Workflow
Workflow
In a linear workflow, an outside event usually initiates the first step. If the
workflow has a loop structure, however, the completion of the last step will
usually restart the first step.
Tools such as flow charts and process maps are used to visualize the steps
involved in a workflow process and the order they should go in. Flow charts
use simple geometric symbols and arrows to define if-then relationships.
Process maps look similar, but they can also include support information. That
information documents the resources that each step in a business
process requires.
Workflow can be automated with software tools that use business rules to
decide when one step has been successfully completed and the next step
should begin. Some workflow management apps also coordinate dependent
relationships between individual steps, a concept known as workflow
orchestration. Workflow management software also provides templates for
documentation and business process modeling, two important aspects of
business process management (BPM).
Each workflow moves data from one step to the next. That's what
distinguishes a workflow from a checklist, which is a collection of related and
unrelated tasks.
A company can use a workflow to describe the process for paying an electric
bill, for instance. It likely involves the following steps: receiving the bill,
reviewing the bill, approving payment and disbursing the funds for payment.
A checklist can ensure team members adhere to a routine for powering down
all electricity in a facility at the end of a business day. That's a process that
doesn't necessarily involve specific steps where each one must happen in a
certain order.
Customer onboarding.
Performance assessment.
Product assembly.
Sales fulfillment.
Challenges of workflows
Enterprises often experience challenges with the workflows they put in place
to run their operations. The following are some commonplace ones: