Introduction to

Workflow
Management
J. G. Davis
Dr. B. Tei Partey
B. Odoi-Lartey
Course Description
• This course addresses the understanding of workflow
and uses of information in business settings.

• Topics include concepts of processes and process

analysis; process representation; interpreting and
creating process diagrams; and process validation and
change management. Special emphasis will be placed
on processes used to facilitate decision making
necessary to optimize the success of businesses.
Course Objectives
• General Introduction to Workflow Management

• Define concepts of workflow processes and Process

Analysis.

• Describe skills and knowledge necessary for Process

Analysis.

• Introduction to Process and Network diagrams as used in

Project Management
Introduction
• Workflow is basically how you get work done in repeatable steps to finish a
task.

• A workflow consists of an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of activity,

enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that
transform materials, provide services, or process information

• It can be depicted as a sequence of operations, the work of a person or

group, the work of an organization of staff, or one or more simple or
complex mechanisms.
Introduction cont...
• Workflow: also involves computerized facilitation or automation of a
business process, in whole or part.

• Workflow is concerned with the automation of procedures where

documents, information or tasks are passed between participants
(actors) according to a defined set of rules to achieve, or contribute to,
an overall business goal.
What is a workflow?
Workflow: is the series of activities that are necessary to complete a task.
Each step in a workflow has a specific step before it and a specific step
after it, with the exception of the first and last steps.

In a linear workflow, an outside event usually initiates the first step. If the
workflow has a loop structure, however, the completion of the last step
will usually restart the first step.
 Tools such as flowcharts and process maps are used to visualize the steps
involved in a process and the order they should go in.
 Flowcharts use simple geometric symbols and arrows to define if-then
relationships.
 Process maps look similar, but they may also include support information.
That information documents the resources that each step in a business
process requires.
 Historical Development of Workflow
• Workflow started back in the 1900s in manufacturing to improve
industrial efficiency.

• The concept can be traced to two mechanical engineer pioneers,

Frederick Taylor and Henry Gantt.

• They were an early version of what we know as “project managers” they

organised work to improve efficiency, help track work and graphically
display the workflow.
 Henry Laurence Gantt (1861-1919)

• Was an American engineer who was the creator of the

management tool the Gantt Chart.

• Henry Gantt started out using the harmonogram

method which was an early form of his Gantt chart.

• Gantt charts were created in the 1910s to visualise

workflow and a visual timeline for the manufacturing
process to track tasks and milestones in a project.

• These charts are still being used today to plan,

coordinate, and track tasks in major projects.
Sample Gantt Chart
 Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915)
• Was also an American mechanical engineer writer of
the 1911 book, “Principles of Scientific Management.”

• Frederick Taylor carried out a time and motion study to

measure the amount of time it takes to complete tasks
then find ways to eliminate redundant processes. Using
this information to define the process employees must
follow to perform as efficiently as possible. This formed
a major part of scientific management (Taylorism).
Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915)
 History of Workflow Benefits
• The history of workflow is vast and
the benefits have been proven over
and over again.
 Cutting costs
 Identifying inefficiencies
 Opportunities for automation
 Improved communication and
collaboration.
 Workflow Concepts and Terminologies
• Actor • No-code • Task
• As-is workflow • Operational
• To-be workflow
• Automation excellence
• Trigger
• Business Process • Output
• Work
• Citizen developer • Process
• Workflow
• Customer • Process Excellence
• Flow • Workflow Analysis
• Result
• Flowchart • Workflow diagram
• Subproces
• Handoff • Workflow mapping
• Swimlane diagram
• Low-code • Workflow modeling
Types of Workflows

Workflows are categorized in
various ways. At a basic level, they
get grouped using one of these two
approaches:

Sequential

Parallel
Sequential Workflow

A sequential workflow consists of a series of steps that you perform one after
another. It looks like a flow chart diagram that follows a predefined path. The
exact order in which the steps are performed can vary and step execution
tends to be driven by deadlines e.g. approval required within 2 days.

This type of workflow has a series of steps that happen one after the other to
complete the task. Eg. A loan application approval typically follows a
sequential workflow, where a step is finished before the next one starts.
Parallel Workflow

With this approach, a series of steps is tackled concurrently to move the task toward
completion. The type of workflow where multiple tasks can be performed in co-incidence.

For example, when the HR department is onboarding a new employee, they can
simultaneously request software and hardware assets from the IT team and request other
paperwork, signatures, and contract-related documents from the finance and legal team.
Sometimes these workflows can also depend on each other.
Other types of Workflow
There are other ways to categorize workflows, including the following three:
Process workflow: this approach is comprised of a predictable, repetitive
sequence of tasks or steps.
Case workflow: with these processes, the exact sequence of steps needed
to complete the task are unknown at the start and can vary case by case.
Project workflow: the flow of steps proceeds in a structured path similar
to process workflow, but there is some flexibility in when, how and even if
all those steps must happen.
Examples and uses of Workflow

Business workflows exist in every organization across all industries. Some
follow similar steps, if not identical, in many organizations. Others are
unique to industries or the enterprise that's using it.

