Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 features out of the box workflow templates to automate approval, review, forwarding and storage. Custom workflows provide systematic efficiencies in the collaborative business process.
Using workflow, redundant processes like document forwarding, information transfer and signature requests can be automated. Also, by integrating InfoPath Forms Services, a business office can create that "paperless environment" through the use of designed electronic forms that make it easy to collect and validate information that drives your business process.
Here are some of the benefits to using the workflow component of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. |
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A workflow is the process by which a file, business operation, or transaction undergoes in the course of everyday business; and sometimes not so everyday. A workflow can be as simple as requiring a manager to review and approve a document, or as complex as a multi-node conditional sequence with event handlers. SharePoint products and technologies provide scalable and robust workflow solutions for enterprise organizations. With the release of the 2007 product line, both SharePoint Services 3.0 and SharePoint Portal Server 2007 support the Windows Workflow Foundation and provide innovative workflow solutions.
Expert SharePoint Consulting provides process engineering to organizations to manifest physical process into virtual environments to create productivity and efficiency. We work with your organization to either establish formalized processes, or take an existing process and orchestrate it through a platform such as SharePoint for participants to collaborate with. |
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How Can Workflows Help My Organization?
In an organization, inefficiency in business processes are not in the execution by the individual, rather in the time between steps in the sequence. How long does it take to get signatures from a group, collect feedback, or facilitate a return transaction? Those minutes and hours create lags and latency in business process. By placing a workflow process in a virtual environment the time between nodes of a process can be reduced from days to milliseconds. Stewards of the next step are notified, take ownership, and execute without waiting for a physical activity to occur. |
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§ The Workflow is not only integrated with SharePoint but also with your Office 2007
desktop applications. With Office 2007, you can initiate and interact with
workflows right from MS Word, Excel, Outlook and any of your other Office
applications. Important metadata information can be collected through a smartly
integrated document information panel. |
§ InfoPath Forms Services, part of SharePoint Server 2007, allows organizations to
use web based forms to capture information and route that information
appropriately via workflow. This enables users to take information normally taken
manually via pen and paper and input business information via any web enabled
PC, laptop or PDA device. |
§ Custom workflows can be created using the new Microsoft Office
SharePoint Designer. Through either a graphic user interface, or a
code-based view for more seasoned programmers, rules and business
logic can be added to your SharePoint application enforcing compliance,
awareness, or process. |
§ Microsoft Office SharePoint Server includes several pre-defined
workflows out of the box, allowing your organization created
automated business processes for approval, signature requests,
translation management, group approval and feedback requests. |
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