Businesses can benefit from using workflows and workflow documentation. To truly understand how this works, it’s necessary to comprehend what workflow means. A workflow is a process that consists of a series of tasks that need to be completed. Those tasks have to be done in a specific way and in a given amount of time. Workflows exist in a variety of work teams and many diverse industries.
Every time a team hands data to another, a workflow occurs. In this sense, workflows are those that clarify the status of a project, how it’s being processed and how much is left to finish it.
At WillDom, we believe that there’s nothing better than keeping track of everything that’s going on in a workflow to ensure the proper organization of a project. This guarantees that the processes are carried out in the best possible way, in the time in which they are needed and in the manner in which they are required.
For example, if a team requires a certain tool to complete a project, the steps to follow would be: to document that the tool had been requested, that the order was placed, who it was ordered from, what status the order is in, and everything else that is necessary until the task is completed.
Is there any document workflow software available on the market?
So, it’s now clear that a workflow is a sequence of specific tasks that team members must perform to achieve a business objective. But why are they useful?
One of the advantages of using workflows is that the team ensures that no one starts a task that someone else has already begun. When using an agile framework, workflows are very significant to plan Sprints. They’re also used to understand the work scope.
There are several document workflow pieces of software available in the market. At Willdom, we’ve created a unique platform to optimize all areas and processes of a company. By using Wave, both the talent and the most relevant business activities can be managed from a single, easy-to-use platform.
Documenting all the tasks that a team undertakes makes it possible to organize the work in a better way and to optimize the time, resources, and costs involved.
Have you ever worked on a document or a file for hours and, at last, you were told that it was an old version? Those are the sort of things that happen when not keeping track of everything that happens within a process. It’s a waste of time and a frustrating situation for any worker who invested time and effort in enhancing something that is not going to be used.
What are the existing types of workflows?
It’s important to understand the differences between workflow and process, and it is really simple.
A process often refers to a business goal, which requires a variety of workflows to achieve. For example, if someone wants to improve their heart’s health, that would be a process that needs to get done. To do so, that person will probably go for a run two or three times a week and make sure to use less salt when cooking. Those would be workflows, since they are tasks that need to be performed to achieve the final goal.
There are three types of workflows and it is important to know that each one of them has different characteristics. Some are structures, and others not so much, for example. Let’s see them in detail.
Process workflows
These are the most used types of workflows. A process workflow is perfect for organizing predictable and repetitive tasks. That means that before an item enters the workflow, every team member knows exactly the path it will follow and the time it’ll take to reach the end of it.
Process workflows contemplate any problem the task could have to cope with or exceptions it should suffer.
Also, in process workflows, multiple processes can be taken on simultaneously.
Case workflows
This kind of workflow is useful when it’s necessary to find a solution to an issue presented within the team or when it originates from another workbench.
At the beginning of the workflow, it’s not known what path a task will end up taking. That is discovered as employees pick up the task, investigate it, and as it progresses through the workflow.
Project workflows
When starting a complex project, choosing a project workflow is the best option.
Placing the jobs to be done within a workflow helps to understand the global vision of the project, and it’s also easier to present it to other teams or stakeholders. For example, to release a new version of a company’s app, it is best to go for this type of workflow.
These are the existing workflow types. It is important that each business picks the one that best suits them and always depends on what they need to solve. In short, workflow use and documentation increases productivity while reducing costs.
If you are interested in learning more about Wave, the platform that allows WillDom to streamline every area and process of the company, connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at WillDom.com.
