Mastering business activities and processes within a company is a challenge. Companies are seeking to rationalize and standardize their operations in order to be more productive and efficient. Whether activities are carried out individually or collectively, workflow software makes the sequence of actions between employees tangible, and also enables relevant tasks to be automated (e.g. to avoid multiple entries, multiple clicks in a software program, searching for information, etc.).
At the end of the article, we’ll present a comparative table of the main solutions, including Iterop, Kissflow, Process Street, Lapala, Power Automate, Workato…
If you had only one thing to remember from this article :
We have produced a comparison table in this article that summarizes the positioning and main features of workflow software.
To sum up, choosing the right software depends on 5 factors:
- Covering your needs
- The price
- Integration with your existing software
- Ergonomics and handling
- Administrative autonomy
What is workflow software?
Workflow software is a digital tool designed to manage the sequence and flow of tasks within a company. These tasks can be carried out directly by employees or through automation. Workflows are directly parameterized and documented in the software. In general, these are no-code or low-code, i.e. they require no IT development skills to set up. However, not all workflow software is equal in terms of user-friendliness: some are very easy to use, while others require expert support.
These tools are generally highly appreciated for their many benefits:
- Save time and increase productivity. You no longer need to be trained to follow a workflow, which makes team collaboration and autonomy easier.
- Workflow tools are generally very ergonomic, intuitive and connect to your business software. This allows you to bypass some of the more complex and convoluted software.
- Cover highly complex processes and workflows with rules, conditions, triggers, consolidations and automations
What’s more, all platforms are flexible and sector-independent. So you can pool different use cases in a single tool. For example, sales administration, purchasing processes, production, invoicing, accounting or HR.
The benefits of workflow software
Improve the efficiency and quality of your organization with workflow software
Eliminate manual tasks and errors
Say goodbye to repetitive, time-consuming tasks that put the brakes on your productivity!
Workflow software automates these processes, allowing you to concentrate on higher value-added activities.
Improve data accuracy and consistency by eliminating multiple manual entries and the errors associated with complex software.
Smooth, transparent collaboration
Facilitate collaboration between your teams thanks to simplified communication and automated orchestration of tasks and approvals.
Gain better visibility of project progress and reinforce cohesion between collaborators.
Track your key performance indicators (KPIs)
Get an accurate overview of your process performance with integrated monitoring and measurement tools.
Identify bottlenecks and continuouslyoptimize your processes for greater efficiency.
Access to reliable, high-quality data
Workflow software guarantees data quality by facilitating data entry and limiting errors.
Simplify information retrieval for your staff and improve decision-making.
A smooth entry into the digital age
Workflow software is a key step in the digitalization of your company, facilitating the adoption of new technologies by your employees.
Benefit from immediate financial gains thanks to automation, and finance the continuation of your digital transformation.
How to choose workflow software
Covering your business needs
Before choosing workflow software, it’s important to formalize your needs and understand how your processes currently operate. To do this, we recommend carrying out a process audit (see method below). Once you’ve drawn up your list of requirements, you’ll need to test the free versions of the software to see whether their functionalities meet your needs.
Easy to use
It’s really important to choose tools that are simple, ergonomic and intuitive for employees. This will facilitate change management and make it easier for the company to take advantage of digital technology. In addition, ergonomic workflow software can drastically reduce training and start-up assistance time.
Integration with your existing software
It’s important to ask the workflow software publisher, or to test the free versions, whether the tool integrates and connects with your company’s existing software (e-mail, ERP, HRIS, spreadsheets, etc.). Their interconnection will facilitate the implementation of high-potential automation for your organization.
Software price including project
This is a very important constraint for your project. Either you have a budget that you must respect, or it will be important to calculate the return on investment of your project (including set-up costs, change management costs, as well as the time and therefore money saved by the software).
Autonomous administration and publisher support
Autonomous administration allows you to be agile in the management of your software and to make big savings. Indeed, many software packages don’t really allow for this, and each of your requests and corrections to the publisher or integrator are then billed without any negotiation.
