For anyone that’s just getting started, workflow management isn’t the easiest field to get into. Before you even know the basics, you’re bombarded with hundreds of corporate buzzwords: process mapping, workflow automation, you name it!
So you end up wondering – what the heck is a workflow, and how can I use it to make my business more efficient? Well, we’re going to explain just that!
In this guide, you’ll learn…
- What is a workflow & how you can use it for your business
- Different ways to visualize a workflow (and the benefits of each approach)
- 2 real-life examples of workflows
- How to get started with workflows for your business
So, What Exactly is a Workflow?
To put it simply, a “workflow” is how you get work done. It’s a series of tasks you need to complete in order to reach some repeatable business goal.
The key word here is repeatable. The workflow shouldn’t be confused with a task (a one-time to-do), or a bunch of tasks bulked together (that’s a project). It’s a chain of tasks that happen in a sequence and something that you do on a regular basis.
To give you a better idea of how this works, let’s cover a practical example: employee onboarding. Whenever you hire a new employee, you need to explain how the company works, what their role is, and so on.
The sequence of tasks for a successful onboarding workflow could be…
| Step 1 | Send the new employee a welcome letter |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Get the employee to fill in W4 and I-9 |
| Step 3 | Enter the employee’s personal information in the company database |
| Step 4 | Get the hire’s workstation ready |
| Step 5 | Schedule any needed training and workshops |
The above, though, isn’t exactly a workflow.
When people refer to “workflows,” they mean the graphical representation. This is usually done in the form of a workflow diagram and documentation, or workflow management software.
At the end of the day, simply listing out the tasks is nice, but it doesn’t really do much for your business.
Visualizing them, though, can really be a game changer. By drawing a workflow as a flowchart & documenting any essential information on completing it allows you to analyze and improve the process, as well as eliminate bottlenecks.
Using workflow software, on the other hand, allows you to track all your workflows from start to finish.
To help you get the most out of your business, we’re going to explain how to document your workflows, as well as use workflow management software to track and automate them.
Workflow Diagrams and Documentation
A workflow diagram is the graphic illustration of a workflow in the form of some type of diagram. This can be, for example, a flowchart, SIPOC, swimlane, value stream map, and a bunch of others. Here’s a basic example of a workflow flowchart…
Workflow flowchart example: content marketing
Workflow documentation, on the other hand, is a document that lists the details about the workflow. You need to list out information such as…
- How exactly, do you complete each step?
- What kind of tools, hardware, or software, do you need to complete the step?
- Who’s in charge of which steps?
To get the most out of workflows, you need to both create the diagram and the documentation. This gives you a fuller picture of what the workflow is and what it consists of. In turn, this can help your business with…
- Workflow Analysis and Improvement – You know that you have workflows in your business, but are they as efficient as they possibly could be? For most organizations, the answer is a hard “no.” Creating the diagram and documentation allows you to analyze the workflow and find bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- New Hire Onboarding – Whenever you make a hire, you need to explain to each new employee how to carry out specific workflows. This can mean a lot of involvement and time wasted on your end. With documentation, your employees have a single document to both learn from and refer to if they forget something.
Sounds useful, right? Well, here’s how to document your workflows, as well as create workflow diagrams…
How to Create Workflow Diagrams and Documentation
Let’s start off by creating a workflow flowchart. The first step is to find an online graphing tool, such as LucidCharts. Simply create an account and pick the flowchart template…
Then, list out workflow steps in each block. Here’s an example of a support process courtesy of Lucidchart…
And finally, export the workflow as a PDF (or whatever document type you prefer).
Once you’ve got the flowchart, you need to create the documentation. Create a document (Word, Google Docs, whichever) and list out the following…
- Title Page – The title of the workflow you’re documenting
- Scope – Which teams, departments, and specialist does the workflow involve? If the workflow is for creating and approving a marketing budget, it could involve the marketing team and CFO.
- The Procedure – The exact steps that the workflow involves and the relevant diagram.
