A workflow consists of a sequence of steps or activities that must be completed to successfully execute a specific task. These processes describe the actions, responsibilities and deadlines required to carry out a specific job, ensuring that tasks are performed efficiently, safely and in the desired order.
Workflow Phases in Industry
In an industrial environment, a workflow has the following phases:
• Work initiation: a work order, maintenance request or production schedule, for example, outlining the purpose, scope and any other specific requirements needed.
• Work planning: this is where the necessary resources, equipment, materials and personnel are identified and allocated.
• Pre-job preparation: this may involve conducting safety assessments, obtaining permits or approvals, gathering tools and materials, and ensuring that all necessary resources are available and functioning properly.
• Execution of work: assigned personnel or equipment follow planned procedures, perform required tasks, and carry out actions necessary to complete the work.
• Documentation and reporting: recording of work details, progress updates, any deviations from the plan, completed tasks, observations and any relevant data or measurements.
• Quality control and assurance:depending on the nature of the work, quality control measures may be integrated into the workflow. This involves inspections, testing or verification of the work performed.
• Job completion and handover: verifying that all tasks have been completed, ensuring that equipment and tools are returned to their designated locations, and performing any necessary post-job cleanup.
• Evaluation and continuous improvement: it is essential to evaluate your overall performance, including factors such as safety, efficiency, quality and on-time performance.
A well-defined workflow provides a systematic approach to executing tasks in the industrial sector, ensuring that jobs are carried out efficiently, with proper planning, execution, documentation and evaluation. This helps to maintain safety standards, optimize productivity and achieve the desired results in an industrial environment.
How to orchestrate workflows?
Orchestrating workflows involves coordinating and automating the execution of multiple tasks or processes to achieve a desired outcome. Below are the steps that will help you orchestrate workflows effectively:
1. Define workflow objectives:understanding the purpose of each task and the desired outcome of the overall workflow is paramount. This will guide efforts and help in the design of the workflow.
2. Map the workflow steps: visualize the sequence of tasks and their dependencies. To do this, it is necessary to create a flow chart or diagram to describe the workflow steps, including decision points, parallel processes and conditional branches. This will provide a clear view of the workflow structure.
3. Identify task dependencies: determine which tasks must be completed before other tasks can be started, as well as which tasks can run concurrently.
4. Automate task execution: leverage automation tools or workflow management software to automate task execution.
6. Monitor and control progress: a system should be in place to monitor and track the progress of each task and the overall workflow.
7. Continuous improvement: periodically review and analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of the workflow. Gather feedback from stakeholders, identify areas for improvement and implement improvements to optimize the workflow over time.
8. Communication and collaboration: foster open communication and collaboration among team members involved in the workflow, through clear instructions.
By following these steps, workflow orchestration ensures that tasks are executed in a coordinated and optimized manner, resulting in greater efficiency, productivity and successful outcomes.
4Action, the solution by Zerintia Technologies to orchestrate workflows
4Action is Zerintia Technologies solution that allows the orchestration of workflows, as it integrates data generated in the industrial plant from different sources, such as Operational Technologies (OT), Information Technologies (IT) and employee-related information, for the detection of events in real time.
