Five Strategies to Improve your Workflow Management Software

Five Strategies to Improve Your Workflow Management Software

There’s no doubt that technology has made today’s workplace more efficient and productive. Workflows that may have been riddled with misunderstandings and inefficiencies before have now been polished and streamlined by workflow management software.

The importance of this software and other similar programs can be seen in how big of a market it has become. According to a 2019 report by Zion Market Research, the market for workflow management systems is set to balloon to $22.1 billion by 2025. This represents an impressive growth compared to the 2018 market, which was at $5.2 billion. This growth is expected to happen not just in the West, but in the Asia Pacific region as well, with China and India being eyed in particular.

But having even the best workflow management software isn’t the end-all solution for a business. There are strategies that can be implemented to fully optimize the positive effect such a software has on a business.

If you’re a business owner looking to find out what’s best for your business, check out our suggested strategies so you can fully maximize the effectiveness of these tools.

Also read: The Complete Guide to the Approval Process and Workflow

Optimize your software

The project workflow software you buy will be doing a lot of work for you, but that’s no reason for you to leave everything to it. Following the strategies below ensures that both you and the software are working to the fullest.

1. Find out if you need the software in the first place

There’s an old saying that goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and that is definitely true for workflow as well. This software exists to get rid of inefficiencies, so it would be best to check if these inefficiencies exist in the first place. Otherwise, you would just be complicating a process that has already been working well.

Take an honest look at the way you do things so you can identify processes that are inefficient or repetitive. Are there procedures that would be better automated? Are there reports that would be better discarded? Does the system in place only encourage multitasking, which a study has shown cannot be done realistically? Once you’ve got a clear picture, you can pick software that addresses your needs.

2. Look at the fine details of existing processes

Different kinds of software do different things for its users, so to truly maximize the use of one you need to know the ins and outs of your existing processes and determine how your chosen workflow automation software will affect it. For instance, you might discover that to make a process like log updates, follow up actions, and lead detail capturing requires acquiring a tool that can provide you with a user-friendly CRM solution. This will help inform your choice, and stop you from getting software that ultimately doesn’t do anything for you.

3. Make sure to document every step of your workflow

While you don’t want redundancy in your workflow and your processes, you certainly want it when it comes to documentation. Having documentation as to how a process and a software should work will prove invaluable when you need to look back and reassess how effectively the software is helping you out. If you manage to find software that also provides great document management, then that’s even better.

4. Test it before you implement it

When you first look at how effective a workflow management software is, you might be tempted to get it and immediately implement it to the rest of your business. But in much the same way that you wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive, you shouldn’t just make your whole team use a software without testing it out first. Try it out on smaller projects to begin with, and then slowly scale it up to larger and larger projects until you’re confident that not only will the software handle projects of any scale, it can also be effectively used by the people in your team.

5. Always look back and reassess

The software you’re using might work great today, but will it also perform just as well when your business starts to grow and demands keep piling up? Part of making sure you’re getting the most out of your software is realizing that it may no longer fit your requirements. Constant reassessment helps with this and makes it easier to make a decision about the software you’re using. Sometimes, all it takes is an adjustment to your process rather than replacing the software altogether.

Also read: Top 10 Business Process Automation Benefits

Work Smart, Achieve More

Workflow management software, when used correctly and smartly, could prove to be an immense help to the growth of a business. Software like Quixy, which features secure cloud architecture, intuitive app-building, flexibility to different business changes, and a host of other great features is a good choice, sure to help out a business whatever its journey may be. To know more, read this Quixy review by industry experts to learn about its key features and benefits.