What is a workflow?
A workflow is a repeatable sequence of stages that a piece of work passes through from start to finish. It codifies how tasks move, who is responsible at each stage, and what conditions must be met before advancing. A software team's workflow might run Backlog, In Development, Code Review, QA, and Done. A content team's might be Idea, Draft, Edit, Approved, Published.
Workflows make implicit processes explicit. When everyone can see the stages and their rules, handoffs become smoother, bottlenecks become visible, and new team members onboard faster.
Why workflows matter
Without a defined workflow, work moves through informal agreements and tribal knowledge. Person A finishes a task and emails Person B, who may or may not check their inbox that day. A defined workflow replaces this with a visible, shared system: when a card moves to the "Review" column, the reviewer knows it is their turn without needing a separate notification.
Workflows also enable measurement. When you can see how long items spend in each stage, you can calculate cycle time, identify stages where work piles up, and apply WIP limits to prevent overload. This data-driven approach to process improvement is central to kanban methodology.
Good workflows balance structure with flexibility. Too rigid, and the team spends more time following process than doing work. Too loose, and the process provides no value. The best workflows start simple and evolve based on where the team actually encounters friction.
How Flux handles workflows
In Flux, columns on a kanban board represent workflow stages. You create as many columns as you need and name them to match your process. Cards move between columns via drag-and-drop, and every move is recorded in the activity log with a timestamp. You can designate a "Done" column in board settings so Flux knows when items are complete.
Different boards can have entirely different workflows, so a design team's board does not need to mirror an engineering team's. The multi-board view lets managers see work across multiple workflows at once, while each team retains autonomy over their own process. Column reordering is live and collaborative, so workflow changes propagate instantly to all viewers.
Related terms
See also: Kanban board, WIP limit, Continuous delivery.