Nordea IT has automated document workflow processes through AMODIT

Customer

Nordea IT was founded by Nordea Bank to using the knowledge and many years of experience of experts gained in Nordea Bank Poland, to support the activities of the Nordea Group in the IT area. It deals with the maintenance and development of infrastructure software and banking systems in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Nordic countries.

Customer needs

• Registration and accounting of cases and documents
• Process control over documents' arrangement, assignment and approval 
• Full story of changes, comments, descriptions and acceptance
• Archiving documents in electronic form
• Control access to archived documents
• Easy retrieval of archived documents
• Save time of employees and approvers
• Summary reports (eg. Number of overtime hours at a time ...)

Scope of work

• Cost invoices workflow - Registration and approval of cost invoices including printing barcodes, scanning, acceptance and verification by the accounting.
• In addition, the functionality to exchange data with external accounting (list of invoices with acceptance and attribution).
• Additionally, the integration with the process of business trips settlement to ensure accordance with the invoice approval.
• Additional module to import data from a text file (a summary of the settlement costs)
• Travel expense workflow - Submission of a travel form on own behalf and on behalf of another person, accepting the request, requesting expense reimbursement, two-stage acceptance of travel expenses. In addition, the functionality to exchange data with external accounting
• Settlement of overtime work - complete workflow process from applying to acceptance.
• Delegating proxies during out-of-office like vacation, sick leave or business trip.
• A dozen of advanced reports.

The scale of implementation

• 300 users
• implementation time 3 months

Migrating files from database to file system

AMODIT can be configured to store file in one of two modes:

1.    Files stored in database

2.    Files stored in file system (database is only used to store index information)

Both modes have pros and cons.

Storing files in database:

+ integrity assured by database server

+ inability to modify files without accessing database

– database file becomes huge which makes backup difficult and influences performance

Storing files in file system:

+ smaller database file

+ easier and faster backup

+ files can be backup up incrementally as they are separate

– files can be modified outside the system what creates a risk of losing data integrity

It is possible to migrate file between database and file system. It is a paid service. Please find below example data from such a migration.

Database parameters

Number of cases	110 000
Number of files	90 000
Total size of files	60 GB

Migration

Time of migrating file from database to file system

4 h

Results

	File in database	Files in file system
Database size	79 GB	6 GB
Time of making backup	1 h	4 min
Time of restoring backup	4 h	24 min
Time of listing 10 000 files	45s	34s
Time of reading 10 000 files	320s	170s/85s *
Time of listing all cases	1100s	1100s
Adding a column to the files table	3 h	10s

* first attempt and next ones. Next attempts are faster due to file caching mechanisms of operating system.

Test were done on machine: Intel Xeon E5620 @ 2.4GHz (2 proc), 16 GB RAM, Win Server 2008 R2 Std 64bit

Conclusions

Migrating file from database to file system significantly decreases size of database. This results in much shorter time of making and restoring backup. Additionally it decreases performance of reading files. Also some administrative operations on database are shortened significantly.

Implementation in National Research and Development Center

We are proud to inform about implementation in National Research and Development Center (NCBR). AMODIT is used to supervise projects. It supports cooperation between employees and external entities hired to audit projects finansed by NCBR. AMODIT was chosen because of ease of use and great flexibility.

See reference letter in Polish

Jim Sinur about AMODIT

Jim Sinur, expert in a field of process management, decision optimization and policy management, has published article about one of our case studies on his blog. He pinpoints interesting facts about this implementation and describes how AMODIT's machine learning can help with workflow process automation.

Please read http://jimsinur.blogspot.com/2014/09/large-independent-restaurant-operator.html

More info about Jim Sinur: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimsinur

More about this case study: http://blog.amodit.com/2014/01/amodit-in-amrest-kfc-pizzahut-bugerking.html

AMODIT for Banks and Financial Institutions

AMODIT is used by banks and financial institutions. There are various business processes that can be implemented. Some of them are general like Cost acceptance or Vacation requests and some are industry specific. Below you can find selected examples of such processes.

Operations Communication processes

There is lots of operations that require communication between departments. This communication has to be precise, traceable and effortless at the same time. This is very important because of legal and audit requirements. All changes has to be stored with timestamp and information about employees involved.

Here are examples of such processes:

• Transaction cancellation
• Booking request
• Booking correction
• Commission calculation and approval
• Individually negotiated commission
• Internal booking (between accounts of the same customer)
• Loro debit
• Nostro debit
• And other unusual or negotiated requests

Usually these processes involve front-end departments (who communicate with customers) and back-end departments (who have access to core systems). Each request has to be verified by 2 separate people (4-eyes rule). The most simple process can look like that.

