Workflow and Business Process Management – Are You Ready For It?

Are you looking to automate workflows across your company? Did you know a business process management (BPM) system can help you achieve these goals? It works by capturing information from third-party applications. Let me explain. Maybe you have one system for invoices, and something different for contracts. Your sales team has another method for tracking leads. Same with marketing. The list goes on. There’s useful information out there, somewhere, yet it might as well be on a deserted island. For some, this is nothing new. You are all too familiar with the process. For others just getting used to the idea, here we explain the difference between automated workflows and business process management. You can’t have one without the other.

What’s Business Process Management Got to Do with It?

A BPM is a plan or system that allows employees to work smarter. When combined with computer technology, you get better management and visibility over content in your organization. Workers can dedicate more resources to high-priority jobs instead of waiting for say, a signature. Visibility is real-time, and users access information whenever they need to. No more paper handoffs or phone calls in search of who knows what. Information is all in one place where it belongs.

In this set-up, workers get to spend time on more mission-critical tasks instead of chasing dead ends. Time is on your side, and cost-savings are plenty. Sounds ideal, but putting a BPM in place can be a bit like cleaning the garage after a long winter. You never know what you might uncover. For this reason, turn to the experts to help sort through the clutter. Yes, there are lots to choose from, all vying for your business. Go for one that can create a BPM with consideration to design, planning, task management, and data optimization.

Expert Tip: Want to get the most out of your system? Check out these expert tips to take with you to your next strategy meeting.

First Comes Business Processing then Comes Automating Technology

Which brings us to automated workflows. Not to be confused with BPM. They are a series of tasks that make up your automated business processes. They are designed to route documents throughout your organization for the better. They are smart because they follow the rules. One step is dependent upon the other. Automated workflows can be few or many. It depends on the organizational culture.

Expert Tip: Business processes that can be broken down into steps can be improved by using workflow automation.

To be sure, the right provider will help you zero in on broken processes. Hopefully, they will ask you if your workers spend too much time on a task. Is there an uneven distribution of work? Is one person on the break more often than not? Are you keeping documents on file when you should be purging them? Tap into employees across your organization to get the answers. You may think things are running well when there is a better way.

Let’s say you work in Accounts Payables and receive a paper invoice. Yes, that still happens. Someone has to approve the invoice before payment. In a paper-based system, this could take weeks. First, you must go through approvals, and maybe there is a whole batch of invoices to go through. Using a platform such as OnBase, you can scan the invoice and what happens next is automation to the max. Because the invoice is electronic, approval is a breeze. Access is immediate, and you have just cut processing time in half.

Learn More About How BPM Helps Automate Business Workflows

As you get to know how business process management and automated workflows help each other out, consider a provider who is willing to go the distance with you. Want to learn more about automating your business practices with a software solution? Contact Jen Hein at jhein@naviant.com; she is ready for your email!