Working smarter, not harder - with Workflows! | Share your Workflows optimization tips

[PamCotton]

Hey Community

After an insightful exploration of optimizing the middle column of CRM records in our last challenge, it's time to dive deeper into the realm of workflows. Whether you're a pro or just getting started, there's always room for improvement when it comes to streamlining your processes.

Workflows are the backbone of efficiency in any organization, but sometimes they can become confusing and complex with too many branches or unclear steps. That's where our community comes in! We're here to share ideas, experiences, and solutions to help you fine-tune your workflows for maximum effectiveness.

Do you find yourself scratching your head over the complexity of your workflow? 

Are you unsure if your current setup is the most efficient it can be? 

Don't worry, you're not alone. Drop your questions, concerns, or areas of confusion in the comments below, and let's collaborate to find solutions together.

Whether you're looking to simplify your workflow, automate repetitive tasks, or optimize for better outcomes, this is the perfect opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of our HubSpot Community.

You can go from this:

To this: 

1. Share an optimized workflow that you are proud of, and what you did to improve it.
   
   
2. Share a screenshot of your workflow (Make sure no private information is shared), and we will help you optimize with ideas from our experts.

Let's work smarter, not harder! Start the conversation now and let's unlock the full potential of our workflows together.

Please be advised that these are user-generated use cases and may not follow HubSpot best practices or guidelines - use your own discretion.

[MSI_Sakib]

I use SOP for my workflow and tweak it based on need. Currently, I am developing SOP for all the work process such as SEO, Social Media Marketing, Content Production etc.

[benoluxury]

Wow, that's great. I work in a helicopter rides  company and it will be great if I implement it there. Thanks for sharing

[akhan336]

It sounds like you’re about to delve into optimizing workflows within a CRM system—an important task for improving efficiency and overall performance. Whether you're familiar with workflows or just starting out, enhancing these processes can significantly streamline how your team manages customer records and operations.

### Key Areas to Focus on When Optimizing Workflows:
1. **Define Clear Objectives**: What are you aiming to improve? Is it data accuracy, automation of repetitive tasks, or better communication across teams? Clearly defining your goals will help tailor your workflow optimizations.

2. **Automate Repetitive Tasks**: Use the CRM's automation features to reduce manual tasks. For instance, setting automatic email follow-ups, reminders for lead management, or alerts when actions are required.

3. **Standardize Processes**: Implement consistent workflows for common tasks like customer onboarding, lead nurturing, or support ticketing. This will reduce confusion and ensure everyone follows the same steps.

4. **Leverage Workflow Triggers**: Use "if-then" rules to set triggers that automate specific actions based on customer data or activity. For example, a new lead could automatically be assigned to a sales rep or enter a drip campaign based on their status.

5. **Review and Optimize Data Flow**: Ensure the data between the various parts of your CRM—leads, deals

[TBanga]

Hey @PamCotton ,

The idea of simplifying complex workflows and automating tasks to boost efficiency resonates with me. I’ll definitely be implementing some of these tips in my own workflow setup.

Thanks for sharing these insights

[MDanish3]

valuable information, Thank you for sharing

[Vishesh2716]

How about this lead nurturing workflow. Accomplishes most tasks within a single flow

[Zobb00]

One effective way to optimize workflow is by automating repetitive tasks with tools such as Zapier or Integromat. This minimizes manual effort and errors, enabling you to concentrate on higher-value activities. Additionally, regularly reviewing and refining your processes can help identify bottlenecks and enhance efficiency.

[Mattheus]

Visually map your workflows. That's a great tip to understand as a team what happens, or should happen, on a macro level. Not everybody is able to understand all the workflows or have the time to go through all workflows.

Having a process mapping of the way of working in your portal helps to align your teams and organisation. Makes the full process more clear, but also the impact. If sales knows that their deals will be automatically closed lost if they don't update close dates or that a certain property will help the sign off to another team, then you will see an improvement in adoption because of the collective understanding.

You could even link from the process mapping in Lucidchart, Miro or Figma to your HubSpot workflows.

