What Is a Document Workflow? | How Businesses Stay Organized and Efficient

If you’ve ever wasted time tracking down a missing contract, waited on an overdue invoice approval, or struggled to figure out which version of a document is the “final” one—you know how frustrating poor document processes can be. Having an outline of how your team creates, reviews, approves, stores, and shares documents is called a document workflow. Having this established keeps everything organized, moving forward, and visible.

This applies to both physical and digital documents . Whether you’re working with paper files or electronic records, a document workflow helps you stay organized, avoid bottlenecks, and make sure important information gets where it needs to go.

Did you know?
Businesses that automate document workflows see a 30-50% reduction in document processing time, according to AIIM’s Intelligent Information Management research.

What Does a Document Workflow Include?

Every business handles documents a little differently, but most document workflows follow the same basic steps. These steps help keep information moving and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

• Creation – The document gets created—maybe it’s a proposal draft, a scanned form, or a new invoice.
• Review – Someone checks the details, makes edits, or verifies information before it moves forward.
• Approval – Key decision-makers review and approve (or reject) the document.
• Distribution – Once approved, the document is sent to whoever needs it—internally or externally.
• Storage & Archiving – Documents are saved in an organized way so they’re easy to find later and meet any compliance needs. Many businesses now use cloud-based storage to give teams secure, anytime access to files from any location, without relying on local servers or scattered folder
• Retention or Disposal – After a certain time, documents are either kept for records or securely discarded, based on your company’s policies.

Manual vs. Automated Document Workflows

A lot of businesses still manage documents manually—with emails, spreadsheets, paper forms, or bouncing tasks between people. Does it work? Technically, yes, but it’s hard to track and difficult to find a precise rhythm. With an automated document workflow, software handles the manual parts. Documents are automatically routed, reminders go out, and progress is tracked without you having to chase it down.

Taking it even further, Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) adds smart technology that can actually read, extract, and organize data from documents. Whether it’s a scanned invoice, a PDF, or even a handwritten form, IDP pulls the important information and sends it straight into your systems—no manual data entry required.

With workflow automation and IDP by your side, you’re saving time, improving accuracy, and ensuring your document processes run smoothly.

Ready to improve collaboration, speed up approvals, and cut down on manual work? Let’s chat!