Task Management ibpms Business Process Applications (BPAs) are the innovative, new class of Service Oriented Business Applications (SOBAs) that help businesses automate and simplify the management of missioncritical, complex enterprise business processes. Using ibpms Tasks, customers have optimized operational efficiency, achieved lower operational costs, and improved compliance while reducing errors, increasing agility in implementing a complete and integrated solution for managing and directing actions to value creation. The primary goal of ibpms Process Enabled Applications is to support and enhance your business. The Management of Actions Initiatives, Improvement and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) represent the overall effort to implement investigate and correct and are a crucial effort of any management system. It is also regulatory requirement that FDA inspectors, SOX and ISO auditors consider singularly critical. When implemented properly increases customer satisfaction, and more importantly, ensures the implementation and compliance. ibpms Tasks is the necessary complement to get the strategy into execution. Modularity, not just Modules The concept of modularity is often misunderstood. Just because the software claims that the various parts of its applications are modules, that does not mean that they are actually modular. ibpms modularity involves clearly specified interfaces so the development on existing and new process applications take place within each one without affecting the others. This truly modular architecture allows designers to focus on building solutions to local problems without disturbing the global system. The Process of Managing Actions Actions managed as a process deliver results because there is no overlap and resources are goal oriented, aligning execution with strategy. ibpms Tasks is a configurable and easy-to-use process enabled application designed to automate, manage, and streamline processes for identifying, evaluating, reviewing, and handling of Action Plans and Actions of all type. It is completely integrated with other process applications and provides companies to implement, to prioritise and track what need to be done and get those things done. ibpms Task Management is a robust, easy-to-use system designed to effectively manage the improvement, corrective action / preventive action process and integrate it with other processes critical to regulatory compliance, such as change control, audit, and customer complaints. Process Automation Paper-based and hybrid CAPA systems are inexpensive initially. In the long term, however, these systems are inefficient, requiring tremendous man-hours in terms of routing CAPA tasks and other documentation, obtaining approval and signatures, and manual work 1 7
ibpms Tasks is built on a state-of-the-art business process management environment for developing and deploying agile solutions connecting users, applications and systems within and outside an organization to close critical gaps and streamline missioncritical business processes. It supports and integrates multiple enterprises simultaneously while ensuring solution interoperability and scalability when the enterprise environment grows. The ibpms is secure and easily deployed either at the customer site or hosted offsite. to obtain implementation status and manual search and retrieval during normal work, inspections and audits. ibpms Tasks automates routing, notification, delivery, escalation and approval of Action Plans and Actions and all related documentation. It automates management of the entire process, from initiation to investigation and all the way through closure and incorporates also the capability to connect to project management solutions. Multi-Company, Multi-Site Companies with multiple facilities and employees in different locations with ibpms Task Manager are able to registry and track the evolution of improvements analysis and implementation, and related actions with the possibility of different classification schemas acting in the same system depending on the user logged-in. Rapid User Adoption ibpms offers task management using familiar interfaces to get rapid user adoption built on a repository with strong relationship and reporting capabilities. The software uses a guided procedure model to let the user follow the necessary steps. Because it is based on a powerful workflow the user is guided based on To Do Lists with priority defined by configured rules. Efficient Implementation System Through the Internet, customers, vendors, and others outside the company can submit a form, such as customer complaint or product issue report, that could lead to an action. Off-site and travelling users can also complete forms pertaining to the action process without being connected to the system using web services integration. ibpms Tasks can be integrated with the training application for a more efficient system. A CAPA that causes a change will invoke training tasks upon approval of the change. The implementation programs and projects can be automated and all required information is centralized allowing better status analysis and execution results. Participation and Response It is possible to get an instant list of all tasks, jobs or projects and improve office efficiency and guard against missed deadlines, get an 'instant snapshot' of individual and overall task progress, improve customer satisfaction with automatic suggested deadline dates, improve office productivity (and profitability) with automatic task time budgeting, reduce staff/team management time and monitor 2 7
