Managing Electronic Time Off Requests with DocuSphere Workflow
Cold weather makes people think about vacations. Whether it’s a week skiing in the Rockies or sunbathing on a beach in Florida we all daydream about getting away. But vacations take planning… and scheduling… and approval. You need to be sure your employer is going to give you the time off before buying those plane tickets and new swimsuit!
So consider the average company. The process to request time off is to complete a paper form – maybe it’s an electronic document – and give it to your boss. But then what happens to that form? Maybe it sits on your boss’s desk for a few days… or weeks. Maybe by the time he gets around to looking at it the schedule is too full and the week you want is no longer available. So much for swishing down the slopes or sipping margaritas on the white sand.
Now consider the DocuSphere solution. DocuSphere Workflow software is adaptable and flexible enough to allow you to create your own workflows, including one to manage the process of time off requests and approvals. In fact, as a company, Image Integration Systems has done this very thing.
We have an internal workflow that is not paper-based, but instead allows the employee to create a request directly in the software. The employee enters the specifics of the requested time off – whether it is for vacation, bereavement, or even jury duty. The request is then automatically routed to the employee’s manager who receives an email notification of the request to be reviewed. The manager continues to receive reminders each day until the request is reviewed and completed. Whether the request is approved or rejected the employee is notified by email when the review is completed. At the same time, approved requests are also routed to payroll so that they can make the necessary entries to properly record the time.
By transferring this typically paper-based process into DocuSphere workflow, IIS has not only gained traceability, but has also shortened the time required to review time off requests. Requests are now reviewed in an average of 2 days as opposed to a week – or often several weeks – in the previous paper-based system. Employees have visibility into where the request is in the process from the moment they create it. No more “black holes!”
This is just a single, simple example of how DocuSphere can be used to improve all kinds of processes. Check previous and future blog posts for other ideas of how to expand your investment in the DocuSphere product.
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