Making Content Lifecycles Easier with Workflow Automation

September 26, 2022

As we talked about in last week’s blog post, content lifecycles are a vital part of every organization. We learned in that post how FileCloud makes content lifecycles easy with features like Smart Classification, Metadata, and Retention Policies. FileCloud also provides the option for users to automate certain parts of their content lifecycles with Workflow […]

As we talked about in last week’s blog post, content lifecycles are a vital part of every organization. We learned in that post how FileCloud makes content lifecycles easy with features like Smart Classification, Metadata, and Retention Policies.

FileCloud also provides the option for users to automate certain parts of their content lifecycles with Workflow Automation.

As a reminder, the 4 main steps in a content lifecycle are:

  1. Capture

Employee receives files or collects/gathers incoming paper and scans them into the system.

2. Add to Content Repository

Employee stores content in a specific, pre-designated spot (folders on a computer, a company drive, an online cloud storage solution).

3. Collaboration/Processing

This step might take the longest time, as the content is being collaborated on by team members; for example, a PR release is reviewed, edited, and then officially published.

4. Archival/Long-Term Storage

Once a document has been finalized and its purpose completed, that document or file is usually stored somewhere, either in a digital folder or archived in your system.

Step Three of Content Lifecycles is all about collaboration/processing, where essentially, documents are reviewed, edited, or approved by various employees and departments. This step in the content lifecycle process can actually take the longest since it’s often where documents and projects can be lost or forgotten.

That’s where FileCloud’s Workflow Automation comes into play.

Use Workflow Automation to Speed up Content Lifecycles

Workflow automation is simply a way of automating these time-consuming and repetitive workflows, relieving employees of these tedious burdens. Instead, tasks are completed automatically, further empowering your paperless office to run smoothly. Workflow automation has many benefits, but the top ones are that it:

Saves Time:

Employees no longer have to spend time on these administrative tasks. Instead, employees, managers, and teams can automate these tasks by creating a workflow that takes care of these repetitive tasks.

Here is a simple example: an employee from finance creates an automated workflow that sends out an email asking for expense reports at the end of the month. Now they no longer have to type it up and send it out each month.

Saves Money:

Workflow automation saves businesses money by allowing employees to focus on more important tasks that help a business’s bottom line, instead of spending hours (some studies say 16 hours) each day on tedious but necessary admin tasks.

Reduces Employee Errors:

recent report showed that it’s easy for employees to get lost in the weeds when searching for documents and files. The report also showed that there are 236 lost hours per year on duplicated work! Workflow automation helps reclaim these hours by automating tasks and reducing the burden on employees.

Additionally, workflow automation ensures the completion of tasks like client intake forms, email responses, and document reviews, which helps teams stay on task and complete projects.

FileCloud’s Business Workflow Automation

FileCloud’s workflow automation takes place within FileCloud’s hyper-secure system. Users can quickly create workflows with a no-code, drag-and-drop design. Workflows have a built-in logic that makes them easy to create and use.

Share workflows with team members and across departments with just a click of a button. You can also view all running workflows in a dashboard for oversight purposes.

Within minutes, employees and managers can create automated business workflows for a variety of tasks including:

Conclusion

FileCloud exists to make life easier for you. Our Content Lifecycle strategy helps ensure that your content is protected and compliant once it’s in our system. Our Workflow Automation helps make the longest and most difficult part of a content lifecycle quick and simple—freeing your employees up to work on more important tasks.

Want to learn how Workflow Automation can work for your specific needs? Set up a quick demo today!

~Written by Megan Barnard, Digital Content Specialist 

By Megan Barnard

Digital Content Specialist