Workflows to Increase Efficiency: Planning Your Workflow

Workflows to Increase Efficiency: Planning Your Workflow

Do you feel overwhelmed when you think about improving your workflow in GreenFolders? Do you want to add some tools to your workflow, but don't know where to start? Whether you want to completely revamp your GreenFolders workflow, or just make a few improvements, you're in the right place. In this article we cover different workflow types and show you how to plan your workflow.

Different Types of Workflows
First, let's identify your current workflow. From there, we'll be able to determine the adjustments/enhancements we'll need to make to get you to the next level. I'm a fan of taking baby steps. Making too many changes at once can overwhelm staff, take extra time to implement, and can cause a larger learning curve. Let's compare three different workflows: Good, Better, and Best.

Good Workflow
The "good workflow" includes features that benefit your staff.
      1. You have a good task lineup.
            a. You utilize task triggers (i.e. completing a task automatically: creates a new task/changes the folder status/reassigns the folder/sends a message to a party).
      2. Your attachment types have defined names for your most common documents.
            a. You utilize attachment triggers (i.e. adding a specific attachment automatically: completes a task/changes a folder status/reassigns the folder/sends a message to a party).
      3. You have custom stamps available to use on your documents.

Better Workflow
The "better workflow" includes everything from the good workflow, but also adds some tools to improve your customer's experience.
      1. You have a good message template lineup
            a. You utilize automated messages (i.e. messages are sent automatically: when a task is completed/a folder status changes/a specific attachment is added to a folder)
      2. You utilize a customer web portal (i.e. PortalSync)
            a. This allows your customer (buyer, sellers, agents, lenders, etc) to log into a secure web portal and securely send/see messages, attachments, and tasks.

Best Workflow
The "best workflow" includes everything from the good and better workflow, but also adds more tools to improve your customer's experience.
      1. You utilize an integrated secure hyperlink tool (i.e. LinkGen to send links to documents).
      2. You utilize a customer feedback tool. (i.e. CFM to automatically send surveys after a transaction is complete).

Here's a table to compare the three types of workflows for easy reference:



How to Plan your Workflow
Now that you've identified where you're currently at, let's create our plan to build on it. As I mentioned before, I recommend taking baby steps. If you're not quite at the "good workflow" level, plan to add one feature that gets you closer. If you're currently at the "good workflow", start by choosing one feature from the "better workflow" to add.
Once these items are implemented and your office has adopted them into their daily routine, choose another feature to add.

Here are some helpful links to articles that can help you set up some of the features in GreenFolders:
  1. Tasks and Task Automations
  2. Messages and Message Templates
If a new tool is your next step (PortalSync, LinkGen, CFM), contact us so that we can show you the tool. It's always helpful to at least know what tools are available!