What Is Workflow Management?

Hiring an employee and getting funds for a new coffee machine have one thing in common. Workflow management.

Simply put, workflow is the process that guides how things get done. Hiring a new team member has precise steps in a particular order that are followed every time someone is onboarded. The same goes for many other activities carried out constantly to keep your business running.

Business workflows happen all around you every day, but they can go unnoticed as tasks are completed.

However, getting things done is not good enough. Especially when you are trying to increase productivity and optimize growth. Workflows are not always predictable and do not always give consistent results. If you are aiming for perfect processes, you need to keep a close eye on tasks and the people involved. This is where workflow management comes in.

Workflow management means supervising tasks as they progress, ensuring the people and processes involved are moving efficiently and effectively. It optimizes processes, limits the waste of precious time and resources, and keeps workers accountable.

Let’s see an example of how this could work for hiring a new employee.

It’s not magic.

Employees move faster with better documentation and clear communication. Instead of spending hours waiting for access to a folder with vital information, they can access it in minutes when it’s uploaded to a single platform.

When each person has a defined role and deliverables, which can be logged and tracked in a workflow management tool, it is easier to find the problem and hold them accountable. Instead of hiding behind the word “we,” everyone has to do their part and do it well.

Humans make mistakes. Many humans working together and multitasking can create a lot of mistakes. But by arranging, tracking and coordinating processes, people can access information when they need it, clarify ideas and make better decisions.

Now you know how workflow management can make your business more productive. But how do you get started? Here are 5 easy steps you can follow.

The first step is to ask “what business processes are repeated over and over again?”

A great way to make sure you have all the recurring processes is to ask team leads and employees about it. Talk to everyone involved in the process to understand how it is carried out and what they think should be done better. Guessing will throw you off track. Better yet, automate recurring processes with Hive by creating recurring actions daily, weekly, or monthly.

What are you trying to achieve by managing workflows?

Using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goals makes efforts laser-focused in one direction. This is much better than everyone not knowing why they are doing things or what they are doing in the first place. Employees will be motivated when they understand how their own efforts tie into the larger tasks.

Instead of sending “Hey” over Slack or Hive and watching for hours for a reply, mention the reason for the message first. Include context and the goal you are trying to achieve. It could look something like this: “Hey, Sam. Could you send specifications for the junior developer role your team needs to fill today. I need to send it over to Brand and Publicity to create an ad.”

For tasks to move down the line, activities need to be defined in terms of roles. Everyone needs to know who is doing what and when their work is due. Roles makes it easier to allocate and track deliverables which increases accountability and chances of success.

Letting members understand how important their end is to the overall process is crucial. It motivates them to give their best.

Here are a few of the features Hive has that can help enhance your workflow:

In the end, workflow management is not a one man job. Your greatest asset is the support and willingness of your team to take your business process from slow and unproductive to efficient and profitable.

Never lose sight of this — optimizing productivity is more important than anything else.

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