Workflow includes both document flow as well as exchanging other data, including project tasks. Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) is a tool whose main task is to help companies in managing workflow, so they are able to apply congruent business processes, increase efficiency and eliminate gridlocks. All these to help employees concentrate on performed tasks instead of concentrating on the management of said tasks and their associated documents.

We have already discussed the notion of task management and other mechanisms facilitating team work in the article entitled "Team work - Windows SharePoint Services" . Now it is time to concentrate on document flow feature, which enables to define and control all flows, e.g. incoming and outgoing correspondence, business trips, customer claims, recruitment etc.

Document flow participant owns a personalized website where all documents addressed only to this person are stored. This is also the place where full document flow history is available. Additionally, it should be remembered that WSS enables to track changes made to the document.

For all types of documents paths are created, within which a document is transferred to other people or departments. Along the paths, mechanisms preventing document gridlocks and delays are implemented. Owing to e-mail notifications, appropriate people are informed about awaiting documents. Additionally, each action is specified by the so called maximum acceptance time or maximum time required to take other action changing a document’s properties. The final result is smooth data flow.

An example of simple document flow in Windows SharePoint Services

(source: http://office.microsoft.com/)

Safety is provided by the system of privileges. Document flow users are granted suitable privileges, thanks to which they can perform operations on documents in accordance with their authority. For example, an assistant can be granted the right to only assign a number to a document, describe and send a document to an appropriate person, whereas a department manager can accept the document and hand it over to another person for review or correction.

What is also important is the possibility of mutual integration between Windows SharePoint Services and SAP Business One. Company workflow is also supported by integration of Windows SharePoint Services with Microsoft Office suit.

To summarize, the implementation of company document flow using SharePoint environment:

• facilitates and speeds up document circulation in a company,
• significantly reduced the time devoted by employees to find needed data,
• enables to put restrictions on a document, which prevents undesirable persons from accessing a document.