If you are responsible for keeping your organization humming, you have probably spent more time than you care to admit thinking about workflow management. Are our workflows enabling our operations as efficiently as they could? Do our business rules still match our operational realities? Is there a better way to perform this function?
The questions can seem endless.
Of course, once your mind begins to race, you can be left feeling lost and without a solid place to start. When that happens, it is important to remember that workflows are a great way to enhance productivity and more efficiently use resources—but they also take continual care and evaluation.
So whether you have completed workflow analysis before or you are just embarking on your first attempt, here are five key questions you should include in your workflow analysis efforts.
1. How often are existing workflows and rules evaluated?
Even with the most comprehensive planning and organizational engagement, no work process or workflow is going to be perfect forever. Does your organization have a method to evaluate how existing workflows and rules fit current business needs? Is there a governance process in place to oversee this function?
After spending plenty of resources to establish workflows, it can be daunting to consider changing them. However, there are modern workflow management solutions that make it easy to refine your processes and adjust them to meet your new reality with simple click-and-drag technology.
2. Are your workflows able to handle time-sensitive activities?
Workflows are there to keep the wheels of your organization turning efficiently—especially those that could have negative internal or external impacts if they are not completed in a timely manner. If your workflows leave contracts, invoices, or other important documentation hanging because of a lack of definition or integration, your organization may already be feeling the strain.
