Workflow Terminology: A Comprehensive Dictionary

This dictionary provides clear definitions of common workflow terms to help you navigate the world of business processes and automation. Understanding this terminology is essential for effectively designing, implementing, and optimizing workflows in your organization.

A

Actor

Any person, department, system, or machine directly involved in a workflow. Actors "hold the work" at different stages and influence how efficiently processes run.
Example: A customer service agent escalates a support ticket to engineering when they cannot resolve it.

Activity

The smallest logical unit of work in a workflow process. Activities are individual steps that collectively form a complete process. They can be manual (performed by humans) or automated (performed by systems).
Example: In an order processing workflow, validating payment is an automated activity handled by the payment gateway.

As-Is Workflow

An accurate representation of how work is currently organized—a snapshot of your existing process with all its strengths and challenges. Documenting the as-is workflow is typically the first step in process improvement.
Example: Mapping out every step a new customer goes through when signing up on your platform before making any changes.

Automation

The use of technology to complete tasks with minimal or no human intervention. Automation typically handles repetitive, predictable tasks that don't require significant decision-making.
Example: Automatically generating and sending invoice PDFs to customers once their orders are fulfilled.

Automation Rate

The percentage of work within a process that is completed automatically rather than manually. A higher automation rate generally indicates greater efficiency.
Example: A logistics team reports that 85% of shipment tracking updates are posted automatically by the system, freeing up staff for higher‑value work.

B

Bottleneck

A point of congestion in a process that limits the overall throughput. Bottlenecks restrict flow and cause delays, often becoming prime targets for process improvement.
Example: During peak season, the packing station becomes a bottleneck, delaying all outgoing shipments.

Business Process

A set of related activities or tasks that, once completed, accomplish an organizational goal. Business processes may span multiple departments and involve various actors.
Example: Onboarding a new employee involves creating user accounts, assigning training modules, and scheduling orientation sessions.

Business Process Automation (BPA)

A comprehensive approach to automating complex, enterprise-wide processes. BPA often involves integrating multiple systems and may incorporate artificial intelligence for decision-making.
Example: The finance team uses BPA to auto-approve vendor payments once purchase orders and invoices match.

Business Process Management (BPM)

The discipline of modeling, automating, executing, controlling, measuring, and optimizing business processes to improve organizational performance. BPM takes an end-to-end view rather than optimizing individual functions in isolation.
Example: A retailer applies BPM to streamline its order-to-delivery cycle, reducing delays and errors.

Business Process Management System (BPMS)

Software that provides tools for designing, implementing, executing, and monitoring business processes. A BPMS typically includes process modeling, workflow engine, and analytics capabilities.
Example: Our team uses Camunda as its BPMS to model workflows, route tasks, and monitor process KPIs.

C

Case

A specific instance of a process being executed, often with a unique identifier. For example, each customer support ticket is a case going through the support process.
Example: A mortgage application is tracked as a case moving through credit checks, underwriting, and closing.

Citizen Developer

A non-technical professional who solves workflow problems using no-code or low-code tools. Citizen developers bring hands-on experience and domain knowledge to process improvement efforts.
Example: A marketing manager uses a drag-and-drop workflow builder to automate email campaigns without writing code.

Conditional Logic

Rules that determine the path a workflow takes based on specific conditions. These "if-then" statements create branches in the workflow, allowing for different routes depending on data values or user decisions.
Example: If an invoice amount exceeds $10,000, route the approval task to a senior manager; otherwise, send it to a junior approver.

Choreography

The decentralized coordination of interactions among multiple services or processes without a central orchestrator. In a choreographed workflow, each participant follows a predefined contract to collaborate seamlessly.
Example: In an e-commerce microservices architecture, inventory, payment, and shipping services each perform tasks independently, coordinating through event messages.

Concurrent Execution

The simultaneous execution of multiple activities or subprocesses in a workflow, allowing parallelism to improve throughput and reduce cycle time.
Example: In insurance claim processing, document verification, risk assessment, and policy update subprocesses run concurrently to speed up resolution.

Conformance Checking

Comparing actual process execution against predefined models or rules to identify deviations. This helps ensure processes are being followed as designed.
Example: After processing invoices, the system checks logs to ensure every invoice passed through the required approval steps.

Continuous Improvement

The ongoing effort to enhance processes through incremental changes based on regular evaluation and feedback. This principle is central to methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma.
Example: After each quarter, the operations team reviews cycle times and implements small changes to reduce average process duration by 5%.

