Workflow Automation Software | What to Look for in?
- Melek Deniz Tarhan
- November 22, 2024
A workflow automation tool is software that simplifies your life by automating repetitive tasks and orchestrating processes between apps. It connects different tools and ensures tasks are completed automatically, so you don’t have to do them manually. Think of it as a personal assistant for your digital life.
For example:
A new lead fills out a form in Jotform → The tool adds them to your Salesforce CRM → Sends a "welcome" email from Outlook → Notifies your sales team in Slack.
This entire process runs without you lifting a finger.
How is Workflow Automation Software Different from Other Tools?
There’s often confusion between workflow automation platforms, project management tools, iPaaS, and collaboration tools. At first glance, they all seem like they could serve similar purposes: organizing work, automating tasks, and improving team efficiency. However, while they may overlap in some areas, each type of tool has its own specific focus and strengths. It's important to clarify how workflow automation software solutions differ from the others so you can choose the right solution for your needs. Let’s break down the distinctions and see how workflow automation software stand apart.
Project Management Tools
They help you organize tasks, timelines, and resources for team collaboration. While they keep you on track, workflow automation softwares go beyond—they integrate with your project management software to handle repetitive actions.
For instance:
Auto-assigning tasks to team members.
Updating task statuses when a condition is met (e.g., when a file is uploaded).
iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service)
iPaaS solutions are built for heavy-duty integrations, often used by IT teams to connect data across enterprise-level systems. They’re like bridges for big, complex ecosystems. Workflow automation tools focus on simplicity. They’re designed for white-collar workers, not IT engineers. You can set up integrations between apps like Gmail, Asana, and Slack without needing to know how to code or understand complex APIs. iPaaS works well for large organizations, but workflow automation software thrive in day-to-day operational efficiency.
Collaboration Tools
Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace make teamwork seamless by improving communication and document sharing. Workflow automation platforms enhance collaboration software by automating notifications, reminders, and approvals. For instance, they can send an automatic Slack notification every time an important document is updated in Google Drive.
Key Features of Workflow Automation Tools
Workflow automation software aren’t here to replace project management, iPaaS, or collaboration tools—they complement and enhance them. They’re the glue holding your digital tools together, letting you focus on strategy while they handle the boring stuff. Based on this purpose, their key features are:
Trigger-Action Framework:
Workflow automation software operate on a simple "If X happens, do Y" principle, making automation straightforward and intuitive. For instance, you can set up a workflow like, "If a new Trello card is added, create a task in ClickUp." This framework is the foundation of how these tools function, enabling seamless task execution across multiple platforms.
Multi-App Integrations:
These tools shine by connecting dozens, and in many cases hundreds, of apps. From email and CRM to project management and social media, workflow automation tools ensure that your favorite tools work together without manual intervention.
Conditional Logic:
For more advanced automation, many tools offer conditional logic, allowing you to create "if-else" workflows. For example, "If the email contains ‘urgent,’ notify the manager; else, mark it as normal." This feature is ideal for handling complex processes where different outcomes require different actions.
No-Code Interface:
One of the most appealing aspects of workflow software is their no-code interface. Designed with non-technical users in mind, these tools let you create powerful workflows without writing a single line of code. This democratizes automation of workflow process, making it accessible to everyone.
Workflow Templates:
Getting started is easy with pre-built templates. These templates cater to common workflows and save time by eliminating the need to build automations from scratch.
Scalability:
Workflow solutions are versatile enough to cater to various needs. Whether you’re using them for personal tasks, like organizing your calendar, or for team operations, such as managing approvals and syncing data, they grow with your requirements. This scalability makes them suitable for both individuals and large organizations.
Monkedo: Software Solution for Business Process
Monkedo is a no-code workflow automation software designed to make your life easier by connecting your favorite apps and automating repetitive tasks. Whether you're organizing personal workflows or managing team operations, Monkedo empowers you to build everything from simple automations to complex, multi-step workflows—all without writing a single line of code.
With its user-friendly design, scalable functionality, and powerful integrations, Monkedo ensures you can focus on what matters most while leaving the tedious work to automation. Below, we’ll dive into Monkedo’s standout features, including its intuitive UI/UX, flexible pricing, robust automation capabilities, and responsive support team.
UI/UX of Workflow Tool
User Interface (UI) refers to the visual aspects of a tool—the buttons, menus, colors, and layout you interact with. A clean and intuitive UI makes it easier to navigate and understand the tool, even for first-time users. On the other hand, UX focuses on the overall experience of using the tool. It’s not just about how it looks, but how well it works. Does it help you achieve your goals efficiently? Is the process smooth, or does it feel clunky? A great UX ensures the tool feels intuitive and solves your problems seamlessly.
Monkedo stands out with a thoughtfully designed interface that prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, making workflow automation accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.
Soft Color Palette:
Monkedo Workflow Automation Tool uses a soft and inviting color scheme, creating a visually pleasing environment. The choice of colors reduces strain during prolonged use and ensures that the interface feels calm and approachable, even when managing complex workflows.