Data security and control
Make sure you’re in control of your data, and that you can retrieve it independently at any time, without having to go through the publisher. You should also check that your software meets security standards such as data encryption, backups, access control, double authentication, etc.
Workflow software – Comparative table of the 6 main solutions
Criteria | Process Street | Lapala | Power Automate | Workato | Iterop | Kissflow |
Publisher No-code | ✅ | ✅ + low code | ✅ + low-code | ✅ + low-code | ✅ + low-code | ✅ + low-code |
Adaptable to complex processes | – | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Number of software integrations | Requirement to connect automation software | 400 | 1000 | 1000 | Requirement to connect automation software | 500 |
Database management | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow |
Creating human interaction | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ✴️ Yes, but not integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow | ✅ integrated into workflow |
Nationality | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇫🇷 France | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇫🇷 France | 🇮🇳 India |
Language | English | French and English | Includes French | English | French | English |
Ease of use /10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Deployment | SaaS | SaaS or Private Cloud | SaaS | SaaS or Private Cloud | SaaS or Private Cloud | SaaS or Private Cloud |
Price | 100/month if fewer than 10 users Otherwise €1,500 | From €49/month, unlimited users | Custom | From €800/month | Custom | From €1,500/month |
Customer type | All companies | All companies | > 500 employees | > 500 employees | > 500 employees | All companies |
Support | Autonomy | By publisher | By integrator | By integrator | By publisher | By integrator |
Contact us if you think we’ve made a mistake
Workflow software overview
Process street, the simplest workflow software for all companies, but reaches its limits for complex processes.
Process Street is a SaaS-based workflow and procedure management tool. It’s a very popular American start-up.
It enables teams and companies to create, monitor and optimize their workflows. It offers easily customizable templates and integrates with other tools. Process Street improves collaboration and efficiency in organizations of all sizes.
Main features
- Template creation: Users can create reusable, customizable process templates using a simple drag-and-drop editor.
- Integration with other systems: Process Street integrates with many other tools and applications, to automate processes and exchange data between different systems.
- Automation: Users can automate parts of their processes through condition-based triggers and automated actions, such as sending e-mails.
- Reports and analyses: Process Street offers reports and analyses to help companies monitor and optimize their business processes.
Other Process Street features
Price
The Process Street workflow tool offers a free 14-day trial version with basic functionality. The introductory price is $100 per month for 10 users.
The premium paid plan is $1,500 per month and offers additional features such as more users, more automation, support priorities and access to an unlimited number of templates.
Business customers:
Process Street is suitable for companies of all sizes and in a variety of sectors, including start-ups, SMEs and large organizations.
Support:
Process Street has comprehensive online documentation, chat and e-mail support, as well as webinars and training videos to help users get to grips with the tool.
Support is available in English.
There’s no support as such in setting up your first workflows – you’re on your own.
Administration:
The tool offers an intuitive interface that requires no special technical skills, allowing users to manage access, templates and integrations autonomously.
Lapala, the French workflow software for companies with fewer than 500 employees
Lapala.io is a workflow automation and software integration platform designed to improve communication between tools and teams.
It integrates powerful workflow functionalities.
Lapala simplifies business processes and optimizes productivity within companies.
French start-up Lapala is available in SaaS or Private Cloud mode.
Main features
- Automated workflow creation: Lapala.io lets users create automated workflows using triggers, actions and logical conditions.
- Integrations with other tools: The platform integrates with various popular tools and applications used by sales, marketing and customer support teams.
- Customized dashboards : Companies can build customized dashboards
- No-code ergonomics: The platform is designed to be easy to use, with a visual interface for creating workflows and configuring integrations.
Other Lapala features
Pricing
The platform is free of charge, with no time limit below a certain execution threshold.
Thereafter, prices increase in increments.
The first price starts at 49 euros/month.