Customer

Any internal or external stakeholder who receives output from a workflow. Their satisfaction ultimately determines whether a process is successful.
Example: A customer receives weekly status updates via email when their support case moves between stages.

Dashboard

A visual display of key process metrics, providing at-a-glance monitoring of workflow performance. Dashboards typically show real-time data and highlight issues requiring attention.
Example: A leadership dashboard displays average task completion times, number of open cases, and SLA compliance in real time.

Data Mapping

The process of matching fields from one data source to another to ensure that data flows correctly between integrated systems.
Example: Mapping the 'first_name' field from the CRM to 'givenName' in the HR system to ensure correct data transfer.

Data Transformation

Converting data from one format or structure to another to enable processing, integration, or compliance with target system requirements.
Example: Converting CSV order data into JSON format before sending it to the downstream API.

Digital Transformation

The integration of digital technology into all areas of business, fundamentally changing how operations are performed and value is delivered. Workflow automation is often a key component of digital transformation initiatives.
Example: A retail chain replaces paper-based ordering with an online portal, automating inventory updates and reporting.

D

Document Management

The systematic control of creating, reviewing, modifying, issuing, distributing, and accessing documents within workflows. Electronic document management systems often integrate with workflow tools.
Example: A legal team uses a document management system to track contract versions and approvals in one central repository.

E

End-to-End Process

A complete process from initiation to completion, often crossing functional boundaries. Taking an end-to-end perspective helps prevent sub-optimization of individual components.
Example: From receiving a customer order to delivering a package, the logistics company manages the end-to-end process across sales, warehouse, and shipping departments.

Enterprise Automation

A holistic approach to automating processes across an entire organization, typically involving multiple technologies and integration between systems.
Example: A global firm deploys an enterprise automation platform to synchronize CRM, ERP, and billing systems without manual intervention.

Event

A trigger that initiates a workflow or transitions between workflow steps. Events can be time-based, user-initiated, or system-generated.
Example: A nightly batch job runs as a time-based event to start the inventory reconciliation workflow.

Exception Handling

Predefined procedures for dealing with cases that deviate from the standard process. Good exception handling is crucial for process resilience.
Example: If a payment fails, the workflow triggers an exception handling routine to notify the customer and retry the transaction.

F

Flow

The organized sequence of actions, tasks, information, and actors that produce a desired output. Flow describes how work moves through an organization and is typically illustrated with a flowchart or diagram.
Example: In a loan application process, the flow moves from data entry to credit check, underwriting, and final approval.

Form

A structured interface for capturing data within a workflow. Forms standardize information collection and can include validation rules to ensure data quality.
Example: The leave request form requires employees to enter start and end dates, select a leave type, and provide a justification.

H

Handoff

The point in a workflow where ownership of the work changes. This may be a transition between people, departments, systems, or tools. Handoffs are often where bottlenecks and miscommunications occur.
Example: When a design is approved, the task is handed off from the design team to the development team for implementation.

Happy Path

The ideal execution route through a workflow when everything goes according to plan with no exceptions or errors. The happy path typically represents the most efficient process flow.
Example: In order processing, the happy path occurs when payment is approved, inventory is available, and shipping completes without issues.

I

Intelligent Automation

Combining workflow automation with artificial intelligence and machine learning to handle more complex, judgment-based tasks. Intelligent automation can process unstructured data and adapt to changing conditions.
Example: An insurance company uses intelligent automation to extract data from handwritten claim forms and make approval decisions.

Integration

The connection between different systems or applications within a workflow. Integration allows data to flow seamlessly between systems without manual transfer.
Example: The HR system integrates with payroll software to automatically update salary changes.

Iteration

The repeated execution of a set of tasks or subprocesses within a workflow until specific conditions are met, enabling loops and more complex logic.
Example: A bug tracking workflow iterates through testing and fixing steps until all issues are resolved.

K

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a workflow is achieving key objectives. Common workflow KPIs include cycle time, error rate, and cost per transaction.
Example: The average time to resolve a support ticket is tracked as a KPI for the customer service team.

L

Low-Code

Software development platforms that require minimal coding for implementation. Low-code tools enable faster workflow application development by providing visual design elements and pre-built components.
Example: The operations team uses a low-code platform to build a custom approval workflow in days instead of weeks.

