Introduction to Workflow Management

A Workflow Management System (WMS) helps your business reduce repetitive processes or simplify a set of tasks. It is an infrastructure for a group of functions that will automatically switch until the process (a workflow) executes as efficiently as possible.

Workflow management is “the sequence of processes through which a part of the work passes, from its beginning to completion.” In short, it is the method that you establish to carry out your activities.

When it comes to day-to-day productivity, your life would be so much easier if you had a workflow. Searching for information in your emails or documents is a waste of time.

Commonly Used Workflow Management

Here is an overview of the most common workflows:

Personal productivity and to-do list

It is one of the most basic workflow examples in a Trello board: to do and do. Cards move between these lists as you work on them.

Screenshot: workflow

You can rename your lists with any title you like. In addition to this to-do, to-do, and to-do lists, some people add lists as “long-term tasks” or “pending” where they record initiatives they are not currently working on but don’t want to Forget.

Workflows for Scrum and agile methodology

Many teams use agile workflow, which structures project tasks into shorter, faster, and these quick tasks are “sprints.” Here work them until the allotted time runs out. As the project progresses, the cards move from the backlog to the iteration list.

Workflow management of incoming requests

Another popular workflow is to stay afloat with all the frequent requests that pass to other people in a particular order.

Why Workflow Management?

  • This example workflow works great for groups of people (where each has different tasks assigned) as it allows them to stay focused on the goal and integrate so that the process continues to unfold.
  • Transfer workflows work great for easy project management. It prevents one person from overseeing the entire workflow and also helps to avoid confusion or two people working on the same task. One popular workflow is managing editorial calendars.

10 Characteristics of a Workflow Management

  1. The simplified design

A workflow management system needs a straightforward way for users to create new forms without the help of a systems engineer. The design should be drag and drop and quick to build or modify.

  1. Integrated communication

When employees have to assign a form, task, or request to someone else, they should do so directly in the workflow management tool—having to send an email from outside the system with links to the work can be tedious and time-consuming. An immense system allows your team to discuss processes, tag other team members, add documents, files, and images right to the interface.

  1. Automated processes

Your WMS should facilitate the creation of automated and repeatable processes that multiple team members can use. One example is the onboarding process for new employees that begins with a pre-hire assessment.

  1. Easy integration with other tools

A well-designed workflow management tool can help your team beyond automated tasks or processes. Ideally, you will be able to work with other devices you use, such as your Analytical CRM, proposal software, accounting system, calendars, or even employee emails.

  1. Customizable reports

Reports are an essential tool to see the performance of your team and the WMS. It should be easy to create reports of different types: charts, pie charts, finances, and KPIs in the interface. You should run reports yourself on a set schedule and establish a distribution system to share them with the appropriate team members. It should be easy for users to modify existing reports, create new versions, or change a dataset to suit their needs.

  1. Mobile access

Your employees should be able to access the workflow management system at any time and from any device.

  1. Authorization control

It is essential to provide access to the right group of people in your business. Sensitive HR or financial files must have minimal access for viewing or editing.

  1. Automatic system updates

Few companies have a pool of IT staff capable of upgrading systems or repairing computers. Team members are to perform updates, perform security procedures, and obtain support.

  1. Cloud hosting

There are many well-known reasons for hosting software or applications in the cloud. Cloud hosting is scalable, allows easy access from anywhere outside your physical office, allows redundant backups, and generally costs less than on-premises hosting.

  1. Easy to understand prices

Before committing to a workflow management system, make sure you know all of the costs associated with the tool.