Skip to product menu
close
  • Recent Launches
    Press Space or Enter to display list of options
EXPLORE ALL PRODUCTS

Recent Launches

New

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Try now
New

Robotic process automation software to automate high-volume, rule-based tasks.

Try for free
New

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

Try now
New

Business formation service to launch and grow your businesses.

Try now
New

Privacy-friendly application analytics solution.

Try for free

Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
NEW
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

Try now
CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Try now
Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Try now
Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

Try now
People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Try now
Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Try now
Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

TRY ZOHO ONE
Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content
  • HOME
  • Know Your Tech
  • Make seamless execution of workflows a reality with a workflow management system

Make seamless execution of workflows a reality with a workflow management system

  • Last Updated : April 20, 2023
  • 621 Views
  • 6 Min Read

Well-designed workflows add structure to your business operations. They automate repetitive tasks and produce consistent results. Poorly designed and implemented workflows, on the other hand, have the opposite effect—they cause long processing times, high operating costs, and continuous errors.

Are we giving the right amount of attention to managing workflows for our business?

What's the correlation between workflow management and seamless business operations?

Workflow management is required to ensure everyone is working to capacity and that things are moving forward. Its primary objective is to streamline each stage of a process, so that it's carried out more accurately and effectively. When it comes to increasing production, reducing errors, and eliminating repetition, workflow management is all about optimizing, enhancing, and automating processes whenever it is practical.

Gartner predicts that, by 2024, 69% of day-to-day management processes will be fully automated.

However, first things first.

What does a workflow management system do?

A workflow management system helps your organization optimize operational efficiency by streamlining day-to-day business processes. For example, a workflow management solution may entail developing a form to store data and automating a series of steps that the data must take before being fully processed. Workflow tasks can be carried out by either a system or manually. 

Business operations are more closely aligned with corporate goals when key business process activities are automated. Automating operations eliminates all of the issues that a manual workflow system has. Streamlined workflows thus significantly enhance a business's productivity and key performance indicators.

There are three basic components of a workflow management system. They are:

  • Sequential: A workflow has a series of steps, which are predefined groups of tasks. Until the endpoint, they clarify what occurs at each step of the workflow. Depending on the process, a step may be manual or automated.
  • Stakeholders: Generally, stakeholders are responsible for carrying out certain tasks in the workflow. The workflow can be broken down into individual steps, groups of steps, or all of them—and each step is given a set of stakeholders.
  • Rules: Rules are also known as conditions, because they specify when one action is complete and what the next step should be. Conditions are most significant in approval workflows, where certain stages are skipped based on the data.

Now the big question:

What is the NEED for a workflow management system?

By eliminating tedious tasks and expediting response times, workflow management systems boost productivity and customer satisfaction, and reduce employee frustration.

It's impossible to overstate how much innovation and rapid product delivery are essential to today's business operations. Successful businesses are continually looking for methods to reorganize their company structures and streamline their operations to stay on top of current market standards. By using a comprehensive workflow management system, your business can achieve all this.

Top 5 features every workflow management system must have:

  1. No-code workflows to make your life easier
  2. Cloud-based tech: Anytime, anywhere
  3. Seamless integrations
  4. Role-based access to define your role better
  5. Customization: The real game changer
No-code workflows to make your life easier

A no-code workflow system enables users to visually automate processes or workflows and package them as custom applications without coding. With key features—such as intuitive drag-and-drop form builders, visual workflows, and dashboards—it enables everyone in your workforce to complete approvals and even create new workflows, without having to depend on the development team's support.

Cloud-based tech: Anytime, anywhere

Cloud technology has completely transformed the way we work. It has eliminated the need for your team to be tied to a single computer—allowing them to access their work from anywhere and at any time. Full access to all files submitted inside the cloud-based workflow system enables and ensures a seamless process and helps business owners make informed decisions quickly.