Lane

A swimlane in a process map that represents an actor, department, or system responsible for specific activities. Lanes clarify responsibilities and help visualize handoffs.
Example: In a swimlane diagram, the "Finance" lane contains all tasks related to invoice approval.

M

Metric

A quantifiable measure used to track and assess workflow performance. Metrics provide the data needed to identify improvement opportunities and evaluate the impact of changes.
Example: A marketing team uses the number of converted leads per week as a metric to assess campaign success.

Monitoring

The continuous observation of workflow execution to ensure processes run as expected and to identify potential issues. Effective monitoring combines real-time alerts with historical trend analysis.
Example: The IT operations team monitors server uptimes and workflow error rates, triggering alerts when thresholds are breached.

N

No-Code

Application development platforms that require no programming knowledge. No-code tools allow non-technical users to build workflow applications through visual interfaces and configuration rather than coding.
Example: A sales rep creates a customer follow-up workflow in a no-code builder to send reminders automatically.

O

Operational Excellence

A state where processes consistently deliver high-quality results with minimal waste. Operational excellence results from systematically optimized workflows.
Example: A manufacturing plant achieves operational excellence by reducing defects to under 1% through continuous process refinement.

Orchestration

The centralized coordination and automated arrangement of tasks, data, and interactions across systems and actors to achieve an end-to-end workflow.
Example: An orchestration engine starts the order process, then triggers inventory check, payment processing, and shipping tasks in sequence.

Optimization

The process of making workflows as effective and efficient as possible. Optimization may involve eliminating waste, reducing cycle times, improving quality, or lowering costs.
Example: After analyzing cycle times, the team optimized the approval step by delegating small requests to junior staff, reducing average time by 30%.

P

Process Discovery

The activity of identifying and documenting existing business processes. Process discovery can be manual (through observation and interviews) or automated (using process mining tools).
Example: The analytics team uses process mining to discover actual user click patterns in the registration workflow.

Process Excellence

Continuously measuring and improving processes to minimize waste and ensure alignment with business goals. Process excellence goes beyond efficiency to encompass quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction.
Example: The quality department holds monthly workshops to refine process steps, improving on-time delivery rates.

Process Intelligence

Using data analytics to gain insights into process performance and identify improvement opportunities. Process intelligence combines process mining with business intelligence.
Example: The business intelligence dashboard shows bottlenecks in invoice processing, enabling targeted improvements.

Process Map

A visual representation of a workflow showing the sequence of steps, decisions, and handoffs. Process maps help stakeholders understand how work flows through an organization.
Example: The team created a BPMN diagram to map the customer support process from ticket creation to closure.

Process Mining

Using data from information systems to visualize and analyze business processes. Process mining provides objective evidence of how processes actually run, rather than how they are supposed to run.
Example: Process mining revealed that 20% of orders bypassed the standard approval step, leading to compliance issues.

Process Modeling

The activity of creating a visual representation of a workflow to facilitate analysis and improvement. Process models may use standard notations like BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation).
Example: A process modeler uses BPMN to design the loan approval workflow, specifying each participant and decision point.

Process Owner

The person responsible for ensuring a process is effective, efficient, and continuously improved. Process owners typically have authority to make changes to the workflow.
Example: The HR director, as process owner, reviews monthly performance metrics and approves workflow updates.

R

Result

The end product or outcome of a completed workflow. Results should be discrete, identifiable, countable, and aligned with business objectives.
Example: The result of the onboarding workflow is a fully provisioned and trained new employee.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Technology that uses software robots or "bots" to perform defined, repetitive tasks by interacting with existing user interfaces. RPA is especially useful for connecting legacy systems without extensive recoding.
Example: An RPA bot logs into the accounting system each morning to download and reconcile bank statements.

Role

A defined set of responsibilities within a workflow. Roles describe what actors do rather than who they are, allowing for flexibility in assigning tasks.
Example: The "approver" role can be assigned to any manager in the workflow, regardless of their department.

S

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A commitment between a service provider and a customer defining expected performance levels for a process. SLAs often include time limits for completing specific workflow steps.
Example: The IT helpdesk has an SLA to resolve high-priority tickets within 4 hours.

Shadow Process

Unofficial workflows that exist outside of documented procedures. Shadow processes often develop when official processes are inefficient or don't address specific needs.
Example: Employees use a shared spreadsheet to track urgent requests, creating a shadow process outside the official ticketing system.

