Buyers Guide

Table of Contents

• What is Workflow Management Software?
• What are the common features of Workflow Management Software?
• What are the benefits of using Workflow Management Software?
• How much does Workflow Management Software cost?
• Key considerations when purchasing Workflow Management Software

What is Workflow Management Software?

Workflow Management Software is used to design, execute, monitor, and optimize business processes and workflows such as content approvals, quality control and testing, and marketing campaigns. It enables the visual representation of workflows, complete with tasks, triggers, and decision points. It lets users automate and coordinate tasks and activities within a workflow, ensuring they are executed as per the predefined rules and sequences.

Most workflow management tools integrate with software systems such as customer relationship management (CRM), project management, and document management. The integration facilitates accurate data exchange across departments and synchronizes project tasks and workflows to improve collaboration and reduce the risk of miscommunication.

What are the common features of Workflow Management Software?

• Task management: Create, assign, and track tasks within a process or workflow. The software offers a centralized dashboard to add tasks with relevant documents and set due dates. Users can also set automated reminders to alert stakeholders when a task is assigned, document is added, or user is tagged in comments.
• Workflow configuration: Design, customize, and define the sequence of tasks and decision points within a process or workflow. Users can set up rules and conditions that dictate the flow of work.
• Business process automation: Automate repetitive tasks within a workflow, such as data entry, document routing, approvals, and notifications, often following predefined rules. This feature reduces human intervention in routine tasks, saves time, and improves accuracy in business operations.
• Collaboration tools: Enable team members to communicate and collaborate on specific workflows to improve information exchange. These tools typically include the ability to share documents, comment on tasks, and notify team members about updates or required actions.
• Calendar management: Use a calendar to schedule tasks, set deadlines, and coordinate activities within a workflow or business process. This feature visually represents the workflow timeline, ensuring activities are completed within specified timeframes. Users can sync this information with calendar solutions such as Outlook and Google Calendar.

What are the benefits of Workflow Management Software?

• Improves collaboration and communication: Most workflow management tools include built-in messaging and commenting features for team members to discuss tasks, share information, leave feedback, or ask questions. This minimizes the need for a separate communication tool and centralizes workflow discussions. These tools also help visualize workflows, making it easier for team members to understand the sequence of tasks and their respective responsibilities. This transparency improves communication and ensures everyone stays on the same page.
• Automates the approval process: Workflow management software simplifies and automates approval processes, often integral to business operations such as project planning, budgeting, and compliance tracking. With predefined rules and routing, the software enables users to create approval workflows that define who needs to approve what. This automation speeds up decision-making and ensures approvals follow a structured path, reducing delays and improving accountability.
• Provides data-driven insights: Workflow management software analyzes existing business processes to offer insights into process efficiency and bottlenecks. With these insights, businesses can identify areas for improvement, make data-driven decisions, and optimize their workflows for better outcomes.
• Enhances team visibility: Workflow software provides transparency into the status of tasks and projects. Team members can see their assigned tasks and deadlines, and the progress of ongoing projects on a centralized dashboard. This enhanced visibility keeps everyone on the same page, even in remote or distributed work environments. It helps teams prioritize work, better allocate resources, and proactively address issues arising within a business process.

How much does Workflow Management Software cost?

Most workflow management tools on the market are priced on a “per user, per month” basis, and their entry-level pricing plans range from $3 to $19.99+*. An enterprise product that’s priced higher may include additional workflow automation features such as customizable workflows, project management, condition logic, multi-language support, advanced automation, advanced access controls, encryption, dedicated support, and integration capabilities.

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offerings found on vendor websites as of October 13, 2023.

Key considerations when purchasing Workflow Management Software

• Identify your business’s workflow requirements. Begin by assessing your current business processes. This involves understanding how tasks are currently carried out, identifying bottlenecks, and recognizing areas where automation can be beneficial. Different workflow tools specialize in different areas. Once you identify your unique business needs and objectives, shortlist workflow automation software that best aligns with your operations and processes.
• Consider custom workflow templates. Workflow management cannot be restricted to a single template, as the number of processes or tasks may vary based on the requirements and stakeholders involved. This explains the need for custom workflow templates to adjust the number of tasks, set priority levels, add tagging details, and map single or multiple stakeholders.
• Look for a WYSIWYG designer. A What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) designer helps create, modify, and optimize processes without extensive coding or technical expertise. This feature makes workflow customization accessible to a broader range of users, reducing the reliance on IT teams and streamlining the design and adaptation of your workflows. It also allows you to implement process logic (e.g., if-then scenarios) and ensure mandatory workflows are completed in the right sequence.