“Building smart processes to streamline the workflow can make the work easier and the results more reliable, which keeps my head above water and my clients happy” – Mark Mason
There are times in our professional life when we may feel overburdened and overwhelmed by the number of tasks that need to be accomplished. This feeling can actually dampen the spirit and make one inefficient, especially when things seem to pile up. It is true that organizations promote methodologies to reduce waste, increase productivity, make efforts to streamline processes, and ensure that each person is managing their work efficiently. However, this may not completely help those who feel overburdened by the tasks that seem to pile up on their desk. Experts suggest the use of flowcharts for managing work flows efficiently. By putting a flowchart that visually describes the process for each task or set of tasks can help the organization as a whole to become more efficient and productive.
A flowchart as a visual and structured tool of predefined tasks aimed at accomplishing a goal / producing a desired result. The structure afforded by a flowchart helps in managing work flows efficiently since a person is able to view the sequential movement of steps within a task – simple or complicated, and thus know exactly what they should do to produce the expected result. The persons / teams would know their own role in the sequence of steps, the resources they would need to do the task, the points where a person from another team may be required, and draw a connection between all these points of interactions. The start and end points of the work flow being clearly defined, make it easier to begin, and during the process it would be easier to understand any deviations. This would save a lot of time, effort, and resources and would make managing work flows efficiently a lot easier.
The reason that flowcharts are successful in managing work flows efficiently is because they elevate a process in many ways and help to optimize results of even the most complex processes. Since the processes and steps are clearly and visually outlined, it becomes a lot easier to eliminate waste, improve communication, monitor the efficiency of each person and step, and measure the outcomes of the processes. Breaking down processes helps each person involved to understand the manner and time required to accomplish the desired results, thereby managing work flows efficiently for each person involved. This efficiency is extremely critical in the realm of project management, since it enhances the ability predict and measures the outcomes – it is not surprising then that project managers love using flowcharts for managing work flows efficiently. The amount of stress and work involved in ensuring the successful fruition of projects is considerably reduced by using flowcharts, since they also help to ensure transparency and enhance the ability to replicate results in other current and future projects.
There are several other ways that using flowcharts help in managing work flows efficiently. If a project is at risk for whatever reasons, the complexity of and effort required increases considerably for all those involved. By using flowcharts, it is possible to realize these risks upfront and thereby reduce the delays in the completion schedule. Since errors would require rework, this could cause friction and elevated costs. By managing work flows efficiently, the number of disagreements and possible costs are significantly reduced, ensuring that projects are completed with optimized results.
The strength of an organization depends on the cohesiveness of its workforce. This is possible when business processes are streamlined, and management intervention is not required consistently. Using flowcharts helps teams to understand their role in making work flows smooth and efficient, thereby increasing communication and respect for all those working with them. This in turn makes it easy for the management to affect organizational changes when required.
By using flowcharts, a business is able to test and examine the current processes and identify any deficiencies. This would lead to significant improvements and help to optimize work flows. In addition, the foresight possible from using flowcharts helps project managers / supervisors to uncover any possible bottlenecks in the stages of the project, remove them, and keep a close watch by managing work flows efficiently on the end to end running of the process.
Flowcharts remove ambiguity with regard to the roles and responsibilities of the staff involved. Each person would know exactly what they need to do with regard to managing their own work flows, and how their role would contribute to the overall success and efficiency of the process. When managing work flows efficiently becomes easier, project managers are better equipped to make estimates on the possible timelines for each step of the process, and in turn the realistic timelines required for the successful completion of the project. With clarity comes transparency and visibility – flowcharts afford the visual communication of a process to all involved raising the possibility of better managing work flows efficiently.
When work flows run efficiently, project managers have more time to focus on areas of their job and other business processes that will accelerate growth and success of the company. In addition, the leadership team of a company would be at ease even during a rigorous audit since efficient work flow management includes proper and robust documentation of the progress and completion of various tasks. Using flowcharts for managing work flows efficiently results in ‘blueprints’ of processes that encompass predefined rules, eliminate guesswork, and enhance confidence in teams to run processes successfully – not just once but repeatedly.
Although models of workflows can differ slightly in terminology, the components outlined below are consistent throughout each method. Professionals may describe their diagrams as informal or formal. Informal workflows are simple, do not require special software, and may be just a diagram or a flowchart delineating a sequence of steps. Formal workflows may be comprised of several software systems and referred to as analytical pipelines. Each workflow component or step may be described by three parameters: input, transformation, and output.
Documenting and managing work flows efficiently is extremely critical for project managers, and other stakeholders. Using flowcharts for this purpose ensures that there is a clear roadmap to guide future projects, which makes simulation of steps and projects a lot easier. The clarity and visibility ensure proper capture of data and its detailed analysis. Experts highly recommend the capturing and analysis of data, and the ability to alter it as required.
Managing work flows efficiently is similar to automating processes – wherein even though the overall processes remain the same, with some tweaking as required, there is no real need for constant monitoring. After a while, they become streamlined and almost repetitive in nature – saving time, effort, and other resources for all involved. In the competitive business world of today, saving on these invaluable resources can prove to be the difference between a business becoming a success and becoming obsolete. It is well known that irrespective of the size of a project, several resources and processes would be required to complete it – managing work flows efficiently would ensure that these resources are used optimally in order to speedily and successfully complete the project. Use flowcharts effectively by either learning their use or using readily available flowchart software or enlisting the services of a company proficient in their use.
