What is a workflow process?
By Anne Fray, Sr. Accounting Analyst at Solutions360
Workflow is defined as the organization of work as it moves through a department, across departments or across an entire organization.
Here’s an example of a workflow process from sales to operations in Q360:
In this graphic you can clearly see the hand-offs from one step to the next, moving from sales to operations.
Successful handoffs are critical for efficient processes and provide good visibility for all involved. Solutions360 sees the majority of clients having issues with ineffective hand-offs. We work with clients to mature their processes by first walking through the workflows they believe are in place. Quite often, customers are surprised that their documented processes aren’t being followed. Once the actual process is agreed upon, the final step is to put in place an electronic workflow like the example above. This makes it easy for all involved to follow the process.
This methodology carries over to other key hand-offs in the organization, such as project management to service.
Here is an example of a service workflow in Q360:
Why is a workflow important?
Communication
Communication across these processes is critical. Having the ability for staff to have a conversation around a visual workflow can increase productivity profoundly.
Poor communication can be resolved when staff are reviewing real-time visual workflows. These workflows in conjunction with automated notifications to various stakeholders in the process ensure staff are only dealing with exceptions rather than having to review things when they’re working normally. Asigning ownership of each step in the process builds in accountability for everyone involved in the processes and makes day-to-day operations smoother overall.
“Going to the Q360 platform took away our silos by putting all our data into one database. This gives us much better visibility. Now anybody in the company can access current data quickly,” says Kendra Letau, IT Applications Manager at AVI Systems.
Customer Service
Arguably, no other department is as critical as customer service and a well defined workflow is important to ensure customer issues are dealt with in a timely and effective manner. Once again, applying ownership to each stage in the process reduces the likelihood of human error or things falling through the cracks.
- Implementing Workflows in your Business
No assembly required!
Most business owners feel they are operating just fine without well defined processes, but they are leaving money on the table.
Solutions360’s workflow processes are designed specifically for your integration business and represent industry best practices. Q360 is completely scalable and will grow with your business over time. This drives innovation, creates a culture of constant improvement and enables more informed, real-time business decisions.
- Leverage your greatest investment—your employees!
Although many business owners understand why a workflow process is important, it often takes a backseat to more immediate and pressing business issues. In fact, optimizing your workflow might just be what sets you apart from your competition.
A clear workflow gives every team member involved the opportunity to see all the steps and plan their own tasks accordingly. It also gives the Project Manager and Operations Manager a high-level overview to ensure things run smoothly.
Q360’s integrated workflow automation tool is intuitive and designed to tackle all of your business’s needs.
Examples of Q360 workflow:
| 1. Quote to order to project | 7. Material planning to purchasing |
| 2. Project commissioning to service | 8. Accounts receivable & accounts payable |
| 3. Sales and engineering | 9. HR onboarding |
| 4. Invoicing | 10. Service ticket management |
| 5. Time billing and job costing | 11. Inventory |
| 6. Month-end procedures |
Q360 instills accountability across the entire organization; It is the conductor that orchestrates the entire organization to work together in a coordinated manner.
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