Top Features Of An Ideal Automated Workflow Solution

By Peter Sanders


With several organizations looking for ways of automating their day to day operations, workflow systems remain to be a vital investment for any business. These solutions let them automate their routine processes in order to manage them. However, these solutions do not come cheap. With this in mind, organizations need to be keen on the kind of workflow solutions they buy. Doing a simple search on Google is not enough. A wrong investment will not only bring everything to stall but also lead to losses. One way of gauging the effectiveness of an automated workflow solution is the kind of features it has. Below are some of the top features that your system should not miss.

In order to remain relevant, you should always choose cloud-based technology. Cloud-based software is important for any business. Users should have the opportunity to access data, reports, and make approvals from anywhere. Moreover, a cloud-based system will reduce the upfront investments in infrastructure and software updates.

Forms are an important element in your business automation. So, you would want to have a system with WYSIWYG form designer. This will let you design something you can see how it looks like through simple steps. You don't need something that you have to pay for a consultant to show you how to handle.

Another important feature that your workflow systems should not miss is the ability to create workflows in business steps. If you were to work with a system that let you create workflows in technical activities, you might not achieve value from the system because it is deviating from the way we think. Ideally, the system should let you think in linear loops while it handles the complex activities in the background.

One way of gaging a good automated workflow system is if it has KPI-based reporting. This is important because you will be able to identify and solve the bottlenecks on each step. Apart from this, your system should be able to send notifications to users through mobile or email about approvals.

Naturally, most business would love to automate all their processes. However, the major challenge arises when it comes to managing the progress. In this instance, you should have a system that shows progress through SLA status indicators.

Apart from monitoring progress, you should be able to control access to key information. Sometimes, workflows contain sensitive information that is not meant for all stakeholders. So, you should look out for a system that allows you to customize what each user can access. However, you should be keen on ensuring that the adjustments should not interfere with the operation of the system.

Essentially, workflows should not be operating independently of other procedures within your organization. For instance, sales reports, calendars, documents, contact details and cash flows are some of the important elements that cannot be separated from the system. Considering this, an ideal system should integrate with other cloud-based services such as QuickBooks, Google Calendar, or SalesForce.




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