Ensure Orders Follow Correct Workflow
Some Other Products Have Workflow Which is Either Too Simple or Too Rigid
An overly simple workflow is nearly useless. Typically, the workflows in low cost systems provide a fixed sequence of steps, such as "Purchase Goods", "Art", "Production", "Invoice". These categories are so broad an elephant could get lost in them. Also, a human user must open an order and set the status to the next category, so naturally, the status is never up to date on all orders.
Other systems may offer a number of steps suited to the order, but users complain that the steps are too rigid. For example, one user of a system similarly priced to EmbTrak, told us that when their system is at 'Receive Goods' and the goods are short by even one item, they cannot move the step forward. No receiving short, no backorder--receive it all or the order is locked down.
EmbTrak Workflow has Two Primary Qualities
1. EmbTrak Work Flow Is Dynamic. The EmbTrak workflow for each work order is created specifically for the way you want to process that work order. For example, if it is an existing art work order for embroidery, you might have defined your workflow as a procurement path with Purchase Goods and Receive Goods. For the parallel production path, you choose Color Logo, Send Proofs, Customer Approval, Schedule Production, Embroider, Finish, Invoice and Ship. For a new art embroidery workorder, you could add these steps prior to Color Logo: Submit New Art, Digitize, and Sew Out. One EmbTrak customer has twenty two steps in an embroidery order. Most have far fewer. The point is, EmbTrak's dynamic workflow can be as granular as you like.
2. EmbTrak Work Flow is Flexible. The EmbTrak workflow is passive and runs to show where orders SHOULD BE. This is because we believe that business processes cannot control your staff. Processes can only inform your staff. If your staff wants to violate a process or ignore it, they can. We make it easy to use workflow. We make it useful to staff. But, if the user knows, for example, that an order is complete and ready to run but its status is wrong, then staff can advance that status or ignore it and get on with the work. As the owner, or manager, you will want your staff to use the system correctly so that you always know where an order is and that everything is being done in the correct sequence. This system has been used effectively in large, multistep operations. It can give you and your staff the same benefits.