One of the most critical questions in the company is the question of the organization of work processes, the workflow. Here one looks at the processes for the provision of services from an individual activity to complex organizational structures.
In every company, so-called grown structures make it difficult to organize work processes. Often there are divergences in the work processes between different departments, tasks, and company areas since activities are duplicated, overlapping, or not coordinated at all.
What is a workflow?
A workflow is a complete process that helps a team achieve its goals by providing the right people with the right data to get their work done at the right time. Once a workflow is in place, it helps you organize information in a way that is not only understandable but repeatable as a process. Incidentally, good workflows also lead to the automation of business processes and thus to a significant increase in efficiency and shorter throughput times.
When should I create a workflow?
Workflows are extremely powerful at both team and departmental levels. When used correctly, they provide the clarity your team needs to achieve their goals faster and minimize turnaround times.
You can create an effective workflow for time-based projects with a goal – e.g. For example, for marketing campaigns, onboarding programs for new employees or procurement workflows – as well as for recurring processes and ongoing tasks such as content calendars, IT requests, and bug-tracking.
Was ist ein digitaler Workflow?
In Zeiten der Digitalisierung kommt ebenfalls immer wieder das Wort “Digitale Workflows” auf. Die Erklärung ist grundsätzlich sehr einfach. Es handelt sich hierbei um Prozesse, die digital stattfinden. Meist verwendet man hierfür eine Software oder Ähnliches. Digitale Workflows haben auf jeden Fall den Vorteil, dass Sie leichter automatisiert werden können. So können sich die Mitarbeiter gerade bei einfachen Aufgaben viel Zeit sparen.
4 key benefits of workflows
Setting up a workflow may sound like a lot of work, but clearly defined, repeatable processes are a key growth factor. With an effective workflow, you can eliminate work around work, eliminate frustration, bring clarity, and increase employee engagement with each activity. The upfront investment will save you a lot of time and stress in the future.
Full transparency in real time
It is well known that real-time insights increase team efficiency. However, obtaining these insights can be tricky, and that’s where workflows come in.
An effective workflow connects the right people with the right information at the right time. This connection increases transparency, both within and across projects – so everyone on your team knows exactly who is doing what, by when, and why it’s important. In particular, this level of transparency helps you to:
- Gain valuable real-time insights to increase team efficiency
- Precisely plan individual work steps, allocate resources and reduce or increase the workload as required
- Keep key stakeholders (both executive and cross-functional) updated on project progress and each process
- Reduce delays and deliver higher-quality work
- Get an overview of the project process in order to understand, recognize and diagnose problems with IT support
Alignment between and within cross-functional teams
Clear, well-defined workflows provide cross-functional and cross-team visibility and context. When you have many interrelated projects or tools, cross-functional teams clearly understand the hows and whys of ongoing work.
Good work management tools and software solutions allow you to define and share workflows – regardless of which team you work in. This creates a single source of information for all work and data, breaking down information barriers between teams and enabling effortless collaboration. By linking individual projects to company-wide workflows, team members also get a clear overview of the most important tasks. When all team members are in the loop, everyone can focus on the work with the highest priority and greatest impact.
More efficiency
Workflows specify processes using automation, project templates and work request forms. Thanks to the automatic connection of the right people with the right data, you improve efficiency and productivity: An effective workflow eliminates the work around the work and increases the speed of the work of the team. When your team has clarity, they can focus on the work that will make the greatest impact. In addition, transparency is increased through the integration of various business tools, while switching between different apps is reduced.
Possibility to automate
Visualizing a workflow can help you identify possible steps that can be automated. This includes, for example, sending standardized e-mails or creating document templates. By mapping all steps of a process in detail, it is easier to identify steps that employees can automate. This means that they can devote themselves to all those tasks that require their full concentration and attention.