Have you hit the productivity wall?

via Flickr - Skripkina

If you regularly read business or economic publications, you’ve likely encountered frequent discussions about productivity and GDP (gross domestic product). Higher GDP is a sign of a thriving economy, and productivity—essentially GDP per hour worked—is a critical driver behind that growth. In fact, sustained productivity improvement is a universal goal, whether at the national or organizational level. Who doesn’t want to get more done, faster, and with better results?

We’ve seen how technological innovation has revolutionized industries: mechanized farming, for example, continues to enhance output with ever-advancing equipment. In the office, spreadsheets and word processors have had a profound impact over the past few decades. Looking ahead, artificial intelligence promises even greater leaps. But if you're wondering what your business can do today to improve productivity, the answer is simpler than you might think: workflow.

The Productivity Limits of Email

Email was a game-changer. It helped teams communicate quickly and distribute documents at lightning speed. But as businesses scaled and decisions became more complex, email hit its limits. Relying on endless email chains to route approvals, share attachments, or track progress is not only inefficient—it’s error-prone and nearly impossible to audit.

That’s where workflow comes in.

What Makes Workflow So Powerful?

A well-designed workflow system brings structure, visibility, and intelligence to your processes. It organizes decision-making by aligning relevant documents and data into a single, trackable path. Unlike GDP—which represents an aggregate of all economic outputs—workflow is about intelligently managing inputs to produce better, faster decisions.

Every business process ultimately serves one of two purposes:

• Making a decision, or

• Recording a transaction.

And both depend on the right mix of supporting information—documents, data, and context. A strong workflow ensures all of that is delivered to the right people, at the right time, with built-in intelligence that enhances accuracy and speed.

Real-World Example: Invoice Approvals

Take invoice approvals as an example. A smart workflow doesn’t just route the invoice to the right person—it checks for duplicates, flags unusual amounts based on vendor history, and alerts you to outdated submission dates. Compare that to a static email attachment or a paper form—it’s easy to see how modern workflow dramatically increases accuracy and efficiency.

Efficiency and Ease in One

Workflow isn’t just about speed. It makes work easier by automating repetitive steps, collecting data, notifying stakeholders, and reducing manual errors. The result? Less back-and-forth, fewer mistakes, and more time for strategic work.

Finding the Bottlenecks

Want to boost productivity in your business right now? Start by identifying areas where decisions are made through email or electronic forms without embedded logic or supporting documentation. Think about instances where decisions were delayed, based on incomplete or inaccurate information, or—worse—not documented at all.

These are your productivity blind spots. Replace those outdated processes with intelligent workflows, and you'll start to see improvements almost immediately—not just in speed, but in accuracy, accountability, and overall performance.

Don’t wait for AI to magically fix your productivity problems. Begin by rethinking how your team moves information, makes decisions, and tracks progress—because a smarter workflow is the fastest path to a more productive future.

imkore Millennia has been providing workflow and critical document archive solutions since 1996. Contact us for more information.