Top Preferences Clients Look for in Workflow Management PAAS
Blog: Interneer blog
In talking to many customers that are researching a business process management or workflow management solution, I’ve compiled a list in no particular order, of top preferences. I have set price aside as there are vast differences in cost for off-the-shelf solutions and dedicated platforms and SaaS products. Below, I have listed the top 6 requests that most organizations will discuss early on when researching new products.
UI Design. Some people just call this the “skin.” It’s the look and feel of the product and its your first reaction to the quality and user friendliness of a PaaS or a workflow solution. If it looks too old or outdated, it will work for some companies, but for others, it will not even be considered. Adoption is proven higher with better looking UI’s as they are more enjoyable on a subconscious level to work with. Colors, simple navigation, charts and graphs, reminders, company logos and other choices are all key in decision making.
A Flexible Platform. For most companies, a platform is needed that will be flexible and have many uses. Certainly some organizations will choose a product that has one specific function, but that will only suffice for a year or two until additional inefficiencies are discovered in multiple workflows. A platform that can bridge departments and connect with legacy applications is required for most mid-market and large companies. It also needs to pass the IT depts. scrutiny while being simple enough for business analysts to configure and for end users to use.
Mobile and Cloud Based. Most mid-market and large organizations are moving to cloud based architecture and look for mobile availability. Cloud application users have little to no maintenance and can allow access to anyone that has user rights. Mobile apps are the standard now and many mid-market companies have CRM’s and external apps that allow easy access to clients. This is very popular in banking and retail businesses. Eventually most businesses will have some cloud-based solutions and mobile availability.
Ability to Grow with Organization. Because all businesses expect to grow, a platform is needed that can scale at the same rate. There are many functions, added tasks, departments and staff that will increase the load that is required of a workflow automation platform. The ability to make changes without the use of programmers or coding is a deciding factor for many. Intellect’s Accelerate Platform with its no-code drag and drop technology is an example of a PaaS that can grow to any size.
Speed in Delivery. Most businesses need to get up and running quickly. Nobody wants to spend months configuring, building, integrating and implementing. The reality is most of these tasks take time and it can be 3 to 6 months. With no programming and a team of business analysts configuring workflow apps, launching can happen in under 2 months. If the apps are built by Intellect’s Professional Services team, launching can happen sooner.
Excellent Customer Service. This is a popular request for many companies. Its important that the platform vendor chosen is available and ready to help in all phases of designing, testing, integration and launch. After the product is launched, its also important to have a customer service team that is available to fix any bugs or problems. A PaaS provider that works with you for the complete lifecycle of the application will be a critical part of the success of the product.
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