It's a bit of a TV commercial cliche, but people really did (and some still do) have a wooden box on one end of the desk marked IN and another on the opposite side marked OUT.
Computers drastically changed the nature of business information, but digitizing the tasks, while a productivity booster, leads directly to the next problem: Other than e-mail or manually moving files through a network, how does the work move from person to person, office to office, across the company?
Workflow software is the answer, and although it comes in many flavors, it all does the same basic thing -- move the work. Covered in this guide:
1. Fully automated workflow technology
2. Workflow automation for small businesses
3. Web-based workflow management software
4. Selecting a workflow management tool for small business use
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
High-end workflow automation and workflow management software
Workflow automation takes an existing chain of work, like preparing a sales report or filing expenses, and making it automatic, usually with workflow software that sits on a server and guides information from point to point without human intervention.
I recommend: Workflow management software is made by dozens of companies, each with its own spin on particular industries or on workflow automation itself. Major vendors in the workflow softtware space include
Xerox,
IBM,
Lombardi,
Oracle,
Microsoft,
Sun Microsystems, and
SAP.
Finding workflow software for your small business
Thanks to broadband Internet and increasing sophistication of small business technology adoption, a new generation of workflow management software purports to take any task in your company and automate it.
I recommend: You'll still need a programmer to get it going, but natural language command and visual programming screens promise to put cutting-edge workflow automation within reach. Take a look at products from
TransparentLogic,
Adeptia,
PNMSoft,
Skelta, and
WebMethods, There's
business process reference materials, too, at Business.com.
Like everything, workflow management software is moving to the Web
No server? No problem! Software companies have quickly launched subscription-based Web versions of their workflow management tool in hopes of drawing in small businesses unlikely to invest in the hardware needed to run big-company workflow software products.
I recommend: Models vary from document management to full-on business processes like accounting and finance. Consider products from vendors including
Web and Flo,
WorkflowGen,
Quask,
Colosa, and
Integrify. Find more information on
workflow technology at Business.com.
Workflow management tool for general use
If your needs are not highly specific, a workflow managment tool might be the answer. Assign tasks, track projects and communicate progress using simple, Web-based screens.
I recommend: It takes some discipline, since your team will have to mark items as done and update their projects, but workflow management tools are often cheaper and can be effective.
ProWorkFlow,
Vyre and
Microsoft Sharepoint. Read up on workflow technology with
business process publications available through Business.com.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Workflow software is often mentioned along with business process management. They are similar, but business process management is fundamentally about changing how business works in the name of efficiency.
- Keeping track of who's doing what with a spreadsheet? It's probably time to move on to workflow software. Talk to colleagues in your field about choices. There are hundreds of companies writing workflow automation programs for needs as specific as dental offices, car dealerships and small retailers.
- The big guns in this business are all bent out of shape about small business needs. Before you write off Big Blue or Microsoft, take a look to see if their small and medium-sized business offering is a good fit.
The official source of Workflow Automation and Workflow Software is
the Workflow Management Software page at Business.com
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