Quotes activity
Overview
Wisag, a leading facility management provider in Germany, has been facing significant challenges in managing and approving quotations for their services. Their existing manual processes are not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and inefficiencies. Additionally, the need to integrate their quotation approval process with an external system further complicates the situation. To address these issues and optimise their operations, Wisag has initiated a project to develop a customised solution in collaboration with AskPorter.
Challenges
- Manual Quotation Approval: The current quotation approval process at Wisag is primarily manual, involving manual review and submission of quotes for approval through emails. This manual approach leads to delays, increased administrative overhead, and a higher likelihood of errors.
- Integration Complexity: Wisag aims to integrate their quotation approval process with AskPorter system, but their existing tools and processes do not support seamless integration. This creates bottlenecks and inefficiencies in data transfer and communication.
- Approval Hierarchy Complexity: Determining the appropriate approvers for each quotation request is complex due to the involvement of different user levels and organizational structures. This complexity can lead to delays and confusion in the approval process.
Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop and implement a customized solution that streamlines Wisag's quotation approval process, addresses the challenges outlined above, and achieves the following goals:
- Efficiency: Streamline the quotation approval process to reduce manual effort, eliminate delays, and enhance operational efficiency.
- Integration: Create a solution that seamlessly integrates with an external system, ensuring smooth data exchange and process automation.
- Approval Hierarchy: Establish a clear and structured approval hierarchy to identify the right approvers for each task, simplifying decision-making and enhancing compliance.
- Visibility: Improve visibility into the quotation approval process, allowing managers and approvers to access relevant documents and details easily.
- Client Satisfaction: Ultimately, enhance client satisfaction by responding more swiftly to client requests and providing a more efficient and error-free service.
Process
Discover
Meetings with the client and face to face user interviews
Quotes flow
Quotes flow
Figma prototype
Solution
AskPorter worked closely with Wisag to design and implement a customised solution that addressed their unique needs:
1. Quote Upload and Management
- Managers could add multiple quote PDF files easily through drag-and-drop or native upload dialogs.
- Each quote included essential information such as title, ID, total cost type (Gross / net), and total cost in euros.
- Quotes were initially marked as 'to be sent for approval' upon creation.
2. Approvers Identification
- AskPorter introduced an extended metadata attribute to identify Service Users and Super Service Users who could approve quotes.
- Approvers included those directly linked to the task, Super Service Users, and members of relevant organisations.
3. Streamlined Approval Workflow
- When managers sent quotes for approval, notifications were sent to all approvers, providing a link to the task's quotes activity.
- If no matching quote approvers were found, managers could approve the quote themselves.
4. Approval and Decline Process
- Managers and approvers could easily approve or decline quotes from the quote list or individual quote details page.
- A reason had to be provided when declining a quote.
- If all quotes on a task were declined, the task status changed to 'Quotes declined,' marking the activity as complete.
5. Quote Revision
- Users could request revisions to quotes, initiating a notification to the manager.
- Managers could reject or accept revisions, and if accepted, they would upload a new quote document with details.
6. Cancellation and Removal
- Managers had the option to cancel the activity at any time, marking it as complete and setting the task status to 'Quotes cancelled.'
- Quotes could be permanently removed from the list.
7. Additional Documents and Details
- Managers and approvers could upload additional documents and view quote details throughout the approval process.
8. Task Tracking
- Approvers could easily track the tasks with quotes awaiting their approval through a filtered task list.
Results
The implementation of AskPorter's custom activity resulted in significant improvements for Wisag:
- Efficiency: The automated quotation approval process reduced the time and effort required to manage quotes, allowing Wisag to respond faster to client needs.
- Integration: The solution seamlessly integrated with an external system, enabling a more streamlined workflow.
- Visibility: Managers and approvers gained better visibility into the quotation approval process, with easy access to relevant documents and details.
- Enhanced Compliance: A structured approval hierarchy ensured that the right people were involved in the decision-making process, enhancing compliance.
- Improved Client Satisfaction: Faster response times and more efficient operations contributed to improved client satisfaction.
Next steps for the following phase
To improve the quotes activity in the next phase of the project, we need to consider a series of steps that involve refinement, testing, and continuous improvement. Here's a structured plan for the next steps:
- 1. Gather Feedback: Collect feedback from managers, approvers, and other users who have interacted with the current quotes activity. Identify pain points, usability issues, and areas that need improvement.
- 2. Analyse User Data: Analyze user data to understand how the current quotes activity is being used. Look for patterns, common workflows, and any bottlenecks in the process.
- 3. Define Clear Objectives: Based on feedback and data analysis, define clear objectives for the next phase. What specific improvements or enhancements are needed? Consider areas like user experience, automation, integration, and reporting.
- 4. Prioritise Enhancements: Prioritise the identified enhancements based on their impact and feasibility. Consider categorising enhancements as critical, high-priority, or nice-to-have.
- 5. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Improvements: Work on refining the UI/UX of the quotes activity to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. Focus on improving the navigation, responsiveness, and overall design.
- 6. Automation: Explore opportunities for further automation. Can certain repetitive tasks be automated to reduce manual effort and speed up the approval process?
- 7. Integration Enhancements: If integration with external systems is a critical component, consider improving and expanding integration capabilities. Ensure data flows seamlessly between systems.
- 8. Reporting and Analytics: Enhance reporting and analytics features to provide managers and approvers with insights into the approval process. Include key metrics, dashboards, and historical data.
- 9. Security and Compliance: Review and update security measures to ensure data privacy and compliance with relevant regulations, especially if there are sensitive documents involved.
- 10. User Training and Onboarding: Develop training materials and conduct user training sessions to ensure that all users are familiar with the updated quotes activity and its new features.
Conclusion
AskPorter's custom activity proved to be a game-changer for Wisag, revolutionising their quotation approval process. By automating and streamlining their workflow, Wisag achieved higher efficiency, better compliance, and increased client satisfaction. This successful collaboration demonstrates how innovative technology solutions can drive positive outcomes in the service industry.