Digital workflow automation: Work smarter, move faster.

1. Identify processes that should be digitized.

Start by observing your current workflows. Look for:

• Manual, repetitive tasks
• Processes that rely on memory
• Steps that frequently get skipped
• Tasks that require consistent formatting or routing

A workflow audit helps you understand where automation will save the most time and reduce the most friction.

2. Create a workflow map.

Before automating anything, map out every step in the process. A workflow map:

• Shows each action from start to finish
• Identifies what can be automated
• Helps you spot inefficiencies
• Serves as a blueprint for future workflows

This visual guide ensures your automation is accurate and scalable.

3. Make the new process accessible to the whole team.

A new process is only worthwhile if it’s available to the entire team that needs it. Transparency is key. With access to workflow maps, your current team can help train new employees about new automated processes and understand where and how their roles are changing. A cloud-based storage solution is a great way to ensure that your entire team can access important documents at any time, no matter where they are.

Try saving and sharing workflow maps in formats ideal for large-scale sharing, like PDFs. When you use a convert a file into a PDF using a PDF converter, you can set editing permissions or create a static document so the plan isn’t accidentally altered. PDFs also take up less storage space than larger files, like PowerPoints. This can help save storage space if your company uses a shared server. By downloading a PDF reader like Acrobat Reader, all company members can easily view and share PDF documents, ensuring seamless collaboration and efficient organizational communication.

4. Find your perfect automation software partner.

There are many types of automation software to choose from, including:

Customer relationship management

Customer relationship management software (CRM) evaluates and manages customer data. CRM software can be a central hub to store data of all current and prospective customers, as well as a place to analyze that data to help you identify areas of opportunity.

Human resource management software

Human resource management software (HRMS) manages internal HR functions, like the storage of policies, employee records, and benefits data. HRMS helps make access easy to important company documents for internal use and improve HR workflows.

Business process management

BPM software acts as a central hub for creating, implementing, and viewing automated processes. It provides reports on automated process results to help companies optimize their digital workflows.

When choosing an automation software solution for your business, think about the needs and priorities outlined in your workflow maps.

5. Digitize paper files.

Paper archives slow down digital workflows. Use tools like Adobe Scan and Acrobat’s OCR technology to convert paper documents into editable, searchable PDFs.

Digitizing your files ensures:

• Faster access
• Better security
• Easier collaboration
• More accurate automation

6. Set clear roles and permissions.

Which employees and collaborators have access to which documents is an important security concern for any digital workflow software. You want the right people to have proper access to work efficiently, while limiting distractions for others. And you especially don’t want to give access to confidential information to the wrong person. For example, the HR manager should have access to all files in your HRMS, while the average employee should see only approved information.

Assigning roles and permissions is an important step to ensure your software is an asset and not a risk. Assigning clear roles on the platform will also help streamline any training and adjustment period.

7. Test thoroughly before deploying.

Make sure to test any new digital workflow automation before deploying it — especially when it comes to any customer-facing processes. Testing might include creating a fake customer account and managing a purchase from start to finish or interacting with a chatbot. Before it goes wide to all its users, troubleshoot any errors that might cause disruptions or upend daily use.

8. Track progress with KPIs.

Key performance indicators help you measure whether your workflow is working. KPIs can include:

• Time to complete a task
• Number of approvals completed
• Customer response times
• Volume of processed documents

Because digital workflows evolve, KPIs should be reviewed and adjusted regularly.