

    It’s important to note that the terminologies discussed here can be defined by research institutes such as Gartner and AIIM, but generally this ends up occurring through choices made by the market itself.

    Each of these terms is explained below:

    Electronic Document Management (EDM)

    According to the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) definition, Electronic Document Management (EDM) is the use of a computer system and software to store, manage, and track electronic documents and images, of paper-based information, captured using a document scanner.

    It’s one of the precursor technologies to content management (ECM). So, broadly speaking, ECM provides some of the most basic functionalities for content management, bringing management controls and features to what otherwise we would consider “dumb” documents.

    In short, it makes it so that when you have documents and need to use them, you can do so.

    Among Document Management’s key features, these are the ones that stand out:

    • Check-in / check-out and lock features, to coordinate simultaneous editing of a document and prevent changes made by one person override another one’s;
    • Version control, so that tabs can be kept on how the current document came to be, as well as how it differs from previous iterations;
    • Roll-back, to “activate” an earlier version in case of an error or premature release;
    • Audit trail, to allow reconstruction of who did what to a document during the course of its life in the system;
    • Annotation and bookmarking;

    Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

    The AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) definition states that Enterprise Content Management or ECM is not a simple technology, methodology, or process, but rather, a “dynamic combination of strategies, methods, and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver information that supports key organizational processes throughout their lifecycle.

    Broadly speaking, the phases of ECM consist of:

    • Capture: in this phase, information is obtained from the various media and channels on which they are available (ERP, CRM, dead files, social media, etc);
    • Management: the next phase, responsible for keeping information organized and connected to the processes;
    • Storage: focus now is in ensuring that information is stored in an appropriate medium, either through a system or other technologies;
    • Preservation: is the long-term maintenance, such as archiving, consisting of the practice of protecting content so that it is available and can be used by the organization at any time in the future;
    • Delivery: ensuring that information is delivered to the right audience, through the right device and at the right time.

    From the phases mentioned above, an organization that adopts an ECM solution will get the following benefits:

    • Possibility of capturing any type of content, storing it securely, and making it available throughout the process, regardless of time and place;
    • Effectively organizing any amount of information;
    • Enabling you to search and find information quickly, without having to waste time organizing it in advance;
    • Tracking changes in the documentation;
    • Improving process release and delivery;
    • Enable you to visualize and understand the entire process, as well as your role in it.

    Naming evolution

    More than a decade after the term ECM was first mentioned, in 2016, AIIM felt that consumerization (use of personal devices in the workplace), the cloud, mobile handsets, and the Internet of Things (IoT) were rapidly signaling “the end of the ECM era”.

    At that time, the reason was that Enterprise Content Management was no longer serving the purpose for which it was intended.

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    Goals & Strategy

    Fusion Platform, for example, is no longer Fusion ECM Suite, since the solution as a whole goes far beyond document management. Therefore, today what was the EDM module is now called ECM.

    Thus, Gartner suggested the term Content Services, while AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) published a study entitled “The New Wave”, in which it presents the IIM – Intelligent Information Management.

    After all, what are the similarities and differences between EDM and ECM?

    Among the main similarities that encompass the two technologies, the ones we can highlight are:

    • both are SAAS (Software As A Service) technologies;
    • they store information in digital format;
    • they save time and expenses;
    • they provide templates;
    • they can be integrated with other systems and software.

    Today it’s possible to state that EDM and ECM are terminologies used for the same type of solution. Since, as mentioned, the market is often responsible for the nomenclature of software solutions types.

    Finally, you must also consider that regardless of the name of the solution, the ideal is always to thoroughly research the specific functionalities of any given product, the quality of its service, and whether it meets the demands of your business or not.

    Try Fusion Platform’s ECM/GED module right now!

    References:

    AIIM, AIIM, AIIM, E File Carbinet

  • Integrated Management: learn all about this management

    Integrated Management: learn all about this management

    Integrated Management, as the name suggests, means we manage all parts of a business in a unified manner. The practice enables global administration, more assertive decision-making, and a focus on a holistic view.

    This way, the idea is to centralize management, unifying data from all departments. This includes all their unique processes and complexities.

    Not infrequently, information reaches management in isolated pieces, and because of that it does not reflect and reveal the company’s real situation.

    Integrated management actually analyzes the whole company’s performance, how each department is impacting the achievement of objectives, and what decisions and solutions need to be developed to improve internal dynamism.

