There’s something innately business-like about charting a clear path for getting work from undone to done. Whether you use charts, whiteboards or a digital workflow engineering, designing the perfect workflow feels like the core of what a company does.
Best Practices for Engineering Workflow Management
When workflows are designed and documented, they ensure that everyone knows what their responsibilities are and when. This can be crucial in reducing redundancies and eliminating unnecessary oversight. It can also help to identify automation opportunities that can streamline processes and free employees up for more productive work.
However, it’s easy to create a workflow engineering that’s too complex or requires too much manual intervention. This can slow down operations, reduce efficiency and increase the likelihood of a single error that could halt the entire process.
For example, consider the engineering workflow of developing 3D CAD models for prototypes and production parts. Engineers often spend time running repetitive simulations and empirical testing, analysing results, preparing reports and aligning with other departments — all of which can be costly to an operation and limit the potential for innovation.
An engineering workflow management system can automate repetitive tasks and improve transparency across all teams. It can also help to eliminate bottlenecks and empower engineering talent by enabling them to focus on problem-solving and research.