Leaders feel the pressure every day to deliver more and do things faster. Single pane of glass software speeds up processes by consolidating data, automating workflows, and more. This can be especially important in organizations that handle a large volume of documents every month—government agencies, for example.
The Meaning of Single Pane of Glass
When users switch from screen-to-screen while working in multiple softwares, they lose time. Not only does productivity suffer, employees become irritated and unsatisfied. Researchers found it takes an average of nine-and-a-half minutes to resume productive work after looking at a message or being distracted by something else on their desktop. Moving from one task or topic to another is called context-switching, and it’s a huge energy and productivity drain for knowledge workers.
Single pane of glass alleviates those concerns. In software, a single pane of glass is a solution that pulls inputs and data from multiple systems into a single interface. The “single pane of glass” refers to a computer monitor, or the screen of a mobile device, on which apps and data appear on one screen. The concept goes beyond the screen, however; often a “single pane of glass” solution is a more comprehensive dashboard from which a user can do all of their work.
In a large agency, managers use a single pane of glass to get an overview of what is happening across the organization and in many locations and time zones. Frontline employees use the software to access timely information and perform routine tasks.
Single pane of glass dashboards typically include:
- An intelligent design pulling the latest data quickly and easily;
- The ability to be customized for functions and needs; and
- Ways to pull reports based on unique queries.
QFlow Systems works with organizations to streamline workflows using a single pane of glass. Our solution, Q-Action, integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft 365 applications and allows organizations to quickly and easily tap into Microsoft AI. With a single point of action for all business processes, you can save a significant amount of time and energy. Q-Action makes it possible for government agencies to transform their Microsoft enterprise toolset into a true single pane of glass solution, allowing for a greater return on investment for Microsoft 365.
Best Uses for Single Pane of Glass Software
The AI behind single pane of glass software presents information pertinent to your business needs in real time. For example, a user can prioritize tasks on their dashboard with all of the corresponding email, documents, and apps automatically attached to the task. Or, AI can easily analyze multiple streams of data and provide powerful business insights in the form of reports or dashboards. Many leaders say having a single pane of glass software allows their teams to complete tasks, identify problems/solutions, and unlock a new level of business insights than what was previously possible.
Other benefits of single pane of glass software include:
- Automated workflows reduce human error;
- Managers, programmers, and staff save the time they previously spent requesting and pulling data;
- Streamlined operations give leaders more current information for reports and presentations; and
- Simplified systems improve employee satisfaction overall.
AI Comes to Life with Single Pane of Glass Software
Forbes predicts AI will be the top tech trend of 2023. Government agencies are using more AI with a focus on better mission delivery. Gartner forecasts that by 2023, 60% of government AI and data analytics expenditures will go toward improvements in operations.
Government CIOs are prioritizing investments in a total experience strategy meeting both external and internal IT needs. To maximize resources, many turn to no-code/low-code platforms like Q-Action for process automation and business intelligence. Q-Action can be integrated easily with existing Microsoft products, creating a platform with all enterprise content in one place. Q-Action users have the power to view and manage their work from various applications through a single pane of glass. Agencies use Q-Action for everything from full content lifecycle automation to data safeguards and compliance. The capabilities of Q-Action include:
- Automation of business processes;
- Organization of data and content;
- Creation of business intelligence;
- Records management; and
- Compliance and security enterprise data models.
How the Defense Information Systems Agency Uses Q-Action
A division within the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) of the United States government implemented Q-Action to address the document management needs of employees working from home during the pandemic. Employees needed access to the division’s Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) from their home computers. Much of the information was confidential.
DISA called in the QFlow Systems team to overcome this hurdle. We customized Q-Action to meet the precise needs of DISA employees working from home. The adoption of Q-Action has had long-term benefits for DISA:
- The division has a new document management and workflow platform that is scalable.
- DISA has the ability to expand its use of Q-Action into a single pane of glass solution without a major investment of resources.
- The IT staff no longer needs to install the EDMS on individual workstations.
- The IT staff doesn’t have to update the Q-Action software because QFlow Systems takes care of that.
Organizations across the country are enjoying similar results with single pane of glass-ready software and turnkey automations. Want to know how Q-Action will help your content management and work flows? We offer 30-minute live demos led by a product expert, not a salesperson. Request your demo today!