20 Best AI Workflow Tools for All Your Needs

As AI permeates many aspects of daily life, it can feel daunting to transition to working with technology, especially for creative tasks like writing and research. You might worry that using AI will stifle your voice or render you obsolete. Integrating AI workflow management tools like Otio's AI research and writing partner into your work will alleviate these concerns. This guide sheds light on the value of AI workflow management in academic research and writing to help you write and research better and faster with AI. Otio's AI research and writing partner helps you work efficiently so you can focus on what truly matters: your ideas. The tool lets you outline, brainstorm, generate, and organize content to help you achieve your writing goals while relieving academic writing stress.

Table Of Contents

• Benefits of Using AI Workflow Tools

• 20 Best AI Workflow Tools for All Your Needs

• Use Cases of AI Workflow Tools

• 7 Tips to Leverage AI for Workflows

• Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio — Try Otio for Free Today

Benefits of Using AI Workflow Tools

Boosting Efficiency with AI Workflow Tools

AI workflow automation increases productivity by simplifying complex tasks and streamlining manual processes. Instead of waiting for team members to manually fill out forms and process documents, you can use AI to speed things up, reduce inefficiencies, and eliminate bottlenecks. AI workflow automation doesn’t entirely remove the need for human intervention. Still, it can set your team up for success by eliminating time-consuming tasks and giving them the resources they need for increased productivity and improved decision-making.

Cutting Down On Errors 

Manual tasks are more likely to result in human error than automated processes since simple tasks like data entry can result in typos and copy/paste errors. Workflow automation reduces errors by ensuring that functions happen in the correct order and that information is shared between databases quickly and accurately.

Enhancing Scalability

Even large teams can’t keep up with the workload if your business grows unexpectedly. AI workflow automation is almost endlessly scalable, helping you make sense of large datasets and keeping your team’s workload under control. For example, you can use AI-powered chatbots to scale up your customer support team with automated ticket routing, reducing wait times and increasing customer satisfaction.

20 Best AI Workflow Tools for All Your Needs

1. Otio: Transforming Research with AI  

Otio is a research tool created for knowledge workers, researchers, and students struggling with content overload. Users can collect data from various sources, extract key takeaways, and produce outputs using AI.   

2. Miro: Visualize Your Workflow  

Miro is a versatile online collaboration tool that facilitates project management, diagramming, process mapping, and content visualization. The tool's infinite canvas allows users to create comprehensive and interconnected workflows without spatial constraints. This is particularly useful for visualizing complex processes and ensuring that every step is clearly defined and easily accessible. Miro also has an extensive library of templates to help users get started.  

Pros

• In addition to customizable templates, Miro integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Atlassian. 

• It also has an intuitive user interface.  

Cons

• Some users have reported performance issues, such as frequent crashes and system UI freezes. 

• Others have criticized the mobile app for being unreliable and lacking functionality.  

3. Monday.com: Flexible Workflow Management  

Monday.com is a flexible platform that lets you create workflows to meet various needs, from project management to sales or software development. Boards, which are central to the tool, allow you to create almost any data input. You can create tasks, set statuses and priorities, add tags, attach files, and assign user tasks. You can view these sheets in Kanban, Gantt, timeline, or calendar views. The flexibility of the entries means you can create workflows for anything from a task management tool to a CRM. And if you don’t want to start from scratch, the tool offers an extensive library of templates you can use to start.  

Pros

• Monday.com has a clean, intuitive user interface with robust customization options and powerful automation tools.  

Cons

• Advanced features have a steep learning curve; time tracking is only available in the Pro account.  

4. Claude AI: A Conversational Workflow Assistant  

Claude is the latest iteration of a conversational AI developed by Anthropic that is designed to provide improved interaction capabilities, enhanced performance, and extended memory over its predecessors. This AI model is available through an API and a public-facing beta website called claude.ai, aiming to be a friendly and helpful assistant for various tasks. With a focus on safety and user-friendliness, Claude 2 can be used for reasoning, language understanding, and content creation.  

Pros

• Claude features powerful code generation capabilities and is highly conversational with a free plan.  

Cons

• Limits depend on the length of the conversation, and the tool occasionally crashes.  

5. Trello: Kanban Made Easy  

Trello is known for its Kanban boards, which provide an easy way to see tasks and current statuses. This makes much sense for workflow management as you move a task from one status to another, like “in progress” or “done.” Trello locks you into the board view system but provides consistency across your team.  

Pros

• Kanban boards make it easy to identify bottlenecks and task statuses. 

• Trello boards have many different use cases, whether you’re in sales, people operations, freelance, or software development. 

• It's easy to communicate over Trello cards.  

Cons

• Trello has limited designated note-taking space. 

• It also lacks a native time tracker. 

• The free plan is limited, and paid plans can get expensive.  

6. Lucidchart: Diagram Your Workflows  

Lucidchart is an all-in-one diagram platform that will help you think through and map out each phase of your project. It’s perfect for flowcharts, product specs, or org charts. You can then share the diagrams across the organization or team to help everyone see what needs to happen next.  

Pros

• The cloud-based platform is accessible from any device and integrates with productivity platforms like Google Apps, Workspace, and Slack. 

• You can also import data from cool apps like Excel, Zapier, and Salesforce.  

Cons

• Lucidchart has no offline mode and limited features in the basic plan.  

7. Asana: Simplify Your Workflow  

Asana is simple to use and will aid your workflow management. As a workflow application, Asana streamlines workflows, aids with task management and brings project management down to its simplest terms. It lacks core project management functionalities, like a Gantt chart, but it will still serve as a central hub for your work.  

