How to Create the Most Effective Workflow Design

Workflow design is the process of laying out all tasks and processes in a visual map, in order to give team members and stakeholders a high-level overview of each task involved in a particular process.

For a more in-depth definition of workflows, visit our essential guide to workflows, which contains the benefits they can provide your business.

To design the most efficient workflow for your processes, follow these step-by-step instructions.

1. Diagram Your Tasks: Start by identifying the different tasks and activities in your process using a basic flowchart. Create clear start and end points so that you know how the process should begin and what needs to be completed in order to finalize it. Then document every task between the start and end points, and ensure that each step is properly integrated into the workflow design process. Remember to indicate the relationship between the steps (i.e., whether steps are contingent on one another or can be completed concurrently).
   
   Read our guide on how to create workflow diagrams to learn more about the common shapes and symbols to use.
2. Consider Inputs and Outputs: Once you’ve diagrammed your tasks and identified their relationships to each other, consider both the inputs and outputs of your workflow. Attach all relevant information, including instructions for how each task should be completed, data or information needed in order to properly complete each task, links to source files, and checklists of the actions necessary to complete the tasks.
3. Identify Sub-Workflows: Now that you have both your tasks and their attendant inputs and outputs documentation, identify any sub-workflows that make up your larger workflow. If possible, split your larger, linear flows into smaller, more digestible workflows to make complex processes easier to understand and complete. When possible, reuse processes from commonly used workflows since you already tested and implemented them successfully.
4. Create Logical Loops in the Workflow Design: You can now identify how the workflow will progress. There are two main types of workflow loops:  the “while … do” loop (while one task occurs, you complete another task in the meantime) and the “repeat … until” loop (continue doing a certain task until another task is approved). Identify which type of loop (or loops) best suits your workflow to avoid bottlenecking processes or lagging behind schedule.
5. Incorporate Automation Wherever Possible: Once you’ve built all the main components of your workflow, try to incorporate as much automation as possible in order to simplify your workflow and eliminate repetitive, manual tasks. For example, you can automate the way your data is centralized or set up automatic notifications to alert stakeholders when a task is ready for review.

In order to make the most helpful workflow for your processes, follow the best practices below:

• Know the Type of Workflow Design that Works Best for Different Processes: There are two main types of workflows: linear, which is best for short processes that aren’t error-prone, and state machine, which is best for process tracking. Identify which type of workflow you need to build and go from there.
• Include Only Relevant Lines of Business Systems: To avoid overwhelming your team and to make processes as simple as possible, include only the most relevant tasks (e.g., any data transfer should be done outside of your workflow).
• When Possible, Split Workflows into Sub-workflows: The use of smaller, more digestible workflows results in greater efficiency, quicker issue resolution, easier testing, and overall better workflow performance.
• Think of Workflows as Non-linear Processes: Workflows are designed to enable you to return to previous steps seamlessly without causing bottlenecks or lag time. 
• Make Your Workflow as Visual as Possible: As you design, edit, and implement your workflow, keep in mind that the purpose of a workflow is to create a visual representation and depict tasks as they progress from one step to the next. 
• Specify Your Workflow Modules: A modular workflow design should effectively support the addition or removal of new features or processes. Simultaneously, the workflow should also maintain a clear design so you can easily identify and fix any issues that might pop up.
• Categorize Your Workflow Steps Based on Priority: Use naming conventions or colors to differentiate priority levels among tasks so that team members can easily identify the most critical needs.
• If Possible, Leverage a Workflow Automation Tool: A workflow automation tool can help you more easily create and implement workflows, as well as eliminate the need for employees to spend time performing less productive tasks.

Ari Meisel, founder of Less Doing, offers this reminder: “When you’re designing a workflow, some of the best practices really revolve around trying to take your perspective out of the workflow [...] we’re designing the workflow for other people to be able to use efficiently.” 

Meisel notes some specific questions to ask yourself as you design your workflow: “What would it be like if someone had never seen this before? Would they know how to do this step? Would this make sense? Would they have the appropriate resources, tools, etc.?” 

As you work through your workflow design, make sure to constantly ask these questions to ensure you’re creating the most clear, concise, and effective workflow for your business needs.

To design the most effective workflow for your project or process, follow the steps below, which have been vetted by top workflow subject matter experts, like Ari Meisel.

