Why, you ask, would anyone want to start at the end when creating a workflow?  That’s a really good question, but before we dive into the answer, let’s consider this.  If you want to go someplace, do you get in your car and start driving without having a destination selected beforehand?  Of course not.  The reason is simple.  You need to know a few things before you get going.  You may have an intended arrival time, so how long will it take to get there?  What is the best route to take and are there alternate routes that will avoid current traffic delays such as accidents or construction?  Will you need to pay road or bridge tolls?  If so, do you pay with cash or an electronic toll device?

All of these considerations play a part in how you will go from Point A to Point B.  We do this so often that it much of the planning is automatic these days, especially with the tools we have on our smart devices to assist us.  Nonetheless, we start each trip by first knowing what our desired end result is – reaching a specific destination.

This same thought process applies to workflows.  You need to define your expected results from a workflow before it can be created and implemented.  Once you have done that, you essentially create the roadmap to reach that destination.  in the example above, there may be multiple goals that could be set for that drive – arrival time, ease of navigation, avoidance of toll roads, etc.  The same is true for your workflows.

As a best practice, create a list every outcome you want to achieve with a workflow.  Next, prioritize them in order of importance.  This might be based on how quickly something can be done, how much it can increase production, how it can reduce costs or increase profits, or any other measure that is valuable to you.  Now you can evaluate each one to determine if is realistically attainable and if so, can it be reached within your resource limitations such as time and money.  Eliminate any outcome that cannot be achieved or for which sufficient resources are unavailable.  At this point you have a clear understanding of what you want your workflow to do for you.  You have defined the endpoints toward which the workflow will be designed from start to finish.

Now you can start building that workflow and defining the best combination of tasks, processes, personnel and the order in which to use them to reach the desired results.  Depending on the nature of the workflow, you might be able to test it before implementing it so you can make adjustments as needed.  Just know that every workflow should be reviewed periodically to evaluate whether it is still providing the results you expect.  Workflow management is itself a process that looks like this:

Plan > Design > Refine > Create > Review > Repeat

Once you adopt and follow a consistent method for dealing with workflows, it will lead to outstanding outcomes for your business.  Don’t be the person who gets in their car and starts driving without a destination in mind.  Be the person who knows where they are headed, what route they will take and when they will arrive.