A workflow management system is a solution to manage business processes end-to-end. It includes business process automation and visibility into task statuses and support tools that assist employees in the process. When properly implemented, a workflow management program improves the speed and quality of work, increases accountability, and boosts productivity.

A workflow software can allow you to assign individual tasks with their associated due dates to various people to monitor progress towards timely completion, and send email notifications to ensure that everyone involved is aware of their duties. It can also help you reduce the chance of miscommunication through allowing teams and individuals to share comments on ongoing processes. It also provides visibility into request status and bottlenecks, and helps eliminate redundancies by allowing management to discover areas where work needs to be simplified.

The ideal workflow tool must offer a variety of visualisation options for each step of the process. It should also be able to automate repetitive tasks as well as provide detailed information on performance metrics for the entire workflow. It should also permit users to assign tasks to new people and inform them of their duties, and notify them of deadlines that are coming up. It should also be compatible with various workflow patterns, such as sequential, parallel, conditional and loop to allow you to select the one that works ideal for your organization.

A good workflow application should be cloud-based as it allows for seamless integration with other software and provides enhanced security and access controls. It should be mobile-friendly as employees who are on the move frequently lose connectivity and aren't able to access their existing workflow software.