What Can Workflow Do For You

Document management workflows such as those seen in M-Files have benefits as numerous as they are widespread in a variety of workplace settings: they automate business systems processes, ensure employees’ accountability, and clearly defines internal processes. In fact, when viewing document management workflows as a byproduct of the M-Files system, this byproduct aptly describes what a document management system should strive to represent.

Here are some considerations while exploring the most underutilized DMS features, and how can we change this by learning more about its role in the organizational context.

Why DMS Workflow is the Backbone of Paperless Offices

Workflows are not simply a byproduct of a DMS but also a feature.

• As a byproduct, workflows are partially what turns the scattered, unmapped processes within an organization into the digital secretary that can manage them, helping organizations overthrow paper-dependent processes with their documents without creating internal chaos and confusion.

• As a feature, workflow also sheds light on the inefficiency of these paper-dependent processes insomuch as it redefines the concept of efficiency in the workplace, significantly raising the bar for standards of productivity and innovation.

Workflow is a Window into DMS Functionality

Although a workflow automates internal processes, this automation does not equate to a lack of routing options for your documents. For instance, documents can be shot back and forth between two or three separate employees a specified number of times before moving to the next stage in the workflow cycle, freeing the concept of workflow from traditionally linear systems.

It also offers security on documents, allowing only specific users to access information within a document management workflow a highly important feature given the increasing number of data breaches occurring worldwide as most data breaches occur internally.

In addition, a workflow also prevents employees from engaging in activities that enable data breaches, such as sending email attachments with sensitive information. Users can also specify conditional paths for documents in their document management workflow cycles, accounting for even the most complex business processes across industries.

Workflow Best Practices in DMS Context

Workflow is designed to help organizations support business processes, content routing, and the assignment of work tasks and states. Although workflow is commonly found in many consumer grade solutions, it is improved—perhaps even perfected—within the document management systems space.

Vendor’s newfound tool, at least as it pertains to workflow, is that of approval and validation processes within the document management workflow cycle. These approval and validation features confirm the completion of tasks through multiple touch points, keeping all members of a project informed as to what stage the project is in and how other members are working.

The simplest way to understand workflow in the document management system space is by understanding it as a map for organizational processes that save you time. You can supplant the need for email, face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, or in-person communication by using workflows.

For instance, email is not a workflow, because it allows too much room for individual task liberty, and does not offer enough interactivity between groups of people, whereas a workflow sets parameters for a team’s project completion when working on documents.

Although workflow and email have similarities, such as the ability to comment on and communicate within a given set of procedures, the disparities are greater and more significant in number than the similarities.

Workflow in the Context of Process Perfection

For instance, from a compliance standpoint, comments within a workflow are backed up and saved regardless of what users without the permission to delete them do, whereas email allows, again, more individual liberty to make mistakes over time.

Document management workflows are far more than just a funnel or pipeline for task completion. Rather, the usability of this feature among the best document management system vendors will entail bi-directional functionality.

Above all, document management workflows increase the organization’s interoperability, and are used strictly for internal efficiency. Although the internal efficiency workflow provides can indirectly benefit the customer experience, it is not used to communicate directly with customers or engage the transactional components of a business.