Snapshot

A recorded state of a workflow or process at a specific point in time, used for auditing, analysis, or rollback.
Example: Before deploying changes, the team takes a snapshot of the current workflow configuration.

Sandbox Environment

An isolated environment for experimenting with or testing workflow changes without impacting production workflows.
Example: Developers use a sandbox environment to test new approval logic before releasing it to all users.

Subprocess

A self-contained sequence of activities within a larger process. Breaking complex workflows into subprocesses improves manageability and facilitates reuse.
Example: The "background check" subprocess is used in both hiring and vendor onboarding workflows.

Swimlane Diagram

A type of process map that organizes activities into horizontal "lanes" representing different actors or departments. Swimlane diagrams clarify responsibilities and highlight handoffs.
Example: The swimlane diagram for purchase orders shows tasks divided among procurement, finance, and receiving departments.

T

Task

A specific unit of work assigned to an actor within a workflow. Tasks are the building blocks of processes and typically have defined inputs, outputs, and completion criteria.
Example: Reviewing a contract draft is a task assigned to the legal team in the approval workflow.

Task Automation

Using technology to execute specific tasks without human intervention. Task automation is more targeted than process automation, focusing on individual activities rather than entire workflows.
Example: Automatically sending a confirmation email when a form is submitted is a task automation.

Time Delay

A pause in workflow execution, either intentional (waiting for a specific time to proceed) or unintentional (a bottleneck). Managing time delays is crucial for process efficiency.
Example: The workflow includes a 24-hour time delay to allow customers to cancel their order before shipping.

Throughput

The number of workflow instances or units of work processed in a given time period, indicating process capacity.
Example: The support team measures throughput by counting the number of tickets closed per day.

To-Be Workflow

The desired or planned organization of work after improvement. A to-be workflow represents the optimized future state of a process.
Example: The to-be workflow eliminates manual data entry by integrating the CRM and billing systems.

Trigger

An event or condition that initiates a workflow instance. Triggers may include form submissions, scheduled times, data changes, or manual activation.
Example: Submitting a vacation request form triggers the approval workflow.

W

Work

Activity (either physical or mental) performed to achieve a specific result. A task or series of tasks that produces an output of value.
Example: Reviewing and updating a project plan is work performed by the project manager.

Webhook

A mechanism for sending real-time notifications from one system to another via HTTP callbacks triggered by specific workflow events. Webhooks enable seamless integration with external services and applications.
Example: When a new order is placed, a webhook notifies the shipping provider to schedule delivery.

Workflow

A defined and organized series of steps that produces a specific outcome. Workflows have identifiable start points (triggers) and end points (results), with work moving between various actors.
Example: The employee onboarding workflow starts with an offer letter and ends with system access and training completion.

Workflow Analysis

Examining specific workflows to understand their efficiency, impact, and improvement opportunities. Workflow analysis looks at components individually and how they function together.
Example: The team conducts workflow analysis to identify why invoice approvals are delayed.

Workflow Diagram

A visual representation of a workflow showing the sequence of activities, decisions, and information flows. Workflow diagrams help communicate process designs and identify improvement opportunities.
Example: The workflow diagram for expense reimbursement shows each approval and payment step.

Workflow Engine

The software component that executes and enforces workflow rules, routing, and logic. The workflow engine manages the state of each process instance and coordinates the work of different actors.
Example: The workflow engine automatically assigns tasks to the next available team member.

Workflow Management

An approach focusing on optimizing workflows by understanding their boundaries, elements, and relationships. Workflow management aims to create better experiences, improve efficiency, and optimize resource utilization.
Example: The company adopts workflow management to reduce handoff errors and improve customer satisfaction.

Workflow Management System (WMS)

Software designed to define, create, execute, and improve workflows. A WMS typically includes tools for process modeling, task assignment, monitoring, and reporting.
Example: The HR department uses a WMS to automate and track the hiring process.

Workflow Mapping

Analyzing a workflow to identify its components and illustrating the flow using a diagram or chart. Workflow mapping is crucial for understanding existing processes before improvement.
Example: The team maps the current procurement workflow to identify redundant steps.

V

Version Control

The practice of managing and tracking changes to workflow definitions and related assets over time, enabling rollbacks, version comparisons, and audit trails.
Example: The workflow designer uses version control to revert to a previous process model after a failed update.