Its Web-centric, serviceoriented architecture enables the secure online exchange of task transactions with a strong capability for classification, routing, cause-effects identification and strong relationship with other process applications and other software packages. The vast array of client interface options and flexible, open architecture make it the ideal solution for automating, managing, and controlling the unique, human-based and often complex processes that drive organizational success. task work-trends and statistics. Different Sources inside one Process Communication breakdown is likely to happen in companies that rely on disparate tools and processes to manage. Ineffective communication can lead to delays and poor results. ibpms Tasks is an integrated process solution that connects other process applications like Audit, Change management, Internal Control, Process Management, Performance, Customer Complaints, Requests Management, Risk Management, etc. Best-Practices Implementation A pre-configured form simplifies the process and accelerates approval, implementation, effectiveness analysis and status reporting. According to standards each type of action has already his own pre-prepared workflow, based on the approvals need, effectiveness analysis, etc. The action is automatically routed to the right personnel and escalates accordingly if the case is not processed promptly. All documents related will be stored in a secure, centralized repository, making it easy to search and retrieve them during analysis and implementation. Not only does ibpms Tasks streamline this process, but it also maintains the links so one can review and easily see what triggered the action. The implementation reporting and features to ask for status predefined reporting are also included. Insight It's difficult to generate accurate and timely reports and trends using disparate tools (electronic spreadsheets, flowcharting software, paper documents in binders). Without an effective reporting tool, managers are unable to get control of their quality management system. ibpms Tasks provides a reporting cockpit with advanced analytics and reporting capability, including customizable searches and online charting. Through the reports and dashboards, managers get a real-time view of the process and can be more proactive about improving their management systems. Integration ibpms Tasks integrates directly into other applications, so that 3 7
ibpms is a serious complement as process applications templates (executable processes, rules, user forms, integration services and user interface services) becoming a standard best-practices to implement your nextpractice with or without customization. Scalability and highperformance are inherent because of its stateless and transactional design. actions may be started from systems and initiated by any variable. Also other tools may integrate with Task Manager in order to initiate the approval and implementation cycle. When integrated with any other process application or other software package, it is possible to initiate automatically the process based on internal or external event. Distribution Action Plan and Actions could be sensitive and security is vital in many businesses. ibpms Tasks supports those types of requirements using an Overseer Role, an Observer Role and Participant Roles. It supports roles and rights management that allows an administrator to give access based on Business Unit, Organizational Unit and Location. Because it is a process enabled application access is controlled by roles as the system understands the user and what he can do. Notifications and alerts are sent by email using an SMTP connection to the users email system. Workflow Workflow is a complex problem for most of task management solutions because they usually use sequential flows. For ibpms Tasks this is a built-in capability with the process engine and parallel flows are also possible speeding the implementation process. It supports also manual workflow and at same time rules-based workflow. Audit Trail The system tracks all routing information and data entered into the electronic form, allowing task participants to identify the sequence of events during processing. Process closure The ibpms Tasks controls the closure based on the source of it and the action taken. It can close the cycle based on the implementation type, the completion of actions and based on manual intervention depending on the configuration. All those 4 7
