When you run a small business or operate alone, you are generally wearing many different hats. In most cases, you are responsible for sales, marketing, customer service, and all operational aspects of your company, and you typically complete these tasks before lunch. However, as your business expands, the number of responsibilities and tasks also expands. At some point, you will start to experience bottlenecks that include delayed approvals, lost documents, and confusion about who is responsible for what. That is when IBM Business Automation Workflow (BAW) comes into play. BAW is an automation workflow platform designed by IBM.
Throughout this article, I will explain what IBM Business Automation Workflow is and how it can assist with your small business operations. I am not providing any hype, but rather providing you with clear, direct answers to questions about the use of IBM Business Automation Workflow in your business operations.
What Is IBM Business Automation Workflow?
IBM Business Automation Workflow is a digital workflow automation and management software platform that enables organizations to automate and control their business processes. It can be considered a “central nervous system” of your organization’s business processes as it ties together the organization’s information, employees, and other systems so that all aspects of the business process flow seamlessly from start to finish.
Business Process Management (BPM) and Case Management are the two primary features of BAW. BPM manages repetitive and structured business processes, such as onboarding new employees and processing invoices. On the other hand, Case Management deals with less structured and more flexible cases, such as customer complaints or special projects that require a customized approach.
BAW provides the ability to create workflows, designate tasks to team members, track the status of those tasks, and continually evaluate and modify the workflows in order to optimize the way in which work is conducted. Regardless of whether your business is a small retail store, consulting firm, or online service provider, BAW enables your company to move away from the use of fragmented spreadsheets and e-mail chains to organize and automate your business processes.
Why Should Small Business Owners Care?
You may think: “I am a small business. Do I need it?” That is a valid question. Automation tools are typically thought of as being for larger corporations. However, many of the same workflow problems that affect larger corporations exist at a smaller scale in small businesses.
Small business common pain points:
- Approval requests get lost in inboxes
- Follow-up reminders (for the timely completion of a task) can be forgotten.
- There is no single place where all records of activity are tracked, including who completed each task and when.
- Time is wasted manually entering data.
- It is difficult to grow your business quickly, if at all, without adding additional employees.
IBM Business Automation Workflow will help address these types of issues by providing a structured and transparent view of how your day-to-day business processes operate. IBM Business Automation Workflow will allow you to create repeatable processes and provide flexibility when the unexpected occurs.
Key Benefits for Beginners and Small Teams
We’ll provide some of the more tangible benefits of BAW automation in simpler terms.
- Real-Time Transparency About What Is Happening In Your Business
Automating workflow means that you can view your operations in real-time. Who is currently working on what? Are there any deadlines approaching? Are there any bottlenecks? With BAW dashboards & reports, you can gain that transparency without having to continually check with people for their status. - Easier Team Communication
Even if you only have one person or contractor working for your company, it can be difficult to maintain open lines of communication. BAW establishes a shared platform for team members to have access to all the necessary elements (tasks, data, updates) needed to accomplish their work. Everyone will clearly understand their responsibilities & deadlines. - Quality & Consistency
Manual systems tend to produce many errors due to the lack of structure; i.e., missing a step, forgetting an approval, losing a document, etc. BAW ensures each process has consistent follow-through every time a process is implemented. This greatly increases the overall quality & decreases the number of mistakes made. - Flexibility To Grow
Your company may grow over time, but the processes supporting your company may need to support more volume. BAW allows you to begin with a singleworkflow or a couple of workflows and then add additional workflows as your needs evolve. - Faster Customer Support
When your internal business processes run efficiently, your customer(s) will benefit from the improved efficiency. The approvals will occur faster, the questions will be answered faster, and the issues will be resolved faster. BAW will assist you in improving your response times & providing a better service experience for your customers.
Core Features of IBM Business Automation Workflow
You don’t have to be a coding guru to get how BAW works for your company. Below are the primary capabilities offered by BAW and what those offer for your organization.
Process Designer
You will use this feature to create your processes visually. When creating a new process, you simply drag and drop items into a visual representation to define each step within a process. Do you want to have an approval request sent to a manager first and then automatically send a notification to your sales team? You can create that type of process using the Process Designer without having to write a single line of code.
Case Designer
Not every task has a straightforward process (i.e., most work). At times, a process may require the ability to add additional steps based upon the specific needs of that particular case/issue. That’s when you would use the Case Designer to allow for unstructured work, such as when dealing with a particularly difficult customer issue that may follow no predictable path. As needed, you can add new tasks to the case/project much like you would if you were working on a project.
