There was a time when Post-it notes and yelled reminders across the bullpen made up for the need but nowadays, more and more businesses are opting to make their workflows automated. Whether it’s approval or task completion, the call for a more efficient system has led to the influx of workflow automation software in the market.
If you want your business to succeed, you need to make sure your core operations are run smoothly and with great care, its processes and procedures defined clearly. Then, you can focus on the bigger picture and help your business grow.
What is workflow automation?
Workflow automation removes the middle man, so to speak, paving the way for a smoother, more efficient way of completing tasks, approving documents, and accessing files. With clearly defined roles, systems, and procedures, redundancies are eliminated and the team is more productive.
A workflow automation software can also help in minimizing, even eliminating completely, the margin for error and evenly distributes tasks so your team stays motivated, without getting overworked and weighed down by errors.
Choosing a workflow automation software
You’ve decided to get workflow automation software for your business but how do you pick the best one? Even if budget is not something you’re worried about, you still need to make sure you’re choosing the workflow automation software that’s right for your company.
There are definitely a lot of factors to consider but it’s absolutely worth it to stop and consult with your team before finalizing a purchase. After all, they’re the ones who will benefit most from the change.
1. Evaluate your existing system
Prior to choosing a workflow automation software, you and your team need to take a closer look at your existing system to see what’s not working, what needs to be improved on, and what needs to be added in. Be sure to review everything – from task loads to approval roles – and get everyone together, from your managers, subject-matter experts, and regular team members.
It’s important that your new workflow automation software is able to fill in the gap for your team so they can be more efficient, productive, and effective. If you want to get your money’s worth, take the time to get everyone’s input.
2. Identify the need
It doesn’t matter how good your system is. With the business environment and climate-changing and evolving at a steady pace, upgrading to a business workflow automation software is important. If you want your company to move with the times, getting a new workflow automation software will get you there.
Where do critical errors usually occur? Where do you need more speed? Who do you need to involve in particular tasks? Get your team together and brainstorm to come up with answers. You can use these to make a sound buying decision.
3. Identify your workflow challenge
To identify your workflow challenge, you need your team in the room so you can really dig deep into what’s not working for them when it comes to your existing workflow. A hole-filled workflow is bound to cause frustrations for a lot of people in your workgroup so you need to find out where those are and who is affected.
Choosing a workflow automation software that eliminates these causes of frustration is essential so your team is uninterrupted in their delivery. Knowing what’s not working takes you closer to choosing a workflow automation software that does.
4. Create a list of wants and needs
It’s like Christmas morning although, this time, you’re getting the gift that keeps on giving. What do you and your team want most out of your workflow automation software? Does it have to do with forms? Tasks? Which features that are missing from your current system do you wish to acquire with the new one?
The best workflow automation software has something for everyone in the team and it’s always good to get a wishlist before you make a final purchase. This will help get everyone’s buy-in and get the most out of your budget.
5. Pick a solution for your team
Very few things are sadder than when you buy something big like workflow automation software only to have no one in the team eager to use it. This hammers home the importance of sitting down with your team from the beginning to get their requirements. After all, they are the ones who will be using it day in, day out. It needs to match their needs and requirements so they can do their jobs flawlessly.
Top workflow automation software can be customizable based on the user’s needs, easy to use, and with an interface that’s easy to navigate. Be sure to find out if your team needs more and buy based on whatever list you come up with.
6. Take a test drive
Once you’ve winnowed your workflow automation software choices down to 2 or 3 options, why don’t you take each one of them on a test drive to see which one works well for your team? Take the time to get to know your options, let your team use them for a period of time, and then make your final purchase.
It’s important that the team is comfortable with the new business workflow automation software. Run mock tests using your options and see which one works best and answers most, if not all, of your team’s wants and needs.
7. Measure your success
Now that you’ve acquired a brand spanking new workflow automation software for your business, you need to create a scorecard system to measure your success to clearly see if you got the right one for your business. Coming up with a comprehensive plan to measure the quality of output, efficiency and productivity allows you to manage your team’s performance and your company’s profitability.
To find out if the current workflow automation software is doing what it’s supposed to for your company, you need a baseline for measurement. You can use this down the line if you want another review in the future.
A solution for you
Whether you’re looking for something that can allow you to design and create your own forms, dashboards, workflow diagrams, run reports, build automated workflows, or delegate tasks, Bitrix24’s workflow automation software makes it all possible for you. Gather your teams and divisions under one umbrella and create agile workflows for their daily comings and goings.
The most comprehensive and feature-packed workflow automation software in the market is Bitrix24. The best thing is, you can try it for free! Enjoy all the perks without shelling out a dime. Want to see how everything fits and works together? Schedule a demo today.
