Workflow Management Systems: 7 Key Efficiency Benefits

Whether it’s processing an invoice or launching a new product, a workflow is the map that guides a task from start to finish. A workflow management system (WMS) takes that map and ensures you have the most efficient route from start to finish, avoiding any obstacles along the way.

A WMS also aims to minimize manual work and effectively allocate responsibilities. It’s a tool that essentially allows you to look at every aspect of a workflow and find if there’s a way to do it better. When this is done for every workflow, the whole business ecosystem is improved. 

7 Ways workflow management systems make teams more efficient

These are the top methods for getting more efficiency from your teams through optimized workflows:

1. Streamlining task assignment

A WMS contributes to better task delegation, making it easier to assign tasks based on skill, employee availability, and urgency. Tasks go to the right people at the right time, preventing work from being delayed or any overlapping responsibilities. 

Clear task assignments prevent confusion over who should be completing work so everything runs more smoothly and backlogs or bottlenecks are minimized. A workflow management system will usually have features like deadline setting and task prioritization, making it simple to get work done on time. 

Automated task allocation is another great capability of a WMS, eliminating the slow work of managing tasks manually so managers have more time to focus on the higher-level parts of their role. Overall, workflows are streamlined by this level of automation, getting everything running like a well-oiled machine.

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2. Improving communication and collaboration

Good communication and open collaboration are important for any business, and a WMS can help improve both. For example, communication tools, such as messaging and file sharing, can be integrated into the system, making it simple for teams to share updates and discuss tasks in a centralized location.

Communication is no longer fragmented across multiple channels, meaning information silos are broken down and it’s easier to track tasks and solve any issues quickly. Task progress then tends to move quicker, with fewer hold-ups and miscommunications.

What’s more, notifications and alerts keep everyone in the loop so everyone gets important information about tasks instantly and nothing that requires action gets missed. All of this helps create a more connected and productive environment.

3. Enhancing time management

Visibility into the inner workings of workflows is needed to understand how well time is being managed, and a WMS has the ability to give you x-ray vision. It offers features such as timelines, calendars, and Gantt charts that allow everyone to see clearly what needs to be done, who should do it, and when it must be finished. 

As a result, you get a better understanding of where improvements can be made. Plus, the time-tracking tools of a WMS reveal where workloads may be unbalanced, with some personnel being overburdened and others underutilized. With this information, business leaders can make better decisions about work allocation to alleviate stress and create a fairer system.

These time management benefits of a WMS are amplified even further when used in conjunction with solutions like professional services software, which optimizes resource allocation and generates detailed reports, to further understand how effectively employee time is being spent. 

4. Automating repetitive processes

A WMS can automate slow and repetitive processes that take a long time to complete manually and are prone to human errors. Tasks such as data entry and document processing are perfect opportunities for automation, slashing the time spent on many workflows. To achieve maximum efficiency, a WMS should be integrated with existing systems. 

For customer service, this would usually be a CRM system to automate some customer communications and data management. Whereas in finance, integration with accounting software allows tasks such as automated invoice processing and reporting to be managed in one centralized location. 

Recurring processes can also be further refined using workflow templates and automation scripts, which create workflows that are both efficient and consistent. With many time-consuming, repetitive tasks taken care of, employees can spend more time on work that directly contributes to an organization’s overall goals. 

5. Providing data-driven insights

Good data guides businesses in making smart decisions to improve and grow. This is another area that a workflow management system can help with, as it can collect and analyze workflow performance data. Metrics such as task completion and error rates can illuminate where refinement may be needed.

Plus, visual reporting dashboards and analytics tools allow for a deep dive into the data, making it easier to see where common issues are occurring. For example, they may show where a bottleneck is causing a project to grind to a halt or where resources are most urgently needed. 

These are real-time insights that give an organization the opportunity to take action proactively and make informed changes that lead to better results. Workflows are no longer rigid and set in stone but constantly adapting to exceed previous performance for both individuals and teams.

6. Ensuring accountability

A work environment where there’s a lack of accountability can be chaotic and lead to tension between employees. A WMS is a great solution to this problem, as it clearly outlines responsibilities for every stage of a process. 

Any ambiguity is removed so all team members know who’s responsible for what work, resulting in miscommunication, duplicate work, and missed tasks being reduced. There’s also more transparency over task progress and project timelines so employees can see the status of all work clearly.

Among the most useful WMS tools are audit trails, progress logs, and history-tracking features, which capture every action that’s taken in a workflow. These tools are great for maintaining accountability, but it’s also important to remember the importance of documentation. 

Keeping up-to-date workflow documentation further solidifies expectations around individual and team responsibilities, emphasizing accountability at every level. 

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7. Facilitating continuous improvement

A business must always adapt and change as needed, and so its processes must be refined too. A workflow management system supports continuous improvement, as it allows for iterative refinement through feedback loops. Data captured on workflow performance is evaluated in real time, highlighting where changes should be made. 

Any weak points that are causing inefficiencies or poor productivity are identified so businesses no longer have to rely on guesswork to try and fine-tune their operations. In this way, a WMS is ideal for maintaining agile principles in an organization.

Business objectives or market conditions may change, but a WMS enables an adaptive, flexible approach to workflows that’s the core tenet of agile principles. Complex processes can be broken down into smaller steps, making it easier to review progress and pivot, helping businesses respond quickly to changing demands.