The Importance of Efficiency in Workflows

In business, efficiency is key. It eliminates waste, increases speed, improves accuracy and it can be very profitable.

Efficiency can be viewed in terms of sales and costs – but to let that become the focus would be short-sighted because there are other factors that contribute to an organisation’s growth, strength, and longevity, such as:

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We can consider employees the most significant of the above factors because they drive every aspect of the company.

A different consideration is that employees operate within a company on workflows, the abstract dynamic paths that describe their activities and interrelationships. Also, workflows are one of the most fundamental aspects of efficiency impacting on both costs and, usually more subtly, sales.

Workflows are key to the organisation’s operation, and therefore existence.

It stands to reason that efficient workflows impact on the company’s overall efficiency and therefore the company’s returns per unit cost.

But efficient workflows also have some less obvious, but nevertheless beneficial, advantages for the company.

Clearly defined processes: which help employees engage with their responsibilities quickly and thoroughly.

Streamlined paths: that eliminate duplication and feelings of futility.

Boundaries: to establish areas of responsibility: which in turn help introduce professional pride and satisfaction within employees.

Feedback systems: to facilitate continuous development, growth, improvement, and adaptability. This aspect is the organisation’s future, and its value should never be underestimated.

Finally, a set of efficient workflows can become the backbone of an organisation that not only supports various individuals and departments in their own activities, but also pulls them together to operate as a singular, well organised, entity with common goals and objectives.