The idea of making the work routine more efficient and seeking to optimize processes is common among managers.
For this reason, we have prepared this post to tell you exactly what this process has to do with all of this and what the advantages of adopting it are. Check it out!
What is workflow?
Workflow is nothing more than a company’s modus operandi , that is, the way in which it ensures that each task is completed or each process is executed.
Having a flow assumes the existence of interconnected and interdependent steps. Therefore, if there is no agility or quality in the execution of one of them, all subsequent steps are affected, as is the final result.
For this reason, managers do not only act in search of increasing production capacity, but simultaneously look for something that maintains or increases the quality of what the company offers.
It is this combination of factors that defines the ability to deliver results and the potential to achieve goals to stand out in the market.
All of these issues better explain why managers are constantly seeking solutions to increase productivity and efficiency. One of these solutions is workflow .
The workflow system is a set of rules and ways of doing things according to which a company’s employees carry out their work and which are based on interdependent sequences.
Whether manual or automated ― as we will see later ―, this process relies on the use of tools and technologies that allow information and sequential procedures to be easily transmitted within the company.
Therefore, considering that an employee, team or sector must interact with another to carry out routine work processes, this system can make this interaction simpler, faster and more effective.
Automation is a common feature of this practice, although it is not a mandatory factor.
In general, it is more important for a company to know how to use the technologies it has than simply owning and operating them without making the most of their functionalities.
This is why it is necessary to combine technology with tools such as rules that guide each stage of the workflow.
Manual vs. automated workflow
Automation is very present in the use of workflow because it is already recognized in the corporate world as a solution that contributes precisely to achieving greater productivity and better efficiency.
This, however, does not mean that the use of technology is a rule, nor does it always mean that it is a possible option for companies.
Sending emails to communicate and follow up on something important, such as a refund request, is a situation in which the process is manual and there is a human being responsible for making the flow happen.
In turn, the superior passes the approval on to the finance department, which carries out the reimbursement and notifies the applicant.
Unlike this, in an automated workflow , a system is used so that after completing the request, the employee can simply press the “done” button, causing a notification to automatically reach the person responsible for the next step until completion.
In addition to being more practical, the technology also makes it easier for everyone to know what stage of the process the refund request is at because they just need to check the status of the tool, which is also updated automatically.
Therefore, it is not necessary for the applicant to contact the manager to find out whether or not he or she has already informed the finance department about the operation.
In both cases, manual and automated, we have an established workflow, and the difference between them is what usually justifies the option to adopt more advanced tools.
Why the workflow was created
As already mentioned, the existence of workflow is related to the need that companies have to improve their productivity and efficiency .
To this end, a solution was sought that would optimize the execution of internal tasks and processes.
Workflow , in fact, exists because of a company’s processes and aims to structure them better based on analysis, planning and automation.
This is because the processes, in themselves, can be defined naturally and even if this natural form translates into a dynamic that is already habitual and characteristic of the local work routine, it may not be the most suitable for generating better results.
For this reason, the workflow system emerges as a way to ensure that existing processes are as appropriate as possible , considering the resources and tools that the company and its employees have.
There needs to be connection
To get a practical idea of what we are talking about, consider the fast-food chain Subway and its small service line.
The first employee approaches the customer and asks about the bread, the size and the cheese, and then puts the bread in the oven.
The second employee takes on the task of adding the remaining condiments. And finally, the third employee collects the payment and delivers the food to the customer.
The scene described above, which could be even more detailed, reveals Subway ‘s workflow . The company could have each employee be responsible for the entire customer service process.
However, he had his reasons for dividing the process into stages and between employees to make it more efficient.
Another important point that the example shows and that needs to happen for a workflow to exist is the communication or connection between steps or between processes.
Isolated, unrelated tasks do not constitute a workflow.
Therefore, when flow actually exists, a consequent gain is the improvement of internal communication because the success of the entire optimization proposal depends on it.
The main advantages of using workflow
Optimizing tasks and processes is the premise for using workflow .
To help you better understand why you should invest in this system, we have listed some of its main advantages below. Read on!
1. Simplifies and speeds up processes
When processes are created naturally, their steps can be created according to the need presented at each moment or in each situation.
Adopting a workflow is like having someone from outside who, in addition to being qualified, is able to bring a new vision to the way the company carries out its tasks.
Professionals immersed in the daily execution of the company’s activities may even detect errors, but they do not always know what to do to correct them and optimize their routine.
On the other hand, because it is based on an analysis of the situation, the workflow results in the discovery of ways to simplify and speed up processes.
2. Reduces errors and potential costs
Errors throughout the process can result in delays and rework that cost the company money.
The structuring promoted by the use of the workflow system helps to minimize situations that generate failures and their consequences.
Furthermore, by making processes more efficient ― especially with the use of automation technologies ―, a workflow takes the responsibility of complying with bureaucratic steps of the process out of the hands of employees.
Thus, the talent of these workers is better utilized within the company, resulting in better use of its resources.
3. Ensures respect for the process and compliance with deadlines
When a process is not properly structured or adjusted to the company’s reality, unnecessary steps may be included while other fundamental ones are eventually forgotten.
In addition to affecting the quality of what is offered to the customer, these situations tend to compromise deadlines.
The adoption of a workflow system , more than simplifying processes, makes it imperative to respect each of the defined stages.
The same goes for assigning responsibilities and the flow of communication between employees, teams and sectors.
With all this, the modus operandi and the pace of work create conditions so that delays do not become part of the company’s routine, because they allow managers to have more control over the situation. As a result, customer satisfaction and trust tend to increase.
