Workflow management

Workflow adds a brain to your document management system!

‘Workflow’ and ‘workflow management’ are common terms. But what does ‘workflow’ mean in the context of a document management system (DMS)? And what added value do you get from workflow management?

What is a workflow and workflow management?

Workflow management means controlling the movement of information, in most cases with automated means. Workflow can be defined as a stream of tasks to be processed in procedures. Workflow management ensures that business processes are optimized and customers are serviced better and faster.

The workflow ensures that the exchange of information between the different departments or business units becomes more efficient. A workflow management system can be part of, for example, a document management system.

Workflow management tool Xtendis

In a document management system,such as Xtendis, in addition to documents, document attributes are stored. Features include, for example, customer, contract, order or address information, invoice numbers, maturities, status, and so on. They are logically used to find documents.

However, those same attributes can also be used for an automatic check or approval process. For example, a check on maturity, completeness or status. Let the document management system do your thinking, with checks and alerts to important activities. Let the workflow record and monitor the steps in your business process, instead of walking around with documents and files alongside various colleagues. This ‘document workflow’ creates a digital transformation in your company and makes the job easier!

Process monitoring & compliance? Two problems solved with workflow software

It is a lot of work to record what persons have seen, verified or authorized a specific document or file. While this is precisely the information that you and auditors want or even require.

In current practice within most organizations, decisions on documents and files are not consistently recorded. With workflow, you no longer waste energy capturing decisions around the document or file. In addition, the workflow monitors progress in the process.

All information is stored with the document or file, where it belongs. Not in your e-mail inbox or on notes. Now, if a document or file is found in the document management system, you can also see the process history. Not only useful for external auditors, but also for employees new to a process. By using workflow in a DMS, you can beat two birds with one stone.

Top 5 business processes where workflow management has added value!

Let the ‘workflow module’ alert you to maturities that are likely to end, ring alarm bells at certain stages in the file, check completeness, destroy information and more. There are five business processes where the use of workflow brings enormous benefits:

1. Contract management
2. Quality management
3. Customer files
4. Approval outgoing and incoming correspondence /communication:
   – Purchase invoices
   – Sales invoices
   – Sales orders/purchase orders
5. Share web portals, files & documents externally.

Do you want more information about the possibilities that our DMS Xtendis offers in the field of Workflow? And why Xtendis is the workflow solution you need? Please contact us.