Workflow management rules are a set of policies and procedures that govern the process of completing a workflow. They define which steps must be completed and when. This allows the process to take the most efficient path. When a company automatizes its most routine and predictable tasks with the proper workflow this lets employees focus on strategic goals.
Workflows can be built in a variety of formats to meet the needs of any project. A sequential workflow, as an example is one in which the next step cannot start until the previous one has been completed. This is typical in workflows that manage expenses, where employee reimbursement is contingent on receipts to be submitted and authorization for payment.
A state-machine flow is an order of actions that is performed on a product in a specific order. Each action shifts the product into a distinct state, like “being completed” or “being written”. State-machine workflows can also have additional rules in place such as if-this-then that conditional logic – which can alter the workflow’s path.
In addition, parallel workflows can have many actions that can be carried out in parallel to achieve a additional resources desired objective, for example, processing and mailing an item to a customer once the company has confirmed that it’s available. All of these can be automated with a workflow program.
With the right tools for managing workflows it’s simple to create and manage structured processes that optimize productivity, accountability, and efficiency. By streamlining communication and making sure all team members have clearly defined roles and obligations, managers can avoid confusion that leads to missing deadlines and losing momentum in critical projects.
