Sharepoint Workflow Considerations

V.S.

Sharepoint Workflow Overview

With so many people working from home, Sharepoint Administrators are looking for ways to use their existing infrastructure and SharePoint tools to improve how remote employees get work done. Unfortunately, when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. This is the case with the limited nature of Sharepoint workflows. An entire industry has cropped up to supplement or replace Sharepoint’s rudimentary workflow abilities. 

When it comes to using SharePoint for workflow (whether you’re using Sharepoint 2016, Sharepoint Online, or other versions) or a pure-play workflow solution like Nutrient Workflow, there are many issues that organizations should consider:

_ NOTE : The number one technology we replace over any other product is Sharepoint._

|

Consideration

|

Microsoft Sharepoint Workflow

|

Nutrient Workflow Workflow

| | — | — | — | |

Developers/coders required for customization

|

Coding Required

|

No Coding Required

| |

Create a new custom process (level of effort)

|

Moderate to Significant Effort

|

Low to Moderate Effort

| |

Create a new custom process (resources)

|

IT / developers

|

Business Users

| |

Modify/support/adapt existing processes (resources)

|

IT / developers

|

Business Users

| |

Modify/support/adapt existing processes (cost)

|

High Cost

|

Low to Moderate Cost

| |

The flexibility of the solution (how easy is it to change)

|

Low to Moderate Flexibility

|

High Flexibility

| |

The time required to create customized processes

|

Moderate

|

Low to Moderate

| |

The agility of the solution (how fast can it be changed)

|

Moderate Agility

|

High Agility

|

Are Sharepoint Workflows The Right Tool for the Job?

Optimizing business processes requires using the right tools for the right jobs. We have created the following list of decision points to help organizations considering SharePoint as their workflow platform identify when a solution like Nutrient Workflow is a good fit. In other words, here are some examples of common Sharepoint workflow problems or points of frustration.

If the answer to the following questions is “yes,” we believe considering a workflow platform like Nutrient Workflow as a standalone workflow management solution or in conjunction with a SharePoint deployment using integration is worth considering.

• Do you want to be able to define and alter processes quickly?

• Are future updates/modifications expected frequently?

• Do you want the ability to empower business units with direct control over their business rules and processes?

• Are you modeling processes that cross-departmental and application boundaries?

• Do you have processes (or steps) that require more complex exception handling and logic?

• Are your IT resources limited?

• Is custom integration needed/helpful?

• Do you expect advanced reporting capabilities and easy customization of reports?

• Are there certain workflows outside of Sharepoint where an agnostic solution would make more sense?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, investigating a solution like Nutrient Workflow is a natural fit for your needs—even if you’re already using SharePoint for its rich collaboration, document management, business intelligence, or other capabilities.

Nutrient Workflow Workflow Benefits: Why Use Nutrient Workflow Over a Sharepoint Workflow?

Nutrient Workflow: Benefits to Employees

• The self-service portal is available 24 hours a day.

• Accessible from the office, home, or mobile devices.

• Easy-to-use, one-stop shopping for all requests.

• Visibility into request status and progress.

Nutrient Workflow: Benefits to Departments

• Consistent departmental standards are followed.

• Non-developers can create custom workflows.

• Transaction time and cost are significantly decreased.

• Reduction in low-value, transactional tasks.

• Better department/employee communication.

• Better tracking of process bottlenecks.

• Collecting signatures is straightforward.

Nutrient Workflow: Benefits to technical teams

• Low-code environment for rapid workflow rollout.

• Ability to let departments manage their processes.

• Reusable parts, templates, and forms.

• Centralized management of all request/workflow applications.

• Workflow settings can be changed without turning off automation.

• Open API for legacy integration.

• More robust feature set over Power Automate.

• Full, hands-on support from an experienced service team.

• Sharepoint Upload option.

Nutrient Workflow: Benefits to Management

• Transparency and accountability for all processes.

• Reduced cost to create a workflow without development resources.

• KPI and Reports dashboards for at-a-glance performance review.

• A system-agnostic solution for non-Sharepoint non-Microsoft workflows.

Interested in Switching from Sharepoint Workflow to Nutrient Workflow?

We have a library of resources to help you navigate to an automated workplace.

• Workflow Tools and eBooks

• Workflow Ideas Weekly Email Newsletter

• Product Videos

• Request a Live Demonstration