Source: Smartsheet

A workflow is an essential tool when tackling a project. When used correctly, it brings structure to your work and allows you to scale and stabilize your output through helping you visualize the steps you need to take to see your project through from start to finish.

A project workflow stipulates the chain of activities and responsibilities that must be executed in order to move to the next step of a project. Usually, the steps defined in a workflow are repeatable activities, rather than one-off tasks. 

In basic terms, it can be said that a workflow is essentially a more advanced version of a checklist.

It’s essential to create a clear, helpful workflow if you want to keep things running smoothly, and this article will set out how to create a workflow in three simple steps.

Work Backwards

Source: Miro

“When creating a project workflow, start by considering where exactly you want to end up, and work back from there. Determine your ultimate goal for the project you’re working on and then carefully plot out the steps needed to get there,” advises Deborah Parrish, project manager at Boom Essays and Paper Fellows.

There are a few things you’ll need to consider:

• What systems and processes do you need to reach your final destination?
• Who needs to be involved, and who will take ownership for the various elements of the project?
• Who is going to lead and co-ordinate the project?
• Which best practices do you need to use for the best chance of achieving success?

Define Your Workflow

Source: ProjectManager

This is the foundation of your workflow. Without clearly defining the individual parts of your workflow, it’s unlikely to help streamline your processes; instead, it might even make things more confusing. 

Defining your workflow can be summarized in three key points:

• Get together with the key people managing the project and design an achievable, realistic workflow diagram. This can help you visualize the steps in your project and create a clear route forward.
• Once your team has bought into the workflow, have any key players sign off on the workflow. The workflow can now be implemented and absorbed into your project.
• Looking at the steps in your workflow, determine which tools you’ll require to achieve each step of the process. This way, you can ensure that tool selection is driven by need, rather than trying making the most of pre-selected tools that fall short of your requirements.

Optimizing A Workflow Process

Source: Teamwork 

The next step is to tweak your workflow to maximize efficiency. 

Take a good look at the workflow you defined in the previous step. Sometimes it’s helpful to step away for a day or so and return to your workflow with fresh eyes. 

Have any steps been duplicated? Is there anything that can be grouped together, or anything that deserves to be separated into individual tasks? Is this really the optimal route to achieving your goals?

Efficiency can be massively improved by automating some parts of your workflow process. The right software can help reduce time wasted on manual tasks such as data entry, allowing your team’s time and energy to be diverted to what they’re best at. Automation software can also help you track the status of tasks, which avoids unnecessary confusion and ramps up efficiency. 

“Optimization can be challenging, and you have to tread a fine line and avoid the temptation to over-optimize your processes. For example, if you amalgamate too many tasks, you risk confusing team members and tasks getting missed,” suggests Sara Wilson, business writer at State of writing and Essay Roo.

Things can always be improved, and once you’ve got some experience with your project, you might have more insight into what your project workflow needs to be successful. Keep returning to your workflow to determine if anything can be done to improve efficiency, if any steps can be automated or eliminated, or if any other tweaks are needed to maximize your workflow’s potential. 

Final Thoughts

Source: Pixabay 

Having a killer project workflow is key to achieving your goals and making sure your project is delivered on time and to the best of your ability. Using the tips above, get started on your project workflow and maximize your team’s efficiency, morale and creativity. 

--

Author bio

Christina Lee is a writer at OX Essays and a project manager at Academized review and Custom essay. Her areas of expertise include marketing news, and tools and technologies for marketing.