Let’s be honest—everyone’s banging on about AI, but how many organisations are actually using it to solve real problems? 

The gap between AI hype and practical implementation is wider than most vendors want to admit. That’s why we’re cutting through the noise to share how teams are combining Flowingly with AI to create genuine improvements in both customer and employee experiences. 

In our recent webinar with Liam from Incendo, we explored use cases that aren’t theoretical “someday” implementations—they’re happening right now, delivering real value. No fancy computer science degree required. 

1. Submitting Paper Forms into Flowingly

Ever tried to convince people to stop using paper forms? It’s about as easy as getting your nan to understand Instagram Stories. 

The reality is stark: organisations spend months (sometimes years) trying to wean staff off paper, burning through budget and patience. Projects close, benefits aren’t realised, and you’re back to square one—with a stack of paper forms still sitting on the counter. 

Here’s an approach that’s actually working: 

What’s really happening behind the curtain: This AI use case works by mapping out where fields like “name,” “address,” and “phone number” typically appear on your standard forms. Unlike generic text recognition tools that can get confused by different layouts, this approach knows precisely where to look for each piece of information on your specific forms. 

The mind-blowing part? You only need to show the AI model about five examples of completed forms—some neat, some messy, some typed, some handwritten—and suddenly they’re capturing information with 98% accuracy. That means your team can stop manually entering data and start handling the parts of their job that actually require human judgment. 

The system is smart enough to know that scribble in the name field is still a name, even when someone’s messy ‘z’ looks suspiciously like a ‘2’. It pulls all this information straight into your workflow without anyone having to squint at bad handwriting or manually type things into multiple systems. 

The key insight? Change management doesn’t have to mean forcing people to abandon familiar processes—it can mean making those processes work better behind the scenes. 

2. Smart Email Triage & Responses

Many organisations face a perfect storm: improve customer experience while cutting budgets. All the while customer queries are becoming more complex, volumes have increased, and customer expectations keep getting higher and higher.

Meanwhile, teams are stretched thin, with less time to carefully consider each message. The inevitable result? Rushed, generic responses that leave customers feeling like an afterthought. Staff end up spending precious mental energy just deciding where to route messages, leaving little bandwidth for crafting thoughtful, personalised replies.

Here’s an approach that’s actually working: 

What’s really happening behind the curtain: This isn’t just glorified keyword searching that sees “dog” in a subject line and mindlessly routes it to animal control. We’ve all experienced that kind of “smart” system, and it’s about as smart as a goldfish with amnesia.

Instead, it’s using natural language processing to actually understand the content and intent of messages. In the demo, someone deliberately tried to trick the system with a misleading subject line about dogs, but the content was clearly about litter in parks. The system analysed the full message context, ignored the red herring in the subject line, and correctly routed it to the parks team.

The AI reads through the entire message, identifies the main topics being discussed, and makes intelligent decisions about categorisation. It also extracts the key points that need addressing, ensuring nothing gets missed in lengthy emails.

The game-changer? Everyone from the brand-new temp to your most experienced staff can now focus on giving great answers instead of playing email detective. The system suggests where messages should go and offers response ideas, but humans still bring the judgment, empathy, and decision-making that no AI can match.

It’s not just pulling canned responses either. The system actually crafts suggestions based on what the person is specifically asking about—capturing your organisation’s voice while addressing the particular points raised. No more copy-pasting the same generic template and hoping it sort of fits.

This approach means consistent customer service without the staffing overheads—and without the risk of points being missed in busy inboxes.

The key insight? You don’t need to hire more people to improve service quality—you need to give your existing team tools that eliminate the low-value work so they can focus on what matters: the human connection.

3. ID Document Processing

Let’s face it—manually checking IDs and inputting data is about as exciting as watching paint dry. It’s also a breeding ground for errors that can have serious consequences.

Think about how many places you handle identification documents: new employee onboarding, customer verification, contractor certifications. When humans manually process these, mistakes happen—dates get mistyped, documents get misfiled, and suddenly someone’s been driving company vehicles with an expired licence for two years.

Here’s an approach that’s actually working: 

What’s really happening behind the curtain: Unlike the paper form solution that needs training on your specific documents, this implementation leverages pre-built AI models that already understand identification documents from around the world. 

The system uses computer vision technology that’s been trained on thousands of different ID types—passports, driver’s licenses, national ID cards—from dozens of countries. It knows where to find key information on each document type, regardless of the format. 

What makes this particularly clever is that it doesn’t just capture text—it understands document structure. It knows the difference between an issue date and expiry date. It recognises when a string of characters is a license number versus an address. And it does this even with imperfect images that have glare, weird angles, or poor lighting. 

When verification from third parties (like police) is needed, Flowingly’s external actor feature can give those outside your organisation a secure way to contribute to the workflow without the usual email ping-pong. 

Instead of monitoring mailboxes and manually attaching returned documents, external parties simply click a link that pulls them directly into the workflow, where they can submit their verification. The workflow continues automatically once they’ve contributed. 

The result? A process that’s faster, more accurate, and creates a proper audit trail without anyone having to manually save documents or remember naming conventions. 