- Supplementary Information – Any additional information on the workflow. If the employees, for example, need some credentials to access certain software, where can they find it
Then, host the documentation on your favorite online storage or project management tool. As a given, give access to any relevant employee.
Workflow Software
Workflow Software is a more modern solution to managing your workflows. Instead of documenting your workflows on paper, you can completely digitize them using the software.
So, what exactly does that mean?
You can create workflow documentation with the software (as you’d do with a diagram), but the software can also help with the execution.
Instead of just giving out access to the document, you register your employees on the software and assign them to a given workflow. Whenever someone starts the workflow, the system notifies the relevant employees about it, and they’re automatically assigned tasks, deadlines, and so on.
At Tallyfy, we use our own proprietary workflow software for this. You get both a top-down view for the manager (of all workflows that are being carried out)…
And a task-specific view for your average employee…
The main difference between software and the usual documentation is that the software is just a lot more efficient. You can see what’s going on with your processes real-time, who’s in charge of what, whether there are any bottlenecks, etc.
This, in turn, has a lot of benefits for your business…
Workflow Automation – The software automates communication. Instead of having to send out tons of emails to delegate new tasks, the software does this for you (leaving your employees more time to focus on work that creates value).
Accountability – You can, at all times, know who’s in charge of what task or workflow. Meaning, if something goes wrong, it’s easy to find the reason behind it. This makes your team more accountable for their work.
Spotting Bottlenecks – The software lets you know whenever there are missed deadlines or bottlenecks within a workflow, allowing you to come up with a solution ASAP.
Efficiency – As a result of the benefits we’ve mentioned above, your business ends up being more efficient overall.
Reporting – Most workflow management software gives you access to analytics and reporting, allowing you to measure and improve workflows.
How to Use Workflow Software
The first step to getting started with workflow software is to create an account. If you want to give Tallyfy a try, head over here and register.
As a given, to get the most out of the platform, you need to have all of the employees (that are relevant to the workflow) on board.
Hit the “new” button and then “new co-worker.”
You’ll see a pop-up asking for the employee credentials. Send out as many invites as needed. Once everyone’s on board, you can start creating the workflows.
Head over to “templates” and click on “create new.”
Pick a name for the workflow and fill in the steps…
For each step, you can set deadlines, explain how to complete it, assign it to any specific employee, and so on.
Once you’re done with your workflow template, head over to your template library and hit “launch process.”
The software will take over the execution from here, and all you have to do is just sit back and relax!
2 Real-Life Workflow Examples
Want to start documenting your workflows, but don’t know which ones to start with?
Here’s a couple of common workflow examples that can be used for most businesses…
Content Marketing
Content marketing can be extremely hectic. In most cases, publishing a single article requires collaboration between 4 different employees…
- First, the writer has to create the content
- Then, the editor has to polish it to perfection
- The designer should then create any relevant images and materials
- And finally, the marketer needs to optimize the article for Google and publish it
If you’re publishing one piece of content per month, this isn’t that much of an issue.
If you have a bunch of different articles and guides being produced at the same time, though, things can get confusing.
Sometimes, you’ll see a bunch of content forever stuck in backlog, missed deadlines, etc…
Creating a content marketing workflow can help keep track of the entire process and ensure that everything stays on track.
Here’s what the content marketing workflow looks like for our team…
| Step 1 | Content creator writes out the article draft, includes any details needed for graphical assets, and marks the step as done |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | The editor fixes up the article, leaves comments, and marks their step as complete. |
| Step 3 | The designer creates the assets, uploads it to the software, and marks the step as done. |
| Step 4 | The writer gets a notification back that everything is ready. Then, they compile the final article, add images, make changes, and finish the step. |
| Step 5 | The marketer uploads the article on WordPress, optimizes it for SEO best practices, and publishes the piece. |
Employee Onboarding
Employee onboarding is a process that’s present in just about every company.
