Competition in today's market is very high, so companies need to stand out and be more productive in order to gain a foothold. Therefore, different processes and techniques are carried out in order to achieve this goal effectively.
In this post we tell you what workflow is, what types exist and how it can help you to implement it in your company. Read on to find out more!
what is workflow?
Workflow is the automation of the work processes that a company implements on a daily basis, i.e. it is the set of activities that are carried out in a specific order to achieve an objective. Tasks are passed from one worker to another following a hierarchy and pre-established rules.
This technique consists of defining in advance the steps that have to be followed to complete a project or task and reach the previously defined objective. The rules imposed will help your employees to be coordinated from the beginning to the end of the process.
The main objective of workflows is to improve communication between the different areas of your company, and by having a logical movement of tasks, not only is compliance guaranteed, but it is also done with greater efficiency and speed.
There are three types of workflows that will depend on the activity you are involved in and the type of tasks you want to organise:
- Ad Hoc Workflow: Here the rules can be created or modified during the work process, i.e. during the work process and according to the needs that arise, the system of rules is modified, at this point they are not rigid.
- Production Workflow: In this workflow the rules are less flexible than the previous one, it is a more limited system. Here your company follows a pre-established direction, focusing on fixed actions that are already known to all employees. In this case, there is not much room for change.
- Administrative Workflow: This system is the middle ground between the other two. This method is usually applied to tasks that do not have a defined structure. It focuses on tasks that are predictable and repetitive by imposing rules that are easy to understand and accept.
what is the workflow for?
The workflow is used to guide all the members of your company to do the tasks in the best possible way, to organise all the information in the same way, to hierarchise the processes and to work in a coordinated way. This avoids making mistakes, as all your workers know the objective and follow the same rules to set it in motion.
The workflow methodology often uses software applications to make this process automation possible, which will help your company to eliminate time and resource costs, eliminate errors, reach the goal faster and replace manual tasks.
Automating your business processes does not mean having to use technological tools to do so, but although it is not strictly necessary, many of the activities that need to be carried out have to be done through certain platforms.
The objective of your company is to be more productive, because there is currently a high level of competition in the market. Workflow improves the planning of tasks, helps to make better decisions and speeds up the information and communication processes of your team. Having all your workers coordinated on the same task or project facilitates coordination between them.
how does workflow help your company?
Workflow makes your company more competitive compared to others in the sector, because it reduces costs, improves project planning, speeds up decision making, optimises communication between all departments and workers, and also automates the processes.
As we have mentioned before, implementing workflow in your company guarantees transparency in organisational processes, which leads to better communication between workers and therefore, more efficiency.
It will help you to have a more productive company, which is important in today's highly competitive market. Decision-making will be quick, as we follow pre-established rules. Thanks to the software everything is monitored and therefore we can consult the data, analyse and improve them.
Not only does it improve your company's communications, but a workflow system will make it easier to do spreadsheet tasks, databases, lists, etc. You will no longer need to do this work manually. Task automation will save you time, because workers know what to do and how to perform their tasks, without wasting time on manual tasks, and thus you ensure the efficiency and quality of their work.
In conclusion, a workflow is a system that aims to automate work processes within the workplace. Workflow is the perfect tool to keep your company growing.
We recommend that you measure the results when you implement this methodology in your company, because as you well know, everything that is not measured cannot be improved.
If you want your company to be up to date and innovative, implementing this workflow strategy is a great help. Now it is your turn to implement this tool for your business.
we hope you enjoyed reading this!
