What Is Workflow?

Workflow, loosely defined, is the set of tasksgrouped chronologically into processesand the set of people or resources needed for those tasks, that are necessary to accomplish a given goal. An organizations workflow is comprised of the set of processes it needs to accomplish, the set of people or other resources available to perform those processes, and the interactions among them. Consider the following scenario: On a slow Friday afternoon in the emergency room, as one nurse prepares to go off shift, the clerk looks up from the desk and asks, By the way, since youre passing by housekeeping on your way out, would you remind them that room 12 still needs to be cleaned? No problem, replies the nurse, and indeed, on a slow Friday afternoon, it is no problem. The informal methods and processes that the hospital has developed over the years to keep the enterprise humming work well, in general, and can work very well in optimal times. Its no trouble to remind housekeeping to come up; its no trouble to run a special specimen down to the lab, and certainly no trouble to catch the attending physician during rounds to get a quick signature. Even if these small adjustments are forgotten, in due time the regular hospital schedule will bring the right people to clean the room, to pick up the lab specimen, to document the encounter. These same methods that an organization uses to get work done, however, can begin to show stress under trying circumstances. When the ward is full and it takes 12 hours for a room to be readied for the next patient, that impact is felt throughout the organization. When the number of small interruptions outweighs the amount of planned work done in a given hour, that impact is felt in slower progress, lower job satisfaction, and potentially lower quality of care. In many situations, it is very clear to all what needs to get done. Where organizations differ is in how they do it. The examination of how an organization accomplishes its tasks often concerns the organizations workflow. In health care, as in other industries, some workflows are designed, while others arise organically and evolve. The systems and methods by which organizations accomplish specific goals differ dramatically. Some organizational workflows seem more straightforward than others. Most often, when workflow processes are looked at in isolation, the processes appear quite logical (and even efficient) in acting to accomplish the end goal. It is in the interaction among the processes that complexities arise. Some of these interactions hide conflicts in the priorities of different roles in an organization, for example, what the nursing team is accountable to versus the physician team and its schedule. Organizations also adapt workflows to suit the evolving environment. Over time, reflecting on organizational workflows may show that some processes are no longer necessary, or can be updated and optimized. Workflow Analysis

To understand workflow analysis, first you must understand the idea of a system. A system is anything that has interacting, interrelated or interdependent parts. Different kinds of systems might include:

Some systems are natural and some are made by humans.

Human systems -Physiological systems -- like the nervous system, the endocrine system or the skeletal system Communication systems -- phone (telecommunication) systems and the postal (mail) system Channels -- the interstate highway system, Computer systems -- like desktop systems, network systems, or software applications

Workflow is the process, progress, or "flow" of work within a system and the rate at which that happens. Workflow analysis refers to observing how this process takes place. The analysis also involves evaluating the process and improving it for efficiency and effectiveness. In the case of software and web based applications, we look at how people engage in and complete a process -- a purchase, for example. There are many systems we can analyze when it comes to your web site. Here are some of the most common processes:

Planning your web site Creating your web site Redesigning your web site Updating your web site Using your web site Buying a product Searching for and sorting records Adding, editing and deleting records

Moving paper-based data between people Moving electronic data between people Working with others who can help you do any of the above

Things to consider:

Do some tasks (like data entry) need to be done twice? Are there "hiccups" in any processes -- any places where you always seem to get hung up? Many organizations design workflow early in their lifetimes but don't remember to reevaluate their processes as the organization evolves. New resources often get plugged into a process without a thorough understanding of how they might work best.

WHAT IS WORKFLOW ANALYSIS Workflow analysis entails reviewing all processes in a business with a view toward identifying inefficiencies and recommending improvements. The work begins with establishing desired results from the analysis with a firms senior managers. Analysts then interact with the companys employees to document the current state of business processes in the firm. The final stage of workflow analysis is the recommendation of processes that need to be changed, automated or left in place in line with stated goals. A typical business continuously seeks to improve its processes, and two primary factors lead firms to undertake a workflow analysis. First, ongoing technological advances can offer more efficient and less costly ways of doing business, and firms often choose to review processes with a view toward automating them or incorporating the latest technology. Second, it is typical for so-called legacy processes to be firmly entrenched in a firm, which means a certain task has long been done a certain way and can be overlooked as a process in need of improvement. A goal of workflow analysis is to expose such legacy processes. Outside consultants can effectively perform a workflow analysis as they are experts at it and have no loyalty to any particular way of doing business. In initial interaction with senior managers, the workflow analysts usually begin with interviews to determine how top managers view the company currently, including what is working and what is not. Analysts next determine the desired end state that managers hope to achieve by the workflow analysis project. The majority of the work in workflow analysis takes place with trained analysts interviewing employees and supervisors to document how business is done. This includes all aspects of a business such as processing paperwork for sales, collections, compliance, and human resources. It also can cover

