360-degree customer view

360-degree customer view in xFLOWer – where past, present and future business processes come together

What is our relationship with a customer? What has happened with them over the years? What cases have we handled, what decisions have we made, and what documents have we sent and received? What tasks and approvals are in progress, and what further actions await us?

And what happens if we ask these same questions not about a customer, but about a supplier, employee, project, contract, property or even a single vehicle?

An increasingly common requirement for enterprise IT systems is to provide a 360-degree customer view (Customer 360, 360-degree customer view). Many interpret this term as a detailed customer record that brings together the data, documents, contracts and previous interactions associated with a business partner.

However, this is only the starting point.

For a company, knowing what is happening right now and what activities still need to take place is just as important as knowing what happened in the past.

A contract may already have been drafted but still be awaiting legal approval. A customer may have accepted a proposal, but signing the contract and implementing the service are still to come. A purchase requisition has been approved, but ordering, confirmation of completion and invoicing will only follow afterwards.

A 360-degree view becomes truly useful when this information is connected as well.

In xFLOWer's approach, a 360-degree customer view is not simply a collection of data and documents, but a complete, connected picture of the workflows associated with a given business object: past events, ongoing cases and next steps, all brought together.

Beyond customers, this approach can be applied to almost any important business object within a company's operations.

What exactly does a 360-degree customer view mean?

A 360-degree customer view is a unified approach to information that enables us to see all relevant data, relationships, documents, communications, business events and processes associated with a customer in context.

The concept is traditionally associated with CRM systems, or customer relationship management.

A traditional customer record shows the customer's name, address, contacts, classification and contracts.

A modern CRM system can offer more than this: it can manage sales opportunities, proposals, previous communications, customer service inquiries and various automated activities.

A true 360-degree view, however, is not tied to any particular software category.

The key question is how deeply the system can connect customer data with the company's actual operations.

For example, a customer's record may indicate that they have three contracts and two complaints in progress.

But can we find out which contracts the complaints relate to? What previous performance issues preceded them? Who decided to accept the complaints, and when? What stage has the investigation reached? Who needs to take action now? What further approvals are required? When should the customer be notified, and what financial settlement might follow?

A static customer record alone cannot necessarily answer these questions.

This requires insight into the workflows associated with the customer.

A 360-degree customer view is therefore not just a matter of information, but also of process management.

The xFLOWer approach: putting workflows, not documents, at the center

A significant proportion of enterprise IT systems are built around documents.

We store, organize and retrieve contracts, invoices, purchase orders, certificates of completion and other records.

Of course, this information is essential. But running a company is not simply about creating and storing documents.

Behind a document, there is almost always some form of business activity.

We prepare a proposal because a customer has requested one.

We create a contract because the business parties wish to enter into an agreement.

We process an invoice because a product sale, service or contractual performance involves a financial settlement.

We issue a certificate of completion because the fulfillment of a previous contractual obligation needs to be verified and confirmed.

In xFLOWer, the central element of operations is therefore not the document, but the business case and the workflow that carries it out.

The document is part of the process: it may initiate the process, provide information for it, serve as the basis for a decision or be generated as an outcome of the process.

The workflow, by contrast, defines which activities need to be performed, in what order, under what conditions, with whose involvement and based on which decisions.

Another fundamental feature of xFLOWer is that business cases and processes are linked to specific master data and business objects.

A contracting process is linked to the customer and the contract.

An invoice approval process is linked to the supplier, the invoice, the purchase order and, where applicable, a project.

An insurance claims process is linked to the customer, the insurance contract, the insured event and the insured asset.

An employee onboarding process is linked to the employee, the employer, the organizational unit and any equipment subsequently assigned.

These connections allow us to explore the associated workflows starting from any of the objects involved.

Documents, decisions, tasks and events can then be understood in the context of these processes.

In other words, the 360-degree view is not created retrospectively by collecting unrelated documents.

In a properly designed system, the connections needed to reconstruct the full business history are established as the processes are carried out.

The three time dimensions of the 360-degree view: past, present and future

We often examine information about customers or other business objects solely from a historical perspective.

What interactions have we had, what documents were created and what events took place?

These are important questions, but on their own they are not enough for day-to-day business operations.