Workflows can be found in all departments and functions in an organization
from product development and project management to back-office
administration and front-end customer service.

Some workflows are highly structured, while others are completely
unstructured. Many fall between those two extremes.
Examples and uses of Workflow

Business workflows exist in every organization across all industries. Some follow similar steps,
if not identical, in many organizations. Others are unique to industries or the enterprise that's
using it.

Workflows can be found in all departments and functions in an organization from product
development and project management to back-office administration and front-end customer
service.

Some workflows are highly structured, while others are completely unstructured. Many fall
between those two extremes.

Each workflow moves data from one step to the next. That's what distinguishes a workflow
from a checklist, which is a collection of unrelated tasks.
Examples 1

A company would use a workflow to describe the process
for paying an electric bill. It likely involves the following
steps:
 receiving the bill;
 reviewing the bill;
 approving payment; and
 disbursing the funds for payment.

A checklist can ensure adherence to the routine for
powering down all electricity in a facility at the end of a
business day.
Typical Processes involving Workflow

approval of employee paid time-off requests;

billing and invoicing;

customer onboarding;

intake of a customer request;

onboarding new employees;

performance assessment;

processing sales orders;

product assembly;

sales fulfillment; and

IT help desk ticket submission.
Additional Examples of Workflows
• Machine Shops
• Insurance Claims
• Wikipedia Editing
• The Getting Things Done System
• Traditional Offset and digital Printing
• Scientific Experiment
• Healthcare
• Service Oriented Architecture
• In Shared Services
Components of a Workflow

There are three basic components within every workflow
 Input: is also called start or trigger . It is the
information, materials and resources required to
compete each step with the task
 Transformation: it is also referred to as work. It
involves the actions taken to perform each step and
move through the sequential or parallel steps
 Output: It is also called result or Outcome. It is the
result of each step that then becomes the input for
follow-on steps with the workflow
How to create a Workflow

Creating a process-improving workflow requires the following series
of tasks:
1.Identify the start and endpoint of the process
2.List or map ut each step required to move from the start point to
the end point
3.Assess whether these tasks must happen in a specific order and,
if so, list or map them accordingly
4.Determine and document the resources and roles within the
organization that are required to complete each step. Add
required workflow rules or business process description
5.Execute workflow
Workflow Management

Workflow management is the discipline of creating, documenting,
monitoring and improving a workflow. This process enables
organizations to optimize workflows, ensuring each step is completed
correctly, consistently and efficiently.

Workflow management also lets organizations identify and correct
bottlenecks, superfluous steps and other problems within the
workflow.
Workflow Management System
A Workflow Management System (WfMS) is a software system for setting up, performing, and
monitoring of a defined sequence of processes and tasks, with the broad goals of increasing
productivity, reducing costs, becoming more agile, and improving information exchange within an
organization.

• Workflow Management System: A system that completely defines, manages and executes “workflows”
through the execution of software whose order of execution is driven by a computer representation of
the workflow logic.

• These systems may be process-centric or data-centric, and they may represent the workflow as
graphical maps.

• The workflow management system may also include an extensible interface so that external
software applications can be integrated and provide support for wide area workflows that
Workflow Management System

Workflow can be automated with software tools that use business rules to decide
when one step has been completed successfully and the next step can begin.

Some workflow management apps can also coordinate dependent relationships
between individual steps, a concept known as workflow orchestration.

Workflow management software also provides workflow templates for
documentation and business process modeling, two important aspects of
business process management (BPM).
 Workflow Automation

Workflow automation is an approach to making the flow of tasks, documents and
information across work-related activities perform independently in accordance with
defined business rules. Workflow automation produces many benefits for the
enterprise, including the following:

 Faster execution of workflows

 A reduction in errors when manual tasks are eliminated

 Cost savings as a result of both increased streamlined processes

 Improved employee morale, by eliminating repetitive low-value tasks.

 Improves customer satisfaction, because process automation speeds customer

Features of (WfMS)
• Modeling
• Measurement
• Specialized Connotations
• Scientific Workflow Systems
• Human-Machine Interaction
• Workflow Analysis
The functional areas of WFM
Systems
At the highest level, all WFM systems may be characterised as providing support in three
functional areas:

• Build-time functions, concerned with defining, and possibly modelling, the workflow
process and its constituent activities

• Run-time control functions concerned with managing the workflow processes in an

operational environment and sequencing the various activities to be handled as part of
each process

• Run-time interactions with human users and IT application tools for processing the
various activity steps
Characteristics of Workflow
Systems
Distribution within the workflow
enactment services
The Evolution of Workflow
• Image Processing
Many types of product in the IT market
• Document Management
have supported aspects of workflow
functionality for a number of years, yet it • Electronic Mail & Directories

is only comparatively recently that its • Groupware Applications

importance has been recognized in its • Transaction-based Applications
own right. The evolution of workflow as a
• Project Support Software
technology has thus encompassed a
• BPR and Structured System Design
number of different product areas.
Tools
Workflow Reference Model