The term, “workflow management system” has been cropping up everywhere; on business blogs, YouTube ads and maybe even in your very office, but the phrase, despite being thrown around by many is usually only understood by a select few.
Sick of reading of the myths and wading through all the jargon we thought, being the lovely people that we are, that it’s only fair that we share our knowledge and write this nifty guide, so you’re all up to speed.
Workflow & Management – The “Official” Definitions
According to dictionary corner, the definition of a workflow is “the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion” and management is “the process of dealing with or controlling things or people”. Which means that workflow management is just the art of guiding a process through the correct steps, not so complex see?
Now, “Where does the system bit come in?” I hear you say. Well, over the years several systems have cropped up here on the world wide web, which has been created to help people such as yourself boost efficiency and streamline the day-to-day processes, so you to save £££s.
Let’s give you an example to help you visualise the phrase.
Bob the Builder
So let’s say that you now have your very own construction firm. A typical workflow might be what’s shown in the left-hand column, whereas the right shows how the process could be drastically sped up.
So if we break the above table down, an intelligent system will be able to:
- Have a clearly defined workflow which you can work through to end to end without worrying that a step’s been skipped or not been documented for auditing.
- Have the option to create new workflows or amend pre-existing ones from the comfort of your desk; there shouldn’t be any need for you to email your provider for changes or heaven forbid, code.
- Have a definitive list of all your clients, suppliers and employees past, present and prospective with the details easily accessible to those with the correct level of access within your organisation.
- Upload all your documents into a secure, cloud-based location so you can easily access files and have relevant information auto-populated.
- Have automated SMS and email reminders and notifications.
Now, I know we’ve been pretty heavy on the perks of using a system such as Swiftcase, but there are a few things you should be aware of before you dive head first:
- Make sure you have the opportunity to try out the platform before you commit to a contract. Most Workflow Managment Systems offer either a demo or a trial period to see if it’s the best fit for you.
- Look for the best deal, as this type of software is usually subscription based and are billed on either monthly, annually or 3 years basis with minimum terms detailed in the T&Cs. I’d suggest paying the steeper for the first few months while you find your feet then select into a longer-term contract when you know it’s the system for you to knock back the costs.
- Some systems can do a billion different things which, if fully utilised, can provide incredible insight, but this might not be right for your team of 10, not 10,000. Some platforms allow you to select the degree of complexity that you need, so you only pay for the features which apply to you.
If you think a workflow management system would be a handy addition to your company, please can request a demoand a member of our lovely team will be in touch shortly to walk you through the system and get your trial account configured!
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SwiftCase helps operations teams streamline their processes with powerful workflow automation, case management, and AI-powered communication tools.