Process Portal
The Process Portal is essentially your team’s dashboard, where employees will log in and view the tasks that have been assigned to them. Theycan alson take action on those tasks and view what’s going on throughout the entire organization. It’s user friendly, web based and designed for everyday users.
Built In Analytics
How long does it actually take to complete a task? What areas are experiencing delays? BAW comes with built-in analytics that provide you with the metrics to assess your performance and identify areas of opportunity to improve.
Integration Tools
Like many businesses today, your organization likely utilizes several tools, including accounting software, email, CRM, project management applications, etc. BAW provides integration tools to enable seamless data flow between these various systems.
BAW is quite different than other automation tools as it was specifically developed to address the workflow control, integration, and enterprise-level process management requirements of large organizations. This is why it stands apart from other automation tools such as Zapier or Make, which are focused primarily on automating the interaction between two applications/applications that are relatively lightweight and/or easy to integrate.
Quick Overview of IBM Business Automation Workflow
| Feature | What It Does |
| Process Designer | Build workflows visually without heavy coding |
| Case Management | Handle flexible, unstructured work cases |
| Process Portal | Central dashboard for team tasks and updates |
| Analytics | Track workflow performance and identify bottlenecks |
| Integrations | Connect with CRM, accounting, and other business tools |
Realistic Use Cases for Small Businesses
Let’s examine the process of using IBM Business Automation Workflow (BAW) by an example of a real-world application of a small business.
Example 1: Client Onboarding
A marketing agency has many clients. Marketing agencies need to onboard their clients. There are several steps involved in onboarding a client, including sending a contract to a client, collecting data from a client, creating a client account, and scheduling a kickoff meeting with a client. The BAW allows a company to create a workflow that will automatically trigger each step once a new client is added.
For instance, when a company adds a new client to the system, the system will automatically send the contract to the client. Once the client signs the contract, the system will notify the team to begin creating client accounts. In this way, no employee will miss a required step in the onboarding process.
Example 2: Employee Expense Approval
Many companies have employees who incur expenses during the course of their job. Many times, the employee needs to submit an expense report along with receipts. Many times, there are issues as the expense report gets lost or delayed in getting approved. BAW can automate the expense reporting process. BAW can be configured to route the expense report to the appropriate approver, send reminders to the approver if he/she does not approve the expense report within a predetermined timeframe, and save all documents related to the expense report in the BAW document library.
Example 3: Customer Support
Once a customer submits a support request, BAW creates a case, assigns it to the appropriate team member, and tracks the resolution steps taken to resolve the issue. If the issue is not resolved within a predetermined amount of time, BAW will escalate the issue to the next level of management.
Getting Started: What to Expect
Beginning with IBM Business Automation Workflow will require some planning; you do not have to be a programmer to achieve success.
Step 1: Identify a Process to Automate
Begin small. Choose one of the many repetitive processes causing you pain; perhaps expense reporting or client intake. Map the current steps involved in the process using paper as your medium.
Step 2: Establish your Environment
IBM has multiple deployment options available. You can deploy BAW on your own servers (on-premises) or utilize a cloud-based option. The cloud-based option removes the need for organizations to provide IT infrastructure, which could benefit smaller teams.
Step 3: Create Your First Workflow
Utilizing the Process Designer, create your first workflow by creating it visually. IBM provides documentation and tutorial assistance to help you. Utilize the official documentation provided by IBM on their website to gain further insight into the capabilities of the platform. If you become stuck, you can seek assistance from community forums or take advantage of professional training.
Step 4: Test and Refine
Test the workflow in a limited capacity before introducing it to the entire organization. Obtain feedback from the individuals testing the workflow. Make adjustments to the workflow steps as needed. While automation is not “set and forget,” it will improve over time.
Step 5: Educate Your Organization
Educate your organization on utilizing the Process Portal. Most individuals can easily learn the basics of using the portal. Highlight to your organization how automation will make their jobs easier, rather than harder.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
There are no “perfect” products; based on what users have told us, we have outlined several limits that you should keep in mind when using IBM Business Automation Workflow:
- Complexity to Set-up: The initial set-up or configuration may be difficult to accomplish (especially if you do not have a technical background).
- Steep Learning Curve: Basic workflow processes will be simple to implement; however, mastering the product will take time to learn.
- The User Interface: Many users feel that the user interface has an old look compared to other comparable products.
- Response Time of Support: Response times may differ depending on which level of support you have purchased.
- Limitations on Reporting: IBM’s built-in reporting capabilities provide most of the basics needed; however, for more complex reporting capabilities, additional reporting tools may need to be purchased.