Process is usually initiated by front-end department and then executed by back-end department in core systems. Dictionaries (like accounts, customers Ids, internal accounts, loro accounts, nostro accounts) are imported from core systems to make it easier for users to enter data. It minimizes risk of mistakes. These dictionary data can be takes from core system by database request or by batch files importing.

Additional help is given when entering data to core systems. Those systems often use old-fashioned technologies (like COBOL) and are not easy to make integration with. Therefore AMODIT gives ability to generate barcodes with any necessary data which can then be easily entered barcode reader. This also minimizes risk of mistakes and saves time.

Change Request Form (CFR)

This process is used to request and execute changes in banking IT systems. Whenever business requires to make changes to IT system it has to be approved and executed by several departments. This process can take time and it is important for business users to be able to track progress of the process and its current state.

Flow of information can look like on diagram below:

Business advantages

• More efficient request processing
• Minimized risk of mistakes (using dictionaries and barcodes)
• Less manual work – no more retyping from emails
• Double check verification of requests (4-eyes rule)
• Transparency and clarity of requests for business users
• Business can track what happens to requests in real time
• Precision of defining permissions
• Storing history of changes and audit trails
• Integration with Active Directory lets turn off access immediately
• Easy reporting helps with resource planning

Why AMODIT is so special?

You can imagine lots of other business processes. Need for new type of process can suddenly because of changing business environment. So this is important to have ability to define them very quickly by business users. It is also important to be able to redefine them on the fly.

AMODIT gives business users ability to suggest new processes and use them immediately. AMODIT uses artificial intelligence to analyse flow of information and detect bottlenecks. It helps discovering new processes and redefining existing ones.

AMODIT in AmRest (KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Starbucks)

AmRest Holdings SE (AmRest, WSE: EAT) is the largest independent restaurant operator in Central and Eastern Europe with a growing international presence. Since 1993 company has been building a portfolio of well recognized, power brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks based on solid franchise and joint venture partnerships. AmRest owns the La Tagliatella brand which is being developed internationally as both Company operated restaurants and franchised stores. Recently AmRest acquired two unique brands operating in China - Blue Frog and Kabb and also opened Stubb’s first restaurant based on a joint venture agreement.

Today, AmRest operates over 720 category leading Quick Service and Casual Dining restaurants. Through our "Everything is Possible" culture, every day over 18 thousand AmRest employees in 13 countries deliver delicious food and exceptional service at affordable prices.

AmRest made a decision to implement workflow solution. Assumption has been made to spend 80% the time on choosing the right system, and only 20% on its implementation. The process of evaluating different workflow systems took almost one year. 12 systems from different European countries were compared.

AMODIT immediately made good impression because of the flexibility of both the system and its supplier (ASTRAFOX). The only doubts were connected with fact that it is a new product on the market, but AmRest is not afraid to make bold business decisions.

The main argument for choosing AMODIT is his philosophy, which allows an easy and inexpensive way to provide a large benefit to the business in the form of an integrated workflow and DMS solution. It does not require a multiday analysis nor mandays of consultants and thus it is well received by the business departments.

The benefits of implementation are:

• uniform place for storage of data,
• elimination of paper-based processes and signatures,
• the possibility of binding business processes and discovering dependencies between them,
• identification of bottlenecks in processes,
• reduction of unproductive communication,
• decrease load of MS Exchange server,
• comprehensive implementation of processes for restaurants and office in one tool.

"The tool is easy to understand and so far we did not come to a situation in which something would be impossible." - Maciej Buba, PMO & Business Solutions Manager, AmRest

D-Well (advertising media manufacturer) deployed AMODIT

D-Well is one of the major manufactures of advertising media for both Polish and international companies.

D-Well deployed AMODIT to support processes of producing tailor-made advertising products. It helps improve flow of information between employees and comply with deadlines.

Deployment took one month including integration of customer dictionaries with ERP system (Comarch Optima).

Invoice acceptance in Menard Polska

Menard Polska company have chosen AMODIT to automize invoice acceptance. Time from decision to production start took less than 1 month and consisted of 4 days of workshops. Deployment covers also scanner integration.

Menard is a construction company and offers comprehensive solution for special foundations and strengthening ground, from design to implementation. Menard Poland belongs to the group of Soletanche Freyssinet which is part of a consortium of Vinci.

