Using Metrics to Analyze and Optimize Workflows

Designing and implementing workflows is the essential first step, but ensuring they’re efficient and effective requires continued monitoring and optimization. Liferay provides tools to analyze workflow performance, identify bottlenecks, and drive improvements in your content review and approval processes. This involves Liferay workflow metrics and service level agreements (SLAs).

Workflow Metrics and SLAs

Liferay's workflow metrics provide insight into the efficiency of your approval processes. These metrics rely on SLAs, which define expected deadlines for specific events within a workflow process. By setting SLAs, organizations can measure compliance and track whether workflow items are processed on time or are overdue.

Defining SLAs involves setting a precise timeframe and specifying start, pause, and stop events within your workflow definition. For example, an SLA might start when the workflow first reaches a review task, pause if it moves to an update task, and stop when it reaches the approved status. If the item reaches the stop event within the defined duration, its status is considered on time; otherwise, it is overdue.

Monitoring Workflow Efficiency with the Metrics UI

Liferay’s Metrics UI includes two primary views for monitoring the health and performance of your content workflows: Dashboard and Performance.

Dashboard View

The dashboard view focuses on pending items currently in the workflow process. It offers an overview of items by their SLA status (Overdue, On Time, Untracked), a breakdown of each pending workflow stage (Workload by Step), and a chart of workload assignees. The assignee chart is particularly useful for identifying potential bottlenecks, highlighting overloaded team members so you can reassign tasks if needed.

Performance View

The Performance View provides metrics for completed workflow items, offering insights into trends. It displays an overview of completed items by their SLA status, tracks completion velocity (i.e., the rate of completed instances over time), and provides performance metrics by workflow stages and assignees. This enables organizations to analyze average completion times for different stages and individuals, revealing areas for process improvement or training.

Optimizing Clarity’s Workflows

By implementing SLAs on their content approval workflows, Clarity can:

• Track Process Duration: Monitor the average time it takes for job listings, marketing materials, or legal documents to move from submission to final approval.
• Identify Bottlenecks: Use the "Workload by Assignee" and "Workload by Step" dashboards to pinpoint specific reviewers or stages where content frequently stalls. This enables proactive task reassignment or process adjustments.
• Improve Operational Efficiency: Analyze completion velocity and performance metrics by assignee to identify areas for training, process refinement, or resource allocation, ensuring content flows smoothly and reliably to publication.

By analyzing their workflow data, Clarity can ensure their processes are effective, efficient, and adaptable.

Conclusion

Liferay's Metrics UI provides essential insights for understanding and optimizing approval processes. With it, you can track key performance indicators (e.g., duration and completion velocity) and identify bottlenecks.

Next you’ll review what you’ve learned before moving on to the next module.