What is workflow automation anyway?

Fun fact: the earliest evidence of workflow automation is a water clock, invented in ancient Egypt around 1500 BCE. A simple device, designed to use the flow of water to measure time, it was primarily used as a means to automate the process of timekeeping and scheduling; helping regulate the working hours of government officials and time for religious ceremonies.

Another early example of an automated workflow is the printing press, which was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century, to revolutionize the process of book production and distribution.

So… what is workflow automation exactly?

What is workflow automation?

Workflow automation is the process of using rule-based logic to automate the steps involved in completing a task, or a series of tasks. It can be applied to a wide range of processes across various industries — from finance and HR, to marketing and customer service.

Why do we automate workflows?

Fundamentally, we automate workflows to reduce the amount of human intervention needed to perform a task. By using technology to streamline and optimize repetitive or manual tasks, we reduce errors, improve efficiency, and free up time for employees to focus on higher-priority work (and be human).

A bit of perspective: 97% of enterprise IT decision makers agree that process automation is vital to digital transformation — as per Camunda’s State of Process Automation Report 2022.

Examples of workflow automation that changed the world

If we look at recent history, automated workflows have played a major role in our evolution — how we approach work (and how we get things done).

1. The Industrial Revolution

A great example of a workflow automation milestone is the Industrial Revolution (back in the 18th and 19th centuries). New machines and tools were developed to allow for the automation of manual tasks like spinning and weaving textiles, manufacturing goods, and transporting people and things.

2. Ford’s assembly line

Henry Ford’s assembly line of the early 1900s is another good example of workflow automation, because it paved the way for the mass production of automobiles and other goods. Each worker on the line handles a specific task, while the product moves along the line.

3. Computers and digital tech

How about computers and the rise of digital technology, which have opened up a world of possibilities in workflow automation technology? Tedious tasks that were once performed manually — like data entry, accounting, or even communication — are now largely automated.

4. Robotics

Robotics is another area where the use of workflow automation technology is freeing humans from the need to perform certain tasks. Robots are now able to do all sorts of work — from cleaning and maintenance, to manufacturing and assembly.

5. Artificial Intelligence

AI is today’s revolution, as we see incredible potential in workflow automation technology. But there’s also the potential for disaster — the outcome depends on how we approach automation. AI systems are now able to perform a wide range of tasks that were previously done by humans, like customer service, data analysis, and even content creation. But AI’s not quite a replacement for content professionals yet. (Phew!)

Who can use workflow automation?

The importance of workflow automation lies in the broadness of its application. Automatic workflows can be used by virtually anyone who needs to complete a set of tasks or processes on a regular basis, but who’d rather save time, increase efficiency, and reduce errors. Any industry or department that requires repetitive or time-consuming tasks can benefit from workflow automation. Here are a few examples:

Small business owners — invoicing/payment processes and email marketing
Freelancers — reminders on project milestones and sending follow-up emails
Customer service — responses, tracking tickets, and feedback
IT — software development, deployment and maintenance, as well as tracking system performance and identifying security threats
Finance/accounting — invoices, accounts payable/ receivable, and reporting
Marketing — lead generation, email marketing, and social media
HR — onboarding, training, benefits enrollment, and performance reviews
Sales — lead generation, qualification and follow-up, as well as tracking sales activity and measuring performance
Manufacturing — production, quality control, and inventory
Supply chain and logistics — inventories, shipping and order fulfillment; the entire process can be streamlined, from receiving orders to delivering products to customers
Healthcare — scheduling appointments (and reminders), prescription renewals, lab results, and billing
Education — administrative tasks like student registration and grading processes
Government — complex processes like permit applications and tracking systems

What about admins?

Automatic workflows are highly important to administrators; they can significantly increase team productivity, reduce manual errors, and improve the overall efficiency of their workflow processes. Admins mainly use workflow automation to:

Automate data management and maintenance to streamline day-to-day tasks including data backup or user management.
Enhance governance and security by monitoring system logs, setting up alerts, and enforcing standardized, secure processes.
Create custom workflows for specific projects or teams, to help reduce the time and effort required to manage those projects, and improve team collaboration.
Integrate their tech stack, i.e. streamline communication and reduce manual work. For example, integrating your software development tool with a CRM software helps keep product, marketing, and sales teams aligned.

What are the benefits of workflow automation?

The benefits of workflow automation vary based on context. (And there are lots of them!)

Workflow automation benefits for businesses

Business workflow automation benefits include:

Efficiency — Higher speed and accuracy of processes reduces the time and effort required.
Productivity — Employees can focus on higher-value tasks and projects, producing a better output.
Quality — Work quality is refined by reducing errors and inconsistencies.
Cost saving — Less time and effort means lower labor costs and higher profitability.
Risk management — Tasks are completed in compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies, lowering the risk of potential legal issues.
Data insights — One aspect of the importance of workflow automation is that it provides valuable data insights you can use to optimize processes.
Customer satisfaction — Efficiency, quality and accuracy lead to better overall customer experiences.

For a fun conversation about workflow automation and its benefits, check out this interview with Appfire's Amelie Winkler.

Workflow automation benefits for teams

Teams benefit greatly from business automation workflows. A few examples:

Collaboration — Streamlined communication between team members results in better coordination and teamwork.
Productivity — Business automation workflows free up team members to focus on higher-value work, increasing overall productivity.
Job satisfaction — By automating workflows, businesses can save employees from the soul-crushing, tedious tasks they’d rather avoid, so they can focus on work that actually drives innovation and growth.
Accountability — A clear record of tasks and responsibilities makes it easier to track progress and hold team members accountable.

