INTRODUCTION
Oasis Workflow for Baan is for workflow enabling Baan ERP solution. Oasis Workflow have the following objectives:
•Workflow enable existing Baan ERP functions
•Address missing functionality in Baan ERP
Some of the important features of Oasis Workflow for Baan are:
•Developed using the latest version of Microsoft Visual Studio
•Completely Web Based
•State of art workflow solution using Microsoft Workflow Foundation Server
•All related tables are created in Baan Database
•Fully integrated with Baan ERP solution
•Fully Integrated with Windows Active Directory for User management
•Fully Integrated with Microsoft Exchange for E-Mail functions
•Oasis Capex Workflow facilitates tracking of every Asset purchase from the Capital Expenditure Budget, Capital Expenditure Request, Approval procedures, Purchase Order, Receiving, Payment and assigning a Fixed Asset Number in Baan.
WHAT IS A WORKFLOW
Workflow is a procedure, controlled and monitored by the system, assigning specific responsibility to the persons involved in the procedure. It is different from a process flow, to the extend that, in a process flow, it only identifies the steps associated with a process, without assigning any responsible person and there is no specific control by a system for the execution of the process in the way it is defined. For example look at the simple DEM flow in Baan.
|
 |
DEM flow only give a clear picture regarding how a particular task need to be done. It is not enforcing a procedure. If the user clicks any Baan functions in the DEM flow, it will activate the function. It is also not controlling or monitoring of any responsibility assigned to a specific person. Who ever given the role, authorized to execute the process can do that process. Only through audit trail you can monitor who have done that particular task and when.
But in a workflow, the person assigned the responsibility of the task is the most important component of the workflow and after each step, the next step will be remaining a pending task with the person who assigned the responsibility of that particular task. Hence instead of identifying a specific task as a procedural step, each task in a workflow is identified by the person who is responsible for the execution of that task.
|
|
CAPEX Workflow
|
In this document, CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) is taken as a sample Oasis Workflow for Baan. But Oasis Workflow for Baan is not restricted to CAPEX alone. It can be extended to any functional area of Baan, based on the user requirement. Following is the overview of Capex Workflow.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
USER
|
| User is perhaps the most important component of a workflow. Unlike ERP, where the process is given focus, in a Workflow, the user is the critical component. All processes associated with a workflow will remain as a task with the user. In the user Inbox, the tasks will remain as a pending task, until the user executes that task. A typical screen when user logs in will be as follows: | |
click here to enlarge
|
|
A user screen, as created by the administrator is as follows
It is to be noted that the system is fully integrated with Windows Active Directory and the user is originally created in Active Directory and administrations like password are maintained in Active Directory.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET
|
One of the major handicap of Baan ERP solution is that, it do not have a proper Capital Expenditure Budget. Finance Budget available in Baan is totally inadequate for Capital Expenditure Budget requirements. Oasis Capex Workflow supports following aspects related to Capital Expenditure Budget:
1. Upload a Capex Budget into a Baan Table created for Capex Budget.
2. Capex Budget is created by:
a.Year
b.Asset Category
c.Cost Center
d.Asset Group
3. Tracking of every Asset purchase from the Capital Expenditure Budget, Capital Expenditure Request, Approval procedures, Purchase Order, Receiving, Payment and assigning a Fixed Asset Number in Baan.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
CR (CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUEST)
|
| The first activity in the workflow for CAPEX is creating a request by a user. A typical CAPEX request will look like as follows. It is to be noted that, the CAPEX request form need to be customized to the requirement of each of the organization. |
|
| |
COST CENTER
|
| User defined cost centers can be created, based on which the Capital Expenditure is defined
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
ASSET CATEGORY
|
| Asset Category can be used for identifying the nature of the Asset and assigning the responsibility for a person to approve the purchase of the same. For example, any purchase of computer may be need to be approved by the IT manager. Similarly if a vehicle need to be purchased, the Category Manager may be the Fleet Manager. The same way for Plant and Equipment, the Category Manager can be the person responsible for that.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
PROJECT
A project identifier, along with the project start date and end date, will identify a certain category of fixed asset expenditure and keep track of the same. |
VALUE BASIS
Value basis is another user defined classification to identify the nature of expenditure and monitor a group of Capital Expenditure:
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
JUSTIFICATION
|
| Justification is a user defined criteria based on which the Capital Expenditure is incurred. This will help in analyzing the nature of Capital Expenditure.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
|
| The list of attachment to be included as part of Capital Expenditure Request can be user defined, which will appear as a Check list in the CR Form.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
USER / MANAGER / HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
|
| Workflow will be based on who initiates a Capital Expenditure Request (CR). If the CR is raised by a normal user, it need to be approved by the Manager and further by the Head of Department. But if it is raised by the Manager, then it will proceed directly to the Head of Department for approval. If the request is raised by the Head of Department, then nobody else in the department need to approve and will proceed with the Category Manager approval. The required setup can be made in the following screen.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
ASSET CATEGORY APPROVAL
|
| Asset Category can be used for identifying the nature of the Asset and assigning the responsibility for a person to approve the purchase of the same. For example, any purchase of computer may be need to be approved by the IT manager. Similarly if a vehicle need to be purchased, the Category Manager may be the Fleet Manager. The same way for Plant and Equipment, the Category Manager can be the person responsible for that.
Once the department approval is done, the purchase need to be approved by the concerned Category manager.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
FINANCE DEPARTMENT APPROVAL
|
| Normally after the approval of the Category Manager, the Capital Expenditure Request will come to the Finance Department Approval. Initially, the request will be verified by the Purchase Accountant. Once the purchase accountant confirms the meeting of the basic requirement, it will be forwarded to the Financial Controller for Approval. Financial Controller, Finance Director or the General Manager may need to approve the purchase based on the size of the request. The limit for each of the above persons can be set in the following screen.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
APPROVAL SCREEN
|
Typically an approval screen look like as follows:
All tasks pending for the approval of a person will remain in his Inbox. The person receiving the request can view the CR Details or budget Details. He can also return or approve the request with his comments.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
SERACH / STATUS OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUEST
|
|
|
The status of any Capital Expenditure Request can be viewed by any concerned person and will be displayed as follows:
Reports are also available showing time taken by each of the person for processing the request pending with him.
|
click here to enlarge
|
|
OTHER LOGGED ACTIVITIES
Other logged activities associated with a Capital Expenditure Request are:
•Purchase Department will enter the Purchase Order Number of Baan
•Goods receiving department will enter the GRN details related to an Asset
•Fixed Assets Department will enter the Fixed Asset Number on entering the asset into Fixed Assets
•Accounts Payable Department will enter the Invoice Number of the supplier and Baan Document Number on registering the invoice in the Baan.
•Accounts Payable Department will also enter the payment document number on making the payment to the suppler.
Different reports are available associated with the above activities. This will give the organization a complete tracking of the purchase of asset from the Capital Expenditure Budget to payment of the asset / capitalization of the asset.
|