With xFLOWer's workflow-based approach, the 360-degree view can be built around three interconnected time dimensions.

The past: what has happened so far?

Past events make up the object's history.

We can see which cases were initiated, which workflows took place, who participated in them, what decisions were made and what documents were created.

For a customer, for example, this may include previous requests for quotations, contracts concluded, deliveries, complaints and financial settlements.

For a supplier, it may include previous purchases, deliveries, evaluations and performance issues.

For an employee, it may include previous HR cases, role changes, leave requests and equipment handovers.

For a machine, it may include maintenance, breakdowns, repairs and parts replacements.

However, workflow history means more than a list of closed cases.

Within an individual case, tasks, approvals, rejections, returns for revision and other decisions may also be available for review.

This means we know not only what happened, but also how and why.

The present: where do we stand, and who needs to take action?

One of the most important, yet often underestimated, elements of the 360-degree view is the status of current workflows.

A given customer or project may be associated with several independent cases at different stages of processing.

For example, a customer's contract renewal may be underway while the financial settlement of an earlier complaint is still pending.

For a project, one subcontractor's completion certificate may be awaiting management approval, another supplier's invoice may be undergoing financial review, and a contract amendment may be on the legal department's task list.

A true 360-degree view also provides insight into the current status of these cases.

It shows not only that a case is in progress, but also which step it has reached, who is responsible, what decision is pending, when the deadline falls and whether there are any bottlenecks.

At this point, the workflow system is more than just a source of information.

The workflow itself ensures that the necessary tasks reach the right employees and that the case progresses according to the defined rules.

The future: what further activities and decisions can be expected?

The third time dimension is the future.

This is a particularly clear distinction between a workflow-based approach and a simple historical record.

In a controlled business process, the current status can determine which next steps are required.

When a quote is accepted, a contracting process can begin.

Once the contract is signed, customer onboarding, service activation or project initiation can follow.

When an employee’s employment contract is finalized, the onboarding process can begin: setting up access rights, providing equipment and arranging training.

When an insurance claim is approved, the payment process and customer notification can follow.

When a purchase requisition is approved, order placement can begin.

Future activities are not always events that are certain to occur.

Decisions, conditions and external events can also determine the subsequent path of a process.

For example, if a manager rejects a contract, the next step is not signing it, but revising it or closing the case.

If a certificate of completion is returned, an additional verification task may be created.

The workflow system can manage these branches, conditions and next steps based on the configured process model, business rules and current status.

The 360-degree view therefore not only provides a look back at the past and a snapshot of the present, but can also offer insight into expected, planned and conditional future activities.

This makes the view an active tool for day-to-day operations.

A single business journey often consists of several interdependent workflows

Much of a company’s operations cannot be described by a single end-to-end workflow.

A customer relationship may last for decades, encompassing numerous separate but interconnected cases and workflows.

Contracting, for example, can be a standalone process.

Once the contract is signed, customer onboarding or project initiation can follow.

Additional execution processes may be launched during the project.

Completed work can generate invoicing, approval and settlement cases.

A contract renewal process can begin before the contract expires.

These cases have independent life cycles, their own owners, deadlines and decision points, yet they are all part of the same business journey.

A typical process chain:

Inquiry → request for quotation → quote preparation → contracting → onboarding → project execution or service delivery → certification of completion → invoicing → financial settlement → follow-up → contract renewal.

In practice, the chain is not necessarily linear.

A project can initiate multiple execution cases. Individual deliverables can be invoiced separately. A complaint can trigger additional investigation and approval processes.

Workflows may also run in parallel.

Technical preparation, financial partner checks and the setup of necessary access rights can begin alongside contracting, provided that business rules allow this.

When processes are linked, structured data can be passed on to the next workflow, eliminating the need to re-enter all the data.

One of xFLOWer’s key capabilities is managing such interdependent cases and workflows by linking them to shared business objects.

A good example is the case study on Encotech’s xFLOWer solution.

At Encotech, quote preparation, contracting, project management, task execution and invoice creation were implemented as separate but interdependent processes.

An accepted quote triggers contracting, an approved contract generates a project, project tasks initiate execution cases, and billable deliverables trigger invoicing processes.

The project acts as the central business object linking these workflows.

This example illustrates the essence of the 360-degree approach particularly well.

