3-tier Database Development Tools---visualdbtools 3.0

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Introduction:

WORK Flow (Workflow), application in the enterprise, we also call it the auto flow (Enterprise Automation process Management), in the market for at least 3 years, most of the initial use to solve the problem of enterprise file circulation and signing, as the MIS system and ERP can not be integrated with each other, so nearly a year, International manufacturers have advertised the combination of work flow with ERP, which is the standard of modern application software, but also the necessary function of enterprise informatization.

Keywords: WORK flow, AUTO flow



First, the preface

Now domestic and foreign software vendors gradually to autoflow this future trend to invest a lot of research and development power, most of them are ready-made work flow with ERP or packaged software mainly, it is very rare to see the longer-term or more breakthrough way planning, for this reason, we in addition to the enterprise practical application as an angle, Also in the perspective of software engineering to think how to achieve the ideal, as if a tunnel project, both sides of the excavation, on the one hand for the traditional ERP practical project, the other side is the advanced work Flow project, as long as the route and direction is correct, you can successfully get through, after two years of efforts I also personally came to the end of the two work Flow EPR project, has accumulated two years of work flow import experience, and more in-depth understanding of the needs of large and medium enterprises in ERP and work flow expectations. So we developed the second-generation fast flow (first generation product name) with VD30 as the new battlefield of work flow, and we named the second generation fast flow as "VD3 for fast Flow", which will be included in the VD3 3.10.



Ii. Existing work Flow restrictions

There are several characteristics and limitations of the early work flow in the market, which brings up personal experience.

1. In principle, there is nothing wrong with thinking about the workflow entirely in terms of forms or documents, but in the process of document flow, some must flow to different roles depending on the contents of the document, or different departments must see different images or fields, which is difficult for the traditional work system.

2. Many systems workflow and EPR are separate, all forms and documents and databases are completely not connected, resulting in duplication and waste of resources, more serious is a dual-track operation, so that enterprises are struggling, efficiency greatly reduced.

3. WORK flow also provides some tools for making query system or statistic report, but it is too close and inconvenient for the open angle of MIS or ERP, which is one of the reasons that the enterprise WORK flow dare not to high expectations.

4. Some ERP systems are let work flow first run process form, wait until the approval, and finally to the system tool or write the program into the ERP, there will be two problems: one is the document in the process, because it has not been deposited in the database, so can not get the status of the process (such as the amount of application), which is after the knowledge Sense of the system, often resulting in a lot of time on the enterprise information differences, always with the enterprise must seek a distance; the other is a large number of ERP into the program, often let MIS think is a heavy errand, system convenience and maintenance is a big problem.

5. Exception handling is a very important thing for work flow, because all the basic documents in the process, will stop in which flow which role (user), must have a mechanism to deal with, and issued a warning, for most of the flow system is not detailed planning, Because this aspect must integrate the ERP together to unify the processing, can let the Enterprise Manager have no worries. The ERP system grows with time, have a certain degree of maturity, although the ERP for the enterprise, most of the experience is failed, but also let the enterprise gradually understand the spirit of ERP and restrictions, so nearly two years of high satisfaction is almost the industry is not the world of ERP, but in the successful introduction of ERP, If you do not take into account the flow and then to import work flow ERP, almost less than the effort, because the above problems will continue to occur. Therefore, a tool not only to meet the needs of the ERP, but also to work flow of the framework buried, and can be introduced in a gradual manner, in order to enable enterprises to smooth and orderly line work flow system, this concept is very important, but in fact the market system is contrary, indeed it is regrettable.



Third, why enterprises want to work flow



Why does the enterprise need work flow system? We can't tell companies, because that's the trend, that's trends. And of course not every business needs flow, because flow is superfluous for small businesses, flows are documents in the mobile, if the enterprise less people, everyone is a number of jobs, import flow of the framework is to create their own input documents, and presented to their own audit, do not get the other people signed, and throw it to yourself as a to-do matter. Instead of significantly reducing the efficiency of the enterprise, it is better to use traditional software to apply. In the current situation, the author evaluates the 20~30 of more than one workstation in the comparison may be able to adopt the work flow structure. Here's how the enterprise uses work flow to structure the ERP system.



