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Travel Planning Made Easy with iGrafx Automation of Human Workflow

In my role as Pre-Sales Team Lead for EMEA, one of my main responsibilities is to introduce both existing and potential customers to our iGrafx BPM solutions. Because of this, traveling is also a part of my everyday life and it has taken me to some very diverse places. From Manchester to Slovenia in one day with a stopover in Munich, then on to Dresden and back to Munich is not an unusual week.  Not to mention all the trade-shows and fairs in Europe that are also part of my daily work.  Four times a year to London? No problem!

Traveling can have both positive and negative sides.  One positive thing for sure is that as a frequent traveler you can enjoy the advantages of the airport Business Lounge.  However, the immense loss of time and the constant repackaging of suitcase A into suitcase B (not to mention bagging in resealable plastic bags) is definitely a negative.  Therefore, you want to spend as little time as possible with the travel planning.  That’s why at iGrafx, we use our own iGrafx Process Automation to save time with the travel request process.

Travel Application Process as Human Workflow – Fully Automated

The automation of Human Workflow Management offers many advantages.  As an applicant, I get a web-based form in which I can directly enter the most important data, (i.e. travel reason, duration, hotel, etc.) so I have all important information at a glance in one central location.  Certain mandatory fields will also ensure that I do not forget any information.  Before I send the application, everything is checked again, and I can also select a colleague who will accompany me to the appointment, saving the need for a second application.


Figure 1: The iGrafx travel request process in BPMN 2.0

As the process is based on the BPMN 2.0 modeling language, the full range of BPMN symbols can be used. This includes an automated e-mail sending activity. Thus, an email containing the important facts is generated from the process and automatically sent to the Office Manager. They can then review and book the travel request, and confirmations and notifications are sent to out.  This is very helpful, especially on the road, because it works quickly, easily and flexibly.


Figure 2: Extract from the PDF document for the travel request

But best of all, there’s universal availability, because with iGrafx Cloud, I can plan my next trip to Switzerland while I’m in London, without having to go through complicated logins and VPN accesses.  I can also monitor the status and see exactly where my request is in the process.  As a process owner, you can also monitor the status and intervene in the process if necessary.  And of course, inquiries and ad hoc tasks can be created, assigned, and solved directly via the Workflow Engine, saving significant manual effort and time spent on queries via e-mail or office chat.

Fast Turnaround Through Human Workflow Management

With iGrafx “Low Code / No code” automation, the process model can be transferred directly from the iGrafx platform to the workflow engine.  There is no BPMN export required. Any changes to processes can also be made directly in the modeling tool then simply redeployed.  From my own experience, I am responsible for modeling and deploying this process, and I know how fast it works.  Changes to both the process-accompanying form and the model itself are implemented within minutes. This allows us a quick turnaround and ensures that all participants use the current and released process version, keeping everyone aligned and happy.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, I can also receive process feedback directly from my colleagues and update it directly in the model.  As a result, we are steadily developing ourselves as an organization and continuously increasing our process maturity.  Of course, as always in life, this is a learning process and it requires commitment at all levels, especially from management.  It is only when there is a connection to your overall executive strategy that you will be able to succeed with your Digital Transformation initiatives.  In our example, after six months of production, all our process participants agree that Human Workflow Management has made this process simpler and more intuitive, and it is now clear to everyone which task needs to be done when and how.

While every process may not be a candidate, in principle, many processes are suitable for automation.  Especially those in which there is a high demand for coordination.  At iGrafx, we have many other implementation ideas internally. 

If you are also interested in Automation, we look forward to hearing from you.  Feel free to contact us and request a demo to see iGrafx Process Automation in action.  And whether that demo is done remotely or even at your site, the journey to you will certainly be well planned!

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