Workflow automation benefits for admins

The importance of workflow automation for admins cannot be overstated in relation to:

Management — By simplifying and streamlining administrative tasks, the time and effort required to manage and monitor workflows is significantly lower.
Compliance — Automating workflows helps to ensure tasks are completed in compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies.
Visibility — Workflow automation technology allows for greater control and oversight by offering admins real-time visibility into workflows and task completion.
Data insights — Admins have access to valuable data insights they can use to optimize workflows and improve business outcomes over time.
Resource allocation — Administrators are able to allocate resources more effectively as they automate workflows, which results in higher productivity and profitability.

Automated workflow use cases and examples

These are just a few simple examples of workflow automation use cases. In reality, you can automate almost any repetitive task to help improve efficiency and reduce errors.

Project management

When managing projects, an automated workflow can assign tasks to the right team members, track project progress, and send notifications when tasks are done.

Sales processes

In sales, an automatic workflow can create new leads, assign them to sales representatives, then send follow-up emails based on certain criteria.

Customer onboarding

When onboarding customers, automated workflows can create new accounts, send welcome emails, and notify team members when new customers are added.

Marketing campaigns

Automated marketing workflows can track campaign performance, schedule social media posts, and send targeted emails based on user behavior.

Finance and accounting

In finance and accounting, an automated workflow can generate invoices, track expenses, and reconcile accounts.

Human resources

An HR automated workflow can onboard new employees, track time and attendance, and manage employee benefits across departments.

And the list goes on…

Use cases and examples for automating Jira

Let’s look at three of the most common Jira automation use cases.

Automate repetitive manual tasks to increase productivity

According to Deloitte’s Automation with Intelligence report, executives expect automation to increase their workforce capacity by 27%. Often enough, it’s the little things — simple to automate — that will save you a lot of valuable time in the long run.

Scenario

You receive an onboarding request for a new team member: in this case, the same tasks and subtasks are being created every time.

Solution

Identify the necessary subtasks, i.e., create employee accounts, request hardware.
Identify what can be automated.
Set up automations to notify the right people.

Get your teams in sync to improve collaboration and visibility

90% of organizations face data silo challenges, according to Deloitte Digital and Mulesoft 2022. It’s inevitable: collaboration gets interrupted by data silos. Imagine the mess if one team works in Jira, another in Confluence, and a third in a customer relationship management (“CRM”) system — and they all require information from each other (or Jira) to work effectively.

Scenario

You’re a large/cross-functional team that requires up-to-date data from Jira for all processes. You want the right info, in the right place, at the right time.

Solution

Set up event-based or scheduled notifications and actions.
Display fields or messages to users only when required.
Integrate Jira with other external tools.

Establish consistent data governance and processes

It’s always best to avoid overloading your Jira workflows with too many rules and complex screens. You want to keep things simple. But sometimes, you’ll need to meet certain security and compliance requirements, which means setting up additional variables and guidelines in Jira to make sure everyone follows them.

Scenario

You work in a heavily regulated industry like banking, and need to automate in such a way that certain tasks in Jira get approved first.

Solution

Set up checks for the “approval” status.
Set criteria for issues to bypass the “approval” status — i.e., below a certain budget amount.
Capture additional details for reporting.

Six automation strategies for Jira

If you’re interested in delving deeper into automation use cases and examples — be it for software development teams (Jira Software), ITSM teams (JSM), or business teams (JWM) — here’s a free guide for you!

6 automation strategies for Jira that’ll make you happy

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

make better decisions with workflow automation
create better processes that are simple
keep everything in sync
improve communication
remove user errors/automate mundane tasks
do more in bulk

Appfire workflow automation

Appfire’s workflow and automation solution addresses a variety of business challenges. We partner with customers to get a better understanding of their unique needs, so we can build custom-solutions to address every one of their challenges.

Appfire is — and always will be — about people.

JSU Automation Suite for Jira Workflows

If you’re looking for a way to automate your Jira workflows, JSU Automation Suite for Jira Workflows is a powerful no-code automation solution designed to streamline your Jira workflows. With an intuitive user interface, JSU helps you optimize your workflow processes efficiently.

And to enhance your automation capabilities, JSU offers the Universal Rule Builder (URB), a code-free environment that simplifies the configuration of your automated workflows.

NB: If you’re not keen on participating in the automation-creation process, but you’re still curious about how you can automate your processes as a non-technical team in Jira Software Management, here’s a useful (and short) video for you: How can non-technical teams use Jira automation?

Jira Misc Workflow Extensions (JMWE)

If you need a solution that’s both powerful and flexible, Jira Misc Workflow Extensions (JMWE) offers both no-code and low-code scripting capabilities. With more than 40+ built-in workflow extensions, JMWE provides Jira users with a comprehensive library to automate any use case.

To meet your team’s more sophisticated workflow needs, you can take these extensions further with a little bit of scripting. Essentially, instead of writing the whole workflow extension yourself, you simply customize JMWE with snippets of code.

Power Scripts – Jira Workflow Automation

If you’re really serious about automation, and want to custom-build Jira to fit your every need, then Power Scripts – Jira Workflow Automation is the way to go.

With Power Scripts, you can automate anything you can imagine using SIL (Simple Issue Language), a user-friendly scripting language that’s easy to learn and use. Custom scripts in Power Scripts enable you to make Jira work exactly the way you want it to — from simple tasks to complex workflows.

Whatever workflow you want to automate, chances are there’s an app for that. So play around with some and see how fast you can get things done!

What is workflow automation anyway?

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