Qualia Development deploys AMODIT in a cloud model

Qualia Development is a developer with twelve years of experience, the company belongs to a PKO BP bank group. Qualia is known for its high-quality projects in the housing market, it can also boast of the fact that is the first and only developer in Poland building a network condohotels managed under the Golden Tulip hotel brand.

Challenge

Qualia Development strives for continuous improvement and optimization of business processes. One of the challenges is a matter of efficient workflow and approval of cost documents. This is particularly important because of the geographic spread of the company. Invoices received in different locations are to be scanned, described, validated and transmitted to the headquarters to handle the payments and accounting.
Another assumption was to use the existing network scanners and minimal interference with users' workstations, thus the use of a Web application.

Deployment

After reviewing the available solutions on the market Qualia decided to implement the AMODIT system (www.amodit.com). It is an innovative system that allows you to quickly search for information on the so-called metadata (the relevant parameters) and the contents of the documents, including the mechanisms of OCR (Optical Character Recognition). With the introduction of innovations in the field of document workflow, system logs all changes in documents’ content as well as monitoring their life cycle. In addition, significantly transferring documents between users have been facilitated.
Powerful modeling methodology has allowed an efficient mechanism to implement the service in accordance with pre-established plan.
Key factors for the decision were:

• flexibility of the system allowing Qualia to independently model new workflows,
• ability to run solutions in the "cloud computing" on the basis of a monthly fee, while preserving the possibility of transferring all to own on-premise servers at any time.

Most of the work related to defining workflow processes have been carried out by the expert staff of Qualia, which allowed a short time to reflect business requirements.

AMODIT and SharePoint in National Defense Academy

Bartosz Biernacik from the National Defense Academy has published a document "Selected aspects of IT tools usage for achieving IT security in organization." This document is based on experience with SharePoint and AMODIT systems.

Full article in Polish can be found HERE.

Polatom deploys AMODIT and SharePoint

POLATOM is Radioisotope Centre, part of National Centre for Nuclear Research. Polatom deployed AMODIT to support workflow processes, f.e.: gathering opinions and workshop orders. There are plans to deploy more processes and it will be done in cycles.
This deployment was connected with deployment of intranet, based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2010. Both systems were integrated and AMODIT is now integral part of intranet. Look&feel is the same. From users perspective it is one of intranet sites.

AMODIT as SharePoint site

AMODIT in Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism

Since 2011 Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism is using AMODIT as a platform to gather applications for financing sport events and builing sport facilities. Number of organizations interested in getting such funds is above 30 000. Most people apply just a few days before deadline so it is every important to ensure high scalability and performance.

Applications forms are quite complex and can contain multiple subforms, tables etc. They are all defined using web browser. There are many restrictions defined as rules. So system checks validity of a form before it is sent to Ministry.

Forms are sent in electronic format but they can also be printed for archiving purposes.

System already supported numerous applying actions with load of over 4 thousand people applying at the same time.

Important achievements of deployments are:

• modern way of applying in electronic way, even though forms are complex
• automatic validation of application forms
• quicker and less expensive process of applying
• obtaining universal tools for all departments of Ministry
• integration with financial (ERP) system
• integrated reporting for the whole Ministry
• electronic archive of all documents
• tracking history of changes and decisions.

AMODIT in Academy of National Defence

Academy of National Defence have finished evaluation project with comparison of workflow systems. AMODIT and SharePoint were compared in area of modeling workflow processes.

As a result of this evaluation there were several advantages of AMODIT were indicated:

• dynamic modeling of process diagrams based on history analysis and artificial intelligence
• ease of defining electronic forms
• built-in support for useful calculations, f.e. calculation number of workdays between two dates in accordance of weekends and public holidays
• built-in integration with SharePoint, which lets use there two platforms as one product

- "Implementation of AMODIT and SharePoint significantly improved the management of information flow, which is an important qualitative change in the activities of the Department of Management and Command, and significantly increases our efficiency."

- Major MSc. Bartosz Biernacik,

Assistant in the Department of IT systems,

Institute of the Army,

Department of Management and Command.

More information here: http://amodit.com/en/Case-Studies/AMODIT-in-Academy-Of-National-Defence.aspx

BMM - new satisfied customer

BMM is an IT company specializing in deployments and trainings. Even though they use several information systems, they decided to use AMODIT. We have managed to deploy several business processes:

• agreements
• proposals
• protocols (confirming work done for customers by consultants)
• purchase invoices acceptance
• correspondence

Customer is satisfied what is confirmed by this testimony:

- "Implementation of AMODIT reduced time and workflow needed to handle business processes. The Management Board received a tool to control the flow of information and quickly access documents. "

- Andrzej Ciupa - Board Member, BMM