Why Should You Consider Implementing Workflow Management Systems for Your Business?
Many different ongoing processes in an enterprise define its smooth functioning. Every enterprise needs to have a proper workflow for each of these processes or systems. It is essential to have proper management of all these systems as it leads to the coordinated working of different teams within the organization that will lead to the development towards enhanced performance and growth of the business.
What is a workflow management system?
The different processes involved in the organization include a defined or set workflow for optimal functioning. The workflow management system is a very helpful system that helps the organization in defining, automating, and improvising the different processes within the organization for improving their efficiency, enhanced productivity, reduction of errors, etc.
Workflow management helps in ensuring that the different tasks defined are completed in a proper and timely manner to reach the defined goal. The different processes and workflows require human interventions to keep these processes moving forward.
For this, it includes the mails, meetings, calls, updates, messages, etc. Manual workflow management can lead to slow processing, mistakes, and errors, non-compliances, longer turn-around times, and many other issues.
Using a proper workflow management system involves the use of different tools that allow in automating of the processes, proper documentation, improved communication and coordination within the different teams, etc. The use of the workflow management system depends on the type of business, challenges faced, tools used, etc.
Why workflow management system essential?
The workflow management system works centrally and helps in sharing real-time updates with all the teams involved in the various processes. This leads to better collaboration and performance.
Using this workflow management allows the employees to perform their best enabling them to deliver the optimum results. Manual handling of workflow management can be tedious, tiresome, and time-consuming. It can also lead to the generation of errors.
Using the management system automates this process leading to saving time, money, resources, efforts and enhancing accuracy. It also leads to creating ownership, transparency, accountability amongst the teams. The system also allows for proper documentation that is essential for regulatory compliance and also helpful in further optimization and adjustments.
Three basic components of the workflow
Different components are involved in the workflow management system. For the organization, it is important to understand the different components involved while implementing the workflow management system. The three basic components include:
Predefined steps
The organization includes the various teams involving various processes. Each process has a workflow to be followed for optimal functioning. Every process has a predefined framework that is set to carry out the defined task.
Various steps are involved in performing each of these tasks. Following these steps enables in getting the clarity of the happenings and performance at each of the stages defined in the workflow until the endpoints are reached.
These different steps involved in the workflow can be manual or automated based on the task defined. These steps involved in the workflow can be of linear type, branched, or the combination of both types.
Stakeholders
The different people who carry out the specific tasks in managing the workflow also play a crucial role. It is important to assign the shareholders for each of the steps or processes involved in the workflow.
These stakeholders are more important in the case of the manual steps as compared to the automated conditions. The involvement of the stakeholders is crucial in times of specific conditions or the cases of any problems arising.
Conditions
These conditions include the rules set for the workflow. These conditions help in determining when the step is considered to be completed when to move towards the next step, and for defining what will be the next step.
These conditions are important and useful for the workflows that are approval types and certain steps can be skipped based on the information received.
Features of the workflow management system
Different features are essential in the workflow management system. The enterprise should look out for certain features while making the selection of the system. The important features that the workflow management system should have include:
A code-free intuitive workflow designer
The different types of processes involve different types of workflow. The major key steps involved in the process require input, approval, or denial. This workflow plan is a simple chart having lines and decision boxes.
The programmer while designing the software includes the complex structure that appears like a complicated family tree. The ideal workflow management system should help in thinking with simple linear loops while managing the complex stuff working in the background.
Integration with other applications
There are various applications required for the proper functioning of the organization. The workflow management system should be able to integrate with the other applications that are essential for documents, cash-flows, calendars, contact details, sales reports, etc. The selected workflow management system should be easily integrated with these systems.
Cloud-based technology
There are different facilities available that provide the on-premise and cloud-based technology for data storage. The selection of this feature depends on who is the in-charge of the updates and maintenance of the system.
It also defines the privacy of data and compliance. It is based on building a partnership with the vendor or making a one-time purchase of the system.
KPI-based reports
The different workflow tools help in generating different types of reports. For an improved and high level of productivity, it is essential for having solid reporting features. Making use of a robust KPI-based reporting function will help in generating the reports, based on the analysis. This considers the various bottlenecks involved in the process and also gives details about the areas that need special attention.
