What is workflow automation? Definition, how it works and how it differs from RPA and BPA
For anyone new to the term: what workflow automation means, the four parts every automated workflow has, what it looks like in six teams, and how it differs from RPA and BPA.
Key takeaways
- Workflow automation is the use of software to run the steps of a business process by rules, so tasks, data and approvals move on their own and a person steps in only when a case needs judgment.
- Every automated workflow has four parts: a trigger, steps, rules and an exception route to a person.
- RPA is one technique inside workflow automation, where bots work an application's screens the way a person would. Business process automation (BPA) is the wider strategy of automating whole processes end to end.
- Workflow automation software comes in five kinds: integration tools, process management platforms, RPA, document processing and AI agents. One workflow often uses two or three.
- When a workflow starts with a document, such as an invoice or a loan application, nothing downstream can run until the document's data is extracted and checked.
On this page
Workflow automation is the use of software to run the steps of a business process by rules. When something starts the work, such as an invoice arriving or a form being submitted, the software creates the tasks, moves the data, routes approvals and sends updates, and it hands a case to a person only when the rules can't settle it.
This guide covers what the term means, how an automated workflow runs, examples from six teams, how it differs from RPA and BPA, and the main kinds of software. For the business case and a rollout plan, see how workflow automation improves business operations.
What workflow automation means
A workflow is the path a piece of work takes from start to finish: the tasks, the people who do them and the systems they update. An invoice is received, checked, approved and paid. A support ticket is logged, assigned, answered and closed. In a manual workflow, each hand-off waits for someone to notice the work and pass it on.
Workflow automation gives those hand-offs to software. IBM describes it as replacing manual tasks with software that runs all or part of a process. People still own the outcome: they set the rules, and they decide the cases the rules can't.
How workflow automation works
Every automated workflow has the same four parts. Here they are for one invoice:
- Emailed invoice
- Portal upload
- Scanned paper invoice
- 01Trigger: invoice arrives
- 02Steps: read it and match the PO
- 03Rules: route by amount
- 04Exception: mismatch goes to AP
Trigger
The event that starts the workflow: an email arrives, a form is submitted, a file lands in a folder, a record changes or a scheduled time arrives.Steps
The actions the software takes: read a document, create or update a record, assign a task, send a message.Rules
The conditions that pick the path, such as sending invoices over $10,000 to the controller or escalating a ticket that's about to miss its deadline.Exceptions
The cases the rules can't settle, sent to a person with what they need to decide: an invoice that doesn't match its purchase order, or a document the software couldn't read.
The exception route is what makes a workflow safe to automate. Work that fits the rules flows through, and everything else reaches a person instead of failing quietly.
Examples from six teams
The same four parts show up in every department. Each example names its trigger, steps, rules and exception:
Finance: invoice approval
An invoice arrives in the AP inbox. Software reads it, matches it to the purchase order and routes it for approval by amount; a mismatch goes to an AP clerk. See accounts payable automation.Lending: application intake
A borrower uploads documents. Software sorts the packet, extracts the bank statements, pay stubs and tax forms, and checks them against the application; gaps go to a loan processor. See IDP for lending.Insurance: certificate checks
A vendor sends a certificate of insurance. Software reads the coverage and limits and compares them with the contract; a shortfall goes to the risk team, who ask the vendor for a corrected certificate. See certificate of insurance tracking.HR: employee onboarding
A signed offer starts the workflow. Accounts, equipment requests and training tasks are created for the new hire's role and assigned; missing forms go back to HR.Customer support: ticket routing
A ticket comes in. Software classifies it, assigns an owner and starts the response clock; a ticket close to its deadline is escalated to a team lead.Sales operations: lead routing
A web form is submitted. The lead is scored and assigned to a rep by territory, with a follow-up task; leads that match no rule go to an operations queue.
Workflow automation vs RPA vs BPA
The three terms overlap, and vendors use them loosely. The difference is scope:
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow automation | Software runs a defined series of steps, with rules and exceptions, across people and systems | An invoice is read, matched, approved and posted |
| Robotic process automation (RPA) | Software bots work an application's screens the way a person would, logging in, copying and pasting, usually where a system has no API | A bot copies each new hire's details from the HR system into an older payroll system |
| Business process automation (BPA) | The wider strategy of automating whole processes end to end, with workflow automation and RPA as parts of it | Procure-to-pay, automated from purchase request to supplier payment |
In practice they combine: a BPA program is built from automated workflows, and RPA is one way a workflow reaches a system that has no API.
Types of workflow automation software
Workflow automation technology falls into five kinds of software, each taking over a different part of the work. One workflow often uses two or three of them.
Integration and task automation
Links cloud apps so an event in one updates another, such as adding a new customer to your email list when a deal closes. Zapier connects 9,000+ apps; Microsoft Power Automate offers 1,400+ connectors.Business process management (BPM)
Runs long processes that cross teams, such as purchasing or claims handling, with approvals, deadlines and a status for every case.Robotic process automation (RPA)
Bots that click and type through an application's screens when it has no API, such as Power Automate's desktop flows. They need upkeep: a changed screen can stop a bot.Intelligent document processing (IDP)
Reads the invoices, bank statements and forms that start many workflows and turns them into checked data, so later steps don't wait on data entry. Compare tools in our IDP software guide.AI agents
Take on steps that need some judgment, such as summarizing a case or drafting a reply, and pass anything they're unsure about to a person.
To weigh one type against another for your process, see how to choose a workflow automation tool.
Where to start
Pick one workflow that runs often, follows clear rules and has a baseline you can measure. Map its trigger, steps, rules and exceptions before you pick a tool. If it starts with a document, automate the reading and checking first, because every later step waits on that data.
Docsumo is an intelligent document processing (IDP) platform. It reads the documents that start a workflow, sends the fields it's unsure about to a reviewer and passes clean data on through its API and webhooks. On the Business plan it routes invoices for approval; automated workflows and case management come with the Enterprise plan. It doesn't replace your ERP, CRM or loan system; it feeds them.
For the benefits, which process to automate first and a step-by-step rollout, read our guide to workflow automation for business operations.
The bottom line
Workflow automation is software running a process's steps by rules: a trigger starts it, steps do the work, rules pick the path and exceptions go to a person. It covers everything from a two-app integration to a whole process, and many workflows combine several kinds of tool. Start with one workflow and the step that holds it back.
Book a demo with one of your document-heavy workflows in mind, or start a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What is workflow automation in simple terms?
It's software that handles the routine hand-offs in a process. When something happens, such as a form being submitted, the software runs the next steps, applies your rules and tells a person only when something needs their attention.
What is an example of workflow automation?
An invoice arrives by email. Software reads it, matches it to the purchase order, routes it for approval if it's over a set amount and posts it to the accounting system, and a mismatch goes to an AP clerk. See accounts payable automation.
What is workflow automation software?
Software that lets you define a workflow's trigger, steps and rules, then runs it and logs every step. It ranges from integration tools that connect cloud apps, such as Zapier, to process management platforms, RPA and document processing platforms.
What's the difference between a workflow and a process?
A process is a whole piece of work end to end, such as paying suppliers. A workflow is a defined series of tasks within it, such as getting one invoice approved. The terms overlap in everyday use.
What is AI workflow automation?
It's workflow automation with AI handling the steps rules can't, such as reading a document, classifying an email or drafting a reply. The workflow still runs on rules, and cases the AI is unsure about go to a person.