The key insight? The most expensive mistakes are often the most mundane ones—a mistyped date, a misfiled document, a missed verification. Letting AI handle these details isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about reducing significant organisational risk.

4. Sentiment Analysis That Actually Tells You Something Useful

We’ve all been there—staring at pages of survey responses or feedback submissions trying to make sense of what people are actually saying. By the time you’ve made sense of it all, it’s usually too late to do anything meaningful with the insights.

That’s where the fourth use case comes in: real-time sentiment analysis and theme extraction from public submissions, surveys, or feedback.

Every organisation has talented people stuck wading through mountains of feedback—whether it’s council submissions, customer surveys, or internal staff sentiment. These folks could be identifying critical insights and taking action, but instead they’re drowning in a process that’s typically slow, subjective, and backward-looking.

Here’s an approach that’s actually working: 

What’s really happening behind the curtain:

This implementation uses multiple AI technologies working together to make sense of qualitative feedback—the kind of free-text responses that traditionally require hours of human analysis.

The system uses sentiment analysis algorithms to determine the emotional tone behind submissions. But it goes beyond simple positive/negative classification—it can detect nuances like “concerned but supportive” or “strongly opposed on specific grounds,” giving you a much more nuanced understanding of public opinion.

The AI doesn’t just look at individual submissions in isolation. It analyses patterns across all responses, using natural language processing to identify recurring themes and topics. This is not simple keyword counting—it’s understanding concepts even when people express similar concerns using completely different words.

What’s particularly clever is how it condenses complex feedback into actionable insights. The system automatically generates thematic summaries—short phrases that capture the essence of what people are saying about specific aspects of your proposal. This transforms pages of feedback into digestible insights that decision-makers can actually use.

The kicker? This happens in real-time, not weeks after your consultation period ends. Most survey results or submission analyses are produced after everything’s finished—when it’s too late to adjust your approach or messaging. With live insights, you can course-correct while your consultation is still active, ensuring you get more representative feedback.

The key insight? The true value of feedback isn’t in collecting it—it’s in how quickly you can understand and act on it. Real-time analysis transforms feedback from a retrospective exercise into an active guidance system for decision-making.

These four examples show how organizations are using AI today – not in some distant future. The key is using AI to handle repetitive tasks while keeping humans in control of decisions and customer relationships.

The most successful implementations:

• Free people from data entry to focus on customer service
• Improve consistency while preserving human judgment
• Automate document handling to reduce costly mistakes
• Turn feedback into actionable insights in real-time

Want to see these solutions in action? Watch our webinar with Incendo where we demonstrate exactly how these use cases work and how they’re built. Or get in touch for a demonstration of how Flowingly and AI can transform your processes without the usual implementation headaches.

Public Workflows: Making External Collaboration Effortless 

Ever watched a perfectly good process grind to a halt because you need someone outside your organisation to do… well, anything? We feel that pain.  
 
That’s why we built our public workflows feature – your new secret weapon for keeping things moving, even when they stretch beyond your organisation’s walls. 

What’s New?

We’ve built a seamless way to include external participants in your workflows without disrupting your process or pulling your hair out. Using smart variables or by adding an email, you can route steps to anyone outside your organisation. 

Whether you’re a council managing waste collection contractors, a law firm requiring client sign-off on settlement agreements, or a manufacturer getting ISO certification from external auditors, Public Workflows keeps everything moving smoothly. 

Why It’s a Game-Changer

Ready to transform how your organisation works with external partners? 

Get in touch with our team at Flowingly to see how Public Workflows can streamline your external collaboration. Our experts will walk you through how your specific processes can be enhanced, making those email chains and lost approvals a thing of the past. 

Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or email us at sales@flowingly.io to learn more. 

You’ve probably seen this morning’s headlines. Auckland Council’s confidential City Rail Link report found its way to the media due to a single missed checkbox, which will raise some serious questions about LGOIMA management. 

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: LGOIMA requests aren’t just another compliance box to tick – they’re becoming one of the highest-risk processes in local government.  

And unfortunately, with the NZ Herald getting a story like this, it’s about to get a whole lot more challenging.

The Ombudsman’s latest report shows LGOIMA complaints have increased by 30% in the past year alone – and headlines like this won’t help those numbers.  

Based on conversations I’ve recently had with councils this could be a very low estimate, with many mentioning 100-300% increases in requests for information – and they don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. 

Here’s the thing – poorly managed LGOIMA doesn’t just risk severe reputation damage to your council. It’s creating unnecessary stress for your team. And with a statutory 20-working-day deadline looming over every request, the pressure couldn’t be more real. 

And when you’re dealing with requests that can involve anything from routine queries to highly sensitive information (like today’s CRL story), getting it wrong isn’t just a minor hiccup – it could be tomorrow’s headline. 

Let’s break down the problems with how most LGOIMA is managed: 

But it’s not all doom and gloom in the world of LGOIMA – Ōtorohanga District Council have solved all of the above, and they did it faster than you might think.  

After building and deploying their LGOIMA workflow within their first month using Flowingly, this was their feedback: 

Let’s take a look at their workflow 👇

So how can teams improve how they manage LGOIMA? 