    This brings us to the fact that to remain competitive in an increasingly competitive market, businesses need to undergo digital transformation. And the more management becomes allied to technology, the greater the gains will be.

    The importance of an Integrated Management System

    An Integrated Management System is able to gather all of a company’s relevant data in a single place.

    The best options also offer information visualization in an intuitive and practical way, especially with graphs and reports.

    This way, the created database favors the observation of bottlenecks, activities, and actions that can be automated.

    Moreover, the use of an effective software makes it possible for us to improve the use of all kinds of resources. Management decisions become based on real data and accurate metrics.

    With an Integrated Management System, it is also possible to monitor, measure, and control all stages of a company’s daily processes, regardless of their level of complexity. Even if we have parallel activities happening, the follow-up occurs in real time.

    As an example, imagine that with an integrated system a manager can accompany a purchase process. Despite being initiated by the stock sector, for example, this process goes through the purchasing, financial, controller, and many other areas. With an integrated software the manager follows the course of all these stages from a single place.

    In short, an integrated management system helps the company to achieve its goals and continue on the path to success.

    Benefits of Integrated Management

    Access to data and information brings us more control, and consequently more growth and profitability. Check the benefits generated by integrated management highlighted in-depth below:

    Centralized data and information

    Centralization, as already mentioned, allows easy access, since information is concentrated in a single place.

    In this sense, there is greater control and ease of sharing, which in its turn enables analysis so we can establish how the activities should be performed.

    Centralization allows several tasks to be performed from the same software, guaranteeing end-to-end control.

    No resources are wasted by acquiring endless tools for different tasks. Everything is centralized, considerably reducing costs.

    Process standardization and automation

    Integrated management software generates enough knowledge and maps processes so that they are always carried out in the same way. This ensures the best practices are used during their execution.

    With that standardization, it’s possible to reduce and even eliminate manual and repetitive work.

    In other words, activities are automated, ensuring fewer errors and reduced task durations, which allows employees to be used for other strategic duties.

    Basically, it allows technology to execute bureaucratic processes with much more security and information accuracy.

    Increased productivity

    As integrated management provides a global view of the company, applying measures that make performance more efficient and effective becomes simpler and more assertive.

    When a company invests in standardization and process automation, it achieves a higher level of performance, increasing productivity.

    This is due to the reduction of errors and rework, resource optimization, and increased information reliability.

    Since data does not transit between departments, no data is manipulated or altered without off the record. Consequently, obtained information can be better evaluated – it has greater transparency, after all.

    Securely stored data and information

    With the current changes in data and privacy laws, plus the need to preserve data and information securely, you need to adopt a system that can withstand the unforeseen.

    A quality Integrated Management System ensures that data will be stored securely and with high technology.

    Many companies turn to cloud storage for this reason. The strategy prevents data from being damaged in the event of misfortunes such as local fire or theft.

    Time savings and cost reduction

    By having full-time information feedback and transparency, integrated management enables significant time savings.

    After all, every team can see the whole picture, which provides better communication and responsible identification between departments.

    In addition, by standardizing processes, they become simpler. Allied to automation, there is a better use of resources, whether they are raw materials, labor, or any other.

    In summary, integrated management allows to know and standardize the processes. As a result, there is a reduction in costs and expenses.

    Result follow-up and assertiveness in decision-making

    Easy access to reliable information means that all decisions are made based on truthful data.

    The use of dashboards to illustrate the monitoring of the objectives provides a visualization of how the company is heading. In other words, the manager and the entire team can follow the results of the entire organization.

    By analyzing this data, decision-making becomes much more assertive and effective. Furthermore, there is the possibility of following up on individual and general goals, leading to a better relationships and teamwork.

    The manager and leader who has this kind of information better allocate their resources towards achieving the goals with a greater probability of benefits.

    Brand Strengthening

    The sum of all the above benefits results in the strengthening of your brand. In other words, when there’s an overview of all processes so readily available, the focus may shift to the company’s main activities and core business.

    In this way, new strategies that achieve greater competitive differentials emerge. Another issue is that standardization makes sure that tasks are always carried out equally.

    As a result, there is continuous improvement in processes, leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction.

    Conclusion

    It isn’t healthy for a company to have fragmented management. It’s integrated management that provides, as mentioned, numerous benefits and advantages.

    But, of course, only qualified software enables the success of this management model, like Fusion Platform, which you can try for free for 15 days!

    Fusion is a complete tool that helps in integrated management and provides dashboards and templates that assist in the visualization of metrics.