Corporate customers :
All types of companies, VSEs, SMEs, ETIs
Support :
Lapala’s teams will support you at your own pace, according to your needs. They’ll help you create your first workflows and automations.
The aim is to achieve your first ROI as quickly as possible.
Accompaniment in French or English.
Administration :
Simple, autonomous administration. Total control of data storage media by the client company.
Power Automate, Microsoft’s powerful platform requiring a certain level of expertise in Microsoft products
Power Automate is one of the solutions in the Microsoft 365 suite. It is basically an automation service that integrates workflow functionalities. It enables companies to create and execute automated workflows between various Microsoft applications and services. This simplifies the management of recurring tasks and improves team productivity on Microsoft tools.
Of course, the marketing arguments put forward are simplicity and no need for technical skills. The reality is that Power Automate does require a certain level of knowledge and expertise in Microsoft products and architectures.
Main features
- Microsoft 365 integration: Power Automate integrates easily with the Microsoft 365 suite and other popular applications and services.
- Preconfigured connectors: The tool offers an extensive library of preconfigured connectors to simplify integration between different applications and services.
- Automate recurring tasks in Excel. Users can automate recurring tasks and business processes, saving time and effort.
- Performance monitoring and analysis: Microsoft Power BI can be used in combination with Power Automate to monitor and analyze the performance of workflows and business processes.
Other Power Automate features
Pricing
Although Power Automate offers a free 30-day version with basic functionality and then a paid plan at €14/month per user, this price does not take into account certain additional costs:
- Microsoft 365 licenses, possible Entra ID license, possible power BI license
- If internalized, the salary of the IT teams who will train, design the workflows and administer the platform, which requires minimal technical knowledge compared to other solutions.
- If outsourced, the cost of service providers during projects and to maintain the system.
Corporate customers
Because of its ergonomics, functionality, price and communication, Power Automate is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses and large groups. If you have fewer than 500 employees, you’ll have to pass.
Accompaniment, support and training
Microsoft has created a vast ecosystem of expert Microsoft service providers who are at the service of companies. It offers implementation, maintenance and administration services.
These experts also offer training courses for companies’ in-house resources.
Administration
If you outsource skills, you’ll be dependent on external service providers. If you internalize the skill within the IT department, administration will be autonomous. Microsoft experts will tell you better than we can, but administration requires a certain recurring time budget for your internal resources.
Workato, the powerful workflow platform for large companies
Workato is also an American SaaS company.
This tool is basically an automation platform, but integrates workflow functionalities. This solution enables companies to connect and automate their business applications. Despite an intuitive visual interface and a vast library of ready-to-use integrations, the creation of automated workflows is still reserved for external experts or internal IT department staff.
Main features
- Extensive integration library: Workato integrates with over 500 popular business applications. They facilitate connection and automation between different systems.
- Process automation. Users can automate business processes based on predefined triggers and actions, or by configuring customized rules.
- Data management: Workato enables data to be mapped and transformed during transfer between different applications, ensuring data consistency and quality.
Other Workato features
Price
Once you’ve completed a demo with one of their sales reps, Workato offers a 30-day free trial.
After that, paid plans start at $10,000 per year.
This price increases according to needs and the number of integrations and automations required.
Corporate customers
Workato’s ergonomics, functionalities, price and communications make it ideal for small and medium-sized businesses and large groups.
Coaching, support and training
Workato offers price-level support via some of its own resources or external partners.
This support takes the form of a project.
This should be factored into your budget.
They also have a French team to support you.
Workato offers training courses for your company’s internal resources.
Administration
If you outsource the skill, you’ll be dependent on external service providers.
If you internalize a skill within the IT department, administration will be autonomous.
Sales people will tell you better than we can, but administration requires a certain recurring time budget for your internal resources.
