What is a Workflow Process?
Jonathan D. Rhyne
This article was first published in February 2018 and was updated in November 2024.
The definition of “workflow process” is a series of human or machine tasks that must be completed sequentially or in parallel to achieve an expected business outcome. A clearly defined process workflow helps to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and embed these processes in daily business activities. The process is usually linear and proceeds in a sequence determined by actions and governed by pre-defined business rules.
See a Workflow Process in Action
Related Terms
Process Mapping
It involves illustrating these activities and rules and identifying the actions, whether automated, from another system or human-based.
Workflow Engine
A process receives inputs and produces outputs. Completed tasks (human or machine) propel the process forward and can be transformed or passed along to the next step by the process engine.
Workflow Analysis
Workflow analysis allows business analysts to determine the efficiency of the current process and build toward a more efficient future state and a specific organizational goal.
Business Process Management
While business workflow processes began in the manufacturing sector, modern businesses have adopted the term for capturing and optimizing business processes. Processes are often referred to in a “business process management” context in a business context. Business analysts use workflow tools like Nutrient Workflow to automate these processes and eliminate as many manual steps as possible. Business process automation is crucial in simplifying workflows to avoid confusion and errors.
Task Management
While we often think of task management as an individual discipline, it can also be looked at organizationally. These assigned tasks in a department or organization-wide process contribute to a larger goal. Managing these tasks, often across different business silos, requires a centralized platform used by all employees.
Team Collaboration
As mentioned above, teams often need to collaborate, share files, relay information, and provide status updates to make work flow properly across departments. Collaboration is bolstered by tools that make communication a seamless part of any process and provide a record of all activities and comments.
Process improvement projects aim to enhance efficiency, productivity, and quality while reducing costs and cycle times.
Types of Workflows
There are many types of workflows common across all industries and departments; here is a selection of the processes we see most often.
| IT/IS
New Account Setup
Finance
Expense Approvals
Salary/Wage Changes
Marketing
Campaign Approvals
Brand Management
| Facilities
Office Relocations
Resource Scheduling
Facility Access
Move Requests
Sales
Quote Approvals
Pricing Discounts
Proposal Approvals
Product Discounts
Legal
Legal Holds
| HR
Benefits Changes
Vacation Requests
Purchasing
Product Pricing
Operations
Maintenance Request
New Product Request
|
Components of a Workflow
A workflow is composed of several key components that work together to ensure processes run smoothly and efficiently. Understanding these components is crucial for designing and implementing effective workflows that can enhance productivity and streamline operations.
Tasks
Tasks are the building blocks of any workflow, representing individual activities or actions that need to be completed as part of a larger process. Each task is typically assigned to specific individuals or teams and is often dependent on the completion of previous tasks or the availability of certain resources.
Effective task management is critical to the success of a workflow. It enables teams to prioritize and organize their work, track progress, and identify potential bottlenecks or roadblocks. By breaking down complex processes into smaller, manageable tasks, teams can improve productivity, reduce errors, and increase overall efficiency.
In a workflow, tasks can be categorized into different types:
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Sequential tasks: These tasks are completed in a linear sequence, with each task building on the previous one. This type of task is common in processes where each step must be completed before the next can begin.
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Parallel tasks: These tasks can be completed simultaneously, allowing teams to work on multiple tasks at the same time. This approach can significantly speed up the process flow and improve efficiency.
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Dependent tasks: These tasks rely on the completion of previous tasks and cannot be started until those tasks are finished. Managing these dependencies is crucial to ensure the workflow progresses smoothly.
By understanding the different types of tasks and how they fit into a workflow, teams can design and implement more effective workflows that streamline their work and improve overall productivity.
Best practices for task management in workflows:
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Clearly define tasks and their dependencies to avoid confusion and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities.
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Assign tasks to specific individuals or teams to ensure accountability and efficient task completion.
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Establish clear deadlines and milestones to keep the workflow on track and ensure timely completion of tasks.
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Use workflow management software to track progress and identify bottlenecks, enabling proactive management and resolution of issues.
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Continuously review and refine tasks to ensure they are aligned with business goals and objectives, making adjustments as necessary to improve efficiency.
By following these best practices, teams can ensure that their workflows are efficient, effective, and aligned with their business goals, ultimately leading to better outcomes and increased productivity.
Example: New Hire Process
The workflow diagram on the right shows a straightforward new hire process, diagrammed for clarity as a process flow. People across multiple departments may handle the series of steps throughout the process. Sometimes, an automated function may handle workflow steps and take action (for instance, sending out a thank you email or letter), while others require human intervention.
To see a real-world example of this process, visit our Process Apps area.
Benefits of Automating a Process
Some benefits of automating processes and having workflows running smoothly, like efficiency, productivity, and better accuracy, are immediately apparent. However, as many of our customers realize later, a wide variety of follow-on benefits appear once a workflow automation system is in place.
