What is a Workflow? - Definition, Types, Examples - Overview

A workflow is a sequence of steps or tasks to achieve a specific goal. It is a blueprint for organizing tasks, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring smooth information flow between individuals or teams. Well-structured workflows help businesses standardize processes, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration.

For CIOs, IT managers, and operations leaders, mastering workflows is essential for operational efficiency and streamlining processes. In an era where businesses rely on automation and coordinated task management, workflows are the foundation for turning daily operations into strategic assets. This guide explores the core types of workflows, their practical applications, and how they can align technology with business goals, eliminate inefficiencies, and pave the way for digital transformation.

What is a Workflow? Definition and Meaning

A workflow is a system for managing tasks that follow a specific sequence. It is how individuals and organizations complete their work, whether producing goods, delivering services, processing data, or engaging in other value-creating activities.

Different Types of Workflows

Below are three types of workflows that you can use in your business:

• Process Workflow
• Case Workflow
• Project Workflow

Workflows happen throughout the workspace. Some are very structured, and others are unstructured, but workflows exist anytime data moves from one task to another.
Let’s see each workflow in detail.

Process Workflow

A process workflow happens when the set of tasks is predictable and repetitive. It means you know precisely its path before an item begins the workflow.
You can set up business process workflows to handle unlimited items. For example, a purchase requisition approval workflow starts with minimal variations, allowing you to process unlimited items within a single workflow.

Case Workflow

In a case workflow, you must know the exact path required to complete the item. The path unfolds as you gather more data. Support tickets and insurance claims are good examples of cases. It’s not clear right from the start how these items will be processed; only after some investigation will the path reveal itself.
Like process workflows, case workflows can handle any number of items, although they depend on a human or an intelligent bot to discern the right path.

Project Workflow

Projects have a structured path similar to processes, but there may be more flexibility along the way. Think about releasing a new version of your website. You can predict with reasonable accuracy the sequence of tasks required to complete the project.

However, project workflow is only suitable for one item. Another website release may not be done for long and will not likely follow the same path.
Most resources you’ll find online will only refer to workflows in the sense of process workflow, but the other two are just as important to consider, as much of the work around the office falls into those two categories.

Categories of Workflows

We can classify workflows into four categories:

Sequential Workflows

It is a type of workflow where the subsequent tasks depend on the previous task's completion. For example, when you apply for leave, you must wait until your manager approves it and then the finance department. Once your manager approves it, it will reach the finance department. This kind of workflow follows the same flow chart style, ensuring there are no backlogs and everyone in the sequence is moving forward.

Parallel Workflows

The type of workflow where multiple tasks can be performed in co-incidence. For example, when the HR department is onboarding a new employee, they can simultaneously request software and hardware assets from the IT team and request other paperwork, signatures, and contract-related documents from the finance and legal team. Sometimes, these workflows can also depend on each other. Parallel workflows are ideal for simple projects that divide the main task into independent sub-tasks. Delays in any sub-tasks do not disrupt the different functions.

State machine workflows

In this type of workflow, you progress from one state to another. State machine workflows can be complex, sometimes moving back and forth. Teams usually use this type of workflow in projects that require multiple evaluations and reviews from clients or management.

Rules-driven workflow

Rules-driven workflows follow sequential steps that use rules to make progress. They are helpful when teams work on multiple projects with clear objectives and different specifications.

Common Workflow Challenges

A workflow consists of a series of steps that need to follow a defined progression. While systemically, this can seem straightforward, there are some workflow obstacles one could encounter.

Some of the everyday workflow problems are as follows:

• Lack of accountability
• Inadequate collaboration
• Inability to delegate
• Overshooting deadlines
• Redundancies and bottlenecks
• Not accounting for ad-hoc requests Manual errors

How to Identify Workflows in Your Organization

Identifying workflows in your organization begins with recognizing repetitive tasks or processes that involve multiple steps and participants. These workflows often span departments and play a crucial role in day-to-day operations, requiring coordination, approvals, and communication.

Here are a few examples of workflows you might recognize in various parts of your business:

Sales Order Processing

This workflow moves through stages like order creation, approvals, inventory checks, and fulfillment, ensuring that sales are processed efficiently.

Travel Request Authorization

Employees submit travel requests, which pass through approval chains based on budget, necessity, and availability, ensuring compliance with company policies.

IT Bug Tracking

This workflow ensures that IT issues are handled systematically, from logging a bug to assigning developers and testing fixes.

Product Feature Requests

This workflow helps prioritize, review, and implement product feature updates as new ideas flow from users or teams.

Document Approvals

This workflow ensures that the right stakeholders review and approve documents, whether a contract or a policy document, before finalizing them.

Purchase Order Workflow

Managing purchase requests involves approval from multiple departments, ensuring that purchases align with budgets and organizational needs.

New Employee Onboarding

From collecting documents and setting up accounts to assigning training programs, onboarding involves several coordinated tasks to ensure a smooth start for new hires.

