workflow

American  

[wurk-floh] / ˈwɜrkˌfloʊ /

noun

workflows plural

1. the flow or amount of work to and from an office, department, or employee.

---

Usage

What is a workflow? A workflow is most often a series of repeatable steps in completing a work project, such as creating a product (like a computer) or performing a service (like writing an article). For example, the steps in writing a news article might include:

1. Receive an assignment from your editor.
2. Research the topic.
3. Interview people involved.
4. Write an outline of the article.
5. Write the article.
6. Edit the article.
7. Hand in the article to your editor.

When a workflow involves more than one person, it will describe all the steps to be done as well as who will do them. It might also describe how long each step should take, where any physical objects should be moved to (as in manufacturing), and other details important to managing the workflow. Workflow is also the amount of work one or more workers or an entire organization has at one time, as in The machine shop’s workflow was so high that they hired temporary help. Example: The consultant was able to change the steps in our manufacturing workflow, and now we are sending out product orders on time.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• workflows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of workflow

First recorded in 1945–50; work + flow

Explanation

The step-by-step process you use to get a task done is workflow. You may not want to interrupt your workflow in the middle of the day, but it's important to eat lunch! While bosses and workers have always had some concept of the idea of workflow — the series or pattern of steps from the beginning of a work project to the end — this term didn't emerge until the mid-20th century. Originally, workflow was used to describe the process of manufacturing and factory work, while today it's often used in the context of office work. Do you have a routine process for completing homework assignments? Then that's your workflow.

Example Sentences

My impression is that it was written before Demos, but was longer in finding a publisher; it had to wait until the way was prepared by its coarser and more vigorous workfellow.

From The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories by Gissing, George

Perhaps this is because he and his workfellow, Gilbert, were pioneers in making a totally new kind of comic opera.

From Operas Every Child Should Know Descriptions of the Text and Music of Some of the Most Famous Masterpieces by Bacon, Mary Schell Hoke