    If you have any questions or comments, write us. We’ll be pleased to walk along your business towards success!

  • Process innovation: how is your company performing

    Process innovation: how is your company performing

    Process innovation, as the name suggests, is a different and better way to carry out a process as a whole, bringing changes that generate greater benefits, which in turn can be felt in the short and long terms. This type of innovation does not alter the product or service itself but makes the existing steps happen much more efficiently.

    Have you ever thought that the activities performed within your company could be carried out in a way that is much more prone to success? We will show you the importance of process innovation and which tools can help you with that.

    What Process Innovation encompasses

    Process innovation often refers to the implementation or improvement of the platforms that a company uses to improve internal areas, such as the production process, logistics, approval of registrations, purchase requests, and supplier contact, among others. Some tools are fundamental to increasing productivity and the quality of provided services.

    It operates in different aspects, being variable and adapted to the needs of each company; after all, each enterprise is unique and has its own demands. As innovation is a set of long-term actions, it’s necessary to recognize and value each small step, so that in the end, the desired result is achieved.

    It is worth pointing out that these changes may occur in the way the company produces, but they do not directly affect the final consumer. What happens is that innovation brings more agility and security, improves performance, and uses resources in a more appropriate way, allowing employees to focus on the company’s strategic issues, which may lead to new products or services.

    The importance of innovating processes

    As the changes in the market are constant and increasingly fast, innovating processes generates competitive differentials, and can bring benefits to all areas of a company, whether in the short, medium or long term.

    When your company is able to execute a process in less time, for example, it can develop new products or services to meet demand, and stand out on the market. Likewise, when your employees stop performing repetitive work, they feel valued and are able to focus on creating alternatives that will further improve the company.

    Thus, even if indirectly, innovating processes is beneficial and ends up being perceived by the final consumer. In a broader sense, process innovation favors access to new markets, uses technology to prepare the company for the future, and is a bias for new partnerships and knowledge.

    Looking internally, where the benefits of process innovation are more easily perceived, we can list:

    • Time savings – innovation generates time optimization. The faster and less bureaucratic a process is, the higher the productivity and performance of the entire chain;
    • Lower error rate – directly related to the automation of processes, repetitive jobs are executed with software and digital solutions, having a much lower error rate than when they are executed manually.
    • New ways to perform tasks – when you insert technology and process automation software, you can analyze all the steps belonging, having more data and information to improve and find new and better ways to perform the flow of tasks and activities.
    • Increased profitability – if there is error reduction, cost reduction, time savings, access to new markets, and new ways to perform the processes, it becomes possible to increase production or service delivery, increasing proportionally the revenues and profit margin obtained.

    Process Innovation and Continuous Improvement

    Continuous improvement in this context consists of a culture of constantly enhancing processes, which analyses current activities and tasks, as well as the way they occur internally, to verify necessary changes and future improvement possibilities, especially regarding issues such as inefficiency, bottlenecks, waste or delays.

    Thus, this process is uninterrupted and cyclical, being an ally to innovation, since the analyses aim at actions that will optimize and automate tasks, including the implementation of platforms that can help in the management.

    When this culture exists within your company, it becomes noticeable that a process is improved several times over time. This happens because of new insights, analyses, practices, and technologies are capable of providing a better experience and contributing, even more, to generating competitive advantages emerge.

    Methodologies such as BPM and design thinking are commonly applied to study and plan which and how the changes should happen, creating possible scenarios and adapting the activities so that everything can be executed in a way that generates better results.

    Facilitate process innovation with BPM

    BPM, Business Process Management, is an adjustable management discipline that aims to organize and facilitate existing organizational processes in order to achieve the company’s objectives. BPM allows you to understand the ins and outs of each process, and it’s this understanding that will make innovation happen.

    Thus, you probably already realized how process innovation is facilitated with this discipline that can be used in several processes, from the simplest to the most complex, covering all sectors, and that provides a collaborative vision, traceability, efficiency, information accuracy, and, consequently, better results.

    To use BPM within companies, implement a BPMS tool capable of automating and executing your processes in a more coordinated, fast, safe, and effective manner.

    In this case study we see how Imaginarium managed to improve and innovate its processes by implementing Fusion Platform, a complete platform for adapting internal processes and generating data for monitoring and analyzing operations. It’s also possible to query data, analyze requirements and indicators with it, and the software is customizable and easy to update.

    Need a little help to innovate your processes? Test Fusion Platform for free for 15 days!

