Built a self-service workflow builder for a global industrial manufacturer

A global industrial manufacturer running a structured Kaizen continuous improvement programme across 30+ manufacturing sites — producing valves, fittings, and flow control systems for aerospace, petrochemical, and power generation sectors.

Each Kaizen event could generate an immediate need for a custom digital workflow. The existing platform only supported pre-built forms, and every new requirement required IT involvement — making the team a bottleneck to the business's own improvement programme. 

• Existing platform only supported hardcoded RFQ and Sales Order forms — no custom workflow creation
• Kaizen teams had to raise IT requests for every new workflow need, creating delays
• Global IT team manually built bespoke SharePoint solutions for each event across 30+ sites
• Dashboard columns were static — surfacing new fields required IT to modify stored procedures
• SharePoint workarounds had no audit trail, escalation logic, or consistent governance across sites

1. Extended the platform 

The Gold Standard Workflow Platform was already live and governing critical processes. We built the CBS Toolset as a direct extension of that codebase — same architecture, same governance, zero disruption to live operations. 

2. Workflow creation without IT 

The root problem was IT dependency. We designed the form builder so any authorised user could design and deploy a workflow through a browser interface — no code, no IT request, no wait. 

3. Governance automatic by default

Kaizen workflows built in the toolset inherit the same audit trail, escalation matrix, and role-based access as the broader platform — without extra configuration from the team creating the form. 

4. Dashboards dynamic by design

Rather than hardcoding dashboard columns, we built rendering directly from form metadata — so fields defined in the designer appear as dashboard columns automatically, with no rebuild required. 

Dynamic Form Builder 

• Control type library: text boxes, dropdowns, lists, option groups, checkboxes
• Browser-based form designer with no code required
• Form schemas stored as metadata for fully dynamic runtime rendering
• Designer dashboard with edit, view, and deactivate controls per form

Workflow & Governance Engine 

• Kaizen Master linking each form design to its originating site and event
• Dynamic UI rendering — new and edit views generated from saved metadata
• Form submission data saved via unified metadata schema
• Full audit trail, escalation, and notifications inherited from the Gold Standard platform

Dashboard & Reporting 

• Dynamic dashboard columns rendered automatically from form metadata
• Fields appear in My Workflow Task, Manager Dashboard, and Admin Site Task views
• No grid reconfiguration required when form designs change
• Integrated with existing user management, site configuration, and authentication

The client's Kaizen teams across 30+ manufacturing sites can now design and deploy custom workflow tools within the same event — without waiting for IT availability, SharePoint configuration, or a development sprint. Governance is automatic across every workflow created. 

Business Impact 

• IT team freed from building bespoke SharePoint workflows per Kaizen event
• Custom workflows deployed by business teams with no IT involvement
• Consistent audit trail and escalation logic across all Kaizen countermeasures
• SharePoint workarounds eliminated — all workflows on a single governed platform
• Platform extensibility proven, enabling two further phases of development