A business journey does not have to be a single, massive workflow. Several independent, properly connected workflows can form a single, transparent business life cycle.

Any business object can be at the center of the 360-degree view

A company’s operations involve numerous master data records and business objects with their own associated workflows.

xFLOWer's flexible approach to master data and process management allows these objects to be configured to meet business needs.

Customers and prospects

A customer can be linked to quotation requests, sales, contracting, service delivery, complaint handling, financial and other business processes.

The 360-degree view can display their history, current status and upcoming tasks.

Suppliers and subcontractors

A supplier can be associated with qualification, procurement, contracting, performance certification, invoice approval, partner evaluation and complaint handling workflows.

Employees and staff

Recruitment, onboarding, role changes, leave requests, training, access rights management, equipment handover, expense reimbursement and offboarding can be managed through different workflows.

Projects and investments

A project can be linked to planning, approval, procurement, contract management, task execution, performance certification, change management and financial settlement processes.

Vehicles, machinery and equipment

Asset procurement, commissioning, assignment for use, maintenance, fault reporting, repairs, warranty claims and disposal can all be managed as separate workflows.

Properties and sites

Properties can be associated with leasing, operations, maintenance, renovation, regulatory and financial administration processes.

Products and services

Product launches, data updates, pricing, quality control, approvals, complaints, recalls and phase-outs can all form part of a product's lifecycle.

Contracts

A contract can also be managed as a standalone business object. It can be linked to drafting, review, approval, signing, amendment, performance, renewal and termination processes.

Further examples include organizational units, cost centers, funding applications, grants, insurance policies and other business objects.

Their common feature is that business activities and workflows are linked to the object in question.

It is not the object type that makes the 360-degree view complete, but its associated workflows and business relationships.

Relationships between objects: the same process from multiple perspectives

A company's operations are more than a collection of independent records.

A customer may be linked to multiple contracts. A contract may cover multiple sites or services. Several subcontractors may work on a project, while the same subcontractor may also participate in other projects.

These are one-to-many or many-to-many relationships that require appropriate data modeling.

A workflow can involve multiple business objects at the same time.

Take a construction investment project, for example.

A subcontractor is late in completing a contractual task. As a result, the project manager opens a complaint case, the legal department reviews the contract, and a decision is made, with management approval, to enforce a contractual penalty.

The process is linked to the project, the subcontractor, the contract and the associated financial settlement.

The project's 360-degree view displays the missed deadline and the resulting tasks.

The supplier view shows the performance issue and its resolution.

The contract view shows the breach of obligations, the legal review and the process of enforcing the contractual penalty.

The financial view shows the receivable or adjustment.

The same workflow can therefore be understood from multiple perspectives.

The past shows when the delay was established and the sequence of earlier discussions.

The present shows that a decision from the legal department or management is pending.

The future shows that, depending on the decision, the next step may be enforcing a contractual penalty, amending the contract or holding further discussions.

With an appropriate relationship model, all of this can be displayed in multiple business views without having to recreate the events in separate, independent records.

Detailed example: a customer relationship from quotation request to service renewal

Imagine an IT services company.

A new customer requests a quote for an IT service.

The inquiry initiates a quote management case linked to the customer's master record.

Several employees contribute to preparing the quote. The technical team prepares the specifications, the sales manager reviews the quote, and the finance manager approves the calculated margin.

The customer requests a change, so a new version of the quote is prepared.

Once the revised quote is accepted, a contracting process begins, involving legal review and management approval.

The quote management case can be closed while a subsequent workflow linked to the customer is already in progress.

At this point, the customer's 360-degree view shows both historical and current information.

It shows which quotes have been prepared, what decisions have been made, and who is currently responsible for approving the contract.

The process model also makes it possible to determine which activities will follow once the contract is signed.

For example, customer onboarding may begin, during which the necessary access permissions are created, services are configured, contacts are assigned and customer training is organized.

Signing the contract is therefore not necessarily the end of the story, but the beginning of a new workflow.

Once the service has been implemented, the customer may place additional orders, report issues or request contract amendments.

If a complaint is received, a new case is opened, which can be linked to the previous contract, delivery documentation and customer communications.

After the complaint has been investigated, a compensation proposal may be prepared that requires management approval.