    Have you participated or plan to participate in any process innovation initiative? Tell us about your experience here in the comments.

  • BPM and Workflow: Understand the Difference

    BPM and Workflow: Understand the Difference

    Imagine you are in an airplane that is about to land. In your cockpit, the pilot just had to ask the control tower permission to do so. Permission granted, a team is put in place on the ground. As a passenger, you notice that there is a sequence of procedures that take place to get the plane back to the ground. For example, a warning is given for passengers to return their seats to the upright position. The flight attendant walks down the aisle checking seats and trays.

    At the airport where the plane will land, there is also a sequence to be followed, and besides this specific landing, there are other procedures going on such as takeoffs, maintenances, and refueling. Data is needed to improve the operation for each of these procedures. For example: How long does it take for the passengers to disembark? What about boarding? What is the percentage of delay in take-offs? Is the delay caused by the high flow of passengers at the airport, or by each company’s procedures?

    In our airplane example:

    • The workflow is the sequential procedures that occurred for our plane to land (pilot notifies airport, captain notifies crew, stewardess checks seats and tray);
    • The entire landing operation, however, was managed by processes at the airport, since for a landing to occur it’s necessary to check air traffic and if there is space on the runway. In other words, it’s something way more complex and requires a more structured approach.

    We gave this example so that you can better understand a topic that has been causing a lot of confusion: what are the differences between BPM and Workflow? Or, again: aren’t BPM and Workflow the same thing after all?

    What is Workflow?

    Workflow is a sequence of activities with the goal of providing an overview of a process to reduce inefficiencies, monitor results, and incorporate automation. In addition, it serves to align processes with business objectives and systematize how documents and tasks are completed and executed for quality and/or compliance reasons.

    Workflow transforms the way every company executes processes, activities, tasks, policies, and procedures. It happens this way because workflow management software allows you to set up and monitor a sequence of tasks, usually in the form of a diagram. Most of the time these diagrams are not detailed but provide enough information for instructions to be followed and tasks to be efficiently executed.

    To make another analogy, a workflow would be like the steps to make a cake, but not the whole process of assembling it, packaging it, and so on. Thus, we say that workflow is the tip of the iceberg when compared to the BPM discipline.

    What is BPM?

    BPM stands for Business Process Management. It’s a methodology that constantly evaluates changes and improvements in various aspects of a process.

    As we mentioned in the article What is Process Management (BPM) and what are its benefits?, BPM aims to achieve the objectives of organizations through improvements in management and control methods, techniques, and tools for analyzing, modeling, publishing, improving, and controlling processes.

    Similarities between BPM and Workflow

    To understand the relationship between BPM and Workflow, we have to address the similarities between them. By the definitions we just gave, both are used to improve company processes, because both see value in the process as a whole. In addition, BPM and Workflow are about tasks, automation, and data transfer.


    Notice that the BPM methodology is similar to workflow. But, as they say: one thing is one thing, another thing is another thing.

    Ok, so what are the differences between BPM and Workflow?

    We understand the concepts of BPM and Workflow. So, for starters, we can say that workflow is an essential cog, but it is only one of the many components that make up a process.

    A workflow is related to a sequence of activities that can be manual or automated (software-based) procedures. On the other hand, Business Process Management is related to the execution and management of business processes.

    BPM incorporates multiple workflows, automation tools, and human capital. A BPM software makes all the cogs work together – and in harmony – to create an optimal, efficient, and more agile end result. Unlike Workflow, Business Process Management has the ability to coordinate multiple activities and processes in an integrated way.

    Workflow is a simple automation tool for directing tasks to the responsible users. A BPM solution takes a more structured approach, while workflow automation is just one piece of the whole puzzle.

    If you need to automate or organize a simple process in your department, workflow is the way to go. However, if your department has several interconnected processes, you will need to manage multiple workflows, forms, notifications, reports, and more, the answer, in this case, will be a BPM.

    Does this mean we have to choose between BPM and Workflow?

    The answer is no. Understanding the differences between BPM and Workflow is essential so that you don’t get confused and end up thinking that both terms are the same. However, instead of thinking of BPM vs. Workflow, think of both operating together.

    The most indicated is to bet on a BPM platform, such as Fusion, which will provide all the functionalities of a workflow system added to the additional features that manage all the company’s processes, improving the organizational level.

    To learn more about BPM, we invite you to read our articles:

    If you would like to know more about BPM and Workflow, please contact us. It will be a pleasure to help you! Feel free to share this article with your colleagues. Until next time!

