5 Mistakes that Kill Your Workflow: Insider Tips on How to Avoid Them

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Automation technologies capture the imaginations of developers in their introduction, but things can soon go awry.

Picture this scenario: you enter your amazing kitchen, bustling with pots, pans, and ingredients scattered across the countertops. Determined to whip up a fine gourmet meal, you rush to the store, purchase a kick-ass blender, unwrap it enthusiastically, inform the household of its capabilities, and then eagerly anticipate a magically organized kitchen and gourmet meal.

You’re probably thinking to yourself “This is funny and ridiculous at the same time”.

Yet, how often do businesses mimic this scenario when trying to solve workflow challenges through software solutions?

Subscribing to a cutting-edge workflow management system is akin to purchasing a culinary gadget – it doesn't automatically resolve all the chaos.

While you may have carefully selected a workflow management software tailored to your organization's needs in terms of functionality, deployment, integration, and cost, the success of your project or business processes is far from guaranteed.

It is still uncertain whether procedures will be untangled and whether automated workflows will yield the expected return on investment.

A KPMG survey indicates that only 42% of process improvement strategies yield a 100% return on investment.

Proper implementation is crucial while lining up the flow of your business operations, aligning your workflows, and maximizing your ROI. Hence, you must avoid errors during this implementation phase of your business operations.

Here are 5 workflow automation mistakes you must avoid if you want to maintain the highest level of efficiency for your workflow management system.

1. Partial Implementation

Implementing new software often starts with a lot of hype, excitement and high expectations. People marvel at the user-friendly tools and envision the possibilities.

When the demo launches, every employee is wowed. In the case of on-premise implementation, organizations bring in implementation experts to do the groundwork and set up the essentials like forms, workspaces and workflows.

But that’s when things start to take a downturn.

For a few weeks, people give the new system a shot, but eventually, the enthusiasm fades, and it starts feeling like a hindrance – a tedious and monotonous chore.

Skipping through training is a fast track to implementation failure. Simply investing in software won't solve all problems. Without proper training, workflow automation becomes unreliable.

But there is a way out of this…

Solution: 

• Take all employees through a thorough training program.
• Ensure everyone acquires the necessary skills to adapt to the new workflow system.

2. Doing Twice the Work

A common failure in workflow automation is focusing only on the flow and routing of processes, leaving the rest of the work scattered.

Take, for instance, the contract approval process. While a good workflow software might track sign-off sequences, if you still find yourself printing and manually signing the document at each step, that's a significant automation hiccup.

You could end up with a file named FinalEndtrackContract7-BrutusVersion9.docx.pdf.

With no way to make sense of what’s going on.

This issue extends to processes like purchase order approval, where the workflow handles approvals, but data must be manually rekeyed into financial software.

This isn't true automation. The workflow system, in these cases, merely manages approvals while the actual work happens outside the system.

But here’s how you can get unstuck…

Old solution:

• Opt for integration-friendly software to simplify data import/export.
• Say goodbye to data silos and manual reconciliation by leveraging API integration.

Safer Solution:

• Opt for software that needs no integration - due to its automation engine
• Never again risk losing sensitive company information through porous integrations
• Reconciliation through API integration.

3. Broken Processes 

Attempting to automate a flawed process will stir up a lot of trouble. When a company decides that what’s best for it is to automate a broken process, it quickly becomes chaotic, slips out of control, and yields poor results.

Workflow automation cannot streamline or fix an inherently inefficient process. It's best to leave such processes untouched. Digitizing a process without ensuring its readiness only creates confusion.

As Bill Gates famously put it “automation enhances efficiency in already efficient operations but magnifies inefficiency in inefficient processes.”

Solution:

• Thoroughly analyze a process before automating it.
• Consult with process owners to identify improvements before attempting digitization.

4. Inflexibility

The truth of the matter is any of us prefer familiar routes over unknown shortcuts, even if the latter can save time and effort. Similarly, when introducing a new workflow system, employees may stick to their accustomed methods and try to find ways around them.

Whether it's a senior manager resorting to using email for a new purchase instead of using the workflow tool, or an employee sending a last-minute leave request through a group text instead of applying for leave through the system, it always plays out the same.

Preventing this requires educating employees about the benefits of a fully automated system. Not just on how to use them, but on the benefits to them and the company at large. Perhaps even consider incentivising employees who perform certain consistent tasks through the system.

 Even though sticking to the old ways might seem easier, employees must understand that certain changes are essential – much like replacing balding car tires.

Here are a few ways to soften the blows…

Solution:

• Encourage (possibly incentivise) routing all requests through the workflow system and reject manual requests.
• Simplify the workflow initiation process to make it more convenient than workarounds.
• If workarounds are necessary, address the root issue, examine the workflow, and find ways to improve it.
• Regularly demonstrate the benefits of workflow automation and educate employees on its advantages.

5. The Stale Process Dilemma

Congratulations! You successfully launched your workflow system, and your key users are well-versed in its intricacies. They've crafted comprehensive forms and clear workflows, and you've convinced everyone to embrace the new system, obliterating old and inefficient workarounds.

But does this mean smooth sailing forever? Not in the slightest.

Processes aren't fixed; they evolve, and workflows must adapt.

With the creation of new departments, jobs, or integration of new software in your organization, certain approvals may become less critical over time. Stakeholders might prefer notifications over being a process bottleneck.

If workflows remain unchanged for too long, they could become outdated, and monotonous, even hinder productivity and efficiency, paving the way for workarounds and eventually abandonment.

But here’s a recommended workaround…

Solution:

• Regularly review your automated workflows.
• Encourage process owners to assess workflows and identify potential bottlenecks.

Implementing a Working Workflow Management System

Setting up a workflow management system and digitizing the process flow takes a lot of work. There are too many pitfalls and roadblocks to stay clear of.

It’s important to realize one thing; workflow automation must make processes orderly and clear rather than create chaos.

In reality, workflow automation carries a considerable amount of risk. You might be tempted to cut corners and keep some people out of the loop just so you can launch your workflow management system swiftly.

In order to prevent epic workflow automation failure - especially at the implementation stage, organizations must prioritize comprehensive user engagement, well-designed training programs, avoidance of workarounds, and keeping workflows fresh. This will undoubtedly help you stay ahead of the game.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can join other serious-minded and result-oriented businesses in boosting project delivery and team efficiency by adopting one of the most secure and easy-to-manage workflow tools, click here.