Process Automation
Process Automation is converting a time-consuming, repetitive task into a quick, easy, computer-based process. The benefits include reducing errors, saving time, and easier reporting on your business activities.
Case Study: Converting Fax-Based Referral System to Web-Based Referrals
The Children's Clothing Closet receives referrals from county agencies to supply clothing for children in need. They received requests by fax for many years. The handwritten, faxed forms were often difficult to read. This led to errors when sending the correct size and gender of clothing. Tracking the number of children served was also a tedious task of manual counting. Labeling bags of clothing for specific children was also done by hand, which was time-consuming and sometimes introduced errors.
In 2009 the Closet switched to accepting referrals through an online form. The information about the clothing requested and where to deliver it is automatically stored in a database. At the Closet, the referrals are printed out onto shipping forms with an integrated peel-off label in the upper left corner. The label is peeled off and placed on the bag for delivery and the remaining portion of the form is filed. The rows of requests for clothing are color-coded to indicate if the clothing is needed for a girl or for a boy. This helps to reduce errors when demand is high and workers are rushed. The new process eliminated all hand-writing of information and makes required reporting to funding agencies much easier.