Drag and Drop Editor:
At the heart of Monkedo’s user-friendly design is its simple editor page for visual workflow automation. Users can effortlessly drag and drop components—triggers, actions, and conditions—into the workflow canvas. This eliminates the need for coding or complex configurations, allowing users to focus on building automations intuitively.
Re-ordering Nodes:
When automating workflows in Monkedo, connections between components are simple and intuitive. Components are linked by connecting the output port (located on the right side of a component block) to the input port (on the left side of the next component). This straightforward approach makes it easy to visualize the flow of data and actions within a workflow.
But what happens if something needs to change? Say components are connected incorrectly, the order needs adjusting, or an additional component needs to be inserted in between. No problem! Monkedo allows you to quickly delete any connection line and create a new one.
This flexible system makes reordering components effortless, ensuring users can refine and optimize workflows without starting from scratch. Whether you're making a minor tweak or a major overhaul, Monkedo's connection management keeps the process smooth and frustration-free.
Short-cuts for Efficiency:
To speed up the workflow creation process, Monkedo Workflow Automation Tool includes a set of keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts allow users to quickly copy and paste components, delete them, or shows option value when the list is open in the input forms without needing to rely entirely on the mouse. This boosts productivity, especially for power users who frequently work with automations.
Testing Automation:
At the center of the editor, you'll see your automation in progress—components connected to one another in a logical flow. You can easily test your automation right within the editor by using the Action Bar at the top of the page.
The Action Bar lets you:
Name and save your automation for future use.
Run the automation step by step, allowing you to test the flow and debug any issues before saving it.
Error Indicators:
To prevent deployment issues, Monkedo includes error detection mechanisms. Misconfigured components or disconnected nodes are highlighted with visual alerts, making it easy to identify and address problems. Monkedo doesn’t just stop at showing errors—it also provides guidance on how to resolve them. Automations cannot be deployed until all errors are fixed, ensuring a seamless and reliable execution.
Team Workflows:
Monkedo Workflow Automation Software makes collaboration easy by allowing users to invite their team to a shared account. This feature supports real-time collaboration, enabling multiple users to view or edit workflows simultaneously.
Tooltips and Contextual Help:
For users who need a little guidance, Monkedo offers hover-over tooltips and embedded help sections. These provide quick explanations of features and components directly within the editor, reducing the learning curve and enhancing productivity.
Basic and Complex Workflow Automations
Monkedo supports different type of workflow automations, offering flexibility to design workflows tailored to varying needs. Basic flows are created with "push" connections, where components run sequentially based on output dependencies, forming either sequence or parallel flows. Sequence flows operate components one after another, while parallel flows trigger multiple branches simultaneously, following the order they were added. Combined sequence and parallel flows further enhance customization, enabling multiple actions to execute in tandem.
Advanced flows accommodate diverse scenarios. For instance, conditional flows use rules for branching, while iterated flows repeat actions for a specified count or dataset. Pull connections introduce flexibility by letting downstream blocks request inputs from earlier blocks without waiting for preceding components to finish. These features, coupled with safeguards like preventing circular flows and supporting multi-input logic, ensure automations function seamlessly and handle complex tasks effectively.
Budget for Business Workflow
Monkedo Workflow Automation Software offers a free plan that includes up to 100 automation actions per month, making it perfect for individuals and small teams starting with automation. For those needing more capacity, plans start at just $10 per month, providing scalable options to fit different needs. You can create enterprise workflow automations with 100K Plan.
What is an Automation Action?
An automation action is counted every time a component in your automation executes. Components are categorized as paid or free:
Paid components consume 1 action per execution. Free components typically don’t use any actions unless abused or errors occur (in such cases, 1 action is deducted for every 100 executions).
For example, if you’re using Monkedo Workflow Builder to process a MonkeySurvey form with 100 rows of responses and create corresponding tasks in Asana, each action in the automation (processing a response or creating a task) consumes 1 automation action. This usage transparency ensures you only pay for what you automate.
Getting Support
Monkedo ensures users have the guidance they need to create automations with ease. For direct assistance, you can contact the Monkedo team at support@monkedo.com.
In addition, Monkedo Workflow Automation Solution offers a range of resources to help users master the platform:
Documentation with step-by-step guides.
Blogs featuring tips, use cases, and best practices.
YouTube videos with visual tutorials to simplify learning.
Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your customizable workflows, Monkedo's support options are designed to make automation accessible and straightforward.
Start to Use Workflow Automation Tool
Take the first step toward simplifying your operations with Monkedo, the right workflow automation tool for business process automation. By streamlining repetitive tasks and enhancing workflow management, Monkedo Workflow Automation Tool empowers you to focus on strategic goals while your automation workflows handle the rest. Whether you're looking to optimize business process management or create seamless integrations between apps, Monkedo offers the tools you need to build efficient, reliable workflows with ease.
Don't wait to transform your processes. Try Monkedo today and discover how easy it is to automate, integrate, and scale your business! Start for free and experience the future of automation workflow firsthand. Click to get started and unlock your automation potential!