Create workflows to organize your team’s work and improve productivity. This involves identifying every step of your process including those dependent on each other, and documenting them using the form web of a flowchart. This is vital to avoid common workflow errors such as bottlenecks or delays.

Start with the Endpoint

Name the outcome you want to achieve through your workflow, like the completion of a project milestone or a the launch of a new home page. This will help you determine the necessary activities including information, personnel, and technology that must be in place to meet your objectives. It will also help you determine whether the workflow is effective/successful.

Test workflows before migrating to production. This will ensure that you’re not placing your company at risk by using untested or ineffective processes.

Define actions, condition nodes and wait nodes on a workspace canvas. Actions let you set up triggers to initiate the process, for example, when a record is in compliance with certain requirements. You can also add an option to stop the progress of a document until a certain event occurs. Condition nodes allow you to evaluate records based on the properties that they have been assigned and to control the progression of the record based on evaluations.

Examine all steps of your workflow, particularly those that require handoffs. Whether the handoff is between people or systems they can be weak points that could result in difficulties in communication or technical issues. These are usually the primary reasons for delays and bottlenecks in the flow of work. A clear record of your processes will help you avoid these mistakes.