Moving your business into a new space is both exciting and a bit scary.
It represents a fundamental change of the physical space in which your business will operate, and you have the potential to make the most of the changes when planning your move. Naturally, you will coordinate with movers, and have a plan of where people and things will go in the new space. But have you considered how your automated workflows may have to change when you move to a new business space?
Some workflows are directly dependent upon the physical space you occupy. And it’s safe to say that most workflows operate more smoothly in a well-planned workspace that makes sense for the task. Here are some ways to ensure your automated workflows work just as well once you have completed your move to new business space.
Which Workflows Can You Anticipate Changing?
You may know in advance about some workflows that will have to change. For example, if you are moving from a facility with traditional locks and keys to a facility with swipe cards or electronic locks, then the workflow for issuing building access will have to change. You may be able to get the bare bones of the workflow in place before the move, so that it can be implemented as soon as possible after you’re in your new facility.
Or, suppose your new facility will require parking fleet vehicles farther away from where employees will need to pick them up. In this case, you may need to designate a driver to take care of this step of the new workflow – a step that wasn’t necessary before. Anticipating changed workflows in advance can help you get them operational quickly after the move is complete.
How Flexible Is the New Space?
Some workflows are self-contained within a single department, but others must cross departmental lines. The more flexible the new workspace, the easier it will be on everyone to adapt to the cross-departmental workflows in the new environment. If you’re stuck with fixed walls and doors, then you’ll have to be especially strategic about which personnel go in which sections of which floors. But if you have cubicle walls and other re-configurable elements, setting up personnel to more easily accommodate workflows will be easier. Ask yourself which departments interact with each other most frequently and place them accordingly.
Can You Group Workflow Participants Optimally?
One of the great things about automated workflows and online forms is that physical papers don’t have to be conveyed from one workflow participant to the next, because it’s all done over the company network or the web. But sometimes, workflows require physical presence, and when you identify these and group workflow participants accordingly, things will run more smoothly.
Suppose temporary badges must be generated for each visitor to the facility. It makes sense that the personnel and machinery required to create the badges be located conveniently – near the reception desk for example. That way, people expecting guests don’t have to traipse to another floor or an obscure corner of the building just to fetch a temporary badge.
Many – possibly most – automated workflows can be translated from the old business facility to the new one with little if any change, and that’s one of the best things about automated workflows. And of course, electronic forms can be accessed from anywhere network access is available. But some workflows will have to be modified when you move to a new workspace. You’re wise to anticipate those that will have to change and set the stage for a smooth transition by understanding how they will change with the relocation.
PerfectApps is online form and automated workflow software that puts the power of workflow development into the hands of the people who actually use the workflows. Because no programming is required, forms and workflows can be developed for the convenience of the users rather than the convenience of programmers. And should you need to modify a form or workflow, PerfectApps makes that easy and convenient as well. You can try out PerfectApps for free by signing up for a trial. Find out what online forms and automated workflows should be like, and how they can benefit your business.
