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Forms and workflows go together naturally. You can accelerate both by going electronic.[/caption] Workflow automation isn't some esoteric business or programming term, it's just the automation process of completing a series of steps. Workflows can be quite simple, or they can be complicated enough to involve sub-processes and the approval of numerous people along the way. You use workflows whether you call them that or not, whenever you validate a client's parking ticket, submit a report for approval, or turn hourly records into paychecks. Workflows are often based on forms because forms provide a framework for consistency and familiarity. Form-based workflows, however, are better than paper processes in many ways, and once you break down a form-based workflow into its component steps, you can often see ways to make them more efficient. If your business is interested in improving workflows, here are several ideas for how to do that.
Centralize Form Submission for Each Process
When form-based workflows depend on paper and inboxes, the results can be uneven. If an administrative assistant is out so that forms aren't delivered to the right person, workflows can be needlessly stalled. Electronic form-based workflows, however, allow the person completing the form to automatically submit it to exactly the right recipient instantly, without worrying about intracompany mail delivery or an assistant remembering to turn the form in. When you have a singular, automatic point of contact for each form, workflows speed up significantly.