Workflow vs. Process: What's the Difference?

No. Workflows only describe the sequence of tasks. A process is a broader term encompassing the data, forms, reports, and notifications required to get an item from start to finish in a structured environment.
For example, a purchase order workflow might include steps like initiating the request, obtaining manager approval, and processing by procurement. Additionally, it involves selecting from an approved vendor list, assigning a unique purchase order number, notifying procurement, and considering the available budget, among other factors.

Workflow vs. Checklist: How Are They Different?

No, a checklist simplifies a workflow into its most basic form. It only applies to processes and projects and often cannot be shared with team members. Checklists also make it difficult to track items that need to return to an earlier stage in a workflow.

Checklists need help to process workflows based on specific data. For example, if you create marketing campaigns and need to follow a different workflow depending on the platform used for distribution, you would need separate checklists for each platform. More sophisticated workflows can handle all the items in a single workflow.

Be careful before choosing a workflow tool that looks more like an automated checklist, as you will quickly find limitations in its ability to handle your items.

Human-Centric vs. System-Centric Workflows

In human-centric workflows, the system assigns most tasks to humans. These tasks might involve approving data, creating something new, or double-checking information.
In system-centric workflows, machines handle most tasks with little to no human involvement. For example, the system can automatically trigger a monthly workflow to gather specific data from different systems, compile it into a report, and email it to all stakeholders.

Document-Centric Workflows: Managing Paperwork Efficiently

Document-centric workflows focus entirely on a document. A good example is a workflow built around a contract for leasing office space.

Everything that happens as a part of the workflow needs to be added or modified on the document, and the result should be a contract that correctly captures all the data in the workflow, including digital signatures.

Automated vs. Manual Workflows

A manual workflow requires human intervention and often involves moving each item from one task to another. An automated workflow, by contrast, leverages technology to automatically route predictable requests through a predefined path.

In a manual workflow, a human pushes each item from one task to another. For example, when an employee fills out a reimbursement claim, she must email it to her manager for approval. After approval, she must email it to the finance department.
The finance department must go into the software to schedule a payment and then email the employee to say it is complete.

In an automated workflow, when a human completes a task, she is not responsible for passing the data on to the next task. The workflow is programmed to handle this. The system manages the flow of functions, including notifications, deadlines, and reminders.

The employee might fill out a form and hit a submit button in the same reimbursement example. The form automatically notifies the manager to review it and click Approve. It would automatically take the form to the finance team for processing, or if the amount is small enough, it would trigger a task to release the payments and send an automated email to the employee.

Tracking items is much easier in automated workflows. To track items in a manual workflow, you must manually update a spreadsheet or send many messages and emails to determine their status. Automated workflows will show you instantly where the item is in the workflow.

83 percent of IT leaders believe workflow automation is necessary for digital transformation. 48 percent of organizations are currently installing automation solutions to automate manual tasks.

Top Benefits of Using Workflows in Business

“Automation is a powerful tool that can revolutionize workflows and unlock productivity in the digital era. By leveraging automation, businesses can achieve higher efficiency, accuracy, and scalability, leading to cost savings, improved decision-making, and enhanced customer satisfaction” - Vivek Goel, NASSCOM

Workflow automation software has many other benefits, including:

• Eliminating redundant tasks
• Improving efficiency
• Simplifying delegation of tasks
• Reducing processing time
• Giving greater visibility
• Establishing accountability

How to Create and Manage Automated Workflows

Many tools will digitize your workflows, but you should find one that can be automated as much as possible to help you better manage your workflow.

To automate your workflows, you’ll need to use workflow management software. This software will allow you to create a visual representation of the workflow, including all conditional tasks and exceptions. The best workflow tools will let you create a robust form that acts as a carrier for all the data required to process the item correctly.

The software will then run the workflows automatically. A user fills out an initial form, and the software moves the item from one task to another until completion.

Most workflow management software is only geared toward process workflows (those that are predictable and repetitive). However, you should find a solution to handle approval process automation, case workflows, and project workflows from the same platform rather than using different tools for all these situations. Most workflow management software focuses solely on process workflows, which are predictable and repetitive. However, you should choose a solution that can automate approval processes, handle case workflows, and manage project workflows from a single platform, rather than relying on different tools for each situation.

Organizations serious about workflow management have a central software for each department to create their workflows.

Why You Should Try Kissflow for Automated Workflows

Kissflow is an optimal choice for automating workflows. It offers an intuitive, user-friendly platform that allows businesses to streamline their processes and enhance efficiency. Whether your organization is large or small, Kissflow's powerful automation capabilities can help you minimize manual tasks, reduce errors, and save valuable time. By choosing Kissflow, you're investing in a tool and a pathway to improved productivity and operational excellence. So why wait?

Give Kissflow a try and experience the transformative power of automated workflows for your business.