Workflow automation: do more with less

Workflow automation is a way to automate routine or repetitive tasks and activities in your business based on given triggers and events. This reduces the need for manual intervention and input, thereby increasing efficiency, reducing errors, and saving time.

You can essentially think of a workflow as a recipe for a process — the steps required to achieve a given objective. In a business context, this might involve multiple actions within a single app or across different pieces of software. By automating the workflow, information and resources can freely move through the pipeline as each step is completed, with minimal need for human interaction. 

Let’s break things down with a simple example. Imagine an e-commerce business selling shoes online. A customer browses the site, adds a pair of shoes to their cart, and completes the checkout process. This triggers an automated workflow within the company’s various software solutions:

1. Checkout completed – Order details are recorded in the database and passed to the inventory management tool, typically through a native integration or API.
2. Inventory is checked – If the item is in stock, the order details pass to the next step and the customer is sent a confirmation email. If the item is out of stock, the relevant employee is notified.
3. Order fulfillment – A pick list is generated for the warehouse team, and inventory levels are updated.
4. Shipping – Courier pickup is scheduled, with shipping labels and tracking information automatically generated.
5. Delivery – Once the courier picks up the parcel, the customer is sent tracking details via email. 
6. Follow-up – A set period after delivery, the customer is emailed again, prompting them to review their item or leave feedback. 
   

By automating these steps, order processing time is reduced, while order validation and inventory management are more accurate thanks to the removal of manual data entries. The buyer also receives real-time notifications about their order as it moves through the pipeline, improving the customer experience.

As you can see, workflow automation can significantly reduce the manual burden of time-consuming day-to-day tasks that keep your business running, freeing your employees up for more strategic activities. Keep reading and we’ll touch on some more benefits. 

How workflow automation enhances business processes 

Workflow automation can boost productivity across a wide range of industries and departments, eliminating bottlenecks and streamlining operations. Take a look at some potential use cases of business workflow automation below. 

Finance and accounting

Finance departments can benefit significantly from workflow automation, thanks to reduced chance for human error and easier compliance with regulatory frameworks. Examples of workflow automation in finance include:

• Invoice processing – Systems like QuickBooks can automatically match invoices with purchase orders and update financial records.
• Payroll management – Automated payroll systems can calculate salaries, deduct taxes, and distribute payments accurately and on time. Tools like ADP automate the entire payroll process, from tracking employee hours to issuing paychecks.
• Expense management – Employees can submit expense reports through automated systems that track, approve, and reimburse expenses according to business rules, without the need for manual spreadsheets. 

Human resources

The benefits of workflow automation to HR teams typically revolve around simplifying and streamlining routine activities to reduce manual overhead. Examples include:

• Employee onboarding – New hires can complete onboarding tasks such as filling out forms and setting up accounts through an automated system, with software and permissions automatically provisioned based on their role. 
• Leave management – Leave management systems let employees request time off, with automatic approval processes based on company policy followed by tracking of leave quotas.

Recruitment

Recruitment processes can often be made more efficient through automation, enabling recruiters to focus on finding the right candidates. Here’s how:

• Candidate screening – Automated systems can scan resumes for keywords, qualifications, and experience, shortlisting the best candidates for further review.
• Interview scheduling – Candidate interviews can be automatically scheduled to fit with hiring managers’ working hours while reducing back-and-forth communication.
• Video interview analysis – Sophisticated AI tools can analyze video interviews using facial recognition and speech analytics, highlighting the most promising candidates to recruiters through supplemental profiling metrics.

Procurement

Procurement can be heavily streamlined through workflow automation, optimizing purchasing and supply chain activities with less admin and reduced potential for manual errors. Teams can benefit from the following:

• Purchase order management – Automated systems can manage requisitions, track approvals, and update inventory levels once orders are received. This increases accuracy and speeds up the procurement process.
• Supplier performance – Automation tools can assess suppliers, evaluating their performance using data across historic POs to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability.

Customer service

Customer service operations can be enhanced through automation, leading to quicker and more efficient issue resolution as well as improved customer experience. Here are some cases:

• Ticketing systems – Automated ticketing systems in tools like Zendesk can categorize customer queries, routing them to the appropriate department or agent with the necessary expertise.
• Chatbots – Automated chatbots can handle common customer inquiries, providing instant responses or escalating issues to relevant human agents if required.

Best practices for adopting workflow automation 

Automating workflows within your organization requires planning. There are several best practices to consider when it comes to workflow management — here’s an overview.

1. Identify suitable processes

The kinds of manual processes that can be automated are typically routine, repetitive tasks with well-defined steps and clear rules. This can apply to both simple and complex workflows. 

2. Set clear objectives

Before automating your workflow, define the outcomes you want to achieve — for example, are you prioritizing a reduction in manual effort, minimizing human error, or improving customer experiences?

3. Map out existing workflows

To design an effective workflow automation, you need a strong understanding of your current business processes. Document your existing workflows in detail so you know how each process relates to the next. 

4. Choose the right tools

There are many workflow automation tools on the market, but you need to select one that aligns with your business needs. Factors to consider include ease of use (such as low-code or no-code), integration capabilities, and scalability. 

5. Testing and training

You should run a small-scale pilot test of your automated workflow to identify potential issues and make adjustments before rolling it out more widely. Employees will also require comprehensive training so they understand how to properly use the new tools.

6. Monitor and improve

Once your automated workflow is deployed, you should continuously measure its performance. Building in metrics and KPIs at key points of the pipeline helps track efficiency and accuracy, creating a ‘self-reporting’ workflow for clear oversight.

7. Ensure compliance

Make sure your automated workflows comply with relevant industry regulations and standards. Potential considerations include API security and sharing of data between applications. Don’t just set and forget either — you should still maintain human oversight for critical decision-making and exception handling. 

The best workflow automation tools 

Today, workflow automation capabilities are built into a vast number of SaaS solutions, making it easy to enhance productivity and save time across a range of business functions. 

Specially designed workflow automation software can bridge the gap between different software and systems, connecting multiple applications together to create complex workflows: 

• Zapier lets users automate tasks across over 3,000 apps, triggering actions based on specific events.
• Microsoft Power Automate enables automated workflows between Microsoft services and third-party applications.
• IFTTT (If This Then That) is a user-friendly tool that connects various apps and devices through simple conditional statements.
  

There are plenty of tools available for automation of more specific manual tasks within particular departments and teams too. Here are just a few examples of what’s available.

Project management

• Asana is ideal for tracking project progress on dashboards, assigning tasks, and collaborating with team members.
• Trello uses a card-based system for organizing tasks, projects, and deadlines.
• Monday offers a highly customizable platform suitable for managing projects, workflows, and team collaboration.

Marketing

• HubSpot provides comprehensive tools for inbound marketing, email campaigns, and lead management.
• Mailchimp for email marketing can automate campaigns, customer segmentation, and performance tracking.
• Marketo is an advanced marketing automation platform with features for email marketing, lead management, and analytics.

IT and development

• Jira is a popular tool for software development teams, offering automation for issue tracking, project management, and agile workflows.
• GitHub Actions can automate software development workflows, including CI/CD, testing, and deployment.
• ‍Ansible is an open-source automation tool for IT tasks like configuration management and application deployment.