Meaning & use
workflow
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The order of steps, and the people involved, by which a task moves from beginning to finish in an organization.
Grammar: Countable for a specific process (a workflow), uncountable for work moving in general.
Patterns
- the workflow for something
- streamline a workflow
The editors changed the workflow so each article gets two reviews.
A clear workflow helps new staff learn the process faster.
The software automates part of the invoice workflow.
noununcountable
The amount of work passing through a department or person over a period.
Grammar: Often with heavy or steady: a heavy workflow.
Patterns
- a heavy workflow
- manage the workflow
Holiday weeks bring a heavier workflow to the print shop.
She struggled to keep up with the constant workflow.
A steady workflow kept the studio busy all year.
Word forms
| plural | workflows |
|---|
Common combinations
- streamline the workflow
- New templates helped us streamline the workflow.
- automate a workflow
- They automated the approval workflow.
- design workflow
- Our design workflow starts with sketches.
- disrupt the workflow
- Constant interruptions disrupt my workflow.
- workflow management
- Workflow management software tracks every task.
Synonyms and how they differ
- process
- Process is broader and can describe any series of actions, while workflow stresses how tasks pass between people or tools.
- pipeline
- Pipeline suggests a series of stages with items flowing steadily, as in a sales pipeline.
- procedure
- A procedure is a fixed set of steps to be followed, with less focus on who hands over to whom.
- routine
- Routine describes habitual actions, often personal, rather than a designed team process.
Word family
Commonly confused: workflow or workload?
workflow vs workload
Workload is how much work you have; workflow is the path that work follows.
Practice
The team drew a diagram showing who reviews a report before it goes to the client. They were mapping their ___.
Choose one answer.
A workflow is the path work takes through steps. Workload is the quantity of work, the tempting wrong answer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “workflow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.