A workflow is a set of actions or tasks sequentially followed and executed in an organization, to achieve a business goal.
Businesses are replete with processes. Workflows facilitate the accomplishment of business processes and tasks.
Some examples of common workflows across all organizations are:
Workflows can be broken down into tasks, which flow from a starting task to the final task. Each task, except for the first task, has a preceding task. Each task, except for the final task, has a succeeding task. Execution of the last task in a workflow means the workflow is accomplished.
Workflows provide a structural, sequential approach to accomplish organizational objectives. They bring order instead of disarray.
They break down complex activities into granular, executable blocks called tasks. This simplifies the process of executing organizational operations.
Workflows improve efficiency and productivity. They effect cost and time savings.
Before the advent of workflow automation software, workflows were executed manually. Manual workflow execution has several disadvantages:
It requires manual labor by dedicated personnel. As an organization scales up, this increases expenditure, as more personnel equates to more wages paid.
It is slow and time-consuming to execute.
The human factor also increases the probability of inaccuracy and the risk of errors.
Workflow automation harnesses technology to execute workflows, supplementing human involvement. It opens the power of digitization to the world of manual process execution.
Workflow automation software refers to specialized software, workflow automation tools, and workflow automation platforms that transform manual processes by streamlining, automating, and digitizing them.
Using heuristic-based decision-making algorithms, workflow automation software mechanizes the steps in manual processes and repetitive operational actions, saving time and money.
By digitizing and automating manual processes, workflow automation tools allow business processes to be executed with a single click of the button. What used to take weeks will get done within minutes. This means faster turnaround time for processes and tasks. Customers will be satisfied with the prompt service, and employees will gain more time, contributing to enhanced organizational productivity.
Automate clerical, repetitive, and mundane everyday tasks. By taking away the organization's focus on menial tasks, employees can focus on what's important and essential from a business perspective. This reduces the workload of the organization's personnel and fosters innovation. The intellectual wealth of the enterprise can be properly utilized.
Workflow automation software will allow any organization to scale automatically. As the organization grows, it'll only need to automate more processes with these tools, which can be accomplished by designing new workflows through a few button clicks. More personnel will not be needed.
Take care of the organization's business processes with fewer personnel. What used to take five stakeholders for a process before automation will take only a single stakeholder after automation, saving the organization money on operational expenditure.
Reduce the possibility of errors by a huge factor by digitizing. Automated processes executed by machines mean accurate outcomes, eliminating human error.
The software should be usable by anyone, regardless of technical expertise. A simple, easy-to-learn-and-use workflow automation app is essential, as it will pose no downtime for training stakeholders on it. An accessible interface will help a business achieve automation easily and quickly.
At the same time, the automation platform should also empower developers. They should be able to accelerate the process of workflow automation by leveraging the rapid automation features of these platforms.
A workflow automation platform catering to both line-of-business users and professional programmers will ensure universal adoption across the organization.
The workflow automation software should provide drag-and-drop automation building capabilities. This will reduce the time taken to automate workflows, while increasing the ease of automation. It will also minimize the amount of conventional programming required. Line-of-business users can also automate complex workflows, as a drag-and-drop interface is intuitive for everyone.
Automation software should be able to notify stakeholders about the workflow statuses instantly. Notifications can be through app push notifications, SMS, or email. This will ensure rapid automation, as stakeholders will be immediately notified about their responsibilities with regards to the workflows.
Software today is developed for the web, iOS, and Android.
The technical architecture of an application built for the web is different from that of an application built for iOS. Similarly, the iOS and Android architectures differ in the technical stack and programming languages used. iOS uses the Swift and Objective-C programming languages. Android uses Java and the Android SDK. The development process has to be repeated while building applications for these varied platforms. This means more time and money need to be invested.
To overcome this challenge, most workflow automation platforms offer multi-platform deployment. Workflows automated once using their interface can be deployed in a single click to the web, iOS, and Android, conserving time and money.
Organizations operate based upon processes. Certain processes will be repetitive and have a high frequency of execution in the day-to-day activities of an organization. These manual business processes are the ones which need to be automated.
The first step in workflow automation is identifying the processes which need to be automated. Each business process becomes a unique workflow.
The next step is to break down a business process into granular tasks. These tasks become the steps in the workflow.
The next step is to input the data of the task into the workflow automation software. These inputs include the data required for the task, the documents needed to be sent to stakeholders, or the approval actions assigned to task owners.
The fourth step is to assign owners for each task in the workflow. These owners are generally stakeholders of the associated business process. The task owners will be responsible for approvals and input of workflow data. Workflows will be assigned to task owners for execution.
The final step is to publish the workflow using the workflow automation software by providing it with the necessary data needed to accomplish it from inception to completion.
Once a workflow has been automated, the next step is to analyze its performance by gauging key performance indicators (KPIs) generated during its execution.
The conventional approach to workflow automation is to utilize programming languages to design various aspects of the endeavor. This requires enlisting the help of subject matter experts or dedicated software engineering teams. Moreover, this process is also time-consuming. Typical conventional programming undertaken to achieve workflow automation will consume months of effort, even a year in some cases.
The answer is a low-code platform.
Low-code means the usage of minimal conventional coding to automate workflows and develop applications which digitize business processes.
Low-code platforms are a rapid application development approach to automation. They provide tool sets such as drag-and-drop builders. While these tool sets empower line-of-business users to automate workflows on their own, they also help programmers to accomplish automation in a fraction of the time when compared with conventional methods.
Read more about low-codeA staple of low-code platforms, drag-and-drop builders provide a graphical user interface which permits the creation of applications and workflow automation by dragging-and-dropping the desired elements and task criteria into place. Drag-and-drop builders include:
Drag-and-drop builders reduce the time taken for automation, when compared with conventional software engineering approaches.
An enterprise will have pre-existing databases and software systems. It will not be prudent to do away with them and start from scratch while automating workflows. Low-code platforms provide features for hassle-free integration with the existing and legacy systems of organizations to implement workflow automation seamlessly.
By integrating with other software, data can be easily accessed and utilized in automated workflows.
Low-code platforms are highly customizable, down to the very last detail. Business processes are unique, and organizations can leverage low-code platforms to automate complex custom workflows easily.
In traditional software engineering, applications are designed with a pre-set count of users in mind. If a workflow is to be scaled to more employees or if a workflow is downscaled in terms of volumes of execution, separate scripting has to be performed. Low-code platforms, on the other hand, allow workflows to scale automatically with a changing user count, as they are designed with scalability in mind.
You don't need any prior computer programming experience to begin automating your workflows on a low-code platform.
Workflow automation software is typically offered on a subscription-based purchase model. Licenses can be monthly or annual.
It's the usage of minimum programming to automate workflows. This is made possible by the use of drag-and-drop workflow automation builders.
Depending upon the steps in the workflow, and using an efficient workflow automation software, it can be automated in as little as a few minutes to a few hours.