Seamless integrations

Integrations help fill gaps and eliminate redundancies—such as entering data multiple times—and cannot exist separately from other business processes. It also helps with the seamless flow of data from one piece of software to another. As a result, it's essential to integrate it with other apps. Utilizing your other apps to take part in workflows is paramount. A good workflow management tool should complement your existing stack rather than complicate it.

Role-based access to define your role better

Different users may use the app for different purposes. Traditionally, core business processes involve multiple departments. As a result, admins need to assign access and actions based on a person's role within the system.

Depending on the role, different people will possess different responsibilities and access rights. A workflow management system will let you clearly define what each user can see and edit. And the best part? The workflow can be quickly changed at any time, without worrying about breaking or affecting the overall process, which lets you perform your tasks more seamlessly.

Customization: The real game changer

Business requirements will differ from one organization to another. As a result, your workflow management system must enable you to tailor your workflows to your ever-changing business requirements. The platform must provide complete flexibility to establish a connection to other workflows, design the reports and dashboards you require, and schedule notifications and escalations as needed. Your workflow management system should also support personal tasks, so that users don't have to switch between apps to log a small, one-time task for themselves.

Why should you consider using a workflow management system?

Workflows are critical to business operations and can be the key to solving all your issues, from automating routine tasks to boosting organizational efficiency.

Here are some of the benefits of having a workflow management system:
  • Automate on the go: Get rid of redundant tasks
  • Keep tabs: Improve your time management
  • Take control: Greater transparency into your workflows
  • Flexibility, agility, scalability: For anything you might need
  • Multi-task easily: No more roadblocks

Workflow management vs project management

A workflow is a consistent, redundant set of activities within an organization. In contrast, a project is a short-term activity designed to either deliver a new function or service, or improve an existing function, service, or entity. For long-term projects, teams use workflow management, whereas for one-time projects, teams use project management.

Workflow management progress is sequential, whereas project management progress is not. Workflow management tasks are consistent in their focus on the overall goals of the organization. In contrast, the functions listed in project management vary depending on the project requirements.

Workflow management best practices

1) Understand your workflow management system 

It's essential to understand the capabilities of your workflow management system. Utilize the system to the fullest extent possible, to position yourself to optimize, rethink, and even eliminate outdated workflows. Similarly, identify activities that can be eliminated or automated to improve workflow efficiency.

2) Visualize your workflows

Workflow visualization uses visual flows to provide a high-level view of the process sequence. While some workflows are simple to grasp, others are more complicated—especially when first introduced. While incorporating process steps, users can drag and drop workflow elements into place. Visually appealing workflows also simplify the planning process and facilitate team members to identify bottlenecks on the go. As a result, the team becomes more productive and effective.

3) Streamline workflows 

Workflows ought to be flexible and agile. Create simple workflows for employees to follow, and keep an eye out for shortcuts that indicate the need or potential for streamlining. Every step in your workflow is critical, but not equally so. The first step is crucial, because it kicks off the entire workflow, simplifying it accordingly. It's also vital to prioritize based on other important factors like execution time and the required effort.

Learn all about workflows here.

Why choose Zoho Creator to build your workflow management system?

Zoho Creator is a cloud-based workflow management platform that allows users to build complex workflows with its simple drag-and-drop interface. With features, like third-party integrations, user-based access controls, and guided scripting, make it easier to design and automate any complex business workflows for every process. Using Zoho Creator's workflow platform, you can get more done in less time and build scalable workflow solutions more seamlessly.

We have helped 14,000+ brands create bespoke workflows and improve their end-to-end operations across a variety of industries. With over 25 years of experience in catering to B2B organizations, we have the best tools in the trade to help you improve your business. Sign up for free and get started with Zoho Creator - the power of creation!

Get Started with Zoho Creator

Related Topics

  • Aishwarya

    Aishwarya is a content marketer at Zoho. Apart from creating content, she loves to read and watch sci-fi and crime thrillers, travel, and basically can't survive without coffee.

You may also like