Many smaller businesses may want to use a more automated solution with a quicker setup time and a lower cost; these are simply things to consider as part of your expectations for using BAW.
How Much Does It Cost?
Pricing for IBM Business Automation Workflow is determined by the type of deployment and the level of use. Industry reports suggest pricing could range from approximately $300 a month, with the price varying based on user numbers and the type of deployment. Pricing would be expected to vary further as the number of users increases and/or when using certain features.
IBM provides a subscription service where customers can begin with smaller deployments and expand as they require more functionality. For companies with limited budgets, this may be beneficial.
Important: The best way to get an accurate quote for the correct pricing is to reach out to IBM directly or through an authorized reseller. Pricing can change at anytime and the final cost of services will depend on customer requirements.
Is It Right for Your Business?
IBM Business Automation Workflow has many strengths, butit isn’t going to be a good fit for everybody. To help you quickly determine whether or not BAW will be a good solution for your needs, we’ve put together a quick self-assessment.
Consider using BAW if:
- You use a lot of repeatable processes that require more than one person to participate.
- You’re tired of having to chase down tasks from other individuals via email.
- You would like to increase visibility and understanding of how operations are being performed.
- You are looking to expand your business and/or organization, and you want to ensure that your systems can support that growth.
- You are willing to make an investment of time in setting up and learning the system.
If any of the following conditions exist, you may want to consider alternatives:
- You are a solopreneur with extremely simple workflow requirements.
- You don’t have several recurring processes that you would like to automate.
- You prefer to utilize simple, out-of-the-box type solutions without any need to configure or set up.
- Your budget for software is very limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for what IBM Business Automation Workflow (BAW) is?
In its most basic form, BAW is a software application designed to assist organizations in automating and managing the tracking of their workflows, whether they are approval chains, onboarding customers, processing support requests, etc.
In short, BAW links the people, processes, and information associated with an organization into one integrated system.
Do I have to know how to code to use BAW?
While some users will not have to develop code in order to create workflows using the Visual Designer tool provided by BAW, some users may need to develop custom code for certain advanced integration and customization requirements.
Can BAW connect to the tools I already use?
Yes. BAW can connect to many different types of business systems and applications. BAW utilizes a variety of services and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to enable these connections.
Are only large corporations able to use BAW?
No. While many large corporations utilize BAW, many smaller and medium-sized businesses also find BAW to be useful. In fact, BAW is especially suited to help small and medium-sized businesses that are looking to grow and expand their operations. IBM provides BAW as a scalable solution for all sizes of organizations.
How long will it take me to get BAW implemented in my organization?
The amount of time it takes to implement BAW will depend on the number of workflows you want to create and manage. If you are implementing a simple workflow process, you should be able to have BAW up and running within a few days to a few weeks. Implementing more complex workflows may take longer to implement.
Is IBM Business Automation Workflow offered in the Cloud?
Yes. IBM offers BAW through either cloud deployments or on-premise deployments. This enables organizations to select the deployment option that best fits their infrastructure and security requirements.
What type of training is available for BAW?
IBM provides extensive training resources, including documentation, video tutorials, certification programs,s and community forums. Additionally, there are independent consultants specializing in BAW that organizations can hire to assist them in creating and deploying BAW solutions.
Conclusion
The task of running a small business can be very difficult. Every single hour that is used to chase down all of the different tasks that need to be completed or to try to resolve communication issues (e.g., “where did I put this file?”, “can we get back on track?”) is an hour that could have been used to grow the business.
IBM Business Automation Workflow provides a method to make your daily operations easier by allowing for automation of repetitive tasks, decreasing the number of errors made in those tasks, and providing the time needed to focus on what really matters.
It is not a solution with a “magic wand” to wave over your head; using IBM Business Automation Workflow will require planning, learning, and continual improvement.
However, for small businesses that are tired of relying on sticky notes and e-mail chains as their primary means of managing their day-to-day operations, IBM Business Automation Workflow will provide them with a solid base for growing their business.
If you are interested in learning about how IBM Business Automation Workflow can help, begin by finding a simple process that is frustrating to you. Explore the many online resources provided by IBM. Discuss your needs with an IBM Partner. You may discover that a workflow automation platform such as IBM BAW is the solution you have been searching for.
For companies seeking to improve operational efficiency and reduce the amount of manual labor required, it is worth taking a closer look at workflow automation platforms such as IBM Business Automation Workflow.
For organizations looking to automate complex business workflows, IBM Business Automation Workflow is currently one of the most robust workflow management platforms available.
Looking for more ways to simplify small business operations? Check out our guide on AI-powered automation tools for small businesses.
