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Workflow automation

Work smarter by increasing efficiency and streamlining experiences for customers and employees
What is Workflow automation

What is workflow automation?

Workflow automation brings together the people and information needed to get work done completely and correctly the first time, every time. It turns intelligence into action by tapping into data, analyzing the current need, and providing the best response at that moment.

When used as part of a low-code platform for managing work at enterprise scale, workflow automation helps you work more efficiently; make faster, better, more accurate decisions; and deliver meaningful results quickly.

Comparing workflow automation and business process automation

While business process automation (BPA) and workflow automation share the goal of optimizing processes, they differ in scope and focus. 

BPA

BPA is a holistic organizational transformation that: 

  • Typically encompasses a broader range of organizational processes
  • Includes strategic planning and decision-making
  • Is a strategic orchestrator, aligning organizational goals with automated processes

Workflow automation

Workflow automation, on the other hand, is a targeted, task-level enhancement that:

  • Focuses on specific steps within a process
  • Emphasizes the flow of tasks among team members
  • Is an agile, tactical solution for day-to-day operations, providing a granular view of individual tasks

Both are invaluable, but the choice of one or the other depends on the specific goals of your organization.

Why use workflow automation?

Workflow automation allows companies to unlock their full potential. This powerful tool streamlines processes and enhances efficiency, bringing forth an array of benefits:

  • Reducing manual errors by automating repetitive tasks, ensuring accuracy and consistency 
  • Accelerating task completion, saving companies valuable time and resources by reducing the need for manual interventions 
  • Fostering collaboration among team members by providing a centralized communication and task management platform 
  • Enhancing transparency, which allows stakeholders to track progress in real time and make adjustments as process needs change

Companies can embrace increased productivity and foster greater job satisfaction as workflow automation empowers teams to focus on high-value tasks. It also facilitates compliance by ensuring that processes adhere to established standards. Say goodbye to bottlenecks and delays, and welcome a seamless, optimized operation that propels businesses forward.

How does workflow automation work?

Highly predictable work can be scripted and programmed, but unpredictable work requires quick thinking and constant decision-making. Workflow automation brings together the people and information needed to get both types of work done completely and correctly the first time – every time.

How does Workflow automation work?

How to get value from intelligent workflows

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Client case studies

See how businesses get work done with workflow automation.

Customer onboarding

See how Virgin Money reduced customer account opening journeys

Work more efficiently

Learn how Google improves service ticket processing times

Better manage exceptions

See how the U.S. Dept. of Treasury ensures payment security

Types of workflow automation

Onboarding relationships

Onboarding relationships

Automate and streamline work with new customers, vendors, and employees to reduce operational costs, increase accuracy, and build trust and loyalty from the very first interaction.

Servicing customers

Servicing customers

Automate and orchestrate every service journey, no matter where customers engage. By connecting the right people, data, and systems, you’ll deliver better, consistent outcomes that result in higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Operating efficiently

Operating efficiently

Execute processes quickly and accurately while boosting cost efficiency. Process standardization also simplifies and improves the customer and employee experience.

Managing expectations

Managing expectations

Predict exceptions and detect anomalies that can be fixed with automation. This enables your business to respond in real time and to build trust with customers while improving experiences for everyone.

Empowering business

Empowering business

Work faster and adapt to unforeseen changes by using low code application development alongside workflow automation. This empowers all your stakeholders to adapt workflows as needed while bringing the right people together throughout the development process.
What’s included in workflow automation?

Business rules

Automates processes within a business application

Decisioning

Uses AI to streamline experiences across channels

Case management

Manages complex human and machine work

Robotic process automation

Software robots used to automate work

Chatbots and virtual assistants

Conversations between employees, bots, and more
The future of workflow automation

The future of workflow automation

The future of business depends on efficient, adaptive processes, and workflow automation stands at the forefront of this evolution. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will seamlessly integrate into workflow systems, enabling predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making. Workflow automation will evolve as businesses strive for greater agility to accommodate dynamic, ever-changing environments.

