M14BuildOperations· Module 3
Workflow Design
Work moves by phone call, WhatsApp and memory. Things fall through the gaps between people.
- Fix
- Stabilise
- Grow
- Operations
- Technology
- ~5 min · Template
The business problem
When work moves informally, nobody can see what is in progress, what is stuck or who has it. Urgent items jump the queue, routine items are forgotten, and managers spend their day chasing status updates.
Why it matters
A designed workflow — defined stages, owners, entry and exit rules — makes work visible and predictable. It is also the design a system needs before it can be automated.
What you will learn
- Define stages, owners and entry and exit criteria for a workflow
- Set rules for priority, escalation and exceptions
- Remove unnecessary handovers and approvals
- Design a workflow before choosing a system to run it
Core questions
- What are the stages every item passes through?
- What must be true for an item to move to the next stage?
- Who owns each stage, and what is their time limit?
- How do we see what is stuck?
Work through the module
CaseWhat is happening?
Accounting practice, 22 people · Illustrative teaching case
An accounting practice handles client tax filings by email. Partners discover missing documents days before deadlines. The practice defines six stages — requested, received, prepared, reviewed, approved, filed — each with an owner and a deadline, and puts them on a shared board. Missing documents are now visible weeks earlier.
DecisionWhat does the leader need to decide?
Ask staff to be more careful, or redesign the workflow so that status is visible to everyone?
FrameworkHow should they think about the problem?
Stage-gate workflow
Break the work into a small number of stages. For each, define the owner, the entry criteria, the exit criteria and the time allowed. Make every item's stage visible. Design exceptions deliberately rather than leaving them to improvisation.
ToolWhat can they use?
Workflow design canvasTemplate
- List 4–8 stages
- For each: owner, entry criteria, exit criteria, time allowed
- Define priority rules and escalation
- Decide where status will be visible: board, sheet or system
ApplicationHow does it apply to their business?
Apply it to your own business:
- Pick one workflow that relies on chasing
- Design its stages and rules on the canvas
- Run it on a simple board for two weeks
ImplementationWhat changes?
What should change in the business:
- Make the board or system the single place for status
- Stop status updates by message
- Automate stage changes only once the workflow is stable
ReviewDid it work?
How to tell whether the change worked:
- Has the number of items stuck or late fallen?
- Has time spent chasing status reduced?
- Can anyone see the status of an item without asking?
After this module you should be able to decide
Ask staff to be more careful, or redesign the workflow so that status is visible to everyone?
And leave with: A redesigned workflow with clear stages, owners and rules.
Sequence · Operations
Related modules
Part of these learning paths