Workflow automation

What’s included.

Turn a recurring task into a process that is easier to follow, maintain, and improve.

• Process mapping: identify inputs, decisions, owners, exceptions, and the expected result.
• SharePoint structure: organize the lists, records, and permissions the workflow needs.
• Power Automate workflows: connect agreed notifications, approvals, and handoffs.
• Testing and handover: check common and exception paths, document ownership, and explain how failures are handled.

Where this helps.

• People repeatedly copy the same information between tools.
• Approvals get lost in email or lack a clear status.
• Requests arrive through several channels with no shared record.
• Reporting depends on manually chasing updates.

Illustrative project: an approval request.

Problem: Requests arrive by email, and staff must chase the approver to learn the status.

Solution: Use a structured request, a shared record, an assigned approver, and status notifications with an exception path.

Intended outcome: A visible request history and fewer manual handoffs. This is a hypothetical example, not a client result.

Start with one recurring task.

Bring a real example, the people involved, and the point where work slows down. We will define the process before choosing the automation. Connectors, licensing, and access requirements are confirmed as part of the scope.

What your team takes away.

• A map of the current workflow and the proposed changes.
• Defined inputs, status labels, owners, and approval rules.
• A tested workflow with agreed exception and failure handling.
• Operating notes covering permissions, connections, and maintenance responsibilities.

Build the process before the automation.

1. Map one recurring request. Follow it from intake to completion and identify duplicate entry, delays, and unclear decisions.
2. Agree the rules. Define who can submit, who approves, what information is required, and where the final record belongs.
3. Build and test. Test normal requests alongside missing information, rejected approvals, duplicate submissions, and unavailable connections.
4. Hand over ownership. Document how the workflow is monitored, who changes it, and what staff should do when it needs attention.

Questions about workflow automation.

Can we keep the tools we already use?

Often, yes. Start with existing Microsoft 365, SharePoint, forms, and business applications. Available connectors, permissions, and license requirements determine what can be connected.

Will every step become automatic?

No. Decisions that need judgment can remain with a person. Automation can organize the request, notify the owner, record the outcome, and keep the next step visible.

What happens when a workflow fails?

The project should define an exception path: where the failure is recorded, who is notified, and how the request is recovered without creating duplicate work. Ongoing monitoring and support are scoped separately.

What affects project cost?

The number of systems, approval paths, data transformations, connectors, and exception cases. A focused review helps establish the scope before a build is priced.

Start with the task your team repeats.

Bring a recent request and show where it stalled. Explore the Technology & Workflow Review or discuss your workflow.

Choose a workflow worth automating

A strong first candidate has repeatable inputs, a clear owner, and a decision rule people can explain. Approval requests, onboarding tasks, and recurring notifications often reveal useful starting points. A process that changes every time may need clearer responsibilities before it needs software.

Measure the work before the build

• Count how often the task occurs and how much hands-on time it takes.
• Record delays, rework, missed handoffs, and the exceptions that need a person.
• Define the trigger, required information, approver, completion record, and failure notification.
• Choose acceptance tests covering duplicates, missing information, rejection, and an unavailable approver.

For an initial estimate, multiply monthly task volume by minutes of manual effort per task. Compare that baseline with the work remaining after automation, including monitoring and exception handling. This estimates potential capacity; it is not a guaranteed saving.

What affects an automation quote?

Integrations, data quality, licensing, permissions, exception paths, and reporting requirements can matter more than the number of screens. Agree what happens when a connection fails and who maintains the workflow when staff or systems change.

Use the workflow planning guide, explore project examples, or review your first candidate process.

Put onboarding into a repeatable workflow.

Use the employee onboarding and offboarding automation guide to plan intake, approvals, account access, and handover before choosing the tools.

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