[JMartin1094]

I've had fun learning about workflows through different courses and of course, through trial and error. So far we haven't done a ton of complicated 'flows, but this is one that I've been toying with for a while before turning it on. 

We have multiple brands in our portfolio, under the parent company's central HubSpot account domain, with email aliases and addresses set up in the CRM. We also use Lead Forensics as a visitor ID tool, and have the paid two-way integration with Hubspot, allowing me to create company records from the LF side within Hubspot with a click. 

So, depending on the creation criteria for a company record ( record source: integration) and its industry description, companies get routed to one or another branch. From there, it checks the number of associated contacts and creates a time-bound task to populate those contacts, with another reminder if not done, and then assigns the company owner and notifies company owner that the record has associated contacts.

I had tried to link some of the actions previously, but I think they were superfluous. It's not sleek, per se, but I think it's also not too bloated for the number of properties involved. Haven't had anyone to run it by, though, so I'd love to hear if there's a better way to do this!

[mickhence]

One effective workflow optimization tip is to automate repetitive tasks using tools like Zapier or Integromat. This reduces manual effort and errors, allowing you to focus on higher-value activities. Additionally, regular review and refinement of your processes can identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency.

[whitesmaverick]

Great tips! Automating repetitive tasks with tools like Zapier and Integromat can save time and reduce errors. Regularly reviewing processes is also crucial for identifying bottlenecks and boosting efficiency.

[hkhan11]

Thank you for sharing this.

[Anton]

Love it!

An example I've "developed" a while ago:

The honeypot

What is it?

Technically speaking a honeypot is a extra layer of spam prevention. 

How does it work?

Adding a hidden field to the form you'd like to protect against spam/bots. If the field is empty on form submission it means that the sender was a human since he/she did not see this field. If it's not empty it's a bot. Super simple

Requirements:

A new text property called honeypot (you can call it how you want) and add it to your desired/all form(s) as a hidden field.

Workflow build/logic:

Check if this field is unknown. If it's unknown proceed to the next action/workflow. If it's known -> do nothing. 

Screenshot of the workflow:

Tipp: You could create a list like "bots" and put all of the submission with a "known value" into it.

p.s.:  Here's my "steal this workflow" post I've posted on LinkedIn describing it a bit more in detail

cheers,

Anton

[JMartin1094]

That's so sick. Really clever. 

[Coolananth]

Nice

[JWronski]

I know I'm not using Workflows to the best of our ability.  I feel that I'm not doing enough but not sure what else I can do.  I'm looking forward to hearing anything anyone has to offer.  I may be on the right track, but then again I will probably learn something new!

[MiaSrebrnjak]

Hi @JWronski, apologies for the late follow up here & thank you for your comment! 🙏

Is there something that's costing you a lot of time and you think you could automate it? 

If you have a specific workflow that you would like to optimize: do you mind sharing a screenshot?

Thanks, 

Mia, Community team 

[danmoyle]

Thanks for the tag @MiaSrebrnjak 😊

Love this example and the full library idea, @PamCotton!  

I don't have a specific example, but when I teach clients to build workflows I also use this "go to action" option so we aren't building huge branches. Love that! 

[MiaSrebrnjak]

Thanks @PamCotton! 🙂 

Hey @Josh, @KTownsend, @danmoyle, @Dan1, @Jnix284, @BukunmiOdetayo, @ChristinaKay, @OPerek-Clark , @karstenkoehler, @colinwitt, @beeginman, @Shadab_Khan,

• do you have any Workflows optimization tips that you could share with the Community?
• Or a Workflow that you're really proud of that is saving you tons of time? 

We'd love to see your examples! 💛

We'll review them and include them in the new resource that we've launched this week: the Workflows Library. 

This growing catalogue of HubSpot-approved example Workflows is designed to help HubSpot-users master the Workflows tool and discover new use cases.

Thank you,

Mia, Community team 

[MCossa]

For optimizing workflows in high school teaching, use automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks like grading and communication. Implement templates for common assignments and feedback. Sharing these efficient workflows can save time and enhance productivity for both teachers and students.