Intelligent bots will work alongside humans to enhance collaboration further, automating routine tasks and allowing human professionals to focus on creativity and innovation. Expect a more personalized user experience as workflows become tailored to individual preferences.

The future of workflow automation targets not only efficiency but a work environment that is responsive, intelligent, and attuned to the evolving needs of the modern workforce. As more companies integrate new technology and solutions, workflow automation paves the way for businesses to engage customers and empower workers, creating unprecedented flexibility in business processes.

Frequently Asked Questions about workflow automation

Different types of workflow automation are designed to address specific needs and challenges, including onboarding relationships, servicing customers, operating efficiently, and managing exceptions.

Some common types of workflow automation include customer support workflow automation, compliance workflow automation, document workflow automation, task and process automation, sales workflow automation, and business process management (BPM).

Workflow automation and process automation are closely related concepts, but they refer to slightly different aspects of streamlining and optimizing business operations.

Workflow automation focuses on the coordination of tasks and the flow of information between people, systems, and data, while process automation focuses on automating a specific set of actions to improve efficiency and reduce errors. While workflow automation is concerned with the coordination of tasks, process automation is concerned with the automation of specific tasks within a larger process.

Examples of workflow automation include email filtering and sorting, order processing, employee onboarding, social media posting, invoice processing, software deployment, and inventory management.

There are several steps to follow when you want to set up a proper workflow process:

  1. Process analysis: Understand the existing workflow thoroughly. Identify repetitive tasks, decision points, dependencies, and bottlenecks that can be automated. Determine the goals of automation, such as reducing errors, saving time, improving efficiency, etc.
  2. Define objectives: Clearly define the objectives and desired outcomes of the automated workflow. Determine what success looks like and how you'll measure it.
  3. Select automation tools: Choose appropriate tools and technologies for automation. This could include:
    • Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools for automating repetitive tasks on the user interface level.
    • Workflow automation platforms that allow you to design and manage complex workflows with integrations.
    • Scripting languages or programming languages for custom automation.
    • APIs and integration platforms for connecting different systems and services.
  4. Design workflow: Design the automated workflow. This involves creating a visual representation of the process, including decision points, actions, inputs, outputs, and potential exceptions.
  5. Implement automation: Depending on the chosen tools, implement automation by:
    • Configuring RPA bots to mimic human actions in interacting with software applications.
    • Creating workflows using drag-and-drop interfaces provided by workflow automation platforms.
    • Writing scripts or code to automate tasks, integrate systems, and handle decision-making logic.
  6. Data integration: If your process involves data from multiple sources, ensure proper integration. Use APIs, database connections, file imports/exports, etc. to exchange data seamlessly.
  7. Testing: Thoroughly test the automated workflow. Simulate different scenarios, edge cases, and error conditions to ensure the automation behaves as expected. Fix any issues or bugs that arise.
  8. Deployment: Roll out the automated workflow to production. Monitor it closely during the initial stages to address any unforeseen issues.
  9. Scale and expand: Once the initial workflow is successfully automated, consider expanding automation to other related processes.

It’s important to remember that successful workflow automation requires careful planning, collaboration between relevant teams, and a willingness to adapt as needs evolve.
 

Workflow automation and RPA are both approaches to automating business processes, but they differ in their scope and level of automation. Workflow automation is a broader approach that involves automating entire business processes end-to-end, including human tasks and decision-making. It typically involves a combination of rules-based decision-making, process orchestration, and human workflow management. 

RPA, on the other hand, is a more focused approach that involves automating specific tasks or activities within a business process. It uses software bots to automate repetitive, rules-based tasks that would otherwise be performed by humans. While workflow automation can involve RPA, it also includes other types of automation, such as decision automation and case management. RPA is a subset of workflow automation that focuses specifically on automating repetitive tasks.

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