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Streamline and speed up internal workflow by reducing manual entry and request handling.
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Track request status (completed, pending, or in progress, etc.) in real-time
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Identify performance trends (group and individual) over time.
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Identify process redundancies.
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Switch from single to parallel processing of tasks.
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Eliminate circumvention of organizational business rules.
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Provide staff members with reminders and alerts when tasks age.
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Allow 24/7 access to approve and monitor requests and tasks.
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Allow staff and management to focus on value-added projects instead of repetitive tasks.
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Reduced license overhead for enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, etc.).
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Monitor team progress against Service Level Agreements.
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Identify and remove process barriers or bottlenecks.
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Reduce errors and re-work.
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Reduce the risk of improperly approved requests, contracts, hires, etc.
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Improve compliance with audit trails.
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Increase output and increase productivity.
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Provide a unified, personalized request workflow experience for employees.
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Better align tasks with the skillsets and assign tasks to the most appropriate staff members.
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Drastically reduce paperwork and associated costs and waste.
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Reduce the need for manual decision-making and handling of business rules.
Three Tips for Automating Your Process or Workflow
Automation workflows are a great way to streamline processes and save time. However, there are some essential things to remember when setting up and using automation to ensure processes run efficiently and without issues. Here are three tips to keep in mind when using automation workflows. Workflow management systems play a crucial role in creating, documenting, and optimizing workflows to overcome operational inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
Tip 1: Plan Thoughtfully
Before using automation workflows, planning out your process carefully is essential. Could you take the time to understand the scope of the workflow, document the steps and data points, and decide which tasks are best for automation? This will help you avoid any costly errors or delays in the future.
Tip 2: Monitor and Adjust
Once your automation workflow is set up, monitoring the process and making adjustments as needed is crucial. Note any errors, latency issues, or other possible bottlenecks and take the necessary steps to address them. This could mean reassigning tasks, using group tasks, adding escalations, etc.
Tip 3: Consider Security
Finally, when implementing automation workflows, it’s critical to consider security. Be sure to restrict access to sensitive data, use authentication and encryption, and review logs regularly to ensure no unauthorized access to data or systems.
Nutrient Workflow’s Approach to Workflow Process Automation Software
Nutrient Workflow focuses on providing a platform for building customized, department-specific, and use case-driven automated workflows. Since no two companies are alike, we built Nutrient Workflow to be flexible and extensible to meet your organization’s business workflow management goals. Workflow software plays a crucial role in enhancing team collaboration and process management.
Flexible: Define workflow from scratch, start from a template, or have our experienced service team build what you need. Our software allows you to decide how your workflow runs. Choose tasks from various options and put them in the order your business rules dictate.
Powerful : Some of the largest companies in the world rely on Nutrient Workflow to reliably power their most critical workflows (think cybersecurity response, customer onboarding, capital expenditure requests, etc.)
Extensible : Connect to other systems and embed widget versions of your forms wherever you need them, including intranets, Web pages, and other systems like SharePoint.
Service: Besides a robust, flexible workflow automation platform, Nutrient Workflow provides white-glove onboarding and process design by seasoned, professional implementation staff. Get up and running quickly with guided help and hands-on work from the Nutrient Workflow team.
Watch a Workflow Being Automated
Frequently Asked
How do you create a process?
Learn how to design a process by reading our blog post, “How to Design a Process.”
How do you write process documentation?
Read our blog post “How to Write Process Documentation.”
What is the best tool for process automation?
Check out our page, “Best Workflow Management Software,” to learn more about available tools and considerations.
What are some examples of workflows that can be automated?
You’ll find many great ideas for processes and workflows that can be automated on our workflow examples page.
Interested in Automating Your Workflow?
Check out our Automation Resources or schedule a demonstration.
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Workflow Tools and eBooks
Related
FAQ
What are the main benefits of workflow processes?
Workflow processes enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and improve productivity by streamlining operations and ensuring tasks are completed in a systematic manner.
How can automation improve workflow processes?
Automation reduces manual tasks, minimizes human errors, and allows for faster processing, leading to significant time savings and increased accuracy.
What industries benefit the most from workflow automation?
While all industries can benefit, sectors like finance, healthcare, and IT see significant improvements in efficiency and compliance through workflow automation.
How do I identify bottlenecks in my workflow?
Bottlenecks can be identified by analyzing task completion times, monitoring delays, and collecting feedback from team members to pinpoint where processes slow down.
Can I customize my workflow processes?
Yes, most workflow automation tools allow for customization to fit the specific needs and rules of your organization, ensuring a tailored approach to process management.
Jonathan joined Nutrient in 2014. As CEO, Jonathan defines the company’s vision and strategic goals, bolsters the team culture, and steers product direction. When he’s not working, he enjoys being a dad, photography, and soccer.