If approved, a financial settlement process may follow.

Later, before the contract expires, a contract renewal task may also be generated according to the rules configured in the system.

The customer's 360-degree view therefore contains more than individual documents and events.

It also shows which workflows have been completed, which are currently running, and what further tasks are expected as the business relationship continues.

Detailed example: a 360-degree supplier view from procurement to payment

Supplier relationships illustrate the importance of workflow-based operations particularly well.

A company wants to procure new equipment.

The process begins with a purchase requisition, in which the initiating employee records the technical parameters and the requested budget.

The appropriate managers approve the requisition.

The procurement department then requests quotes from several suppliers.

The quotes received are evaluated from technical and financial perspectives, and the appropriate partner is selected.

The selection initiates an ordering or contracting process.

After delivery, the supplier issues an invoice.

During invoice approval, the incoming invoice is matched against the purchase order and the delivery confirmation. This is known as 3-way matching.

If a discrepancy is found, a clarification or correction process may be initiated.

The sequence of events:

Purchase requisition → approval → request for quotation → supplier selection → purchase order → delivery → delivery confirmation → invoice approval → payment.

Individual stages can be handled in separate cases, while shared supplier, order, contract or project data connects them.

The supplier's 360-degree view provides insight into the status of current cases as well as previous purchases and deliveries.

For example, a supplier invoice may currently be awaiting approval because the delivery confirmation has not yet been prepared.

The system can show who is responsible for the delivery confirmation, when it is due, and what next steps are needed to pay the invoice.

The 360-degree view therefore also shows the current status of supplier-related case management.

During a subsequent partner evaluation, previous delivery issues and approval events can also be used to support decision-making.

Industry examples: the relationship between the 360-degree view and workflows

The IT concept behind the 360-degree view is universal, but different industries place emphasis on different business objects and workflows.

The following examples illustrate how a workflow-based 360-degree view can support operations across different sectors. Some of the process chains shown are illustrative scenarios; specific xFLOWer references are identified separately.

Telecommunications: customer, subscription, service location and fault report

In the telecommunications sector, a corporate customer may use different services across multiple sites.

A customer may have multiple contracts, subscriptions, service locations, billing relationships and pieces of technical equipment.

Suppose an internet connectivity issue occurs at one of the sites.

The customer reports the issue to customer service.

The system identifies the customer, the affected subscription and the service location, then initiates a fault resolution workflow.

The agent checks previous trouble tickets and the contractual terms.

The technical investigation reveals that an on-site intervention is required.

At this point, the process generates another task: a technician must be assigned, an appointment scheduled and the repair carried out.

The repair may be followed by a verification task and then closure of the trouble ticket.

If the customer is entitled to a credit based on the duration of the outage or the contractual terms, a financial settlement process may also be initiated.

The process chain:

Fault report → identification → technical investigation → on-site repair → verification → trouble ticket closure → credit, if applicable → financial settlement.

The 360-degree view provides visibility into previous faults, current repair tasks and next steps.

The same history can be viewed from the perspective of the customer, the subscription, the service location or even the affected technical equipment.

Telecommunications processes clearly demonstrate how a customer interaction can simultaneously involve customer service, technical, contractual and financial functions.

Insurance: customer, insurance policy, insured event and claim payment

In the insurance industry, a customer may hold multiple insurance policies covering different people, assets or risks.

Even a single insured event can involve multiple workflows.

Consider, for example, a motor vehicle damage claim.

The insured party reports the incident.

The report initiates a claim linked to the customer, the insurance policy and the vehicle involved.

Photographs, reports and other documents may be submitted with the claim notification.

During the claims settlement process, a loss assessment task is created, followed by preparation for a decision based on the expert opinion.

The case may then be approved, rejected or require additional information.

If the payment is approved, a payment processing workflow may be initiated.

If the customer disputes the decision, a complaint handling case may be created.

The process chain:

Claim notification → claim creation → loss assessment → expert opinion → decision → approval → payment → complaint handling, if applicable.

A 360-degree customer view in insurance shows more than just the customer's previous claims.

It also reveals which claims settlement processes remain open, which cases are awaiting an expert opinion, where a management decision is needed and what further activities may follow.

xFLOWer's insurance references include the automation of complaint handling processes at Groupama Biztosító.

