Vad är workflow

What is a workflow? Benefits and examples of repeatable processes

According to Wikipedia, a workflow “consists of an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of business activity enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information.” Maybe Wikipedia meant to say, put more simply, “a workflow defines the steps involved in the process of getting work done.”

A business workflow is a repeatable process that consists of a series of tasks that generally need to be completed in a specific sequence. Think of it as work flowing from one stage to the next until it is finished.

Workflows are useful for ensuring that important processes are done the right way every time. For example, you may want to define a process workflow for onboarding new employees to ensure that all new employees get the information, policies, and resources they need to do their jobs.

In this article, we will explain why your business needs efficient workflows and show you some workflow examples to help you get started. (Want to just skip forward to the workflow examples? You've got it.)

A brief history of process workflows

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What is a workflow? Definition and examples

Summary

Workflows are a structured series of steps that take you from the beginning to the end of a process. Workflows show stakeholders what tasks are complete, when they get done, and who is responsible for them—increasing visibility and efficiency across teams. Learn the many benefits of workflows and how to start using them in your work today.

The term workflow is ambiguous. For some, a workflow is a process—for others, it’s a way to organize information. 

The vagueness around the term has real consequences. Lack of clarity about workflows muddles the work itself. For example, the average knowledge worker spends 60% of their time on work about work—things like searching for information or following up on a project’s status. And yet, over one quarter of deadlines still get missed each week. Despite our hard work and constant busyness, we still manage to miss deadlines and fall behind.

Something isn’t quite right.

That’s where workflows—and understanding what they are—come in. Having a clear understanding of what a workflow is and how to implement one helps you organize your team’s work, hit your project goals, and crea

  • vad är workflow

    • What is a Workflow?

    A workflow refers to a repeatable sequence of tasks used to get work done. They are often illustrated in the form of a diagram or a checklist.

    Although workflows occur in all types of businesses and industries, they describe the process of doing or processing something. An example of a workflow could be something like:

    • A manufacturer creates an invoice and sends it to a client
    • The client receives the invoice and sends it to their finance department
    • The invoice is approved by the finance department and the payment processed.

    Importance of Creating Workflows

    Workflows have a long history, going back to Henry Gantt, the founder of Gantt charts. During the industrial revolution, smart thinkers developed efficient ways of organizing a workforce. As business owners mobilized huge workforces and powerful machinery, there was a need to get work done more efficiently. Gantt concluded that there was a need to know:

    • Exact jobs that needed to be done
    • People responsible for each task
    • The time taken or needed to complete each task

    When you state each of these points and put them into a chart or process, the result is a workflow. The workflow all