  • Digital processes automation (DPA): definition and benefits.

    Digital processes automation (DPA): definition and benefits.

    Innovations in technology are getting more frequent and quick, creating several competitive advantages in an increasingly contentious environment such as the corporate one.

    Today, a company’s most important resources are the data and information generated by its processes, so it’s essential to use technology to automate them, generating greater security, ease, and access speed.

    Digital processes automation is the perfect choice for enterprises that seek agility, efficiency, and effectiveness. It brings costs down, increases productivity, and makes employees work more strategically and less mechanistically in repetitive activities.

    What is digital processes automation?

    First, we define as automation the use of technological resources in order to improve management, control, and processes on companies’ daily routines. When manual activities are replaced with systems, software, or other technologies, we have digital processes automation.

    Digital Processes Automation – DPA, brings several of those technologies together, enabling a holistic approach, based on business processes management (BPM), and it’s capable of automating the steps, activities, and tasks of a company from the start to finish.

    In order for automation to happen, it’s necessary to carry out a survey and map all the processes’ steps, understanding related activities and those responsible for them. With the description of everything involved in achieving an objective, it’s easier to observe eventual flaws and bottlenecks. To optimize and simplify a company’s processes, the mapping must be aligned to design thinking methodologies.

    How digital processes automation works

    Before acquiring a tool capable of digitalizing your company’s processes, you need to understand what’s the best type of automation, and just then seek an alternative that meets the identified demand in an assertive, personalized, and friendly way to employees and teams.

    Depending on your company’s structure, processes may be defined by areas or sectors. For instance, a company that issues a lot of invoices may proceed to automate tasks, while a food manufacturer may seek an end to end automation, from request to inventory management.

    Applying BPMN principles, DPA is able to map, simplify and automate processes from start to finish. When activities are standardized, they are executed in a collaborative, logical way. Even if there are several interactions, it’s possible to set up the tasks so they run sequentially or side by side, as well as the specific decision rules for each step. Besides, there is the recording and traceability of information, which makes bottleneck visualization more accessible, helps reducing cycle durations, e more importantly facilitates processes management and monitoring.

    The definition of which processes will be automated will depend on a company’s goals and priorities. It’s necessary to rely on a provider that has both the tool itself and the know-how needed to ensure the implementation is carried out correctly, with results that generate a return over its investment.

    Does my company need DPA? What are its benefits?

    If you’d like to see your employees dedicating and using their expertise in a more strategic way, without wasting time with robotic, repetitive activities, then your company surely needs DPA!

    It’s a mistake to believe that digital processes automation is not necessary if a company is already doing fine. No matter its size or growth stage, adopting an automation system not only contributes to productivity but also creates an innovative culture capable of strengthening your brand and widening your operation area/market.

    Benefits and advantages brought by DPA are several, like reduced flaws, less spending, and repetitive manual work, and increase in productivity and performance, since a holistic view favors the replacement of bureaucratic, low-efficiency methods by innovative alternatives, improving routine processes and reducing the time it takes to accomplish established tasks.

    With a focus on strategic vision, digital processes automation manages large quantities of information in a quick and organized way, accelerating decision making and ensuring it is more assertive. DPA also brings benefits to the customers, with faster production and delivery and the creation of personalized products, services, and experiences that have greater added value.

    As you can see, DPA offers improvements for all terms: in the short term with improved daily routines, in the medium term in relation to the systemic vision of the company, and in the long term, offering study alternatives for strategic plans. In the big picture, the whole benefits with an increase of company’s profitability

    Fusion Platform: digital transformation for your company

    Did you notice your company needs to go through a digital transformation?

    Fusion Platform includes all the tools for business, documents, and indicators management. Besides being easy to use, there is flexibility to adapt it to the needs of process automation, regardless of the complexity of your situation. It has an integrative platform with other systems, collaborative in relation to the teams and business areas, and mobility: the processes can be executed and consulted from any time or place, so you don’t waste your time anymore!

    As you can see, Fusion Platform has everything we listed as important factors when choosing your digital processes automation provider.

    And there’s more: you may test the tool for 15 days to check how it’s able to meet your needs and contribute to your company’s productivity and management. Start testing right now, or talk to one of our consultants to clarify any doubts you still have.

  • What to consider when choosing electronic document management software?

    What to consider when choosing electronic document management software?

    The Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) defines Electronic Document Management (EDM) as the use of a computer system and software to store, manage, and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper-based information captured through the use of a document scanner.