For most organizations, though, it’s more or less an after-thought. They don’t go out of their way to structure the process and make the experience as welcoming for the employee as possible.
The thing is, though, the right onboarding process can really benefit your organization. In fact, it can increase your employee retention by up to 25%.
So, how do you create a stellar onboarding experience? At Tallyfy, we use the following workflow…
| Step 1 | Sending your new employee a welcome letter |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Entering their personal information into the company database |
| Step 3 | Going through all the legal procedures |
| Step 4 | Introducing them to the rest of their team |
| Step 5 | Getting their desk and other work supplies ready |
| Step 6 | Scheduling any necessary workplace training |
Managing and Improving Your Workflows
Now that you know how workflows “work,” you might want to start using them in your business. And what’s a better way to start than by using the right software? Give it a go, it’s free for up to 5 users!
Related Questions
What are the 3 basic components of workflow?
Every workflow has three essential building blocks: input, transformation, and output. Input is where things start – like receiving an order or getting a document. Transformation is the actual work being done, where the magic happens. Output is the end result, like a happy customer or a finished product. Think of it like baking cookies: ingredients are your input, mixing and baking is the transformation, and warm, delicious cookies are your output.
What is an example of a workflow?
A common workflow that everyone can relate to is ordering a pizza. It starts when you place the order (input), then moves to the kitchen where they prepare and cook your pizza (transformation), and ends with delivery to your door (output). In business, a typical example is employee onboarding: from accepting a job offer to setting up equipment and training, all the way to having a fully productive team member.
What are different types of workflows?
Workflows come in several flavors. Process workflows are like assembly lines – they follow the same steps every time, perfect for things like manufacturing. Project workflows are more flexible and unique, like planning an event. Case workflows adapt based on the situation, like how a doctor treats different patients. There’s also sequential workflows (step by step), parallel workflows (multiple things happening at once), and rules-based workflows (if this happens, then do that).
How to create effective workflows?
Creating a great workflow starts with mapping out what’s actually happening right now. Talk to the people doing the work, and draw out each step. Keep it simple – if you can’t explain it to a fifth-grader, it’s too complex. Use software like Tallyfy to make your workflow digital and trackable. Most importantly, test your workflow with real people and be ready to adjust it based on feedback.
What makes a workflow different from a checklist?
While a checklist is just a simple list of tasks, a workflow is more like a living story. It shows how work moves from person to person, includes decision points, and handles different scenarios. Think of a checklist as a shopping list, while a workflow is more like a recipe that explains how ingredients come together to make a meal.
Why do businesses need workflows?
Workflows prevent chaos and confusion at work. They help everyone know exactly what they should be doing and when they should do it. Good workflows reduce mistakes, save time, and make sure important things don’t fall through the cracks. They’re especially valuable when training new employees or handling complex tasks that involve multiple people.
How do you know if your workflow is working?
A successful workflow should make work easier, not harder. Look for signs like fewer mistakes, faster completion times, and happier employees and customers. Track how long things take and where work gets stuck. If people are finding workarounds or complaining about bottlenecks, it’s time to revisit and improve your workflow.
What’s the difference between automated and manual workflows?
Manual workflows rely on human actions for every step, like passing paper forms around an office. Automated workflows use software to move work along automatically, send reminders, and handle routine decisions. While not everything should be automated, using tools like Tallyfy for repetitive tasks lets people focus on work that really needs human touch.
How do workflows impact business success?
Well-designed workflows are like the circulatory system of a business – they keep everything moving smoothly. They help companies deliver consistent quality, respond faster to customers, and scale up operations without chaos. Good workflows also make it easier to spot and fix problems before they become serious issues.
Can workflows change over time?
Absolutely! The best workflows evolve as businesses grow and change. What worked perfectly for a small team might need adjustments for a larger organization. Smart companies regularly review their workflows, ask for feedback, and make improvements. It’s like updating your phone’s software – small, regular updates keep everything running smoothly.
