Workflow Concepts: Digitization of an offline process

And then came the digital era

Computers, invented for the purpose of processing information more quickly, were a true revelation for the way we work and how we organize work. It allowed researchers to develop more complex processes that could be combined with other fundamental parts of organizational structures such as information technology, teams, projects, and hierarchies.

But something was missing in the ongoing search for even better and more efficient workflows. It was still very much a process that required manual input and updates. Companies used pen & paper, post-its, Word or Excel documentation, or similar. And while this might be workable for a simple process, keeping track of the status of a complex workflow, with multiple people involved, can be tedious and difficult.

This is especially true for unique workflows. These are often the most important, yet the hardest to automate. Or so you think.

Your unique workflows as a competitive advantage

Another truism of unique workflows is that there is no standard. This is why inefficiencies are often hidden within the workflow, depending on its complexity; Without a reference, there is no simple way to measure effectiveness.

It falsely leads organizations and managers responsible for workflows to believe that their processes are optimized already and dismiss necessary improvements. This is a mistake because human ingenuity never stops and embracing–or at least considering–new innovations might give the organization an edge over its competitors.

If your organization doesn’t improve its productivity through continuous innovation, another one will.

In the coming period, we will be conceptualizing unique workflows on our blog to show how digitization and automation of your processes can decrease costs, mitigate risks, and uncover precious value-added activity.

If your company has a complex, unique workflow, let us know and we’ll demonstrate the digital advantage you can gain.