Expense Claim

by Sarah | Jun 12, 2020 | Process Templates

Expense Claim

In most organizations, particularly those that require staff to travel, it’s common for employees to incur expenses that require reimbursement. If staff have a pre-approved spending limit, a very simple process is all that is required. This is an easy first step into process improvement and the world of workflow automation.

1. Expense Claim Initiator

The process begins with a staff member submitting a claim. This step prompts them to enter an itemized list of expenses claimed and the dates the costs incurred. This list is supported by the respective receipts.
Additionally, a reminder of the daily spending limits is included.

2. Approval by Manager Initiator’s Manager

Once the claim is submitted, the initiator’s manager reviews and either approves or rejects the claim.

3. Update Payroll Payroll

This process concludes with the Finance team. They perform a final check of the supplied information. If all details supplied are correct, they update the payroll system and the process is concluded.

Capital Expenditure Requests

by Sarah | Jun 5, 2020 | Process Templates

Capital Expenditure Requests

At Flowingly, we work with every kind of process and organization. Capital expenditure requests are universally one of the most critical of all processes. Organizations must be able to consistently and responsibly manage the approval of large and enduring financial decisions.

Depending on organizational specifics, there are many variations in capital expenditure approval processes. It is essential it remains easy to understand. The Capital Expenditure request process is too important to allow ambiguity or overcomplexity to sneak in.

1. Project Details

The first step in any Capital Expenditure request process is to gather the information that will help to determine the costs and relative benefits of the expense. The ‘Request Details’ step of the Capital Expenditure request gives the Initiator the opportunity to provide risks, benefits, alternatives, and any other detail to support their suggested expenditure.

2. Project Costing

Finance

Core to all capital expenditure request processing is the communication of the relative benefits of the expenditure. This step documents its cost and ongoing value. Costs are itemized and the residual value is recorded. It also provides an opportunity for the Finance team to comment on the request.

3. Management Review

Initiator Manager

Once the official costing of the project is complete, the Management team or Capital Expenditure committee can meet to discuss, review, and make recommendations based on the information. Once the expense is approved by the group, it can move to the final signoff from the CFO or CEO.

4. CFO Review

CFO

Capital Expenditure requests then flow through the office of the CFO for official approval. This step may then trigger a process within the office to include the expense in financial documentation.

5. CEO Approval

CEO

For unbudgeted or high-cost expenditure, it is common to route the request to the CEO for final approval. This step is as much about keeping the CEO informed of capital expenditure as it is about receiving approval.

6. Purchase Order

Finance

Finally, the Finance team can begin their own internal process to raise a purchase order for the asset. Once this is completed, the expenditure can be made.

Request Access to Applications

by Sarah | Mar 31, 2020 | Process Templates

Request Access to Applications

Many companies run this process informally, often using email. This approach can work with 10 employees in the same office. But what about when you have 100 employees? What if they start working remotely? As soon as your business progresses past being able to swivel your chair to talk to the admin of the application, you need to develop a proper request process.

1. Select the Required Applications Initiator

It’s common for remote employees to suddenly find that they no longer have access to something they regularly used in the office. Luckily, in the age of cloud-based applications, accessing software from anywhere is easier than ever. The first step of this process is for the employee to highlight what they need access too. Bonus tip: this step also works really well when onboarding a new employee, you’d just have it as a step for their manager.

2. Set Up XYZ Accounts Various

When companies run this process informally using email, things get missed. By having a full list of services in a single place, life is made far more simple for the employee and the IT team supporting them.

The great thing about using workflow software to process these requests is that it directs the request down the right channel instantly. No more “Hey Sam, do you know who the admin for Slack is?”.

3. Login and Go! Initiator

The final step of this simple process is for the employee to check that your logins all work. Have them mark off that they’re all logged in and ready to go.

This is an excerpt from Flowingly’s latest process guide, Essential Processes for Remote Work.

Proven processes to help you manage a remote workforce.

Discover the building blocks for constructing a strong remote culture.

Download Now

Request to Work Remotely

by Sean | Mar 31, 2020 | Process Templates

Request to Work Remotely

Before staff start working remotely, most organizations will need to approve it. This process has two main benefits.

Firstly, the organization can ensure that managerial approval is in place, and secondly, they get a full record of all remote staff for HR and health & safety purposes. This is a simple approval process, that can be modified to suit many other applications.

1. Submit Details of Request Initiator

The trigger for starting this process is an employee request to work remotely. This step is a good opportunity to capture all the relevant details about the request, from the dates requested to their job title (you may have a list of titles which are approved for remote work).

It’s important at this step to capture the reason for the request, along with an outline of the working location, including the address, details about the environment and whether the staff member requires any equipment that they don’t already have.

2. Manager Approval Initiator Manager

This is a simple approval but provides an opportunity for longer requests to be approved by the employee’s manager before they get submitted for approval to higher levels (e.g. the CEO).

If the manager feels anything is missing from the application, it’s good to have an option to just send back to the previous step and let the employee know what is missing.

3. CEO Approval CEO

Depending on the size and structure of your company, you will have different rules around approvals. Many companies will allow an employee’s direct manager to make the call on shorter requests for remote work, while longer requests need to go through higher level of approval (as seen here).

1. Start “Set Up Your Remote Workspace” Process Initiator

Once the request has been approved, it’s important to make sure the employee has a quality remote workspace setup that meets company regulations for health & safety. For this reason, the last step of the approval process should link directly to the “Set up your remote workspace” process.

This is an excerpt from Flowingly’s latest process guide, Essential Processes for Remote Work.

Proven processes to help you manage a remote workforce.

Discover the building blocks for constructing a strong remote culture.

Download Now

Set Up Your Remote Workspace

by Sean | Mar 30, 2020 | Process Templates

Set Up Your Remote Workspace

Whether your employees are in the office or working remotely, it’s important that their workspace inspires quality work and is safe to work for an extended period.

1. Set Up Your Workstation Initiator

First off, your remote employee needs a workstation that meets your company’s health & safety guidelines. The first step for an employee initiating the process should be the setup of their workstation in compliance with recommended ergonomics.

This is a good opportunity to insert instructions or a video outlining the correct setup, along with inspiration on how to optimize their workspace.

2. Read & Sign the “Remote Work Agreement”. Initiator

It is important to have a Remote Work Agreement for your organization. This is an opportunity to outline the expectations of both the employee and the employer. It’s also a good idea to cover off escalation procedures, communication requirements, and other essentials.

If you’re using a workflow application such as Flowingly, the employee can download the agreement and sign it from here.

3. Conduct PC / Laptop check Initiator

With remote workers, it’s more important than ever to make sure that they have quality equipment and adequate security measures in place. At a basic level, your IT team will want to check that the device they are using is sufficient to run the required applications.

IT may also need to make sure that sufficient security software is installed and that 2-factor authentication is being used. Finally, they will need to ensure that you have easy access to your systems and files, be that through VPN or other means.

4. Check VPN Connection Works Initiator

The last thing your employee will need to do is make sure that the connection that was set up is working seamlessly.

This is an excerpt from Flowingly’s latest process guide, Essential Processes for Remote Work.

Proven processes to help you manage a remote workforce.

Discover the building blocks for constructing a strong remote culture.

Download Now