Key elements of the solution include processing incoming reports, automated task assignment and integration of the associated document flows.

The insurance sector clearly illustrates that documents and decisions alone are not enough: we also need visibility into the status of case management processes and their next steps.

Retail: suppliers, products and product listing processes

In retail, products and suppliers are key business objects alongside customers.

A large trading company may maintain records of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of products.

Introducing a new product can involve a complex workflow.

The supplier submits the product data and the required documents.

The system checks the data for completeness, after which various technical and commercial approval tasks can begin.

If any data is missing or incorrect, the workflow can send it back for correction.

Following approval, the product data can be transferred to multiple IT systems.

The process chain:

Supplier → product introduction request → data collection → automated validation → technical approval → commercial approval → product master data update → product introduction.

The 360-degree product view shows which approvals led to the product being added to the range, who modified its data, what changes were made previously, and whether any further product data changes are in progress.

Once a product is approved, additional processes can begin, such as updating store systems or preparing for sales.

One of xFLOWer's major retail references is the automation of Auchan's product listing processes.

In this solution, product data collection, validation, approval and transfer between different systems are implemented as an interconnected workflow.

A product is therefore more than just a master data record in the system.

A product also has a lifecycle shaped by various workflows.

Public administration: procurement, contracts and institutional decisions

In public administration, the 360-degree approach can also support transparency in internal decision-making and organizational operations.

Municipal procurement, for example, may involve several approval steps.

An organizational unit initiates the procurement request.

The request may undergo technical and financial checks, followed by management approval.

Following approval, an ordering or contracting process begins.

Once the contract has been fulfilled, certification of completion and financial settlement follow.

The process chain:

Procurement request → technical review → financial review → management approval → contracting → fulfillment → certification of completion → invoice approval → payment.

The 360-degree view of the organizational unit shows previous purchases, cases currently awaiting approval and upcoming tasks.

A contract view can display the approval history, current fulfillment activities and future obligations.

One of xFLOWer's public administration references is the digitalization of procurement and contract management processes at the Municipality of Dunakeszi and the Mayor's Office.

The solution connects documents, approvals, responsible parties and deadlines, while the two organizations operate in a shared IT environment with separate records and access permissions.

This clearly demonstrates that the workflow-based 360-degree approach can be applied across organizational boundaries and under different access control rules.

HR: the complete employee lifecycle, from recruitment to offboarding

One of the best examples of a 360-degree employee view is the connection between onboarding and offboarding processes.

A new employee's journey can begin as early as the recruitment stage.

Processing a job application may be followed by interviews, assessments, approvals and offer processes.

Once the employment contract is accepted, an onboarding workflow can begin.

As part of this process, HR prepares the required documents, IT sets up access, asset management provides a laptop and phone, and the department manager assigns initial training tasks.

The process chain:

Application → selection → job offer → employment contract → onboarding → provision of access permissions and equipment → training → work.

Once onboarding is complete, additional workflows can be linked to the employee.

Leave requests, training, role changes, access requests or expense claims may be initiated.

If the employee moves to another organizational unit, this may generate additional tasks for IT and HR.

When employment ends, an offboarding process begins, during which access rights are revoked, equipment is collected and the necessary settlements are completed.

With the appropriate permissions, a 360-degree employee view allows the entire employee lifecycle to be tracked.

The current view might show, for example, that a new device is being issued to the employee and is awaiting managerial approval.

For future steps, it can also specify which organizational unit must handle procurement or issue the device after approval.

When creating an employee view, compliance with data protection and access control requirements is particularly important.

Industrial operations and servicing: the complete lifecycle of a machine

In industrial and technical operations, the customer is not necessarily the most important entity.

In many cases, we need to understand the complete history of a machine, piece of equipment or IT device.

Purchasing a machine involves a procurement and approval process.

Commissioning generates technical inspection and handover tasks.

Regular maintenance may take place during operation.

In the event of a failure, a workflow begins for fault reporting, investigation, repair and, potentially, warranty claim handling.

The process chain:

Procurement → commissioning → release for use → maintenance → fault reporting → repair → inspection → continued operation → disposal.

A 360-degree view of a machine provides insight into previous maintenance, repairs and component replacements.

