Workflow Process
What is a Workflow Process and why is it important?
Workflow Overview
Workflow Process Definition
Refers to a series of activities or tasks that need to be completed sequentially or in parallel to achieve a business outcome. In most cases, the process is linear and proceeds in a sequence determined by actions or pre-defined business rules.
Related Terms
Process Mapping
Involves illustrating these activities and rules as well as identifying the actions whether they are automated, from another system, or human-based.
Workflow Engine
The process receives inputs and produces outputs. Completed tasks (human or machine) propel the process forward and can be transformed or simply passed along to the next step by the workflow engine.
Workflow Analysis
Workflow analysis allows business analysts to determine the efficiency of the current process and build toward a future state that's more efficient.
Business Process Management
While the idea of workflow processes began in the manufacturing sector, modern businesses have adopted the term to capture and optimize business processes. This is often referred to as "business process management." Business analysts use workflow tools like Integrify to automate these processes and eliminate as many manual steps as possible.
Workflow Process Example: New Hire Process
The workflow diagram on the right shows a straightforward new hire process workflow, diagrammed for clarity as a process flow. The various steps of the process may be handled by people spread across multiple departments over the course of the process. In some cases, a step may be handled by an automated function (for instance, sending out a thank you email or letter) while others will require human intervention.
Note: To see a real-world example of this process visit our Process Apps area.
Benefits of Automating a Process
- Streamline and speed up internal workflow by reducing manual entry and request handling.
- Track request status (completed, pending, or in-progress, etc.) in real-time
- Identify performance trends (group and individual) over time.
- Identify process redundancies.
- Switch from single to parallel processing of tasks.
- Eliminate circumvention of organizational business rules.
- Provide staff members with reminders and alerts when tasks age.
- Allow for 24/7 access to approve and monitor requests and tasks.
- Allow staff and management to focus on value-added projects and tasks.
- Reduced license overhead for enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, etc.)
- Monitor team progress against Service Level Agreements.
- Identify and remove process barriers or bottlenecks.
- Reduce errors and re-work.
- Reduce the risk of improperly approved requests, contracts, hires, etc.
- Improve compliance with audit trails.
- Increase output and increase productivity.
- A unified, personalized request workflow experience for employees.
- Better align tasks with the skillsets and assign tasks to the most appropriate staff members.
- Drastically reduce paperwork and associated costs and waste.
- Reduce the need for manual decision-making and handling with business rules.
Want to see an automated workflow in action? Watch our 2-Minute Demo or schedule a live demonstration.
Integrify's Approach to Workflow Software
Integrify is focused on providing a platform for building customized, department-specific, and use case-driven automated workflows. Since no two companies are alike, we built Integrify to be flexible and extensible to meet your organization's business workflow management goals.
Flexible: Define workflow from scratch, start from a template or have our experienced service team build you what you need. Our software allows you to decide how your workflow runs. Choose tasks from a wide array of options and put them in the order that your business rules dictate.
Powerful: Some of the largest companies in the world rely on Integrify 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.
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?
Learn tips and best practices for writing process documentation by reading 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 a lot of great ideas for processes and workflows that can be automated on our workflow examples page.
Interested in Automating Your Workflow Processes?
We have a variety of resources to help you on your journey to an automated workflow.
Automate Any Workflow Process
To see how quickly you can begin automating your workflow, request a free demonstration or trial of Integrify.
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