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Top 10 Benefits Of Workflow Management And How To Develop Your Own!
The workplace has changed dramatically since the rise of the internet and the far-reaching connectivity it’s created. Competition in the business world is steep, and new strategies and systems are forming every day. Others, however, have been updated and automated making them more efficient and highly desirable. One of these new and improved systems is workflow management. Many companies have discovered the advantages of workflow management systems, and are thriving by implementing software to support them in a way that not only boosts productivity but also reduces stress company-wide!
What Is Workflow Management?
Workflow management refers to the tools and processes a company uses to streamline its operations and optimize its processes for increased efficiency. Originally, these systems were developed and managed by entire teams; however, the modern-day has allowed us to automate this process, and provide teams working remotely the same level of accessibility to the tools and strategies that an in-house team has. There are many workflow advantages, but these 10 benefits stand above the rest.
Top 10 Advantages Of A Workflow Management System
1. Improve Collaboration
When you successfully implement a workflow system, you’re creating a straightforward way for your employees to connect and complete projects efficiently as a team. This makes the process of sharing information easy, while also highlighting how your team members can benefit from one another and how they fit within the team as a whole. A workflow also provides your team with opportunities to view the project as an entire process, allowing them to have a better understanding of the project as a whole and how it all comes together. They can see who their work directly influences, providing them specific colleagues to reach out to during critical stages of the project – eliminating the “middle man”.
2. Reinforce Accountability
Workflows allow for tasks to be clearly assigned, roles to be defined in a format that guides all members through the course of the project, and expectations to measure success upon completion. With a strong workflow management system, work will be completed to a higher caliber and finished on time because you will be providing a detailed map for your team to follow confidently and refer back to at any stage of the project.
3. Reduce Costs
It’s becoming standard for companies to adopt a workflow system that’s automated. This makes it more easily accessible to entire teams, while also minimizing the number of outside people you would otherwise need to rely on for support or information. This effectively reduces your base operating costs. By implementing a workflow software that allows for full functionality, you’re able to create your personalized workflow and obtain your reports firsthand, eliminating the need for a second team to analyze and provide the details. You’ll also reduce costs through your team’s increased productivity, and through a significant decrease in potential challenges arising as you continue refining your workflow systems.
4. Eliminate Micromanagement (and increase employee morale!)
A major pain point for people working in a collaborative environment is often the heavy presence of leadership who steps in and dictates every minute detail of their project, not only raising stress levels but also reducing efficiency by spending valuable time monitoring each employee’s tasks and stepping in to offer criticism, halting progress on the project. Implementing a workflow management system will create a more seamless workflow with tasks already clearly laid out with a process to follow, and will eliminate the need for managers to personally step in and redirect their employees. Ultimately, this will allow managers to redistribute their focus to the aspects that matter most and build trust in their employees’ abilities, creating a more comfortable work environment for everyone.
5. Improve Communication
A strong workflow system encourages open communication between employees by forming a common and reliable space for them to contact one another and interact individually or transparently as a larger unit. It also allows your team a way to identify who they share common tasks with, and who they can reach out to for direction when they are in need of some additional support. Your workflow will create a space where your team can feel confident in connecting with their colleagues and working together seamlessly to find consistent success.
6. Reduce Stress
One of the major advantages of workflow management is the drastic reduction of stress for your employees. When a project has a clear action plan for your team to follow, it reduces the number of decisions that need to be made and creates a strong feeling of support and guidance for your staff, which can positively impact their stress levels while at work.
7. Enhance Productivity
When you implement a system to streamline your project, you’re naturally lowering the time it will take your team to complete each one by providing a clear outline that minimizes the risk of the project going off course and ensuring it doesn’t become more complex than expected. When a project can easily be worked through from start to finish, your team will be able to complete more with no additional effort needed!
8. Identify Barriers
After implementing a workflow management system, you’ll be able to assess its success each time a project is completed and adjust for optimum performance. This is essential as a business continues to grow and expand, and provides a strong starting point for any new project while allowing for quick adjustments to be made when challenges arise.
9. Decrease Redundancies
When you successfully implement a workflow for your team, it will remove the possibility of unnecessary work being done, and reduce the risk of tasks to be completed by more than one person. Everyone will know their role and their individual expectations, lowering the rates of task overlap and ensuring work is done with intention for maximum efficiency.
10. Expand Visibility
As workflows develop and become more integrated into your workplace, they will play a vital role in providing stakeholders with an inside view to assess how your teams are working through projects, and feel confident in the business as a whole. This can also be incredibly helpful while onboarding new clients because you’ll be able to provide a proven strategy and explain how their project could benefit from your management system.
How To Develop A Workflow Management System
Before you can experience the advantages of a workflow system, you first need to develop and implement one that is unique to your needs. The typical process of creating your personalized workflow management system includes:
1. Gather Information
Organize all the information you have on your current workflows and any additional details you’d want to consider implementing.
2. Visualize
Create a physical map for your workflows so they can be easily visualized, and you can find any areas that have been missed or underdeveloped.
3. Delegate
After you’ve designed your flow, you can begin assigning your team members to their tasks and their corresponding route to completion.
4. Analyze and Adjust
Once you’ve begun work on your project and your workflow is in effect, begin reviewing how people are utilizing the system, the processes within, and measure its outcomes for each phase of the project.
Conclusion
There are substantial benefits of creating a workflow system that fits your company’s needs and supports your team. When designed with the project scope in mind and in a way that allows each member of your team to have access at all stages of the project, you can ensure your team feels supported, confident, and ready for success.
The process of creating and managing a workflow system can seem daunting, but when paired with the proper software, like Teamly’s single management tool, the process becomes easy to understand with a quick development time, so you can see results quickly!