1. Create simple workflows for generic processes first, and then use them as templates for your larger, more complex processes.
2. Include points of review or approval needed from stakeholders within the workflow to reduce bottlenecks.
3. Create specific decision points within your workflow.
4. Mark all completed tasks as Done in the workflow processes so that you can easily view which tasks are complete and which remain unfinished.
5. Think of your workflow as a simple process flowchart.

As you design your workflow, try to avoid the most common mistakes and pitfalls, which have been identified by tried-and-true workflow experts.

• Executive Buy-In Does Not Necessarily Equate to Team Buy-In: Be sure to get approval from the team members who are actually involved in the process, not just from the stakeholders who have little real responsibility regarding the tasks. 
• Don’t Rely on Only the Feedback You Get: Make sure to dig deeper to identify any possible issues with your workflow. Give your team members time to consider the workflow, then review, question, and challenge it.
  
  Along these same lines, Meisel states, “One of the biggest pitfalls to watch out for when you’re designing a workflow is to take it out of your own perspective. It’s really easy to fall into a trap of skipping over steps.” To avoid this error as you’re designing and documenting your workflow, you should take all feedback you get and implement it as necessary.
• Never Create Workflows without Fully Understanding the Need: Ensure you fully understand the process you’re redesigning before looking for ways to automate it or put it into a workflow.
• Avoid Complex Workflow Systems: Aim to keep it as straightforward as possible, and expect many roadblocks and issues to pop up along the way before you reach the most effective solution.

Leveraging workflows across your business processes can help improve effectiveness and productivity, as well as offer a great return on investment. Below, we provide a workflow design starter kit to help you improve your processes as soon as possible.

Workflow design software can help you create and implement effective workflows quickly and efficiently. But not all workflow design softwares are created equal.

Keep your core needs in mind when shopping around, as the right tool can help you achieve the following:

• Create a clear, high-level view of the entire operational flow, from start to finish.
• Enable collaboration, and allow for multiple stakeholders and team members to provide feedback in the design decision-making process.
• Contain an easy-to-use workflow design feature that provides a workflow canvas or template, so you can get started easily and without much learning. 
• Clearly show the tasks, how they are connected, and who is assigned to what task.
• Include automatic notifications that alert stakeholders when something is ready for review or approval.
• Handle complex processes, such as invoice management, employee onboarding, and time-off approvals.

Meisel starts with using a pen and paper to create a first draft of his workflow. From there, he creates a more cohesive workflow by way of an automation tool or software, such as Process Street, which is “very basic in terms of its user interface, but very powerful in terms of its integrations with Zapier and its conditional workflow logic.”

To design workflows during this present era of automation, make sure to keep your workflows clear and concise. In addition, automate repetitive tasks when applicable.

Keep these additional tips in mind as you design your workflows:

• Incorporate automation and clear workflows in your current processes as much as possible to better adapt to an increasingly fluid and technology-driven world of work.
• Focus on ways you can make work less tedious and repetitive for your team members, and instead to make time for more productive, strategic work.
• Implement solutions and tools that create end-to-end visibility into your processes in order to keep up with the fast-paced nature of work.

Upsell: How to Design and Automate Workflows in Smartsheet 

Smartsheet, a collaborative work management tool with powerful project management capabilities, provides an easy way to create and manage workflows in one cohesive platform. 

Smartsheet enables you to create alerts and reminders for yourself or your team to automate your processes and make your workflows more effective. 

Specifically, the powerful workflows and automation capabilities in Smartsheet empower you to alert someone when anything changes, such as in the following situations: 

• When rows are added, changed, or deleted
• When comments are added, changed, or removed on a row or on a sheet
• When attachments are added, changed, or removed on a row or on a sheet
• When the sheet is shared

Follow the steps below to create and document your workflows using Smartsheet.

Create a Basic Workflow 

1. Select Automation in the upper-left corner of your sheet, then Manage Workflows from the drop-down list.
   
2. Under Create a workflow, open the drop-down and select Basic workflows from the bottom of the list.
   
3. On the Basic Workflows window, choose what kind of workflow you want to create (e.g., Alert someone when anything changes).
   
4. After you select Create, you can modify the trigger, recipients, and custom message of the workflow.
   
5. When you’re satisfied with the configuration, name and save the workflow. You now have a basic workflow.

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.