Workflow Design & Modelling
J. G. Davis
B. Odoi-Lartey
Workflow Design
• Workflow design is the process of laying out all tasks and
processes in a visual map, in order to give team members and
stakeholders a high-level overview of each task involved in a
particular process.
• In the process of workflow design, you get a chance to see the
entire process and how data moves seamlessly from step to step.
Workflow Design
Workflows have processes ( of a certain complexity ) which is
formed of sub processes and are composed of activities ( work to
have sub processes functioning) and tasks ( piece of work assigned
or done as part of one's duties.
A task is a well-defined responsibility that is usually imposed by
another and at the lowest atomic level.
An activity represents work completed by a group or organization.
A process, sub-process and task are all considered as activities
What is Workflow Modeling?
A workflow model is the sequential series of tasks and decisions that make up a
business process. We model workflow in terms of;
• What steps are performed
• When are the steps performed
• Who performs those steps
• How long does it take to perform related steps
• What dependencies (relationships) exists between those steps
• What external resources (information, materials etc.) are required to complete the steps.
Why Modeling
• Modeling workflow provides a high-level view of your workflows and
they help streamline your business processes to improve efficiency
• Modeling shows sequence of connected steps
• Many see workflow as an abstraction of actual work
• Examples:
• The route you take to work
• The exact steps to make a wedding cake
• The steps to produce raw materials for manufacturing
Modeling Workflows
• There are so many tools to model workflow and implement
workflow-based software systems
BizAgi models business process
UML and UML tools (visio) model workflow and various types of
processes
There are several tools and there are different models too such as
network diagrams, petri-nets etc
BizAgi (BPMN) Example
Common Workflow and Process Problems
• Lack of workflow definition
• Undefined or poorly defined process
• Processes are not well-understood
• Lack of workflow integration across functional units
• This leads to a silo effect (lack of communication and common goals beween
departments in an organization)
• Workflow that is not well understood
• If we don’t know what exactly we do, how do we do it?
Exercise.
• What are the processes involve in
1. Loading money to one’s MoMo Account
2. Withdrawing money from one’s MoMo Account
Key Components of Workflows
• Each workflow component or step may be
described by three parameters; input,
Transformation and Output
• Input: The materials and resources that are
required to complete a step.
• Transformation: A specific set of rules that dictate
how the input is received and what is done to it.
• Output: The materials and resources that are
produced by the step and that act as input to the
next step(s).
Key Components of Workflows Cont…
Four main components make up the bulk of workflows.
When modeling workflows, each should at least consist
of actors, activities, results, and states.
Actor
Activities
Results
State (characterized by event)
Workflow Improvement Theories
• Six Sigma. In a nutshell, this theory breaks down a process into minute detail. Six Sigma will help
minimize variation by aiding in standardizing the workflow process.
• Lean systems. Lean works to improve the process workflow by constantly looking for improvement
and ways to do more with less.
• Total Quality Management. This system refines quality at each step to fine-tune the processes.
• Business Process Reengineering (BPR). A methodology that uses workflow management
software to support Business Process Reengineering (BPR).
• Business Process Redesign: The term refers to a complete overhaul of a company's key
business process with the objective of achieving a quantum jump in performance measures such as
return on investment (ROI), cost reduction, and quality of service
• Theory of Constraints. This theory focuses on managing bottlenecks and evaluating the
bottleneck fixes, especially in manufacturing, of your workflows.
Workflow Examples in different Industries
Workflows are as diverse as the • Human Resources
industries and people that use them. • Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
The following are simple examples of • Customer Service
how workflows may be used in
• Military
various industries.
• Travel
• Healthcare
• IT
Workflow Management Systems
• Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) are software systems that
provides infrastructure to arrange, track, control and coordinate the
business processs known as workflow
• Many WfMS’s are capable of automatic routing, automated processing,
combining multiple (otherwise) independent systems and processes into a
cohesive structure, integrating with existing infrastructure, and organizing
products from assorted sources
Workflow Management Systems Cont…
• Beyond the basic look at Workflow base on their flow as Sequential
and Parallel, Workflow systems are also grouped into three types.
These three(3) types may be built by workflow management
systems, which is dependent upon the needs of the project. These
include
1. Sequential Workflow
2. State machine Workflow
3. Rule-driven workflow
Popular WfMS
Workflow Design Best Practices
In order to make the most helpful workflow for your processes, follow the best
practices:
• Know the Type of Workflow Design that Works Best for Different Processes
• Include Only Relevant Lines of Business Systems
• When possible, split Workflows into Sub-workflows
• Think of Workflows as Non-linear Processes
• Make your workflow as Visual as Possible
Workflow Design Best Practices Cont…
• Specify your workflow Modules
• Categorize your workflow steps based on priority
• If possible, Leverage a workflow Automation Tool
How to Design a Workflow
1. Diagram Your Tasks
2. Consider Inputs and Outputs
3. Identify Sub-Workflows
4. Create Logical Loops in the workflow Design
5. Incorporate Automation Wherever Possible
Benefits of Using Workflows
1. Workflows reduce project risk
2. Effect organizational change
3. Implementing workflows can lead to process change
4. Workflow gives increased access to information
5. Workflows delineate work responsibility to different people
6. Improves project timeline estimates
7. Provides visibility
8. Managers can focus on strategy
9. Workflow provide an audit trail
10. Business can implement rules
Medical Field
A hospital can use a
workflow diagram to
depict the steps taken in
an emergency room visit.
Finance
From payment processing
to collections and
purchase orders,
workflow diagrams can be
a useful tool to document
your process.
Sample Workflow
Model from AWS
Cloud
BPMN Type Workflow Chart