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What is Workflow?
Like many concepts, no single definition of workflow will capture all issues and viewpoints. With this word of warning, here is one definition that’s been used within the National Project:
Workflow … encompasses both a business approach and a range of technologies that enable the transformation and automation of processes through the electronic receipt, processing and management of work based on the underlying business rules and data needs
While this does mention the 'business' side, it perhaps overemphasises the technology. To balance this, let’s also look at a second definition that we’ve used:
Simply put, workflow is about getting the right work to the right people at the right time – time after time. Workflow is human-centric. First and foremost, workflow is a human activity that is made by and for those who use it: workflow is something that can easily be handled and understood by human beings.
Workflow then, is about using (workflow) software tools as part of a broader (workflow) system (or technical architecture) to improve the way processes (or workflows) are organised and managed. The workflow tools allow rules related to these processes to be 'written' in to the new work systems. They also allow for greater automation, both of work itself (the execution of tasks) and the transmission of work elements (such as an application form or report) to a user or user group.
Because workflow involves electronic systems of support, it has two further advantages over manual methods. First, it allows work tasks to be carried out in parallel. For example, several work groups or departments may be able to carry out tasks on different parts of a benefit application at the same time, thus reducing processing time.
Secondly, it makes processes more transparent, particularly where ‘work queues’ are concerned (e.g. how many jobs are waiting to be processed, and which subtasks have already been carried out). As a result, it is much easier to know where a case or report 'is' and who is working on it. In addition, such systems also allow us to track how long it takes to perform certain tasks, where the peaks and troughs in demand are, and what the general workload is across the organisation. At the 'operational' level, this (management) information (or MI) can help improve workload and resource allocation. It can also be combined with other data to inform more strategic decisions about the organisation.
When we talk about workflow, therefore, there are perhaps three (interlinked) ways in which we use the concept: to refer to the basic 'tools', to describe the broader 'system' or architecture, and to characterise a new approach to 'process management' (as supported by new technology). Each of these meanings is described in more detail in the pdf version of this document.
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