The first thing that comes to mind when you hear about workflow is most likely order and process. There is validity in that thought. Workflow is intended to deliver efficiency and cost saving by using defined order and automated process.
Defining what the process should be is the tricky but necessary part and it’s the fun part. Yes, fun. When you dig in and people realize how many time wasting tasks can be eliminated, you can feel the joy. So how do you re-connect the dots to create an effective digital workflow and really make work flow? Put on your technology goggles and look at the process.
The first step is to have the people involved in the process document how the process works. This will initially result in a small number of simple steps. The…
I participated in a webinar recently sponsored by Realcomm, an organization devoted to the advancement of technology for the commercial real estate industry. It was about the future and hype verses reality. My contribution was squarely on the reality side as I described how our real estate clients gain efficiency by using workflow to automate document oriented business processes. 
These words, Better, Faster, Cheaper, are heard often during many corporate sales efforts – “our product will help you do that Better, Faster and Cheaper.” Everyone especially likes to purchase software that makes a process, Better, Faster and Cheaper. The key to achieving that promised success is know what the process is – really know and understand it.
The past five or so years have been filled with plenty of talk about and some success in the area of collaboration. Collaboration being defined as multiple people fully engaged and involved in a single work effort. The end goal of any collaboration is that the combined effort produces superior results, ie. a better decision, a better product, a better presentation.
In an old paper based world, notification of new information meant extra copies of the document were placed on the desks of teammates. Otherwise, it required a hunch and a trip to the file cabinet or the random perusing of co-worker’s desks. In fact, it was probably not known that something new was available until it was a surprise – learned from a customer or worse yet, from the boss who somehow knew the facts.
I heard a story about how there is a push to bring the “Hipster” crowd to Eau Claire Wisconsin, a family oriented, affordable, city of 150,000+ in Northern Wisconsin. My first response was that with current technology, people can choose to live wherever they want, so why not Eau Claire. Having this opportunity is not a new concept and in fact, people working remotely is very commonplace already. 
the new contract. When does it make sense to automate that process?
A technology issue that companies deal with on a regular basis is using one application for managing active or working documents and a separate application for the archived or final documents. Active being defined as documents in the creation or working stage and final being final or executed.
In a past era processes were set in stone. Assembly lines were created and they ran for three shifts a day year after year. Big mainframes were programmed and some of those programs still run today. Change was slow and methodical for both consumers and businesses.
All of our clients that have implemented our workflow solution have done so to improve their efficiency and profitability. However, it has become very apparent that there are significant added benefits derived from the process metrics reports that are generated.