closure options are configurable as the SLAs adopted to do that. Facts Alerts As all of the other modules, Task Manager has full integration with the Alerts module. This means the users get notified, by customizable e-mail messages, of their Tasks. ibpms Task Manager has been successfully implemented and validated in different environments since its introduction in 2005. Now in version 4.1.10, it includes many features and requirements which came from the large utilization in companies from different sizes and dimensions, including the possibility to export action plans to Microsoft Project as an add-on. Dramatically increases the improvement management capabilities and the control and reduces the time by speeding up the process for implementation with tight integration with other process applications. As a Process Enabled Application it is easy to use and easy to configure designed for rapid installation, implementation, and validation. Core Capabilities Metadata: identification dates and users, registration dates and users, classification, routing, observers, additional info, comments, messages, costs, attachments, documents and other data which will be valuable to each customer reality. Workflow: Combines powerful electronic routing because it uses the BPM Engine strong capabilities or step-by-step routing. It includes the possibility to forward and route any task based on rules. Automatic workflow according to standard to implementation actions, corrective actions and preventive actions; Standards: Supports industry-standard databases and is compliant with ISO, ITIL, CFR 21, SOX and other management system which includes continuous improvement as a standard practice; Solid Audit Trail: Provides a secure, time-stamped audit trail exceeding 21 Part CFR 11 requirements. Security: With ibpms Tasks, action plans and actions are stored in the database for access by authorized users only. Advanced Tracking: It tracks by status or history. The system will show as either in draft to the initiator, "in process", "complete", archive and recycle bin if tracked by status; Analytics and Reporting: ibpms advanced analytics and reporting capability provides standard and customized reports to help increase management oversight. Reports on Cockpit are also subject to strict security control. Based in roles and access rights granted users have access to the data they are designated to. Electronic Sign-offs: With ibpms Tasks, decisions can be signed and approved electronically. Signature manifestation name, date, time, and meaning of electronic signature can be appended automatically as an add-on depending on environment; 5 7
Classification: ibpms Tasks is uniquely qualified to be the focal point of any improvement and compliance initiative because it can manage different types of action plans and actions based processes regardless of the source; Easy Access: ibpms Tasks is Web-based so it can connect all employees involved in control from virtually anywhere. Provides a centralized repository for easy access, search, and retrieval by all authorized users. Automates Routing, Escalation, and Notifications: Reduces cycle time by automating routing and incorporating escalation and notifications. Dependent Routing: Completion of a task can be made dependent on another task to give managers more control and reduce cycle time by prompting users immediately to their next task; Streamlines Collaboration: Registration, analysis and implementation are easier because it provides a collaboration workspace; Integrates with Other Applications: ibpms Tasks can integrate with other process enable applications directly without any extra work, or applications like ERP, LIMS, etc to accommodate departmental needs; Pre-Defined Workflow: There is the possibility of using pre-defined workflows, from one department to the next; Automation of Forms-Based Processes: Form processes unique to a company or department can be integrated with the task management processes under one secure repository; Easy to Search: A standardized search window is available throughout the application, which means all authorized users throughout the organization can search using a familiar search interface; Easy to Find: ibpms Tasks Navigator, similar to Windows Explorer, is an easy-to-use tool that helps users finds and access tasks quickly. Shared Repository: Allows for other ibpms Applications to use the Task Manager as a repository for tasks, actions and action plans in order to get the correct information when needed; Notifications Lists: Provides the capability to create notifications list based on workflows; Email integration: All messages and actions are sent to email system in order to provide access to the users; Recycle Bin Management: Uses a controlled Recycle Bin to manage all recyclable Tasks; Archive Management: Provides a complete archive management with features to manage records with timelines and to archive and un-archive with user actions or pre-defined rules; Observers: Possibility to add Observers to each Action Plan and Action; To Do Lists and Watch Lists: Because it is based on a process framework it produces To Do Lists and Watch Lists as necessary for all users with alarm signals and alert messages; Audit Trail: Full audit trail and reporting; Compliance: Ensures ISO, ITIL and 21 CFR Part 11 compliance with security and integrity; Validation: Computer systems validation plan and implementation; Open: Scalable, open systems architecture; 6 7
About VP Consulting VP Consulting is a leading Business Process Management consulting company working on Europe region and with operations in Brazil, with deep experience in Business Process Analysis & Modeling (BPA), Business Process Management (BPM) and Governance, Risk and Compliance and designing and implementing BPM solutions at companies in every industry. VP Consulting is implementing a partner network offering marketleading solutions and has developed ibpms Process Enabled Applications to help customers accelerate their BPM initiatives and reap the rewards as rapidly as possible. For more information please consult www.vpconsulting.pt and www.ibpms.com 7 7