Many of your business processes, regardless of how well-defined, documented, and illustrated they may be, still rely on manual or paper-based procedures to some extent. However, there are opportunities to increase efficiency by implementing automation in certain steps of your processes. One effective way to achieve this automation is through the use of workflow systems.
So, what exactly is workflow? Workflow refers to a series of assigned steps that are defined, initiated, and completed. It involves the assignment of tasks, as well as the sharing of information and documents among the individuals involved in the process.
When designing a workflow process, it can either be simple or complex. Simple workflows follow a logical sequence of steps, while more complex ones involve decision points that determine the next course of action. Many business solutions, such as those used for managing sales, human resources, payroll, and travel expense reimbursement, offer workflow capabilities.
Let's consider an example of a workflow for filing an expense report. Imagine an employee who has just returned from a business trip and needs to submit an expense report for reimbursement. The workflow for this process may include the following steps:
1. The traveler compiles and organizes their travel and expense receipts.
2. The traveler completes the expense report template.
3. The traveler submits the expense report and receipts to the internal Travel Coordinator.
4. The Travel Coordinator reviews the expense claim and returns it to the traveler if there are any errors.
5. The traveler corrects the known errors and resubmits the claim to the Travel Coordinator.
6. The Travel Coordinator submits the completed expense claim to the approving manager.
7. The approving manager reviews and approves or denies the expenses.
8. The Travel Coordinator submits the approved expense report to Accounts Payable for reimbursement to the traveler.
Now, take a moment to evaluate your own business processes. How many of these steps are still manual or paper-based? It's possible that all of them are. However, each of these individual steps can potentially be made more efficient through automation and workflow.
To identify opportunities for automation within your processes, consider these approaches:
1. Filter the execution of each step in your defined and documented processes through the lens of "how could we automate this?"
2. Determine if an eForm could replace any paper forms, eliminating the need for physical storage and administrative work.
3. Explore the possibility of replacing spreadsheet-based templates with a unified business solution that not only captures data but also processes it and generates the required output.
4. Evaluate how many of your business instructions, approval requests, and responses can be completed without traditional email messages or hard-copy forms.
5. Consult with your business solution vendors to optimize your system and configure workflow mechanisms that support automation, such as replacing approval emails with "click to approve" options.
6. Consider using data integration to eliminate redundant data entry across multiple systems involved in your defined business processes.
Implementing automation in your business processes may not happen overnight, but reducing touchpoints, improving efficiencies, minimizing input errors, and eliminating paper usage can result in significant cost savings for your organization.
If you're interested in learning more about how StarGarden's Foundation Workflow has helped automate business processes, be sure to check out our Free White Paper!
