Automating Workflows and Business Processes

Workflow automation and business process automation both help firms run more efficiently by lowering time spent on activities, eliminating errors, increasing productivity, and generating repeatable tasks.

The terms workflow automation and process automation are often used interchangeably. People define them as the same, wholly distinct, or slightly different, depending on who you ask. In this article, we examine both the similarities and differences between workflow and process, and automation.

What is Workflow?

The completion of tasks is referred to as workflow. Workflow is also defined as the systematic steps used to ensure that information, documents, data, and tasks move freely between departments or across an entire organization. Workflow provides a set of principles for employees to follow when doing day-to-day tasks, resulting in increased performance efficiency and effectiveness.

Workflow automation is a system that automates manual tasks using rule-based reasoning. Digitally signing and routing a document is one example of workflow automation. Workflow automation helps to eliminate redundancies, enhance accuracy, track progress, improve internal communication and collaboration, and speed up execution.

What is a Business Process?

A business process is a series of repetitive operations that leads to the delivery of information, products, or services. These are delivered internally to a colleague or externally to a client. Processes also assist teams in meeting corporate objectives and improving the perception and value of their deliverables. Onboarding a new employee is an example of a business process.

Business process automation uses technology to automate a recurring sequence of actions or sub-tasks to drive business operations using user-defined criteria. Process automation can integrate with collaboration tools, analytics, and business rules.

How Workflow and Process Automation Differs

Workflow automation and process automation may seem similar, there are fundamental differences. The automation of the fulfillment of specified tasks is known as workflow automation. Process automation refers to the more comprehensive automation of a series of tasks.

Existing processes are the catalyst for workflow automation. There is no workflow automation if there is no process. Individual task completion is made easier and faster, using workflow automation. Process automation improves the accuracy and efficiency of the operational stages required to accomplish a project, which may contain several jobs.

Micro-level operations, such as signing a paper, are sometimes referred to as workflow automation. Process automation is frequently used to refer to macro-level objectives. Process automation initiatives should be viewed as larger-scale endeavors than workflow automation projects, as they can have a broader scope and bring proportionately greater value to the firm.

The Similarities

Organizations use workflow automation and process automation to harness the following business benefits:

• Create, track, and evaluate the results of certain tasks and processes.
• People, information, and systems are all linked together.
• Day-to-day operations should be simplified.
• Reduce time spent on tasks.
• Boost operational productivity and efficiency.

To maximize productivity, workflow and process automation ensure that the correct information is directed to the appropriate person timeously. They lower the risk of errors and improve transparency. All these benefits help to enhance the confidence of everyone involved, from employees to stakeholders, contractors, and customers or clients, by enabling better, faster, and error-free processes.

Start the Journey to Automation

KRIS Document Management System (DMS) is designed to execute and automate everyday tasks. It enhances efficiency of documentation processes in which data and files are routed between people according to pre-defined business rules. The automation of workflows and processes include real-time tracking and reports for analysis and compliance. Our solution will help your business improve workload management with increased operational visibility.