Workflow Examples to Help You Get to a Quick Start

Jeremy Francis
February 4th, 2019 • workflow
In pretty much any workplace today–whatever the industry, size, or location–workflow management and automation are either already used or being considered.
The average business user is now empowered with the power to design workflows and achieve great, consistent results from common workplace processes.
For example, Kissflow has made it easy to create workflows with a WYSIWYG form designer, drag-and-drop modules, and an easy-to-understand visual design. But with certain processes, designing the workflow from scratch can be difficult, bordering on downright impossible.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of workflow examples for common workplace processes. With graphical representations, You’ll see what each process typically needs to include, which will give you a head start when you get into the ‘process designer’ mode.
Workflow Example 1: Vacation Requests
With time-off or vacation requests, the goal of the process is to approve planned, scheduled days off. Without a workflow system, employees typically send requests through email, and the respective boss/coordinator/approver maintains a log through spreadsheets.
Here’s a vacation request sample workflow
Form data to collect:
- Employee details (ID, department)
- Requested start and end dates
- Calculated total leave
- Type of leave
- Leave balance
Workflow actions:
a user-made decision on whether the leave is approved
Roles:
- Direct manager
- HR processing
Pro tips:
- Add a section on the field to choose who will you cover tasks for this person while they are gone
- Link your form to a dataset to pull updated leave balances
- Use an automated form to make sure days are counted accurately
Workflow Example 2: Document Approvals
Document approvals are a common, everyday task in businesses across industry verticals, but they tend to slow operations down. An email request system is only going to make things slower, so what you need is a workflow like this one:
Form data to collect:
- Initiator details
- Type of document
- Key information
- Document
Workflow actions:
Leaders should be able to review, approve, or reject an item. They should also be able to quickly ask contextual questions. Rejection can be set to trigger an ‘update document’ task allocated to the initiator, who will submit a new draft for approval.
Roles:
The number of workflow steps depends on the complexity of the document, but you usually need at least two people to look at it.
Pro Tips:
- Audit logs are key for documents to ensure that everyone is working on the same one. Make sure to adjust the read-only and editable fields so that no one can change information after approved.
- Storing documents in Google Drive also allows you to clearly see what changes have been made to documents.
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Workflow Example 3: Purchase Orders
This business process example is a little more complex than the previous ones, as it’ll need to include triggers from incoming customer emails containing POs. This process involves two goals: providing the service/product requested in the PO, and generating the respective invoice.
Form data to collect:
- Copy of the PO
- Buyer details
- Any PR numbers
- Delivery instructions
Workflow actions:
- Approve the PO
- Communicate with the buyer
Roles:
- Procurement leads
- Supply chain manager
- Finance team
Pro tips:
- Link different processes together, dovetailing your purchase request into a purchase order without needing to add information twice.
- Keep buyer information in a stored location for the automated referral.
Workflow Example 4: Expense Claim Requests
Just like the second workflow example of document approvals, expense claims are an ideal candidate for a workflow management system. You’ll see in the workflow diagram that this is a simple, straightforward, predictable process.
Field data to collect:
- Employee information
- Itemized expense information
- Payment type
- Justification
Actions
- Approval
- Fund disbursal
Roles:
- Initiator
- Manager(s)
- Finance
Pro tips:
- Put your expense policy right on your form and use data validations to make sure it is enforced
- Use conditional tasks so that expenses that fit the policy below a certain threshold don’t need multiple sign-offs every time
HR Workflow Examples :
Employee Onboarding: https://kissflow.com/hr-process/employee-onboarding/
Employee Offboarding: https://kissflow.com/hr-process/employee-offboarding/exit-interview-process/
Employee Performance Management: https://kissflow.com/hr-process/performance-management/
If you’re looking to create a workflow using powerful workflow management software like KiSSFLOW, these illustrated workflow examples should be all you need. However, note that only your imagination can limit you–all you need to do is pick workflow automation and build it just the way you want.
With KiSSFLOW’s easy-to-use interface, you’ll be designing your own workflows in no time!
Sign up for a free trial today.
There isn’t any paper in the copier. You should…
- Tell the Office Administrator and then go for a 3-hour lunch break
- Submit an online request for office supplies
- Put on your camo and steal some sheets from the other copier in Finance
- Use a burger wrapper from the garbage that doesn’t have much cheese on it
You had to use your own money to buy lunch for a customer who dropped by. You should…
- Submit the receipt, justification for the extra guacamole, and personal credit score
- Ask your colleague to create a diversion while you raid the petty cash drawer
- Fill out an online form that gets the money in your account the next day
- Just forget about it; you’ll never get the money back
You have a workplace complaint to register. You should…
- Grab a coffee while the HR manager opens the handbook to page one
- Enact a drama to show the dangers of inappropriate clothing
- Draw up articles of war
- Complete a confidential form online that is reviewed by HR and leadership
An irate customer complains about the service they received. You should...
- Say “uh-huh”, pretend you are typing, and go back to playing poker online
- Try to set the office record for most swear words recorded on a call
- Send the address of a dark alley where you can “settle this like men”
- Apologize, initiate a refund workflow, and report the incident
You had a great idea for a company blog post while on a client visit. You should…
- Submit the fully written article and images and follow up on it weekly for 2 years
- Walk over to marketing and try to figure out where everyone went
- Initiate a request on your phone as you walk out of the building
- Start your own damn blog if it’s so easy
Your email account seems to have stopped receiving emails. You should…
- Corner the market on pens in case there is a system-wide shutdown
- Create a support ticket online
- Breathe calmly as you call the IT team and listen to them laugh at you
- Watch five YouTube videos all entitled “How to Fix Your Email”
You want to do a quick training for new hires on some new software. You should…
- Ask the HR team to add the training to the current onboarding workflow
- Advertise a free pizza party–only newbies fall for that stuff
- Get used to the feel of delivering the training to an empty room
- Unknowingly agree to also train on the Employee Handbook, Health Insurance, Workplace Safety, and Sexual Harassment
Your Score
05
out of 28
Your Chaos is Under Control
Looks like you’ve got things covered. You are well on your way to an automated office. If you need an easier way to build your own automated workflows, sign up for a free trial of KiSSFLOW today.
Your Score
05
out of 28
Your Chaos is Concerning
You’ve worked in worse places, but that’s not saying much. Your workflows may be stuck in the paper age, and efficiency is a daily struggle. Make the leap and see what KiSSFLOW can do for you!
Your Score
05
out of 28
Your Chaos is Crippling
Chaos is alive and well with you. You can’t trust your current processes, and only the strong get expenses paid on time. KiSSFLOW can open a new world for you, if you survive this one!
Your Score
05
out of 28
Your Chaos is Complete
Your office is so chaotic, it’s almost off our charts. Hats off to you for getting anything productive done during your day. You can try KiSSFLOW, but even that probably can’t help you now.
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