Best Internal Apps for Workflow Automation

 In today’s fast-paced business environment, workflow automation is a crucial strategy for improving efficiency, productivity, and consistency across an organization. Automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks can free up employees to focus on more strategic work, reduce errors, and streamline business operations. A range of internal apps is available to help organizations achieve workflow automation. Below are some of the best internal apps that can optimize workflow processes for teams and organizations of all sizes:

1. Trello

Best For: Task and project management automation

Trello is a popular visual project management tool that also supports workflow automation. It uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and projects. The Butler automation feature within Trello allows users to create automated workflows that save time on repetitive actions.

• Key Features:

  • Automate card movements, notifications, and actions.
  • Custom triggers to start workflows (e.g., when a card is moved to a particular list).
  • Set up rules for card creation, due dates, and more.
  • Customizable dashboards to track project progress.

• Use Case: Automate task assignments, track progress on projects, and move tasks across stages without manual intervention.

2. Zapier

Best For: Integrating apps and automating cross-app workflows

Zapier is a popular tool for automating workflows across more than 5,000 apps without requiring coding. It helps users connect apps like Gmail, Slack, and Google Sheets to create workflows (called "Zaps") that run automatically when triggered by a specific event.

• Key Features:

  • Hundreds of app integrations, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, and more.
  • Triggers and actions to automate tasks such as moving data between apps, sending emails, or creating to-do list items.
  • Supports conditional workflows, filters, and multi-step Zaps.

• Use Case: Automate workflows that require multiple apps. For example, you can set up a Zap to add new leads from a Google Form to your CRM system.

3. Asana

Best For: Task management and collaboration automation

Asana is a powerful project management tool designed to organize tasks, projects, and workflows. It offers automation through custom workflows, task assignments, and notifications.

• Key Features:

  • Automate repetitive tasks like creating new tasks based on certain conditions.
  • Set up triggers that update task statuses or assignees when conditions change.
  • Integrate with other apps, including Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Reporting and dashboards to visualize team progress.

• Use Case: Use automation to ensure tasks are automatically assigned, moved, or updated based on project progress. For instance, when one task is marked complete, the next task in the project is automatically triggered.

4. Monday.com

Best For: Customizable workflows and automating team collaboration

Monday.com is a visual project management platform that is highly customizable and ideal for automating workflows across teams. Its automation features allow teams to create custom workflows tailored to their needs.

• Key Features:

  • Custom workflows for task tracking, deadlines, and approvals.
  • Automatically assign tasks, send notifications, and update project statuses.
  • Integration with tools such as Slack, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Reports and analytics to track progress and identify bottlenecks.

• Use Case: Automatically trigger emails or notifications when a deadline is approaching or when a task moves to the next stage in a workflow.

5. Slack

Best For: Communication and team collaboration automation

Slack is widely known as a communication platform, but it also supports workflow automation through custom integrations and bots. Using the Workflow Builder feature, teams can automate common tasks like data collection, reminders, and notifications.

• Key Features:
  • Create automated workflows using built-in templates for things like welcome messages or approvals.
  • Integrate with a variety of tools to bring in data and trigger workflows (e.g., Google Sheets, Trello, and GitHub).
  • Set up reminders, automated responses, and notifications directly within channels.
• Use Case: Automate onboarding processes, recurring reminders, and approvals in a collaborative environment, keeping communication streamlined.

6. Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Flow)

Best For: Integrating Microsoft apps and automating complex workflows

Microsoft Power Automate is an excellent tool for automating workflows between Microsoft apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams) and third-party services. It allows organizations to automate repetitive tasks and business processes efficiently.

• Key Features:

  • Supports both simple and complex workflows, with automated triggers for tasks.
  • Can integrate with both Microsoft applications and third-party apps (Salesforce, Dropbox, Twitter, etc.).
  • Built-in templates and a visual interface for creating custom workflows.
  • Can automate tasks such as data transfers, approvals, and document processing.

• Use Case: Automate processes such as sending emails, creating tasks, and updating records in your Microsoft ecosystem.

7. Airtable

Best For: Database-driven workflow automation

Airtable is a hybrid platform combining the functionality of a database with the flexibility of a spreadsheet. Its robust automation features allow teams to automate workflows such as task creation, updates, and notifications within its interface.

• Key Features:
  • Create custom databases and workflows tailored to your business processes.
  • Automate actions such as updating records, sending emails, and triggering actions when records are created or updated.
  • Integration with popular tools like Slack, Gmail, and Dropbox.
• Use Case: Automatically update your database when new leads are added, or send notifications when certain conditions are met (e.g., a deadline approaching or a new row is added to a table).

8. Pipefy

Best For: Automating business process management (BPM)

Pipefy is a platform for process management that focuses on automating workflows within teams and across different departments. With its visual interface, teams can design workflows and automate repetitive tasks to reduce manual effort.

• Key Features:

  • Pre-built templates for various workflows like HR onboarding, marketing campaign management, and more.
  • Conditional logic to automate tasks based on specific criteria or actions.
  • Integration with tools like Google Drive, Slack, and Trello.
  • Real-time monitoring and dashboards to track workflow performance.

• Use Case: Automate HR workflows like employee onboarding, contract approvals, or content creation for marketing teams.

9. Zoho Flow

Best For: Simplifying business app integration and automation

Zoho Flow is a cloud-based workflow automation tool that enables businesses to integrate and automate workflows across various apps and services, both internal and external. It is designed for non-technical users, allowing them to set up complex workflows without writing code.

• Key Features:

  • Integration with over 500 apps including Zoho apps, Google Suite, Slack, and more.
  • Conditional logic and multi-step workflows.
  • Real-time alerts and tracking to monitor workflow progress.

• Use Case: Automate lead generation, ticketing processes, or customer onboarding by integrating CRM and helpdesk systems with email and communication platforms.

10. Kissflow

Best For: Business process automation and no-code app development

Kissflow is a business process management and workflow automation tool that allows teams to design custom workflows for tasks like document approvals, procurement, and expense management. It is a no-code platform, meaning users can create workflows without needing technical expertise.

• Key Features:

  • A simple drag-and-drop interface for building workflows.
  • Support for business process automation, case management, and project tracking.
  • Integration with popular apps like Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Slack.
  • Dashboards and analytics for performance tracking.

• Use Case: Automate processes for document approval, procurement cycles, or marketing campaign management with seamless integrations.

Conclusion

Workflow automation is essential for improving productivity, consistency, and efficiency within an organization. The internal apps listed above offer a range of features for automating various business processes, from project management to communication and database handling. By integrating the right workflow automation tools into your organization, you can streamline operations, reduce manual work, and allow teams to focus on more strategic tasks.

Choosing the best app depends on your organization’s specific needs—whether you need a simple task manager like Trello, a powerful business process automation tool like Kissflow, or a comprehensive automation platform like Zapier. Whatever the need, leveraging the power of workflow automation apps will drive greater efficiency and scalability in your organization.