A workflow is a repeatable set of actions that can be procedurally executed in order to accomplish a specific business goal.
Some examples of common workflows in enterprises are:
To achieve custom goals, there are other types of unique workflows, such as for projects.
In an enterprise, there are usually hundreds, if not thousands, of employees. The day-to-day operations of an enterprise is comprised of numerous workflows executed by its employees everyday. There are broadly two types of enterprise business workflows:
Unique workflows: Typically called projects, each of these workflows will have unique requirements and end objectives and will provide a specific solution to these requirements and objectives. Often these are long-term endeavors, typically taking at least a year for completion.
Repetitive workflows: These are common in enterprise operations. Enterprises execute these day in and day out using similar inputs and predictable outcomes.
Be it manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain & logistics, or personnel management, each of these industries are comprised of workflows with individual steps sequentially executed to achieve a business objective or an end goal. Because these workflows also occur within the confines of an enterprise, these are enterprise workflows.
Enterprise workflow management (EWM) is the end-to-end process of planning, executing, analyzing, and managing enterprise workflows using manual or automated efforts.
Identifying repetitive processes and automating them using workflow management efforts is the first step towards establishing organizational viability. EWM is needed to:
There are several approaches to EWM, with the two common methods being:
This method emphasizes employing personnel to oversee each enterprise workflow manually, from initiation to completion. These methods consume a lot of time and tend to be labor-intensive and repetitive. They are also prone to errors, due to the human factor involved.
Automatic enterprise workflow management is the best approach to EWM. Executed with the help of digitized workflow automation software, EWM is:
In this approach, enterprises purchase pre-built software solutions to automate and manage their workflows. Often called off-the-shelf software, these solutions offer a set of modules for EWM. If the enterprise wants to customize these solutions, that is typically not possible.
In this approach, the enterprise enlists the help of software developers to manage its workflows. These are further divided into different approaches, such as:
Low code means using minimal coding to develop software solutions. You can automate workflows and manage them using drag-and-drop, point-and-click tools. No need to program automated solutions from scratch using complex software engineering languages.
1. Form builders: To capture information necessary for automation
2. Business process builders: These are flowchart-like builders which allow you to automate and manage workflows using a graphical user interface (GUI).
3. Dashboard builders: To view the workflow statistics visually and to manage them granularly.
These platforms confer numerous advantages for enterprises. Notable among them are:
Low-code platforms are generally provided using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, in which you subscribe by paying an annual or a monthly fee to harness the platforms.
In the case of projects, the workflows will be unique. You will have to define them after thoroughly gathering the requirements. Repetitive workflows can be easily identified, as they will need to be frequently executed with similar inputs and similar outcomes.
There will be multiple stages in a workflow from start to finish.
For example, in a “claim management workflow” the stages will be:
Start
Claim added
Claim under review
Claim verified
Claim settled
End
The transitions—the intermediary actions which enable progression from one stage to another—will be:
Here’s how the above workflow looks like in AppCreator, ManageEngine’s low code workflow orchestration platform.
Another way to manage enterprise workflows is to engineer low code solutions. You transform each requirement into an app, rapidly. Low code apps empower:
For example, to manage the workflows in recruitment, the enterprise can develop a low code app which can take care of the entire process, from employee shortlisting to onboarding. You can build these low code apps in a fraction of the time—up to 10 times faster than conventional methods. The visual builders provided by the low code platforms make this possible.
EWM is a complex endeavor. The usage of low code platforms can quicken and simplify EWM. In the end, what we get is a win-win situation for both the line-of-business users and IT teams alike.
Most low code platforms are hosted in the cloud. In most cases, all you need is a browser, an internet connection, and a subscription to the low code platform of your choice.
Little to no programming experience. As most of the drag-and-drop builders are on a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) graphical user interface (GUI), you need no training.
It is much less. You need not pay skilled subject matter experts to manage enterprise workflows on low code platforms. And the shorter time to market also means lower costs.
The architectural design of low code platforms ensures that the solutions built on them scale automatically with the changing number of users. So you need not re-engineer low code solutions when your user base increases.