The current status may show which service partner is handling the equipment's fault ticket, the applicable deadline and whether spare parts need to be ordered.

Upcoming activities may include carrying out repairs, performing a technical inspection or recommissioning the equipment.

Periodic maintenance tasks can also be scheduled based on rules configured in the system.

An example of xFLOWer’s use in service workflows is supporting fault management and SLA tracking processes for a nationwide IT service network.

In this environment, processing fault reports, remote and on-site troubleshooting, device replacements and tracking service deadlines are all workflow-driven.

This example clearly shows that a 360-degree view can serve not only as an information retrieval tool but also as a tool for day-to-day operational management.

Managing future activities: process logic, not just a task list

One important advantage of a workflow-based 360-degree view is that upcoming tasks are not limited to manually maintained to-do lists.

The business process model can define which further activities a given event or decision should trigger.

This can happen in several ways.

Decision-driven next steps

Once a contract is approved, a signing process can begin.

If the contract is rejected, a revision task may be created.

The next activity is therefore determined by the outcome of the decision.

Automatically triggered related workflows

Completing one workflow can also initiate a new, separate case.

For example, contract signing may be followed by customer onboarding, project approval by project initiation, and acceptance of a completion certificate by an invoicing process.

Parallel tasks

In certain cases, activities do not all have to take place sequentially.

During employee onboarding, HR, IT and asset management tasks can be carried out in parallel.

The workflow can ensure that the next stage starts only after the necessary prerequisites have been met.

Deadline-driven and recurring processes

A task to prepare for contract renewal can be created a specified period before the contract expires.

Periodic maintenance cases can be initiated for a machine.

A managerial evaluation task can be created before an employee's probationary period ends.

Bottlenecks, notifications and escalations

If a task is not completed by its deadline, the system can send a reminder or initiate an escalation process based on the configured rules.

This is particularly important for contractual deadlines, customer service commitments, financial approvals and regulated case management processes.

Future tasks are therefore more than just elements of a predefined plan.

In xFLOWer, the current status, decision criteria and business rules of workflows can determine which activities must follow.

This capability makes the 360-degree view dynamic.

What should users see in a truly well-designed 360-degree view?

Thousands of cases and documents may be associated with a corporate customer, project or supplier.

These should not be displayed in a single, unwieldy list.

A good user interface must group information in a way that makes business sense.

Alongside master data and the object's basic attributes, it is important to present the current business situation.

For example, a customer view should make it immediately clear which cases are open, which decisions are pending, which employees have tasks assigned to them and which upcoming deadlines need to be considered.

The historical view allows past events to be retrieved in chronological order.

Documents, tasks, decisions and related objects can be accessed from the cases.

The next-steps view can display tasks that currently need to be performed, activities already scheduled and further steps anticipated based on the process model.

Naturally, different types of information should be clearly distinguished.

A task that has already been assigned is not the same as a process that may be initiated depending on a later decision.

Users must clearly see what has already happened, what is actually in progress and what can only happen if specific conditions are met.

A good 360-degree view provides both a historical overview and support for current work.

Core requirements for implementing a 360-degree view in IT systems

The 360-degree customer view often appears among the requirements in corporate IT procurement and tender documentation.

However, the term alone does not precisely define which functions the system must provide.

A simple customer profile containing a business partner's contracts and cases may technically already provide a unified customer view to some extent.

A complex enterprise environment may require significantly more advanced capabilities.

Consistent object identification and master data management

Different business objects must be uniquely identified.

For example, a customer may appear in several systems with different identifiers.

Proper integration may require mapping identifiers and aligning master data.

Flexible relationship data model

The system must support complex relationships between business objects, including one-to-many and many-to-many relationships.

Where necessary, the attributes and temporal validity of the relationships themselves must also be managed.

Workflows assigned to business objects

One of the fundamental requirements of a 360-degree view is that workflows associated with business objects must be retrievable.

For example, a customer should be linked not only to a list of contracts, but also to cases involving contract creation, amendments, complaint handling and other related matters.

Complete process history

For completed workflows, case histories, participating users, completed tasks, decisions, approvals and rejections should be accessible.

Proper timestamping and retrievability of events are important parts of this requirement.