    We can say that today, in this age of information in which we live, and in which data is essential for agile and accurate decision-making, documents and data are a duo of extreme importance for all organizations.

    For this reason, many companies have already understood the need to automate document management through EDM software. However, what many do not know, is that not every EDM system is developed in the same way.

    This means that when choosing an electronic document management software, it is always a good idea to evaluate the objectives of your business and align them with the features presented by the system.

    With that in mind, we have listed in this article the most important features to help with your assessment.

    Why invest in an EDM software?

    Before choosing an electronic document management software it is imperative that you know why to invest in it. The first point is that, when well endowed with the essential features, the EDM solution allows employees to simplify the receipt, storage, archiving, sharing, validation and search of documents.

    Another important issue: when adapted to the needs of the company, an EDM software should be able to increase its productivity and optimize the workflow, and all stakeholders and their actions are clearly identified.

    With electronic management, companies gain in optimizing the daily use of documents. In addition, all industries optimize performance, cut costs, save physical space, and improve security.

    The reasons for investing in an EDM solution don’t stop there. But to feel all these benefits, your company needs to know how to choose an electronic document management software.

    Points to consider when choosing an electronic document management software

    Among the various criteria that should be verified when evaluating investment in EDM, those that we consider as essential are:

    Ease of use

    Good EDM systems have attractive advanced options and features that make the eyes light up. However, when choosing an electronic document management software, ease of use should be paramount.

    Look for a system that has a user-friendly interface, which is, one that is easy to use and understand. Otherwise, employees will waste time deciphering the path they should follow (in this case, rather than making the job easier, the EDM solution will eventually turn into a headache).

    Also about ease of use, when choosing an electronic document management software, make sure that it has search tools that allow the location of documents by type, date of preparation, editing, metadata, etc.

    Workflow automation

    Making an investment in EDM will only make sense if your company has time savings and increased productivity. Think of the manual handling routine of a document.

    Imagine, for example, a business document that needs signing. The path it travels (from table to table), in addition to taking time, includes the risk of losses.

    Therefore, an important point when choosing an electronic document management software is to understand that the system should allow workflows that do all the management in an automated way. This management must be independent for each document type.

    In addition, all those involved with the document must have an intuitive view of its history, such as: versions, revisions, approvals, issuing of copies and others.

    Total information security (with flexible security)

    There is no doubt that one of the most important aspects of document management is security. When we talk about flexible security, we mean that the EDM solution should keep your documents stored securely, but that the security to access each type of document should be flexible.

    Explaining: when choosing an electronic document management software, keep in mind that it should allow the user to specify, according to the type of document, items such as: access to reading, editing, deletion, printing, screenshots, recording, among others.

    Well, but if on the one hand an EDM solution should allow access to the document to be shaped according to the needs of the company, on the other the system cannot allow loopholes for data breaches. So when you choose an electronic document management software, check what its security protocols are.

    Meeting your company needs

    There are several business processes that benefit from an EDM solution. Processing product change orders, purchase orders, proposals of all types, document signing, and HR processes are just some of the examples that require a lot of paper and that electronic document management can improve.

    Each company has its own private business processes. When choosing an electronic document management software, ask the vendor to show how the solution being evaluated can improve your organization processes.

    Also be sure to check if the solution is flexible. Rigid and complex systems will not allow your company to adapt to the process changes that arise (and we know that changes are natural). With flexible software, your organization is sure to have at hand a tool that will always meet your needs.

    Other points

    In addition to what has been mentioned here, it is important that an EDM software:

    • Allows storage of various types of documents, including word processing files, emails, PDFs, and spreadsheets;
    • Has monitoring tools to see which users are accessing which documents;
    • Has features that ensure that the user is working with the latest version of a document;
    • Has the digital signature function with certificates in the ICP-BRAZIL standard, releasing the documents in PDF/A format;
    • Has check-in/check-out and lock functions to coordinate the simultaneous editing of a document and ensure that one person’s changes do not replace another person’s;
    • Enables keyword search; and
    • Has version tools that track edits to documents and retrieve older versions.

    In closing

    There are several EDM systems available on the market. That’s exactly why it’s so easy to be carried away enthusiasm and allow emotions to influence choice. To prevent this from happening to you – and that the investment doesn’t become a detriment – do your homework before you even start talking to suppliers.

    In this article, we have listed the points considered by us as fundamental. If you want to understand this universe better, we suggest that you watch the recording of the webinar The Benefits of Electronic Document Management (EDM).

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