With the release of VKS 7.1, we are introducing targeted enhancements to the approval process flow. This update is designed to enhance the methods authors use to obtain approval for guidebooks intended for the shop floor. This update provides a more efficient approval process that also has greater flexibility and customization.
Let’s dive into how VKS 7.1 brings the approval process to the next level.
VKS 7.1: The Evolution of the Approval Chains to Approval Flows
Previously, authors utilized Approval Chains, which were preset sequences of two or more groups. While effective for basic linear tasks, such as routing a guidebook through the Engineering team before the Quality Control team, these chains could be rigid.
In VKS 7.1, Approval Chains are replaced by Approval Flows. This transition introduces three key enhancements.
- Dedicated Approval Flows Page: A centralized hub for managing all approval flows.
- Group Sequencing: Greater control over the approval order.
- Advanced Member Selection: Precision control over which team members are notified when an approval group is notified.
Why is this update important?
By moving away from “chains”, approval groups become flexible, standalone, and reusable. Essentially, administrators can create custom flexible "Flows” for authors to choose, while authors can select the whole team or only specific members when submitting a guidebook.
Think of it this way: Administrators no longer have to build new groups and/or sequences when changes are needed. And companies gain greater control, ensuring that only the right people are notified when guidebooks are submitted.
Before we dive deeper into our example use case, it can be useful to define what approval groups and Approval Flows are first.
What are Approval Groups?
An Approval Group is a curated team of subject matter experts authorized to review and validate guidebooks before they are published. These groups act as a quality firewall, ensuring that every instruction is accurate, safe, and compliant with standard operating procedures.
Why Segment Approval Groups?
In a complex manufacturing environment, a "one size fits all" approach to approvals creates bottlenecks and leads to oversight. Approval groups allow you to segment the workflow by department, location, and/or expertise.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't want a specialist from the assembly line validating a complex welding procedure. By routing guidebooks to the correct group, you ensure that the people with the most relevant expertise are the ones giving the green light.
- Quick Definition: Approval groups are designated sets of stakeholders responsible for reviewing guidebooks specific to their work center, department, or technical domain. They ensure that only expert-verified standardized procedures reach the workers on the shop floor.
What are Approval Flows?
An Approval Flow is a customizable sequence of multiple approval groups. Approval Flows serve as modular building blocks that can participate in multiple approval submissions simultaneously, eliminating the need to recreate redundant groups for every new process.
For instance, if you have a guidebook that needs approval from welding and quality control teams, you’ll most likely want the welding approval group to look at the guidebook before anyone from quality control even sees it. Once the welding group has approved the guidebook, quality control will receive a notification to review the process.
Additionally, authors can use new Approval Flows to select specific people within each approval group. This serves to provide flexibility within approval groups and reduce unnecessary email volume by only notifying the right people.
- Quick Definition: Approval Flows are customizable sequences of multiple approval groups. These also allow process authors to select specific group members when submitting a guidebook for approval.
Use Case: Precision Approval Flows in Action
Imagine a manufacturing engineer has just finalized a critical assembly guidebook. Because the process carries high stakes, it requires a multi-layered sign-off before hitting the shop floor.
Rather than blasting a notification to a broad list of names, the engineer triggers an Approval Flow to ensure the right eyes see the document at the right time.
Technical Review: The engineer selects the "Assembly" group. To bypass bottlenecks, they use granular selection to nominate a specific senior operator for a focused technical review.
Quality Control Verification: Once the expert gives the green light, the flow automatically triggers the "Quality Control" group. Again, the engineer selects only the relevant Quality Control personnel, ensuring the task lands on the correct desk.
The Outcome: Agility & Efficiency
This structured sequence eliminates notification fatigue by involving only essential stakeholders. More importantly, it boosts business agility. Administrators can now reuse these approval groups across different work centers, assembling custom flows in seconds without ever repeating work.
The Benefits of Approval Flows
In the fast-paced world of smart manufacturing, speed and precision are everything. VKS 7.1 update transforms your approval process into a faster and enhanced competitive advantage for quality standardization.
Here is how these enhancements empower your team:
- Modular Efficiency: Create your expert groups once and leverage them wherever they are needed. Reuse a single "Quality Group" across multiple separate approval flows. -** Reduced "Email Noise"**: Only the specifically selected reviewers are notified and permitted to approve, drastically reducing unnecessary email volume.
- Smart Navigation: Use advanced filters to instantly identify the correct flow by Location or Work Center. Whether you manage one site or dozens, finding the right path is effortless.
- Ultimate Flexibility: Choose between the legacy "Single Approval Group" mode or the new multi-stage "Approval Flow" to suit your specific business needs.
With a redesigned submission interface and a centralized management page, configuring your path to production has never been easier. VKS 7.1 ensures your guidebooks reach the shop floor faster, with total transparency and zero friction.
