Problem: The client had a paper-based invoice approval process that required invoices to be mailed to multiple locations for necessary approvals. This process resulted in the accumulation of late fees and penalties due to a combersome paper-driven approval process.
Solution: InQ Solutions consultants designed a web-based workflow solution that utilized ActiveDirectory integration to quickly accommodate the 10,000 designated approvers disbursed across the country. After the solution was in place, Accounts Payable data entry clerks were able to route invoices to the appropriate approvers within seconds. These approvers received email notifications of an invoice requiring action. The approvers login to the system, and either approve, reject, or route to another approver. After all approvals are obtained, the invoice is returned to the data entry clerk where the invoice is entered into the Accounts Payable system for payment processing. The newly implemented workflow virtually eliminated late fees and afforded the client discounts for early payment.
Problem: The client had a paper-based Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) approval process that required filling out a paper form and attaching supporting documents to create a packet, which was then distributed to a list of approvers via inter-office mail. Users had no way to ascertain where their packets were at any point in time and could not easily retrieve historical packets. The approval process was extremely slow, and on occasion packets were lost.
Solution: InQ consultants looked at the process and designed an eForm-based workflow solution that utilized integrations with PeopleSoft and Active Directory to obtain the requestor's chain of command and calculate additional approvers based on dollar amount and category. The requestor was given the ability to attach related documents to the eForm, add notes to the eForm, add additional approvers to the approval chain and edit/resubmit rejected AFE eForms. Approvers now have the ability to add notes to the eForm, add additional approvers to the approval chain, and approve/reject an AFE eForm. A web-based desktop was developed to give the users all of the tools they needed for the AFE process on one screen. Users now have a record of all of their AFE eForms that are out for approval, all AFE eForms that they have approved, and a search tool to find historical eForms. The desktop also displays any AFE eForms that need to be approved by the current user and a link to create a new AFE eForm. As a result, AFE approval times have been substantially reduced, and the filing and retrieval time of historical AFE eForms has been virtually eliminated.
Problem: The client had 40 divisions with separate Accounts Payable departments. They recognized the benefits of consolidating all these departments into one Share Services Center. The client needed a way to bring invoices into a central location and distribute the work to a department of 50 Accounts Payable Clerks. They also wanted to give users the ability to easily send out invoices for approval. Approvers were responsible for validating and, if necessary, correcting the General Ledger account distributions. The licensing fees associated with giving the approver's access to PeopleSoft to make these changes were cost prohibitive.
Solution: InQ consultants looked at the process and designed a web-based workflow solution that indexed the invoices as they were entered into the PeopleSoft Accounts Payable system. The solution involved several integration points with PeopleSoft. Line item details from the invoice were automatically imported into the ECM system, along with indexing information, as the voucher was entered into PeopleSoft. When the detail record was imported, it was matched to the invoice and further index information was applied to the invoice. Approvers could manipulate the line item detail, along with General Ledger account distributions during the approval process. Any changes to the line item detail were updated in PeopleSoft by passing XML via an HTTP request. After the invoice was fully approved, the voucher was released in PeopleSoft via another HTTP request. Once the solution was rolled out, approvers had full access to view and update their own invoice information in PeopleSoft without having to log in to PeopleSoft. As a result, voucher entry and invoice approval times were substantially reduced.
Problem: The client had a virtual workforce and needed a way to quickly and easily distribute medical charts to their staff for entry into their billing system and subsequent coding of the chart. The licensing fees associated with giving the chart coders access to billing system were cost prohibitive.
Solution: InQ consultants looked at the process and designed a workflow solution that distributed the medical charts evenly to the data entry clerks for entry into the billing system. Screen scraping technology was used to index the charts in the ECM system. After the charts were entered into the billing system and indexed, they were distributed to the chart coders based on the coders' preferred chart types. An eForm was designed and developed to facilitate the entry of the codes with validation. After the chart was coded, the charts were placed in a queue for upload to the billing system. A custom program was written to batch process all of the completed charts and generate an upload file written to the billing system's specifications. After the file was written, the charts were released from workflow and the file was sent via FTP to the billing system for upload.
Problem: There was a need to replace the paper and manual-intensive process of making adjustments to a university health system's patient accounts while maintaining HIPAA compliance and internal/external audit compliance standards.
Solution: InQ consultants looked at the process and designed a workflow solution that distributed the integrated data directly with the core patient accounting systems to remove unnecessary keying of patient information. They also built an elegant system for grouping teams of approvers with automated approval path assignment based on the client's complex protocols. They used Hyland OnBase workflow to route and notify approvers of escalations, pending approvals, or rejections to automatically post the core billing systems. This removed significant manual processing and shuffling of paper from desks and departments. Most significantly were the reductions in billing.
