Tomago Aluminium Centralized all Approvals with OneList

CASE STUDY

One App for All Managers

The importance of technology in today’s business landscape is undisputed. Understanding and implementing best practices when it comes to leveraging technology is key to improving productivity and delivering tangible business outcomes. Volker Grassmuck once said: “the ultimate promise of technology is to make us masters of a world that we command by the push of a button”.

For Tomago Aluminium, the ability to accelerate critical business processes through a centralized mobile approval solution has helped to master their environment and simultaneously streamline and future-proof their business. We recently caught up with long-time client, Lesley Anne Clifton, IT Superintendent of Tomago Aluminium, to learn more about their experience and business outcomes through implementing OneList Approvals with IQX Business Solutions (IQX).

The brief from Tomago defined the objective as being effective and efficient approval of the following key business processes:

SAP Purchase Requisition Approvals,
SAP Leave Approvals,
SAP Capital Project Approvals,
SAP DMS Approvals, and
SuccessFactors LMS Approval.

Rather than clogging up email or deploying multiple companion apps for each process and system, OneList Approvals by IQX was identified as a perfect solution to enable business decision makers to review and approve multiple disparate tasks via one consistent user experience. In today’s busy environment, the benefits of speed and efficiency for business decision-makers creates real business value and potential competitive advantage.

OneList stood out as the perfect centralized app to automate multiple approval tasks needed to manage critical business processes within SAP, SuccessFactors and other systems – without any need to compromise.

In the current tech climate, according to experts, we are faced with plenty of options and not many real solutions – so OneList really made a difference.

Aggregating Workflow Tasks

As the biggest smelter in Australasia which employs 950 people, it isn’t hard to imagine the extent of approvals and processes the managers of Tomago face each and every day. Having been an SAP site since 1997, Lesley Anne explained why OneList seemed the right fit for this Aussie institution.

“Approvals were not being actioned promptly due to personnel not being in front of a computer and managers weren’t setting up a substitution, so we had to do something to facilitate faster, easier approvals,” Lesley Anne said.

“We saw OneList when we had the opportunity to do an SAP upgrade and thought this could be amazing. It seemed to be a simple, easy to use, not too expensive app available on a mobile device and as a web application that could manage as many approval requests as required.”

Essentially, OneList combines decision tasks across various business applications, with all the required supporting documents, in a user-friendly mobile app and web app. OneList is an aggregator of workflow tasks from multiple backend applications into an intuitive and consistent end-user experience for effective and timely task completion. Supported user-interfaces include native iOS, Android and Windows App for mobile and offline approvals, Web App, Email Add-in for desktop users.

At Tomago Aluminium, the Web App, Email Add-in and native Windows app were identified and approved for deployment. Having been at the company for twenty-two years, Lesley Anne was well aware that change can be scary!

“You have to have faith in new tech. We are a 36-year-old smelter and we have people that have been here since day one. The tech is new, and you have to have the confidence that it’s going to work and take that leap of faith,” she said.

It is safe to say that Tomago isn’t alone here. The majority of business owners understand the need to open their arms to new technological advancements but are at times unsure where to start or afraid of change. In our experience working with various large organizations and SME’s to digitalize their core business processes, we have seen that time and time again the leap of faith pays dividends.

THE OUTCOME

As wisely said by Haresh Sippy, “automation is cost-cutting by tightening the corners and not cutting them”. Our solutions focus on the People in the process and we have seen a wide range of benefits off the back of the OneList integration.

Faster approvals help reduce multi-step approval sequences from days to hours and have delivered direct business savings. Managers are enabled to make easier and more-informed business decisions due to increased access to supporting data and documentation. We consistently see improved productivity thanks to the elimination of email clutter and consistent user experience everywhere on all devices. There are also compliance and admin benefits. This was highlighted in Tomago’s case as Lesley Anne went on to explain some of the benefits they found.

“Wherever our people are, they can view what needs to be approved, the corresponding attachments and do their approvals. It has made the manager’s lives much easier,” Lesley Anne said.

“Even if they are sitting on the beach, they can still do an approval – so we joke and say you can’t get away from it because it’s so easy!”

One thing businesses are often surprised with when it comes to the implementation of web and mobile apps for improved productivity and accessibility is that it is relatively easy and quick to get started. The sign of a good tech solution is its ability to integrate seamlessly and have minimal impact on business proceedings. Lesley Anne went on to explain how Tomago has adapted to the use of OneList.

“It was surprisingly easy to get it going. Managers love that they do not have to login to SAP or other systems to do their approvals, they can now do it straight from Outlook!”

Lesley Anne, IT Superintendent, Tomago Aluminium

WHAT TOMAGO ALUMINIUM HAD TO SAY ABOUT IQX

IQX has worked with Tomago Aluminium over the years as they have grown and developed, helping to introduce new approvals after the initial OneList implementation. Lesley Anne explained that they have been very happy with the service from IQX and plan on partnering together long term.

“We had the IQX team help us to work another approval into the process and we are really happy with what we have got,” she said.

“The IQX team is friendly and very easy to work with. They were accommodating as needs changed during the project and since going live, we have had additional approvals built and have always found the team helpful.”

The future looks bright for Tomago Aluminium and they have plans to maintain OneList and remain open to other approval processes as they come up.

“We are committed to keeping up the maintenance and latest version and as other approvals are required, have them built into OneList,” Lesley Anne said.

It is safe to say that we are moving into a brave new world of advanced technology and increased pressures and demand for automation and compliance. At the core of it, good tech is there to make your life easier and help the wheels of your business run more smoothly. By consolidating and mobilizing simple task approvals, you can save time and put the focus where it is needed most – on what you do best: running and growing a game-changing business.

Use OneList to accelerate your critical business processes.

Faster approvals help reduce multi-step approval sequences from days to hours.

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Tomago Aluminium Centralized all Approvals with OneList