How to optimize business processes of document workflow
The basic principle of a business process optimization is doing no harm. There is a way to reduce reporting. It can be implemented by 4 steps.
- Make sure that your employees know that it is important to optimize business processes of internal reporting. Especially this is necessary for lineal managers. The main difficulty here is that heads of departments are sure that when reporting is reduced they will be out of work. Ensure managers that a business process optimization in this sphere of company functioning will give more time to fulfill main functions of departments and won’t lead to reduction of personnel.
- Gather information on reports from performers. Personnel who make reports will easily show you the list of reports they make. But very often those employees who receive these reports don’t have the full list of them. In order to gather information, make a list of:
- The titles of reports
- Names of those who receive these reports
- Frequency of reporting
- Names of documents the report is based on
- Provide the analysis of information you have. According to the data you have, you are able to find out how many reports are supposed for each employee.
- Assess the significance of reports. In order to define what reports are necessary and which of them can be cancelled or integrated with the others, you need to send the information on reporting to heads of departments. Discuss the necessity of each report with heads of departments. You will face with six typical situations. Here are the list of them and actions you are supposed to do in case they happen.
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The situation 1. Local acts, according to which employees make reports, lost their power. 2. Two or more employees of one department make similar reports and send them to one addressee. 3. The report is made more often than it is needed. 4. One employee makes complementary reports at different times. 5. Reports are too formalized and not very informative. 6. Addressee doesn’t need a report. |
What to do 1. In this case you should cancel such reports. 2. Delegate the report to one employee. 3. Lower the frequency of reporting. 4. Integrate these reports into one. 5. Ask employees to send the report by e-mail, avoiding formalization. 6. Cancel such reports
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Sometimes it happens that CEO is to sign many documents that he doesn’t actually need to sign. In this case, try to figure out which documents can be signed by deputy CEO in order to save time of the chief manager on implementation of more significant or even strategic objectives of the company.