Workflow automation is having consecutive process steps run automatically based on an event: an order comes in, then the invoice is created, the customer is emailed and the stock is updated — without manual intermediate steps. Tools such as Make, Zapier and Power Automate are the best-known platforms for this.
Workflow automation in practice
A workflow consists of a trigger (the event), optional conditions (only orders above a certain amount) and actions (create, send, update). The skill lies in choosing the right processes: recurring, capturable in rules and with clear systems on both sides. One-off or judgement-heavy tasks are not what you automate.
Start with the process that involves the most manual work or the most expensive mistakes — often invoicing or order processing — and build out from there. In the Flow Lab you can interactively build such a workflow yourself; the tool choice is covered in Zapier vs Make vs Power Automate.
Related terms
- iPaaS — iPaaS (integration Platform as a Service) is a cloud service that lets you connect software systems to each other without building or hosting integration software yourself.
- RPA — RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is software that mimics human actions in existing screens: logging in, clicking, copying and pasting — following a fixed script.
- No-code — No-code is building software or automating processes without programming: you click applications, flows or websites together in a visual environment.
- AI agent — An AI agent is an AI system that carries out tasks independently: it is given a goal, can determine its own steps and use tools — such as searching, calling an API or drafting an email — and produces a result.