IT workflow is a set of steps used by an IT department to address and resolve issues. A well-designed workflow ensures all requests are answered and completed by the most qualified member. A workflow management system can streamline efficiency, and without it, a department can become overwhelmed.
An Information Technology (IT) workflow is a set of steps designed to address and resolve issues faced by an IT department. Most commonly, IT workflow is the process that a company’s IT department uses to process service requests that come in through the department. A well-designed workflow can help ensure that all help requests are answered and completed, and that the workflow is assigned evenly and to the most qualified member of the department. Poorly designed or absent workflow management can cause service issues and service delays.
When customers ask IT for help, they want to make sure their concerns are addressed efficiently. A poorly designed workflow in the IT department is immediately apparent, as a poorly managed workflow often leads to unanswered calls and emails and unfinished requests. This type of flawed workflow can make an IT department a liability for a business, because the longer a caller waits for IT, the longer it takes the caller to perform their assignment.
A system that an IT department might use to manage its workflow is called a workflow management system. These types of systems can be software programs designed to streamline workflow efficiency, or they can be pen and paper systems that help keep track of a small workflow load. Common features in IT workflow systems include functions that schedule IT workflow events, such as repair appointments or visits, employee work scheduling systems, and systems that keep track of which department worker worked on which request IT.
With cranky, impatient, and desperate customers, in many ways an IT department can be like a restaurant. Like hungry customers, those who contact a department for IT assistance have a request that appears to be the most urgent request in the world. An IT workflow is needed when a department is faced with a mounting wave of requests, each one more urgent than the last. A good IT workflow system can ensure that no customer is left behind in the reordering and that tasks related to their requests are followed through to completion.
Strong IT workflow systems are essential in any large or busy IT department. Without an effective IT workflow plan, a department and its employees can easily become overwhelmed with a backlog of requests that has gotten out of hand. This can make an IT worker feel like a chef buried in an eternal queue of unfilled food tickets as request after request is lost or unnecessarily delayed by an inefficient system. Efficient IT workflow management can transform a backup department into an IT help force that fills orders like a perfectly managed gourmet kitchen.
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