Current process status and tasks

The 360-degree view should display open cases associated with the object.

It should be possible to determine the current step of each workflow, who is responsible, which decision is pending and what deadlines apply.

Managing subsequent workflows and tasks

The system must enable users to carry out the next activities defined by the business process model.

These may include conditional branches, parallel tasks, deadline-related activities and the initiation of interdependent workflows.

Linking documents and document versions

Documents should be accessible as part of business cases and workflows.

It may be important to identify the origin, version history and approval status of documents, as well as their associated process steps.

Integration with external systems

A complete 360-degree view often requires data from multiple IT systems.

Customer master data may come from a CRM or ERP system, financial data from an accounting system and technical data from a specialist application.

A unified user view does not necessarily require all data to be stored centrally.

With appropriate integrations, information from different systems can be connected.

Data freshness and source identification

For integrated data, it is important to know where each piece of information comes from, when it was updated and which system is considered its authoritative source.

Up-to-date data is particularly important when presenting the current workflow status.

Access permissions and data protection requirements

A 360-degree view does not mean unrestricted access.

Users should only see the data, cases and documents they are authorized to access.

Permissions may depend on the organizational unit, role, responsibilities within a particular case or other business rules.

An appropriate legal basis, data minimization and retention periods are also fundamental considerations when processing personal data.

Search, filtering and performance

An enterprise object may be associated with a significant volume of data.

The system must therefore provide appropriate search, filtering and navigation capabilities.

Chronological event displays, grouping by process status and quick navigation between related objects may be important.

What should you consider when a 360-degree customer view is a tender requirement?

Enterprise IT procurement often includes a requirement for the delivered system to provide a 360-degree customer view.

This requirement should be broken down into verifiable functional requirements.

For example, it is not enough to check whether a customer's profile displays their contracts and associated cases.

It is also worth checking whether users can access the associated processes, decisions and documents from a specific contract.

It is equally important to be able to determine which case is currently in progress, who has the next task and which decision is pending.

The most important distinction, however, emerges when moving processes forward.

A workflow-based 360-degree view provides genuine operational support when users can not only view case statuses but also carry out the necessary activities in accordance with business rules.

For example, users can open a task awaiting approval from the contract view.

They can approve a project-related certificate of completion or return it for correction.

They can continue investigating a customer complaint or initiate the compensation process following the appropriate decision.

For an invoice associated with a supplier, they can identify a missing certificate of completion and initiate the necessary administrative steps in accordance with business rules.

The 360-degree view is therefore about more than just displaying business information.

In a workflow-based solution, users can also continue working directly from the view.

This can be a significant difference between two enterprise IT systems with otherwise similar data.

The relationship between the 360-degree view and artificial intelligence

One of the greatest challenges in applying artificial intelligence in business is ensuring that information stored across different systems is accessible with its business context.

An AI-powered assistant supporting case handlers might, for example, receive the following questions:

“What open cases do we have with this customer?”

“Why did we reject their most recent invoice?”

“Which of my projects is currently awaiting management approval?”

“What maintenance tasks are due next month?”

“Which of our suppliers has received the most complaints about performance?”

“What tasks need to be completed if we approve this contract?”

Answering such questions requires more than simply searching the text of documents.

It may require identifying objects, querying workflow statuses, reviewing decision histories and connecting related business data.

A workflow-based 360-degree view can therefore also provide a valuable information foundation for AI-supported business operations.

With appropriately designed integrations and access permissions, an AI assistant can not only summarize past events but also help interpret ongoing tasks and prepare the next steps.

However, artificial intelligence does not replace business process governance or a suitable data model.

Approving business decisions, enforcing access permissions and monitoring process execution remain the responsibility of the enterprise IT system and authorized personnel.

What business benefits does a workflow-based 360-degree view offer?

The purpose of creating a 360-degree view is not simply to collect information.

The real outcome is faster, more accurate and more consistent business operations.

Faster case handling

Case handlers spend less time searching across different systems, document repositories and email correspondence.

Past events, current cases and upcoming tasks are available within a single business context.

Better-informed decisions

Alongside current data, decision-makers can also review the history of previous workflows and decisions.

This is particularly important for contract amendments, complaints, partner evaluations and financial approvals.

Better customer service

Customers do not have to repeat their entire story every time.

