New process management technology being focus-tested in Canada

A new form of “process management technology” — a sophisticated application for e-mail and document tracking — is being focus-tested in Canada and may have some application to claims processing, underwriting, audit and/or the project management sides of the property and casualty business.The technology is called ‘ActionBase’ and OARBIC Inc., which represents ActionBase in Canada, hosted a demonstration of how it works in Toronto on May 14.Essentially ActionBase is a system that works within the Microsoft Office e-mail application. Billed as a means to manage “unstructured processes,” it is designed to overcome the lack of accountability inherent in any disorganized email or document-based management system. For example, instead of e-mailing a directive to someone and not knowing what happens next, a feature of many regular e-mail processes, ActionBase allows a person to embed organizational tasks with an e-mail or document and then track peoples’ responses to those requested action items in the form of an email thread.Similar to the way e-mail chains are organized into ‘threads’ on Google mail, the sender of an action item can see at a glance what has happened “downstream” after the initial request was made. Thus, if a senior executive sends an email requesting something to be done, for example, ActionBase will allow that person to track to whom the request was sent and whether or not the item has been ignored, worked on or completed. It will also show if the emailed request or document was delegated to other people or departments in the organization; in addition, it will show the status of tasks that have been further delegated to others.