Implementing an automated workflow to improve the approval process of change request management team

In today's fast and dynamic business world, it is a must for Shared Service industry to deal with global competition, reduce the cost of doing business, and rapidly develop new services and products. To address these requirements, organizations in this industry must constantly reconsider and optimize the way they do business and employ Information Technology tools or applications to support the evolving business processes. Workflow technology facilitates these by providing methodologies and software to support (1) business process modeling to capture business processes as workflow specifications, (2) business process reengineering to optimize specified processes, and (3) workflow automation to generate workflow implementations from workflow specifications.This action research presents an experiential study in the successful implementation of an automated workflow to improve the approval process of Citibank's Change Request Management Team. With the aid of Lean Six Sigma and Change Management Frameworks, this paper employs in-depth observation, interviews, data collection, and collaboration to uncover how process improvement through standardization and workflow automation can increase the efficiency of the business process, improve organizational culture, and develop collaboration among the people involved in the process. The findings of this action research demonstrate that employee and customer satisfaction increased, that process standardization and workflow automation promoted efficiency in the workplace, and that employee's work-life balance improved as portrayed in the data captured after the implementation of the workflow. This action research also presents the best practices for ease and successful implementation of an automated workflow to improve the business processes in a Shared Service industry.