As your organization grows, it may face various difficulties with managing, maintaining, and scaling workflows. It is no easy task to optimize them, especially since it is common now to promote hybrid work, so most or even all the processes need to be digitized to align the remote and office work.
In order to organize processes better and improve productivity, many companies have decided to introduce modern workflow management software that facilitates various aspects of communication, scheduling tasks, cooperating on a project, etc. Such a solution can bring you a lot of benefits, but it is crucial to apply it properly to use its potential to the fullest.
Learn more about the best practices for workflow management software and get the most out of it!
Key Takeaways
- Workflow management software is a system designed for automating various processes and facilitating the completion of tasks (especially the mundane and repetitive ones).
- In order to benefit from such an enhancement to the fullest, you should follow a set of the most recommended practices.
- You should design your workflow as a non-linear process, create a written or visual workflow plan, prepare for failures, document as much as you can, and encourage your team to automate processes.
- At HighGear, you get not only excellent workflow management software but also support for implementation and applying best practices while using it.
Understanding Workflow Management Software
First, it is most important to fully understand what workflow management software is.
Namely, such a system is designed for setting up, handling, and monitoring a sequence of tasks and other aspects associated with working on certain projects together (in a team or between teams).
This technology supports the automation of processes that typically require intervention and coordination among multiple employees and departments within an organization. It especially concerns repetitive tasks, which leads to leaving more time to focus on more complex work.
What Are the Best Practices for Workflow Management Software?
In order to gain as many benefits from workflow management software as possible, it is recommended to follow certain good practices. Consider the following:
Design Workflow as a Non-Linear Process
It’s easy to be confused about workflow and imagine it as a flow chart process. Additionally, it may not be that easy to predict all the changes that may need to be made or unexpected circumstances that may happen.
Therefore, while designing the workflow in your software, you should create a non-linear process. It will allow you to make amendments and improvements, avoid mistakes, and address immediate issues more effectively.
Prepare a Written or Visual Workflow Plan
Even if a certain workflow looks simple at first, it can get more complicated as you get deeper into it, especially if it requires many steps and approvals on the way. For this reason, every workflow should be carefully mapped to help you keep track of the progress and so that you can clearly see what is working and what is not.
However, it does not mean your workflow map must be complicated. It can start as a few sticky notes or a sketch in your notebook, and then it should be organized in a written or visual form, clearly showing every step in the process.
Document Everything You Can
When a problem appears, you need to find not only the solution but also its origin to prevent it from happening again in the future. To save the time necessary to dig into causes and search for the reason for the issue, it is advised to document everything happening in your workflow management system.
If there are no notes, logs, or documents filed there, you may waste a lot of time just to find nothing. Even if you manage to solve the problem, you will not be able to minimize the risk of its repetition.
Plan for Things Going Wrong
One of the key features of workflow management software is that it can help you prepare for failures. You just need to anticipate any delays or setbacks in your workflow ahead of time.
It is important to consider this while mapping processes in your workflow management system. You should include steps for such events as rejected approvals, requested edits, or expired workflows.
What’s more, you should encourage your team to make notes in the workflow management software whenever something fails to be correctly executed so that everyone can be informed about it and react accordingly.
Encourage as Much Automation as Possible
Your employees may be used to performing mundane and repetitive tasks manually and not even notice that they can facilitate them and save their precious time by automating certain processes.
In order to let them focus on what really requires human attention and interaction, it is advised to implement workflow management software and promote automation, encouraging the team to use as many features as they can to shorten the time for completing tasks.
Get the Best Workflow Management Software at HighGear
HighGear services include offering you innovative workflow management software and customizing it to the individual needs of your organization. Our team is happy to provide you with more information on the best practices for using it so that you can maximize your benefits and reduce complications in your workflow.
We are passionate and dedicated to helping organizations introduce more automation and reducing the time spent on tedious tasks. Contact us now to get more information and find out what we can do for your business!
FAQ
1. Why should I invest in workflow management software?
Here are some of the most important benefits of a workflow management system:
- You can reduce reliance on spreadsheets and paper-based documents
- You can manage tasks more efficiently
- You can improve communication in your team and between teams
- You can reduce the time necessary to finalize projects
- You can find the origins of appearing issues more easily and implement changes necessary to prevent them in the future
2. Can I choose between different models of workflow management software?
Yes, there are certain types of workflow management systems, so you can pick the one that suits the needs of your organization best.
On top of that, each of them can be customized according to your requirements, so it can fit into the specifics of your business even more effectively.
3. Why should I choose HighGear as my workflow management software provider?
We offer power, speed, and flexibility at a reasonable price. Investing in our solution, you will get access to an intuitive, convenient, and powerful tool that will improve your workflow to a large extent.
If you are still wondering why you should choose HighGear, we are open to any questions you may have. You can always schedule a consultation to make sure all of your doubts are addressed.