OWIS and reports? Like a game and statistics.
You don't play for the numbers, but without them you don't know if you won.

In the business world where numbers usually speak louder than what people say, dashboards and reports open a window into the real state of the process. Because it is not enough to just collect data – it is important to see, understand and use it. With the right reports and visualizations, managers get clear insights that reveal bottlenecks, monitor performance and drive smart, evidence-based decisions.

Introduction: One platform, two realities - input and insight

Repetitio est mater studiorum.

Ok, then let's repeat - OWIS is a workflow management platform. Its primary role is to make processes in the organization digital, rule-driven and as automated as possible — so that users' time is used where it is most needed.

But any system, no matter how valuable it is, is worth more if I know exactly what is going on in it. We have implemented the system, it is being used, but how? When processes begin to live in OWIS, when thousands of processes are processed through it — it becomes necessary to provide insight into what has been done. Yes, clearly the first word that comes to mind is 'control'!

However, the focus here is on understanding. Then when we understand, we have the prerequisite to make better decisions.

This is precisely why the OWIS module Reports was created.

Standard report - result, not add-on

When we started designing the reports, our goal was not to “mirror Excel spreadsheets.” The goal was to provide insight into what has already been done — and in a way that suits each specific organization. OWIS processes are tailored to clients, so it is logical that the reports are the same: tailored.

Standard reports in OWIS are organized into groups that are associated with the type of rights and responsibilities in the organization. Access to reports is tailored to the user’s role, to ensure that management sees what they need to see, while operations remain focused on their segment of work, in accordance with organizational rules.

Each report is launched by defining parameters and their set can be adjusted at any time. Once the criteria are set, the system displays the results — a series of columns with data that are selected precisely because they are important to the client.

What distinguishes OWIS reports from old Excel spreadsheets is that a report is no longer a monitoring tool, but the result of work. Previously, the process was what was filled into the table. Today, the process is digitalized, structured, and rule-driven, and the table — or report — comes only after that, as a cross-section of everything that has gone through the system.

*Standard Report – Example of a customized report for the incoming invoice approval process*

OWIS Dashboards – Focus on time and people

Over time, we realized that OWIS users also derive different benefits from it. There are those who enter data and execute processes — and there are those who design them, monitor them, and decide how to improve them.

You could also say: “OWIS is the same for all users, but not all users are the same for OWIS.”

It is precisely from this difference that the idea to develop additional tools arose: visual dashboards.

Dashboards in OWIS are our interpretation of BI logic within a single platform. They are not just “pretty charts” — but diagnostic instruments. And they do not rely on data from the operational database directly, but from a specially designed BI database that enables quick queries, visualization, and drill-down access.

The first one we developed was a dashboard related to objects and process flows.

Workflow dashboard - are we using what we implemented?

On this dashboard, the user can see the number of cases by procedures, classifications, statuses, organizational units, and time periods. Each view is interactive — clicking on a segment of the graph filters the rest of the view, allowing you to quickly find the cause of volume increases, downtime, or changes in trends.

Whether you are looking at data by quarter, company, or procedure type — all the information is there, visually clear, and available in two clicks.

*Workflow dashboard – Overview of all running instance processes*

Workflow dashboard - how do we use what we have implemented?

As a continuation of the story, we also developed a dashboard that analyzes user behavior. Here, the focus is on the man — how many tasks he has, how many of them he has completed, how long it took him on average and, perhaps most importantly — how many are still waiting for him or his department.

The result is a very clear picture: which units are loaded, which types of processes take the longest, where there is a deviation from the expected performance.

For each employee, process, department or classification, we can see frequency, average execution time, downtime and trend by time intervals.

*Action dashboard - Overview of user actions*

Why do I need these numbers?

Because reports are not a form. They are not bureaucracy. They are not a necessary evil. They are feedback to the system — and the basis for optimization.

Decision makers who use OWIS reports do not make decisions blindly. They:

identify bottlenecks,
see the effects of introducing new procedures,
monitor compliance with KPIs,
analyze trends,
and know where the system supports the team — and where it may be holding it back.

Decisions that come from OWIS reports are not “feelings” — they are the result of observing the behavior of the system and the people who use it. And as such, they lead to continuous improvement of business processes, in a way that is structured, understandable, and supported by facts.

Conclusion: Business Proces Management!

It is the result of a properly set up system — the result of every entry, every approval, every delay and every decision.

Everything that is done is recorded, tracked, measured and — if there is a will — improved. Digitalization does not stop when the process is transferred to the system. It only begins then, and without good reports, even the best process cannot evolve — and consequently probably neither the organization.

We can also be dramatic: “A good process tells a story — a report is a way to hear it.”

How are reports and dashboards changing the way business decisions are made?