Which workflow system should I choose?
This difficult question is faced by many people who are assigned the task of finding a workflow system for their company.
Let’s start with what a workflow system is – it is an IT tool that supports the flow of tasks between successive process participants in an orderly and automated manner.
Workflow systems, like many other systems useful in companies, e.g. CRM, WMS, project management, accounting, HR, are plentiful.
It is difficult to find one’s way in this thicket. So how do you go about it?
There are many ways by which you can achieve your goal of selecting and implementing a system.
Consider one of the following two:
The Expert Way
You can’t know everything. If your company doesn’t have a person or persons who can perform a needs analysis and then review the market, then consider engaging an outside consultant. It is best if he or she is not affiliated with a single supplier. Such a person will help select processes, describe requirements and look for potential vendors.
Of course, this way is not for everyone. It is worth using it when:
- you have no time pressure,
- you have the budget to contract consulting services,
- the processes you want to automate and optimize are critical to your business and there can be no room for experimentation.
Do it yourself
Not every organization is comfortable choosing the path described above. If this is the case for you, consider doing things differently.
In the IT world, the use of low-code / no-code platforms is becoming widespread. Their great advantage is that you can use ready-made components, modules, plug-ins, templates, etc. Most of the implementation can be done without any programming knowledge.
Such systems also have their limitations, of course. Providers of some of them will not allow, for example, installation on the client’s own server, software modifications, integrations, etc.
However, there are also those that are not particularly different from the so-called traditional ones, and allow you to start with simpler and cheaper implementations, while giving you the opportunity to later migrate to more complex versions with extensive capabilities.
Use this path when:
- you don’t have a big budget,
- you want to test different possibilities before you choose a final solution,
- the system you need will support less critical processes, e.g. circulation of correspondence, invoices, contracts, HR matters, etc.
- you don’t have time for a long and involved implementation.
This approach is a good test to see if a workflow system will ever take hold in your company and do its job.
If it turns out to be sufficient, that’s good, because you may not need to invest in anything more expensive. And if it’s not enough, both you and your organization will be at a completely different level of knowledge and will know exactly what to look for when making your target choice.
What if your budget is zero
Here there is not much room for maneuver anymore – you have no choice but to start with the free version of the Dew-X system. Especially since this workflow can also be used for commercial purposes.
You may be asking yourself: why implement a workflow at all?
