Workflow: The Engine for Process Improvement
We are spending considerable time lately working on process improvement engagements with our clients. We often start by identifying critical or resource-heavy processes and then documenting, or mapping, those processes. The next step is to benchmark those against best practices from top performing HR organizations and make needed improvements – with the goal of either driving efficiency or increasing value to the business.
That’s the easy part! As anyone who’s been through putting in a new system knows, the devil is in the implementation. Changing an existing process is sometimes a hard nut to crack. That got me thinking about the value of automated workflows in HR systems.
Top performing HR organizations leverage automated workflows to “get the right work to the right people at the right time” (COA Solutions). Workflows are also extremely helpful when you are changing/improving an HR process. With a few clicks, a process can be updated. Coupled with the right internal communication around the reasons for and value proposition behind the change, workflows can increase adoption and realize positive impact sooner when compared with process improvements that do not leverage workflows.
Are your process improvement initiatives dying on the vine? Are the efforts of your six sigma teams being watered down when it comes to implementation? Perhaps automated workflows are part of the answer.