{"id":119,"date":"2023-01-11T15:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=119"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:22","slug":"what-is-a-workflow-and-why-your-small-business-needs-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/what-is-a-workflow-and-why-your-small-business-needs-one\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Workflow? And Why Your Small Business Needs One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve launched your small business. You have products ready to sell. You\u2019ve hired some great people. The next step involves setting up the workflows that keep the company running smoothly.<\/p>\n

The truth is that although all businesses have established workflows of some kind or another, they aren\u2019t always recognized as such \u2013 and they\u2019re not always designed with intention.<\/p>\n

People sometimes confuse workflows with processes, which may be part of the problem. Businesses rely on a host of processes, of course, from the process of recruiting talent to the process of fulfilling orders.<\/p>\n

A workflow is best understood as all the steps or tasks that employees take to complete a process from start to finish.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an easy visual that makes this easy to understand: imagine a small fire breaks out somewhere in the woods, or near a campsite.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t want to wait for the fire department to arrive and have it grow out of hand. Fortunately, there are a number of cups, bowls or buckets on hand.<\/p>\n

You and your companions form a line between a nearby river or pond and the fire. The person closest to the water fills their bucket and passes it to the next person, who sends it onwards until it reaches the person closest to the fire, who dumps the water on the flames.<\/p>\n

This \u201cbucket brigade\u201d is a simple workflow. Those within businesses can be much less linear, and are not always well understood by the people charged with carrying them out.<\/p>\n

Much like mapping out the customer journey is a good first step in improving the experience you deliver as a company, workflows need to be created with strategic outcomes in mind. These could include lowering costs, driving more efficient growth, or exceeding expectations by creating \u201ccustomer magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another big difference with business workflows is that they work best when paired with automation. Technology reduces the potential for errors or delays, while allowing people to make use of their creativity and social skills.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dig in a little deeper to see what kind of common workflows tend to exist within small businesses, and how to develop them to become better organized and consistent in how you operate.<\/p>\n

First: Spot the workflows that are already there<\/b><\/h3>\n

Whenever you hire a new employee, regardless of the job you\u2019re doing, the onboarding process involves showing them how things get done around the company. In other words, you have to explain your workflows.<\/p>\n

This can be a highly valuable exercise because it forces you to look at your workflows with fresh eyes. Rather than wait for a new recruit to join your small business, think about how you might talk about the following:<\/p>\n