1. Streamline information flow: WORK flows are the main solutions to the flow of enterprise forms and documents, this flow of 10 years ago, are paper operations, the company has a system in the flow and signed a variety of forms, to 5 years ago, the information system can completely replace the artificial forms, all kinds of information are stored on the database, But in order for managers to control information, must be used to sign the core, on the other hand, because the director may not understand and will not use the computer, so it became a computer printing form, the director of the form to sign and flow, of course, someone to e-mail instead of signing, but e-mail can not be automated, Also can not integrate the process of nuclear processing time and efficiency, because work flow by the system to find the director of the enterprise system to sign, will not let the new employees or the secretary lost the wrong, in the security of confidentiality is also more secure.



2. Facilitate education training and transparency of the system: the flow of entrepreneurial talent is almost inevitable trend, but enterprises must spend a lot of time to educate new people on the company system, document process and information system operations, such as not easy to learn, people have to go, causing a lot of trouble. If you switch to work flow's application software, the situation will be greatly improved, first of all, the transparency of the enterprise process (such as the figure), in the work flow system, will show the enterprise of all kinds of work flow diagram for users to directly operate, such interface will allow users to directly understand the enterprise to sign the nuclear process, Reduce the cost of education and training; Another focus is the change in information systems, where the traditional system is operating with a dense menu of functional items, scaring the user or supervisor, such as using a flow application system, in addition to the Business Contacts (external users), Mostly by flow system tell you today (operator or supervisor) How many things, finished or signed that is OK, so the system can save at least 50% of the operation of learning, so that operators and flow system for the best combination.





(such as diagram flow flowchart and personal dashboard)



3. Conform to ISO, the implementation of enterprise system: enterprises have a bit of scale, is the normative system and the rules of the game, the recent enterprises are popular ISO heat, the ISO as the company's system of the standard, but also with the competition of the necessary weapons, in order to enhance the ability to receive orders, many enterprises have ISO as a target Import work flow can use the information system to implement the enterprise's system and rules, so that enterprises flow of forms and documents to make efficient flows, but also in conjunction with ISO required for all kinds of documents, so you do not have to in order to ISO, but also to create another set of documents. In addition, most of the enterprise ISO is the nominal ISO, the company's process and system is not necessarily in accordance with the ISO specification, but if the use of auto flow system, it is the system for you to control and check, 100% implementation of the enterprise system, so that the control of enterprises without any man-made loopholes.



4. Improve the operational efficiency of the enterprise: because each operation of work flow has its timeliness, the flow system will also be supervised for these operations, and when the time is exceeded, in addition to the person in charge of the warning, it will be reflected to the supervisor, so as to be more efficient in order to make the enterprise documents flowing In addition, because the flow system records the entire process and time of the nuclear signature, it is easy to master the performance and work daily of each competent department (some of which can be included in the cost of work), and if it is counted for one year, the statistics can be sorted into the performance appraisal, These are the major benefits of the flow system.



5. The efficacy of abnormal early warning: the previous mention of the processing of overtime, is also one of the functions of the abnormal system, a planning and perfect flow system, should have a strong monitoring system, periodic to check a variety of information conditions, such as also can be the enterprise's goal management into the abnormal early warning, At any time to monitor the implementation of the target (the value of various types of database returns), and then with the enterprise Digital Dashboard for efficient and graphical display, so that the company managers of the fluorescent screen like the cockpit of the aircraft, managers only need to pay attention to the dashboard data, and tracking and query status can be.



Iv. Concluding remarks:



Since work flow for small or medium large enterprises is so important, that is not the enterprise hurriedly to use and import work flow? wait! According to the author two years of import experience, WORK flow and ERP import is absolutely difficult. Why is it so?

ERP is hard enough to import, plus work flow system, it is not to make you worse? Yes, be sure to import the traditional ERP first, the flow of information from the business to procurement, has been flowing to the information and health management, and finally flow to the financial department, so that the ability to gradually use the work flow system, so that enterprises and the country's information construction can gradually sound to a new level.


Introduction: Taiwan Optical Technology Chairman, general manager, Taiwan database experts. Senior Information System Consulting expert, senior Software engineer, ERP system consultant. Dbtools System founder, was founded in VD in 15 years ago.