Workflow is something that needs to be mastered. Mastering workflow is just processing and organizing.
First you need to understand the process in which everything happens; information comes in, then you determine what it is and last you figure out if it’s actionable or not. If it’s actionable then look to see if it’s something that you can do or if you can delegate the task to someone else. If the item that came in isn’t actionable, we will look to see if we file it, store it for reference or simply throw it away.
So many times we miss phone calls or don’t return phone calls because the only notice we received, was a sticky note with some chicken scratch on it. Phone calls that come in should be tracked with more consistency than this, like a program that can track and remind you and your staff of tasks to be completed or calls to be returned.
Emails are important in business today, but we get so many that some inevitably get lost in all the noise. After getting emails, they should be archived and organized in a way that makes storing and finding them easier. When everyone keeps their inbox clutter free it makes responding to emails easier and it makes it harder to lose emails.
Digital and paper files basically have the same rules that apply, and both should be stored in one consistent place. All the stored files should be accessible by all staff that will work on them. Without an established system that mirrors our intended workflow policies, our workflow will be less efficient. Going “paperless” can make accessing, assigning, sorting, and organizing these files much easier.
Workflow is something that is hard to manage under any circumstances, but with some procedures and the correct software, it can make workflow easier and efficient.
Workflow is something that is hard to manage under any circumstances, but with some procedures and the correct software, it can make workflow easier and efficient.