manufacturing processes such as receiving raw materials or parts, processing or assembling them, and shipping finished goods. Analysts will also review time spent and effort expended interacting with customers, including sales and customers service. Workflow analysis looks at everything every employee of firm does with a view toward documenting how each task begins and moves through the organization. After the initial documentation, workflow analysts typically present findings to lower-level manages to ensure the results of the analysis match the reality of the company. Adjusting the analysis as necessary, the analysts then examine the workflow to identify areas in which processes can be streamlined, automated or both. This information then is usually presented to top managers along with recommendations for improvements. Workflow Analysis and Consultation What is Workflow Analysis? This is the process by which an organization can do the following: Identify and Evaluate How Well Existing Processes Are Achieving Organizational Goals Suggest Ways of Streamlining/Optimizing Processes What is a Workflow System? Image-based Workflow Designed to automate the flow of paper through an organization, by transferring the paper to digital "images".

Form-based Workflow Designed to intelligently route forms throughout an organization. Forms are automatically routed according to the information entered on the form. In addition, these form-based systems can notify or remind people when action is due.

Workflow Analysis is accomplished by: Breakdown Process into Component Parts Map (Schematize) The Process(es)

Coordination-based Workflow Benefits of a Workflow Analysis A proper Workflow Analysis offers several benefits. First, it identifies what an organization Designed to facilitate the completion of work by providing a framework for coordination of action. The framework is aimed to address business processes, rather than the optimization of information or

does / how they do it (processes) and the costs associated with those processes. By doing this, we are able to identify and eliminate problems such as bottlenecks and redundancies within the system. The Workflow Analysis will illustrate how we should be doing things and shows the changes needed to maximize resources (both personnel and material). It brings to light any obstacles to the proper implementation of changes and allows the organization to quantify the projected cost benefits. In other words, the Workflow Analysis is the tool that allows the organization to streamline its processes and realize the associated savings!!!

material processes.

The Tools of Workflow Analysis When evaluating Workflow, it is important to remember that software and computers are simply tools used to assist the user.

Relevance of Workflow Analysis and Organizational Structure by Roslyn Frenz, Demand Media

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Workflow charts show organizational structure. Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images Related Articles

Organizational Structure Analysis What Is the Relationship Between Organizational Functions & Organizational Structure? Roles of Organizational Structure Geographic Organizational Structure Problems Implementing an Organizational Structure How to Change Organizational Structure

Workflow analysis helps managers understand the process leading to task completion. An analysis of workflow tells the manager what happens after a project is delegated to a department or work team. The analysis may include a list of which employees complete each task, and when and how the tasks are completed. Organizational structure refers to the company's overall division of labor into departments, as well as the lines of formal authority and the ways work is coordinated among employees. Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Workflow Analysis

Workflow analysis is a smaller-scale examination of the same dynamics that power the entire organizational structure. In many cases, the goal of workflow analysis is to figure out if any efforts are being duplicated and to learn which tasks can be eliminated. This streamlines the efforts of the workforce. The goal of organizational structuring is also to create an efficient workforce, by establishing work responsibility and allocating the administrative authority to delegate tasks and control employees. Organizational Structures Organizational structure can be thought of as having two dimensions, vertical and horizontal. An organization's vertical structure signifies who has the authority to delegate and supervise other employees. Basically, the vertical structure designates executives, bosses, department heads and managers. An organization's horizontal structure divides the workforce into functional departments or teams. Elements of horizontal structure include human resources, marketing and finance. Division of Labor A possible division of labor begins with the business owner or top executives creating a strategic goal. The executives delegate tasks related to the goal to various department heads, who divide up the labor into projects to be completed by work teams. Work team managers further divide the project into tasks that can be competed by individual team members. As elements of the project are completed, task goals are reported up the vertical chain of command until the workforce completes the organizational goal. Workflow Interdependencies Often, multiple functional teams or members of different departments must work together to complete an organizational goal. This situation, called workflow interdependency, has potential to cause communication issues and disputes because employees may be unfamiliar with each other and may have to share resources. For example, a marketing team and a finance team may need to work together to create an advertising budget. Conflict may arise over the amount of capital designated to the budget. Workflow analysis may be applied to workflow interdependency situations to determine ideal methods of communication and resource allocation. NuGenesis ELNnugenesis-sdms.waters.com For free flow (R&D) documentation and process driven (QC) workflows. Change management processwww.change-management.com Research-based, holistic model for managing the people side of change Protein Identificationwww.ProteomeFactory.com and Characterization by Mass Spec: competent, rapid and low priced! Business Intelligencewww.SAS.com Improve Reporting with SAS Business Intelligence. Read White Paper!

Ads by Google References

Daniel Hoang: Using Workflow Analysis to Improve Business Processes "Management, Sixth Edition"; Luis Gomez-Mejia, et al.; 2006 "Organizational Behavior, Ninth Edition", John R. Schermerhorn, et al.; 2005 Pearson Education: What Is Organizational Structure?

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