UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
ELECTRONIC WORKFLOW
Steve Fleagle
Associate VP & CIO
Common Solutions Group | September 12, 2014
The Team: This is Their Work!

Ed Hill – co-leader, back-end architect

Mike Kaplan – co-leader, front-end architect

Sam Schrup – user interface design

Ransom Briggs – workflow engine development

Ben Kazemi – workflow engine development
Background: 2 Separate Workflow Systems
UI Workflow
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Powered Employee Self-Service Portal since
Dec. 2002
Supports online forms from HR, AP/Travel,
Purchasing, VP for Research, Facilities, Fleet
Services, Accounting Services, Business
Services
Routes forms from initiator to
sublevel/supervisor, dept., org., central
offices
MAUI Workflow



In production since Aug. 2008
Supports online forms from Admissions,
Billing, and Registrar’s Office
Supports wide variety of business
processes, routes forms and information to
various academic offices
Goals of New System

Combine Finance/HR workflow with student
system workflow

Platform neutral, functionality exposed via
web services

Ability to support any institutional process

Services for all aspects of workflow


Form management, routing,
communication, security, roles, etc.
Build a suite of workflow tools to define
forms, approvals, & business processes

Portal

Form builder tool

Workflow group/approver rights
management
Complex Forms
Form Input
Customizations
Travel/pCard
Business Services
Pre-Award Proposals
Workflow Portal
Inbox
Tools
Forms
Web Services
Workflow Engine
Entities
Roles & Groups
Routes
Forms
Templates
Business Logic
User Interface
Employee Self-Service
User Interface
Electronic Workflow Architecture
Student Information
System
Complex Forms
Form Input
Customizations
Electronic Procurement
Human Resources
General Ledger
Current Capabilities
(Jobs@UIowa)
Business Services
Fleet Services
Equal Opportunity and Diversity
Merit Dept. Competitive Promotion
Merit Position Requisition
P & S/Faculty/Recruitment Plan
Postdoctoral Requisition
Postdoctoral Request to Hire
Research Intern Requisition
Research Intern Request to Hire
(Miscellaneous)
CLAS Faculty Reviews
Comp & Class Redesign
Employee Time Record
ePersonnel Document Upload
Learn/Dev Tuition Assistance App
Request Vacation Donation
Retirement
UI Surplus Request
Printing Department Order Approval
Gas Cylinder Order Form
Parking Forms
Fleet Services Requisition
AP-PO
E-Voucher
Travel Request
Travel Expense
Finance & Operations
Purchasing
Requester Admin
Purchase Requisition
Human Subjects Office
Decision Support Request
Human Resources
(HR Transactions)
Adjunct Support
Appointment Change of Status
Leave Of Absence
Position
Prior Special Compensation
Special Compensation
Summer Support
Termination
Transfer
Student Information System
Record Merges
Online Application Processing
Grade Postings and Changes
Course Offerings and Fees
Residency Review
Departmental Scholarship
Research Information Systems
VPR Internal Funding Initiative
DSP Non-Monetary Routing Form
Advance MFK
DSP Proposal Routing Form
Institutional Review Board
Treasurer’s Office
Accounting Services
Merchant Account Form
Cash Handling
UI Health Care
PA/ARNP Privileging Process
Facilities Management
Facilities Management Requisitions
Transaction Counts
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
HR
Finance
Student
Other
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14
Workflow Inbox
Keys to Project Success

Governance & executive-level support

Campus discussion & engagement

Frequent communication with stakeholders

Co-leaders with complimentary skills & focus

Good working relationship between development groups

Separation of front-end user interface & back-end workflow engine
development

Clear goals/roles for each effort
Next Steps


Complete form builder application
Assist other application owners in taking advantage
of new features

Continue to roll out new forms/applications

Migrate existing workflow processes to new system
Lessons Learned



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

Unified inbox was greatly appreciated
by campus
Develop a simple system that
accommodates a range of users
Flexible definitions of roles and routes
Difference between administrative
and academic workflows
Orgs and Depts have flexibility to do
their own internal routing
Incremental development and phased
releases
Developed and demonstrated
WYSIWYG form builder tool first but
then decided not to deploy until later
phases