While it’s hard to imagine a world without email today, the sending and receiving of digital mail aren’t without their challenges. That’s why alternatives to e-mail workflow are becoming increasingly popular.

When you’re developing and managing workflows using email, the potential for mistakes, misunderstandings, and inefficiencies is significant. 

If you’re still relying on this method to deliver services for your clients, there are a few alternatives to email workflow you should consider. 

But first, let’s take a look at some of the most common issues caused by this method of working and communicating with clients. 

Common Problems Caused by Email Workflows

If you use – or have used – email to manage workflows in the past, you probably already know about some of the issues at play. However, to fully appreciate the benefits of email alternatives to workflow, it’s probably a good idea to address them. 

A Lack of Standardization

Imagine you are collaborating on a project with colleagues and several representatives from your client’s business. If you’re all working together via a series of email messages, the potential for lost information, missed communications, and security breaches is huge. 

How do you know everyone received your email? How do you know everyone understood? And how easy is it for everyone to access your messages – and the attachments they contain – as and when they’re needed? 

Inefficient Approval Processes

When a project involves several decision-makers, getting approval for actions and completed work can be a haphazard, time-consuming process. 

Put simply, too many approvers – along with a fragmented review process – can lead to costly delays and poor results. 

Progress Tracking

Think about the last time you looked for a series of communications in your Gmail or online email account. How long did it take you to find what you need? How easy was it to monitor the progress of your project when several people were contributing via email at the same time? 

It doesn’t take long for inboxes to fill up. And as they do, piecing together progress chronologically can become a nightmare. 

Delivery Issues

You have a tight deadline for a highly complex project. To ensure you deliver on time, you need to know that everyone involved receives and understands your email messages. But how can you be sure that’s the case? 

A lot of email either ends up in junk folders or simply get missed by the recipient. What’s more, a simple type might mean your message ends up undelivered or in the wrong place.

Scalability

Relying on email workflows might make sense when you’re a small business delivering a simple service, but what happens when you grow? 

Going from sending 10 emails a day to 100 represents a huge logistical challenge for even the most organized small businesses. 

Three Effective Alternatives to Email Workflow

So, now that we’ve covered the pitfalls of email workflows, let’s look at some of the most viable alternatives. 

1. Client Portal Platforms

With a cloud-based client portal, you and your clients can log in to a shared, fully secure account to share and access information whenever you want. 

With anytime, anywhere access, a well-structured file organization system, and real-time document tracking, sending and receiving vital data becomes much easier. 

Rather than have all your workflow data strewn across multiple emails in several accounts, everyone involved can access everything they need in one place. 

A centralized hub organizes documents and data by category, ensuring finding information and checking everyone has received it are quick and simple processes. 

Transparency, accountability, and efficiency – they’re what you can expect from a sophisticated client portal platform. 

2. Project Management Tools

Project management platforms like Trello, Asana, and ClickUp are pretty good for organizing tasks and managing workflows. But in some cases, they’re overkill – and rather expensive. 

Key features included with such tools include ask boards, deadlines, team assignments, progress tracking, and integration with other tools.

While there are some free basic plans available, most businesses will eventually need premium options that involve a costly upgrade. 

3. Team Collaboration Platforms

Collaboration platforms provide effective communication and integration capabilities, but they come at a price. And when all you need to do is efficiently share data in an easily accessible way, you can end up paying for a range of services and functions you don’t need.

These tools centralize communication, allow file sharing, and integrate with project management and task-tracking software, reducing dependency on lengthy e-mail threads.

The Benefits of Choosing a Client Portal for Workflow Management

When you have a simple yet highly effective client portal at your disposal, you can overcome all the drawbacks of email workflows.

Improved Team Communication

Centralized interactions and real-time updates reduce clutter and delays – streamlining collaboration, reducing errors, and improving service levels. 

Time Savings

Automating repetitive tasks and simplifying project management free up teams to focus on higher-priority objectives. Or, if your priority is cost-cutting, the resulting efficiencies can lower your wage bill and general operational costs. 

Cost Efficiency

Consolidating multiple functionalities – such as task tracking, file sharing, and communication – into one platform minimizes expenses. Who knows? You might be able to switch from using three or four email services and software services to just one!

Enhanced Tracking and Reporting

Advanced tools enable businesses to monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and make informed, data-driven decisions. A client portal creates a kind of work history that can’t be ignored or refuted in the event of problems or complaints. 

Scalability and Efficiency

Modern tools such as cloud-based client portals help businesses grow while maintaining streamlined operations and alignment with strategic goals.

You’ve Found One of the Best Alternatives to E-Mail Workflow

There are some great alternatives to e-mail workflow, including sophisticated client portal software such as TeuPortal. If you’re still relying on email to manage your everyday workflows, you could be falling behind your competitors – both in terms of service standards and operational efficiency. 

Don’t waste another second on inefficient document and data sharing via email. Sign up for a TeuPortal account today, and transform the way you communicate with clients forever.