Case handlers can review previous inquiries, current tasks and expected next steps.

This also enables them to provide more accurate updates on the status of a case.

Fewer forgotten tasks and missed deadlines

The workflow system can help move cases forward through task assignment, deadline management, notifications and escalations.

Upcoming activities do not depend solely on employees’ memories or separately maintained task lists.

Easier monitoring and auditing

A documented process history can help reconstruct the process in which a particular decision was made, the documents it was based on and the people involved.

This supports internal controls, auditability and governed operations.

Preserving organizational knowledge

If an employee leaves or moves to another role, the history of previous case handling can remain available.

Handing over ongoing cases can also become easier, as their current status and next tasks can be reviewed in the system.

Advanced business analysis and process improvement

Connected business data and workflows can support more than just historical reporting.

They enable analysis of case turnaround times, waiting times at approval points, the frequency of missed deadlines and bottlenecks between interdependent processes.

The 360-degree view therefore helps not only to understand the company's past, but also to improve its future operations.

Frequently asked questions about the 360-degree customer view

What is the essence of a 360-degree customer view?

A 360-degree customer view provides a unified view of customer-related master data, relationships, documents, communications, business events and workflows.

In a workflow-based approach, ongoing cases and next steps play an important role alongside past events.

How does a 360-degree customer view differ from a traditional CRM customer profile?

A customer profile primarily displays customer data and related records.

A workflow-based 360-degree view can also connect the complete history, current status, decision points and upcoming activities of business processes to the customer.

Why is a workflow system important for a 360-degree customer view?

A workflow system not only stores information, but also controls business activities.

Processes generate tasks, decisions, documents and business events which, when linked to the appropriate master data, can form the complete history of an object.

Can a 360-degree view be created for suppliers, projects or assets?

Yes. The 360-degree approach can be extended to any business object with properly identifiable data, relationships and workflows.

Can a 360-degree view also show future tasks?

Yes. Upcoming tasks, planned activities and conditional process steps can be determined from the current status of ongoing cases, established process models and business rules.

It is important to distinguish between tasks that have already been created and potential activities that depend on subsequent decisions.

Does all data need to be stored in a single system?

Not necessarily.

Data from different enterprise systems can be connected through appropriate integrations and identifiers.

A unified user view does not automatically require a central copy of all information to be created.

Why is it important for workflows to be linked to master data?

Because this ensures that individual cases, decisions and documents do not exist in isolation.

Workflows linked to master data and business objects can make the same business history accessible from multiple perspectives.

This establishes one of the most important foundations for an object-centric 360-degree view.

Summary: a true 360-degree view reveals how the company operates

We often associate the concept of a 360-degree customer view with a detailed customer profile or the presentation of information collected from different systems.

Its true value, however, extends significantly further.

Information about a customer, supplier, employee, project or other business object becomes truly useful when it can not only be accessed individually, but also understood in the context of its history and relationships.

Business workflows are central to this in xFLOWer's workflow-based approach.

During business operations, cases are initiated, tasks are performed, decisions are made, documents are created and approved, and individual workflows then generate further activities and cases.

These workflows are always linked to a business objective and a specific business object.

With the right data model and process connections, the same business history can be reviewed from different perspectives.

For a customer, we can review previous contracts and complaints, ongoing cases and upcoming tasks.

For a project, we can see previous deliverables, documents currently awaiting approval and activities associated with upcoming milestones.

For an employee, we can track onboarding and role-change processes, current HR cases and future administrative tasks.

For a piece of equipment, we can review previous repairs, the current fault-handling process and scheduled maintenance.

A workflow-based 360-degree view shows not only what happened, but also what is happening now and what comes next.

This is why documents alone are not the central focus in xFLOWer.

Documents are part of business processes, and those processes are linked to the relevant business objects.

This connection allows us to see the company's operations not as a collection of isolated data and documents, but as a coherent, continuously evolving business story.

A customer record shows who the customer is. A 360-degree customer view shows everything that has happened in relation to that customer. xFLOWer's workflow-based approach also makes it clear where we stand now, who needs to make a decision, and what tasks still lie ahead.

From this perspective, the 360-degree customer view is not merely an IT feature, but a shared information foundation for business operations, case management and decision-making.