What is an Electronic Workflow? 

Regardless of the size of the company, document flow is the foundation of effective and efficient management. The effectiveness of decision-making and daily operations depends on how documents are shared. An Electronic Document Workflow is a tool that organizes and streamlines the document management process within a company. 

Electronic workflow - what is it and what is it based on? 

What is electronic workflow?
Let's start with the fact that every company manages a large number of documents. It creates, receives, files and processes a lot of documents - such as invoices, contracts, employee documents, orders or official letters - working with customers, partners or subcontractors and managing teams.   

We are talking about electronic document circulation when. Documents move between employees electronically and according to a well-defined procedure. In other words, they are not only recorded and stored, but also assigned to individuals and passed from one process participant to another in a planned sequence. This requires a workflow computer program that takes into account document management functions, as well as a workflow mechanism.   

The process involves digitizing and storing the company's documentary resources in a digital environment - either on the company's own servers or in the cloud. In order for electronic document circulation to work according to its concept, it is necessary to implement special software. Its task is to enable the practical implementation of all the assumptions of electronic document workflow, to automate work and optimize related processes. Such a set of software is called a system of class ECM (Enterprise Content Management), which is a system for managing a company's information resources. ECM systems include software dedicated to organizing document storage (DMS), as well as a variety of additional tools, including integration with other systems, workflow (including platforms like the low-code), or data retention.   

Traditional and modern workflows

Many companies still have a traditional workflow in which paper invoices or other letters circulate around the company between those authorized to receive them, often working in different departments and even in different company locations. Added to this is the registration, organizing, classification and formalization of paper documents. All this takes a lot of time and reduces productivity.   

The modern system allows for the rapid transfer of documents that can always be checked and does not require making paper copies if someone in the company needs something. As a result, all document processing is simplified and accelerated. Fewer paper documents mean lower costs (there is no need to store so many documents in physical form) and affect ecology (less paper consumption). 

What problems does electronic workflow solve?

Electronic Workflow saves time and money in the first place. Let's look at the specific problems that the use of the application solves ECM. Documents processed in the traditional way can easily be lost or given to the wrong person. A proper system protects against such a situation, as it stores the content on secure media, and access to a given document is fully controlled. The implementation of appropriate security and authorization de facto prevents the loss of a document and protects against unauthorized access.   

Software that digitally organizes the process makes it easier for company departments to work together and improves the division of labor. If a company receives documents in paper form, a sufficient number of people must work at a given location to process them. As a result, it is not possible to completely switch to remote work, which sometimes, as 2020 has shown, becomes a necessity. Electronic documentation software allows you to work from your home office. Many advanced applications can also run on mobile devices, allowing access to information wherever there is network access.   

In the traditional model, searching for a specific document can be cumbersome, and the employee wastes time looking through binders. The system ECM allows you to easily search resources, both by master data and on the basis of the full content of documents, which spectacularly increases the efficiency of work.  

How to start implementing an electronic workflow system?

Let us help you streamline your company's workflow!  

We will discuss the process of managing electronic documents, the capabilities of the ECM system and the approach to its implementation project.