Now, you could try to fix it the hard way – mapping processes, adding reviews, running endless training sessions. But let’s be honest: that’s just putting a band-aid on a broken system. 

Or you could follow Ōtorohanga’s lead: implement a proven LGOIMA workflow in Flowingly that’s already delivering results. 

The best part? Their exact template is ready and waiting in our process sharing platform, Process Hub. Just grab it, customise it to your council’s needs, and you’re good to go. 

Want to learn more about bulletproofing your LGOIMA process? Join our free webinar this Wednesday where we’ll dive deep into LGOIMA management best practices and show you exactly how councils like Ōtorohanga are getting it right. 

Say Hello to Our New Visual Filters: Your Processes, Your Way 

We’re thrilled to introduce a release that’s been in the works for a while – an update to the UI of our process filters. This update is all about making your life easier by giving you ways to navigate your processes more intuitively. 

What’s New?

With our newest update, you can now more easily filter your processes by status—whether it’s something you started last week that’s due today, or a task that’s creeping into overdue territory. No more guessing games; you’ll see exactly where everything stands at a glance. 

Need to focus on a specific timeframe? Easy. Our date range filter lets you zero in on the processes that matter most right now, whether you’re planning ahead or catching up.  

With our new filters, you can quickly filter your processes by status: 

• In Progress: See what’s currently on your plate and track how work is moving along. 
• Due Soon: Get a heads-up on what’s coming up next, so you can prioritise effectively. 
• Due Today: Focus on what absolutely needs your attention today. 
• Overdue: Stay on top of any delays and keep everything moving forward. 
• Completed: Keep track of all work that’s been done. 
• Rejected: Identify any processes that need revisiting, so you can course-correct if necessary. 

Don’t think we forgot about the to-do page either. We’ve brought those visual filters over, giving your team a clear view of what’s on their plate – whether it’s what’s next in line or what needs immediate attention. It’s all about keeping everyone on track and in the know. 

We’ve also added a search bar to the start page – because sometimes, you just need to find that one process without scrolling through a list. Type in the name, and you’re there. It’s that simple.  

Speaking of the start page, if you’re like most of us, you probably also have a few key processes you’re using day in and day out. Our new ‘frequently started’ tab puts those front and center, saving you clicks and mental energy. 

How to Get Started?  

These updates aren’t just about making Flowingly more efficient; they’re about giving you back time to focus on what really matters.  

Whether you’re managing a complex project or just trying to stay on top of daily tasks, the new filters are designed to help you work smarter, not harder. 

We’ll be rolling out this update to all our customers but if you have any questions feel free to reach out to your CS manager.

Introducing Flowingly’s New Risk Management Module 

We’re excited to unveil our latest addition: the Risk Management Module. It’s time to bid farewell to those unwieldy Excel spreadsheets and embrace a smarter way to handle risk. 

What’s New?

We’re combining Flowingly’s forms and workflow with the power of SharePoint and Power BI to create a risk management powerhouse.  

This combo pulls your Flowingly data into a comprehensive risk register and transforms it into visual, trend-focused dashboards.  

Why It’s a Game-Changer:

• Visual Insights: Powered by SharePoint and Power BI, our dashboards turn complex data into clear, actionable insights. 
• Customisable: Easily configure the risk scoring to reflect your organisational risk appetite and definitions.
• Trend Spotting: Identify patterns and emerging risks before they become critical issues. 
• Real-Time Updates: Keep your finger on the pulse with live data feeds. 

We’ve heard your struggles with using Excel as a makeshift risk database. While it’s a great tool, it wasn’t built for the complexities of modern risk management.  

Our new module fills that gap, offering the dynamic, trend-spotting capabilities modern organisations need.

Introducing Confidential Steps: Elevating Privacy Control in Flowingly 

We’re thrilled to introduce a powerful new feature to Flowingly: Confidential Steps! 🤫 

Building on our existing Confidential Workflows functionality, which empowers departments to control the privacy of their flows, this update takes confidentiality to the next level by allowing workflow designers to apply confidentiality settings to individual steps within a flow. 🔒 

What’s New?

Additional Benefits: 

Enhanced Privacy Control: With Confidential Steps, organisations have granular control over the confidentiality of sensitive information at a step level within their workflows, ensuring that only authorised personnel can access confidential data. 

Increased Compliance: This feature helps organisations comply with privacy regulations by ensuring that sensitive data is only accessible to approved users, reducing the risk of data breaches and non-compliance penalties. 

Improved Security: By restricting access to confidential steps, organisations can mitigate the risk of data leaks and unauthorised access, bolstering their overall cybersecurity posture. 

Use Cases for Organisations: 

With Confidential Steps, businesses can enhance privacy, compliance, and security within their workflows, empowering them to confidently manage sensitive information and protect their data assets. Upgrade to the latest version of Flowingly today to unlock the power of Confidential Steps! 

How to Get Started? 

For those eager to harness the power of this update, it’s as easy as reaching out to your Customer Success Manager or contacting support@flowingly.net. Our team is ready to guide you through the setup process and ensure you maximise the benefits of this new update.

To see a more detailed look at how to set up Confidential steps check out our knowledge base for instructions here.