Discuss the steps in a work flow analysis.

For each type of work, such as producing a product line or providing a support service (accounting, legal support, and so on), workflow analysis identifies the output of the process, the activities involved, and the three categories of inputs (materials and information, equipment, and human resources). Outputs are the products of any work unit, such as a department, team, or individual. Outputs may be tangible, as in the case of a restaurant meal or finished part, or they may be intangible, such as building security or an answered question about employee benefits. In identifying the outputs of particular work units, work flow analysis considers both quantity and quality. Work flow analysis next considers the work processes used to generate the outputs identified. Work processes are the activities that a work unit's members engage in to produce a given output. They are described in terms of operating procedures for every task performed by each employee at each stage of the process. Finally, work flow analysis identifies the inputs required to carry out the work processes. Inputs fall into three categories: raw inputs (materials and information), equipment, and human resources (knowledge, skills, and abilities).