What is a Workflow?
A workflow is a (recurring) operational process within organizations and companies that can be IT-supported, structured, optimized, and automated as part of workflow management. The workflow is part of a business process and describes interdependent activities or work procedures. Furthermore, a workflow, often processed by multiple stakeholders, has a defined starting event and a specified end result.
How Does Workflow Management Help?
A workflow management system enables standardized processes to be controlled and unified across the entire enterprise. This supports structured, collaborative task processing, thereby improving process quality and turnaround times. Additionally, the implementation of workflow management systems enhances transparency and increases flexibility.
The foundation for workflow management operations is Business Process Management. Once processes are defined and divided into sub-processes, the corresponding workflows can be specified. These workflows can then be tested to identify optimization potential and enhance their efficiency. When a workflow has been optimized to achieve the defined end result with minimal effort, it is implemented via software. This enables efficient, automated processes in the digital work environment.