For those out here that have followed a lot of my posts on this Community or just seen some of my blog posts on my companies blog at Summit 7 Systems, I want to take a moment to say thanks for reading them.

I’m encouraged by many of you to keep writing and as I aim to do better and achieve more with the tools I have, I want to share that insight with you as well.  Also a special shout out to David Deschere for being a great reviewer and always providing positive feedback on my posts. Much appreciated.

To that end, I know we all are pressed for time, so I’m making this blog short and sweet.  This post will be the first of a series of post aimed at providing some basic but necessary logic and thought processes that is often overlooked or forgotten when it comes to using Nintex forms and workflows in your organization.  I will endeavor to dive deeper with each post to help users from all levels use Nintex more efficiently as we go along.

Hope you enjoy this short read and that you learn or remember something from it.

Part 1: Does your workflow have a purpose?

Just as it is a natural desire to have an impact in your workplace, and to know that what you do matters to your organization; you should approach your workflows with the same consideration.  The image above makes a very profound statement: “Prioritize what matters”.  Yes, that sounds odd when referencing workflows, but why not put some thought into what you are about to architect or create?  How is your logic, the process you are about to automate, and the results going to affect your organization in the end?

Priorities help you see what’s important! 

When creating a workflow, ensure that your workflow was built with a distinct purpose.  Too often I’ve seen people try to automate everything from the making coffee in the morning to turning off the lights at the end of the day.  Some stuff was not meant to be automated by a workflow and that’s okay.  Also, do not try to fix everything in one workflow or solve an entire business process in one big sweep.  Simplify what you are doing, prioritize your logic, and use as few actions as possible to meet your needs. This is not a formula but a mindset and here are some additional thoughts to consider:

• What are you really wanting your workflow to do?
• Can you accomplish your desired result in just one workflow or do you need more?
• Are you using the right workflow scope (Item, Site, and Site Collection)?
• Are you using the appropriate workflow actions?
• Do you have unnecessary loops, run-if’s and conditions?
• Are you overusing the “log to workflow history” for the sake of seeing outputs?

Following this process can help you create a workflow that you will be proud of.  You may also be able to show value by making it reusable within your organization,, who knows.  Now that’s “ninticity” for you, and like I promised, I kept this one short.  For more guidance with Nintex and basic workflow management, check out the DUCERIM Process.

Feel free to leave comments about this blog or questions you may have about Nintex and your organization.  Stay tuned for Part II: The double "EE’s" of workflows.  and if you can guess what the “E’s” represents, shoot me a comment or tweet @eharris04.

Thanks,

Eric