SLA status indicator
The best workflow management system is the one that acts as a one-stop system for all the core processes involved in the organization. For an organization having more processes involved that are running at a time, viewing all these processes at a time on the dashboard will help in staying updated with all the processes.
SLA indicators help in identifying and defining the task that is of importance and the one that can behold. The dashboard can give the details of the various processes based on color-coding to understand the work status.
Task notification
The workflow management system should be able to provide the notification for the different processes ongoing at a time. It should be able to indicate which process needs the attention at which point in time.
Certain processes continue from start to end while some processes need intervention in between. The system should be able to give the notification to remind the team of their upcoming approvals to avoid delays and timely completion.
Parallel branches
Most of the processes with the organization are sequential thus the workflows for these processes are sequential. Certain processes are unique and thus have a unique workflow and these require a separate track for handling these processes.
The selection of the workflow management system should be able to handle this type of complexity with ease. It should allow handling the sequential as well as the branched form of workflows efficiently.
Role-based access control
The workflow contains critical and sensitive information and the system should have a feature that will provide customized access to the different individuals based on their role and position in the organization. This will make sure that only the person with authority will be handling and accessing the crucial data.
Transparent pricing
The cost of the workflow management system should be within the budget of the organization and should have the provision of making the monthly pay-as-you-go terms.
Benefits of having a good workflow management system
There are various benefits gained by the organization by implementing the workflow management system. These benefits include:
Reduced errors
Traditional workflow management is time-consuming and the manual work might incorporate the errors. Implementing the workflow management system makes it easier to prevent the occurrence of errors and thus saves the time required for its rectification.
Also if there are any errors, the system allows in the identification of the exact location of the error thus can be easily rectified. It also helps in preventing repeating the same error.
Enhanced connectivity
The workflow management system helps in connecting the different teams within the organization. It allows connecting the various entities like the people, software, systems, and work culture.
The different entities can connect and communicate efficiently with the help of this management system. This improves productivity leading to growth in the business. The connection between the software and the people can lead to a reduction in errors.
Enhanced productivity
Implementing the workflow management system helps in the automation of most of the processes. This leads to saving a lot of human time. The employees are relieved from the manual work and they can use their skills and knowledge in other important places.
This automation also saves the time and money that the organization can use for other important tasks. The workflow management system allows in keeping the track of the different processes and keeps a check on it using previous records to avoid errors. This leads to increased productivity.
Eliminate the manual redundant tasks
The different processes in the organization include many tasks that need to be performed time and again. This manual and redundant task can prove to be a costly and time-consuming affair for the organization. Implementing the workflow management system can reduce the manual work by automation thus saving a lot of time and money.
The loss of productive time in manual work can lead to a decrease in effective function. The workflow management system includes a system that automates the repetitive task thus making it faster.
Multiple task handling
The implementation of the workflow management system can include the different processes involved in the organization that is related to the different teams. All these processes can work in parallel without affecting each other.
It allows providing the notification to an authorized person in case any manual input is required thus keeping them ready. The different processes can be handled using a single workflow management system.
The dashboard allows for easy switching from one process to the other process for updates in the same tab without any confusion or delay.
Increase trust
Implementing the workflow management system allows in defining the roles for the employees in the organization. This system helps in the automation of most of the processes thus allowing in having a clearly defined goal.
All the employees know what has to be done. The workflow management system provides a clear picture to all providing transparency along with control over the data accessibility. The admins can select which data to display and which to hold back based on the data sensitivity and specificity to the different teams.
Improve the work culture
In the traditional method, many processes are managed manually and during this, it engages the number of employees. Implementing this workflow management system automates the processes and thus relieves the employees from manual and repetitive tasks.
The system also allows in managing the documents and trackability of the different processes. This improves the performance of the employees by utilizing their expertise at the right place.
It also keeps the different teams well communicated thus providing structured and streamlined processes. This leads to improved work culture and moving closer to achieving their business goals.
Bottom Line
The different processes involved in the various organizations are different and need a workflow management system for their efficient functioning. This system allows the company to handle the different processes running in parallel.
It provides the details to the teams when they need to provide adequate input so that the decisions are taken on time and also helps in increasing efficiency.
Implementing the workflow management system in the organization leads to the growth of the business as it leads to saving time and effort. It also creates transparency of the process between the different teams involved in the organization. This improves communication leading to increased productivity.
Tags: