Workflow management refers to the operational control of business processes. Individual work steps are defined, responsibilities are assigned, and decisions are supported by rules. Tasks reach the right person, deadlines are monitored, and status stays traceable.

Business processes rarely consist of isolated single steps. Creating, checking, approving, and sending a quote: every step has an owner, a deadline, and dependencies. Workflow management replaces email chains and informal coordination with a documented process.

Distinction

Workflow management puts defined processes into practice day to day. Business Process Management (BPM) analyses and optimises processes strategically across departments. The two complement each other: understand and model first, then automate. Details: BPM vs. workflow.

Typical use cases

• quote and order approvals
• invoice checking and payment authorisation
• internal purchase requests with budget checks
• service and quality processes with escalation

Workflow management alone does not replace process clarification. Trying to resolve unclear responsibilities inside the system only digitises chaos. Clear rules first, automation after.

In the ERP, business data is already centralised. Workflows access transactions, documents, and master data directly instead of running in parallel in external tools. More on this: workflow in ERP.