Iterop, the French workflow software for companies with more than 500 employees
Iterop is a French workflow tool that was acquired in 2021 by the Dassault Systèmes group. It is available in SaaS or Private Cloud mode. This BPM software makes it possible to graphically model workflow during its construction, making creation simpler and more efficient. Modeling follows BPMN standards. Workflows can incorporate both “human” and automated interactions.
Main features
- Process modeling: Iterop uses BPMN notation to create and edit business process diagrams. This facilitates the understanding and communication of complex processes within the organization.
- Process automation. The tool automates recurring tasks, triggering actions according to defined rules, streamlining operations and saving time.
- Performance monitoring and analysis. The tool provides key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards for monitoring and analyzing process and team performance.
- Integration with other systems. Iterop can integrate with other IT systems and applications, exchanging data and initiating automated actions between them.
Other Iterop features
Price
Iterop’s price is not publicly available, so you’ll need to ask their sales team for a quote. However, after a demonstration by its sales teams, Iterop offers free access to the platform for 30 days.
Corporate customers
In terms of ergonomics, functionality and communication, Iterop is primarily designed for small and medium-sized businesses and large groups.
If you have fewer than 500 employees, this may be a difficult step to take, but don’t hesitate to try it out and see for yourself.
Accompaniment, support and training
Unlike some software publishers who let their customers get to grips with the software on their own or via external partners.
Iterop’s teams are there to provide you with friendly support and help you set up your first workflows.
They speak French, of course.
Administration
Iterop offers autonomous administration without technical intervention
Kissflow, the interesting English-language workflow software
Kissflow is an Indian cloud-based process management platform. The solution offers tools for workflow management, form creation, process automation and performance analysis. It is aimed at growing companies seeking to improve efficiency and productivity. It enables the creation and management of customized business processes.
Main features
- Process automation: The tool automates recurring tasks, triggering actions according to defined rules.
- Team collaboration: Kissflow facilitates communication and collaboration between teams by integrating discussion and content sharing functionalities.
- Performance monitoring and analysis: The platform provides key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards for monitoring and analyzing process and team performance.
- Integration with other systems: the Kissflow workflow tool integrates with a wide range of other popular software and applications. This makes it possible to exchange data and automate processes between systems.
Other Kissflow features
Pricing
Kissflow offers a 30-day free trial, followed by the first paid plan at $1,500 per month.
For details of more advanced plans and customized pricing options, contact their sales team.
Corporate customers
Kissflow is suitable for companies of all sizes and sectors.
Especially those seeking to simplify and automate their business processes with a comprehensive platform.
Companies such as Airbus, McDermott and the Danone Group are just some of Kissflow’s customers.
Guidance, support and training
Kissflow offers online documentation, video tutorials and training courses to help users learn and master the workflow tool.
In addition, Kissflow offers technical support via chat, e-mail and telephone to assist customers.
Administration
The Kissflow platform is designed to be easy to use.
It enables users to create, deploy and manage their processes without any particular technical knowledge.
How do you create a worklow?
Step 1 – Analyze existing processes with key personnel
We recommend that you carry out a process audit to enable you both to understand what already exists and to integrate your staff into the process, so that you can begin to drive change.
Step 2 – Build and map the target operation
Map out the ideal functioning of the process. This will enable you to move forward more serenely with your project, and to parameterize your chosen workflow software more easily.
Step 3 – Choose the right workflow software
By following the selection criteria presented above.
Step 4 – Set up the entire workflow
Use workflow software to build your process. Set up roles, actions, tasks, triggers, conditions and rules.
Step 5 – Automate relevant tasks
Data entry, information searches, approvals, consolidations, updates to other software… can all be simply automated with these platforms. Managing connections between software applications may require certain technical skills in API management.
Step 6 – Test the process with key users.
Carry out test workshops with key players in the company to check that the workflow works. Don’t hesitate to deal with real-life cases, as this is always more informative. Don’t hesitate to run a pilot with a limited number of users, to avoid any start-up errors.
Now you know everything there is to know about choosing workflow software. Now it’s your turn! See you soon for more content!
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