Automating business communication: 2 apps

automating biz communication

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Here are two applications which small businesses can consider using if they want to set up a platform for easy flow of communication to improve efficiency of their business processes.

 

Kissflow by Orangescape.  This is recommended for companies already using Google Apps for their mailing and documenting requirements.  Kissflow can quickly automate some of the organization processes without leaving the affordability and environment of Google.  A company does not have to start from scratch as it uses the already existing data, like documents, spread sheets, contacts lists and calendars.

 

Kissflow’s user interface has the familiar feel of other google applications.  The business process can run in a matter of hours, with minimal need for training staff. 

 

With Kissflow, businesses should be able to create workflows for things like expense reporting in five relatively easy steps:  Naming the process, designing the form, defining the workflow, configuring the permissions (approvals), and publishing.

 

Users can add a step in the process and associate each step with people responsible for executing it.  All users are fetched from Google’s repository.  It supports actions like approval, input needed and allows users to branch to parallel processes.

 

It is handy for simple processes like reimbursement, leave processing, and procurement within the company.  As their experience grows, users can customize Kissflow for some of the more complex tasks like sales lead and complex procurement flows.

 

A review sites two nice touches: 

 

Query back allows for clarification related to requests and serves as a handy discussion venue.

 

Follow options allows people in the chain to follow a request until its completion.  Thus, the whole teams gets to know what’s happening with a given request. 

 

For very small company with ten users or less, Kissflow is free.  

 

Kofax enables users to capture information as soon as it is available at the point of origin – whether at the home office, branch office, or out in the field – and automatically inserts it into any step in a business process. 

 

Kofax captures, classifies, extracts and validates information and then inserts it into an ongoing process, initiate a new process, or send it to a lines of business application, content repository, ERP or CRM system, or Microsoft SharePoint. The information may originate in the form of paper, fax, email, SMS (text messages) or PDF format. 

 

An example is given:  a loan approval process triggered with the receipt of a loan application.  After the process has started, the lender may request docuements like proof of income, credit reports or proof of employment.  With Kofax, that information can be captured at any time as a step in the process – from anywhere with a smartphone, tablet device, desk scanner or MFP – and instantly inserted into the process without delay (rather than through an external capture process then sending it into a case file or document repository).

 

With this application, organizations can instantly deliver high-quality information into applications, repositories and workflows across the whole enterprise, thus allowing for greater responsiveness to their customers and other constituents. 

 

 

Photo: &ldquo;<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/13077143@N00/1129323852″>Increased Geek Quotient</a>&rdquo; by <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/13077143@N00/”>Brad P.</a>, c/o Flickr. <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>Some Rights Reserved</a>