Summary:

Organizations often find success using document management and automation in one area of their business and can leverage these solutions to enhance efficiency in other areas. Any process that is repetitive, time-sensitive, error-prone, or involves handling large amounts of data and documents can greatly benefit from such technologies. Our ISW team assisted this long-time client in applying their existing technology to a new area of their business, resulting in improved efficiencies, process consistency, and enhanced regulation.

Challenge:

A major transportation company, a long-time OnBase user and customer of Initium SoftWorks (ISW), was seeking to replace their home-grown Disciplinary Process with a more efficient and accessible workflow solution, along with a historical repository for disciplinary incidents for each employee.

Solution:

ISW collaborated closely with the client to:

1. Review and Document the Existing Process:
   • Detailed documentation of the current Disciplinary Process.
   • Identification of information captured, process flow, participants, and correspondence.
2. Develop a Detailed Solution Design:
   • A recommended workflow solution to eliminate repetitive and manual data entry.
   • Introduce automation for efficiency, tracking, and accountability.
3. Deploy OnBase ECM Solution:
   • Unity Forms:
     • The submission of the initial employee discipline form initiates the Disciplinary Process.
     • Additional forms, such as the Disciplinary Disposition form, are dynamically created based on workflow logic, inheriting previously entered data.
     • Forms enforce the completion of required information.
   • Custom Queries:
     • Quick access to frequently retrieved documents via pre-defined searches.
     • Retrieve folders from multiple Folder Types in the OnBase Client.
   • Document Composition:
     • Automates the generation of letters and notifications to employees, union representatives, and witnesses using Word templates.
     • Letters are populated with form data, reviewed, edited, and approved by the Disciplinary Team.
   • Foldering:
     • Mimics physical paper files with automatic creation of folders and population of documents based on matching document keyword values.
   • Workflow:
     • Guides the Disciplinary team through the process from incident report to final discipline.
     • Facilitates tracking, escalations, and automation of communication to employees, direct supervisors, union representatives, and the Disciplinary Team.

Outcome:

• Centralized Access: Multiple users can simultaneously access disciplinary documents.
• Structured Process: Customized workflow with predictable outcomes and robust tracking.
• Document Retention: Define and execute retention policies for timely purge based on defined policies.
• Efficiency Gains:
  • Eliminated manual creation and population of letters, notices, and correspondence.
  • Pre-filled data from forms and in-house databases reduces errors.
  • Ensures disciplinary incidents are processed within prescribed Union timelines.
  • Automated notifications to all involved parties upon initiation and completion of Disciplinary Actions.

This comprehensive solution has significantly enhanced the efficiency and reliability of the transportation company’s disciplinary process.