Best Open-Source Workflow Management Software
Nowadays every business is trying to find some cost-cutting and time-efficient solutions to improve its general performance and gain a competitive edge in the market. It’s not enough anymore to concentrate only on the development of the product or service. To enhance customer engagement it’s important to consider the efficiency of the processes inside the company as well.
Workflow management software comes up with a new way of business process organization. It helps companies to handle time-consuming and repetitive tasks, reduce error risk and increase efficiency. Let’s look into the concept of workflow management and find out the best workflow software for your business.
Defining Workflow Management
A workflow is a group of tasks that are a part of a bigger company process. It can be of two types:
- sequel – when a new task starts after the completion of the previous one;
- parallel – when several tasks are executed at the same time.
Workflow management is the organization of assignments to have the work done. It optimizes the activities inside the company by identifying weak spots, automating repeated tasks, improving the communication and cooperation of employees, and making the working processes more transparent and well-structured.
What is Workflow Management Software?
Workflow management software (WfMS) is a tool that helps companies to automate business processes and increase their efficiency. Workflow management systems can be separated into the following categories:
- Human-centric. This type of workflow management system assigns the tasks to people. It can be beneficial when writing a report, analyzing, or validating something.
- System-centric. These tools focus on tasks that can be operated by machines such as financial reports, workflow approvals, and others.
- Document-centric. These workflow management tools optimize document-related tasks such as document creation, modification, translation, or approval.
- Integration-centric. These systems are aimed at organizing smooth and consistent communication and data flow within the company without human intervention.
WfMS can bring benefits to everyone: individuals, small businesses, and giant corporations. It offers organizations improved transparency and traceability of working processes, robust communication, time- and cost-efficient business planning, decreased risks, and better quality of the services provided. As a result, companies achieve a high-performance rate and meet the growing demands of their customers.
Best Options for Workflow Management Software
The software market offers a big choice of workflow management software. Here is the list of the best open-source workflow management engines that can help your company improve its performance and boost customer engagement to reach top market positions.
ProcessMaker
ProcessMaker is an open-source workflow management software that lets BPM users create effective workflows within the shortest time possible. This software fits better for large-scale enterprises that are looking for an effective solution to automate complex organizational processes.
ProcessMaker is the choice of many organizations due to some of its merits. It’s an open-source software that makes its users part of a large community. Although it’s not a free workflow tool ProcessMaker is one of the most cost-effective solutions on the market. Many BPM users prefer this tool due to its low-code environment, user-friendly interface, advanced toolbox, cloud access, enhanced document generation, etc. What is more, ProcessMaker is a robust web application. Thus, it is also possible to use it on a mobile phone. This software has gained the trust of Access, Lenovo, Barton Associates, etc.
Flowrigami
Flowrigami is a workflow editor tool that helps to improve company performance by visualizing and designing workflow processes. This open-source tool works on Javascript and is easily integrated into the company’s ecosystem. It works in two modes: view mode and edit mode.
Flowrigami complies with diverse customers’ goals. It fits both the organizations that are just thinking about BPM integration and the ones that already use some BPM solutions.
Camunda
Camunda is an open-source free BPM platform. It serves to automate and improve working flow and decision-making processes. The platform is built on Java API which makes it consistent and highly-efficient. Camunda stands out for its robust analytics abilities, rigorous authorization checks, process transparency and flexibility.
On the downsides, this platform requires significant IT experience and is not easy for average users. Nevertheless, it’s an effective solution for big companies. Zalando, Generali, Lufthansa Technic, and Deutsche Telecom are successfully managing their workflows with this software.
Apache Airflow
Apache Airflow is an open-source free workflow management software. It was created and first used by Airbnb to organize its complicated workflow processes. It has a modular architecture that makes it highly scalable and responsive. This tool provides its users with an easy-to-use interface and consistent integration with third-party services such as Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services, etc. Moreover, everyone with Python development skills can get on well with this workflow management software.
As for some shortcomings, Apache Airflow doesn’t support instant changes of the workflow. Its web application interface has a steep learning curve and is not clear enough for inexperienced users.
Apart from Airbnb Apache Airflow has been deployed in Robinhood, Slack, Walmart, and other corporations.
Comindware Tracker
This is low-code WfMS that is the best solution for middle and large-scale businesses. Comindware Tracker provides its users with consistent workflow automation, tracking, and reporting. Moreover, it offers simple drag-and-drop solutions for workflow diagram development. It’s scalable and easily integrated with enterprise applications. As for the disadvantages, Comindware Tracker tends to be slow and get stuck when working with a graphic editor.
This workflow management software is used by Gazprom, Hertz, Aetna, and other large companies.
Conclusion
Workflow management software is today’s must-have for robust company performance. Not only does it help to automate and organize workflows more efficiently and presents activities within the company more transparently but increases the company’s overall performance and results in a better customer experience.
Various WfMP open new possibilities for different kinds of organizations. Every workflow management software has its own merits and drawbacks. To benefit from using such a tool it’s crucial to clear up the goals that should be achieved by using it. Then it’s easier to find an open-source workflow engine that will comply best with your company’s demands and help you to stay on top of the market competition.
