BPM Software Case Study | Eyuboglu Schools (purchase request)

Background

Ultimus Client: Eyuboglu Educational Institutions
Industry: Education
Solution: Purchase Request, Finance Department

Eyuboglu Educational Institutions consist of a group of schools for students from 2 to 18 years of age. The school maintains seven different campuses with ten different schools and has an enrollment of over 2500 students and 700 employees. Eyuboglu Schools aims at excellence with a vision to educate all students, academically and socially, to become foremost members of both their national and international communities, and in so doing, become an institution that can serve as an educational role model in the world.

Goal: Automate process and reduce processing time, improve controls

Each time a teacher or principal in any of the 10 Eyuboglu schools needs to purchase an item for the classroom, the amount of paperwork was substantial and time consuming to complete. In addition, these paper forms needed to be transported to other locations for approval and returned to the originator, a cumbersome process for the employees to endure and one that had financial implications for Eyuboglu. The challenges included:

Lengthy processing time: Once the paperwork was completed, it then had to be transported to different locations for approval and ultimately returned to requestor, an irritating process that could take days or weeks to complete.
Lack of controls and timely reporting: Under this manual process, managers did not have access to up-to-date reporting of expenses.
Approval hierarchy located across large metropolitan area: The paper request forms needed to be manually transported to different Eyuboglu locations for approval and then make the return trip back to the originator, a logistical nightmare in a busy city.
Abundance of paperwork: A great deal of paperwork was required each and every time a teacher or school principal needed to purchase an item for the classroom, whether it be a box of pencils or a new computer. The paperwork was time consuming to complete and a burden for the staff.

Ultimus' Approach

Eyuboglu Schools looked at several BPM providers and chose Ultimus’ BPM software suite for its flexibility and ease-of-use. Using Ultimus, the requestor simply completes an electronic form through the company Intranet rather than filling out a paper form. Information flows electronically to the designated authorities for approval, free of bottlenecks and transportation delays. A process that used to take days or even weeks to complete now takes a fraction of the time, allowing teachers to focus on their students and have the necessary supplies to outfit their classrooms.

Implementation

The implementation process for Ultimus’ BPM Suite was smooth and efficient. Eyuboglu Schools mapped and refined the process and then collaborated with Ultimus on the technical and testing phases. Results were realized almost immediately in financial and time savings, and improved employee satisfaction and motivation.

Based on the success of this initial process, Eyuboglu moved quickly to automate and optimize numerous other processes within their growing organization. They now utilize Ultimus for a total of nine processes and are looking for future applications for the software.

About Ultimus

Ultimus has automated more business processes than any other Business Process Management (BPM) vendor worldwide. Ultimus Adaptive BPM Suite has enabled companies to accelerate their performance goals at every stage of corporate growth. Ultimus’ award-winning technology seamlessly adapts to people, systems and change. Utilized by more than 2,000 customers worldwide, Ultimus provides solutions to organizations such as Pfizer, ProHealth, Bausch & Lomb, Northrup Grumman, DHL, Microsoft, Daimler, Perdue Farms, Chevron, and Tulane University. Ultimus is headquartered in North America, and has additional offices in Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.

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Challenges

Lengthy processing time
Lack of controls and reporting
Difficult to connect approval hierarchy
Abundance of paperwork

Solutions

Standardized, electronic forms
Automated flow of information and approvals
Accurate, timely reporting of expenses

Successes

Greater control over expenses
Reduced frustration levels for teachers and administrators
Eliminated, long wait and excessive paperwork

Key Benefits

Standardized electronic forms replace manual, time-consuming paperwork
Seamless approval process as information flows electronically to appropriate supervisor for authorization in a matter of seconds, even if they are located across the city
Greater control over information and timely reporting of expenses allows supervisors to effectively manage their budget
Increased transparency throughout process
Teachers can spend their time teaching, not completing paperwork, and have easy access to the items needed to provide a top-quality educational experience in their classroom

“By automating the purchase request process, managers finally gained access to up-to-date expense reporting they needed to run their departments effectively.”