Workflow and Process Management describes the process of the mapping of individual activities and sequences of events that comprise a larger operational process, and the structuring of those processes through the allocation of responsibility, training and the deployment of process controls and monitoring to ensure a reliable and intended process flow. In this respect, workflow is as an abstraction for real work, illustrating the points of contact and interaction between the various activities and parties involved in the larger process.
In Process Management, workflow models are assessed for inefficiencies and vulnerabilities. Based on this assessment, they are either revised or reengineered to provide greater efficiency and further reduce risk. Continued monitoring of business processes is critical to ensure efficiency and integrity of internal processes. Monitoring may be achieved by dashboards or other continuous monitoring solutions that provide data about critical processes that can be benchmarked established metrics. When performance deviates from the benchmarked standards, exception alerts inform stakeholders, including internal audit that a process is not performing as intended.
Workflow concepts are closely related to other concepts used to describe organizational structure, such as silos, functions, teams, projects, policies and hierarchies. Workflows may be viewed as one primitive building block of organizations.