Pros

• Asana is visually appealing and straightforward to use. 

• You can quickly move and assign tasks with drag-and-drop functionality, making it great for organizing simple tasks.  

Cons

• Limited task management abilities can make it challenging to collaborate with the team. 

• The free plan is limited, and paid plans can get expensive even for smaller teams.  

8. Notion AI: Your Research Assistant  

Notion AI can help generate text and autofill databases, create a handy summary of pages, and even assign action items based on specific documents—all handy time-savers. But my favorite Notion AI feature is the ability to ask AI-specific questions about all the information you have stored there. As discussed on our Open Blog, we use Notion at Buffer to house most of our (extensive) company documentation. As comprehensive as our documentation system is, finding an answer to an in-the-weeds question can take time when you’re in a hurry. So, rather than scrolling through articles and databases, I can hit the search icon, then ‘Ask AI,’ and type in my question (say, “How do I categorize internet costs in my monthly expense report?” or “Which Buffer teammates are based in the US?”)  

Pros

• The Notion AI works well on platforms, including desktops, mobile, and browsers. 

• It integrates with popular platforms like Notta, Nightfall, Canva, and Calendly. 

• The Notion AI paid plans are relatively affordable compared to other AI tools.  

Cons

• Sometimes, the AI-generated summaries are generic and lack a point of view.

• The Notion AI add-on isn't free to use.  

9. Nifty: A Collaboration Hub  

Nifty PM calls itself a “collaboration hub,” it aims to unite projects, allowing teams to better focus on their goals (milestones). These are the goals that each project is structured around. Each milestone is divided into individual tasks, and a visual completion bar goes up as you complete each task.  

Pros

• Nifty has multiple task view options and numerous ways to collaborate and communicate with teammates. 

• The tool also offers time-saving project templates.  

Cons

• Third-party app authorizations need occasional attention, and template options can be limited.  

10. Tome AI: Create Engaging Presentations  

Tome is an application that allows you to create stunning business presentations and slide decks—great for sales professionals. You can use AI for engagement analytics of your presentation and draft and customize the presentation and design.  

Pros

• Tome helps improve the material by offering the right words and tone. 

• Documents can be easily turned into precise, story-driven products. 

• You can create material people can connect with, like 3D models and video storytelling. 

• Tome provides a smooth connection with various customizations to improve the narrative experience.  

Cons

• There may be a learning curve that comes with using advanced features. 

• Some people may take some time to master more complex functionalities. 

• Relying on AI might hinder creativity in certain situations.  

11. Fluix: Simplifying Construction Workflows  

If you’re looking for workflow management at construction or manufacturing companies, Fluix might be the tool for you. Its multipurpose workflows enable you to automate any process: field inspection, HSE, distribution of toolbox talks, employee training, and more. You can create a form in the built-in form editor or select it from the app library, assign a task to responsible parties, set the due date, and monitor the task progress. Plus, all these features are available offline, which is crucial for teams working in remote areas without regular Internet access.  

Pros

• Fluix has a slight learning curve and easy setup. 

• The tool offers workflows designed for iPads, cloud storage, and integration features.  

Cons

• Workflows designed for the iPad can be limiting, and the app lacks support for collaboration, such as document sharing.  

12. Perplexity: A Solid Research Assistant  

Leading the pack, Perplexity is attracting a lot of attention due to its high-quality answers, great quoting of sources, and staying on topic even as you ask follow-up questions. It uses a combination of Google's, Bing's, and proprietary ranking signals to decide which results are best to base the AI response on. It's delicious to use alongside a classic Google search if you're digging into tricky topics.  

Pros

• Perplexity features a conversational style with natural language queries and responses. 

• It provides source citations, unlike many other generative AI tools. 

• The tool has flexibility thanks to multiple LLM options and the ability to create collections to store and organize queries.  

Cons

• The AI still returns questionable information, and some responses are repetitive.  

13. Tallyfy: A Checklist with a Twist  

If you prefer your checklists in a board or card view, then Tallyfy may be a good option for process thinking. Its mode is Blueprint, which is a fancy word for a template. Set up the processes, add information to the relevant card, and then set it in motion. You also get progress updates on each card and the work done on that item. Managers get a bird’s-eye view of what each employee has done to manage risks or issues better.  

Pros

• Tallyfy lets you organize data with structured form fields, easily hide tasks, and segment chats with the “report issue” feature.  

Cons

• The tool has limited customization and an outdated feeling UI that can be difficult to navigate.  

14. Process Street: Simplifying Workflow Management  

Process Street is a simple checklist, workflow, and SOP software that lets you create and roll out workflows for all your business processes. You can build them around any task you repeat, from vacation requests to onboarding. You start by defining your process within the tool. You can start from scratch or use one of the existing templates, customizing it to your needs. This library helps use existing process management best practices for everyday tasks without worrying about documenting your own. Once you’ve created workflows, tasks are automatically routed to the relevant people. When they complete their task, it gets sent to the next person. You can roll out each workflow you create as many times as you need without any further edits.  

Pros

• Process Street has a simple user interface. 

• You can easily create structured documents and add audio and video files to documents. 

• The tool lets you track daily activity with an activity feed.  

Cons

• Process Street has no offline version and doesn’t offer desktop apps.  

15. Kintone: Build Your Workflows  

Kintone is a workplace platform that lets teams build and share custom workflows. Each team can use the tool to create the needed apps, whether a CRM, an expense report, or a content calendar. The tool offers over 1,000 templates to deploy the apps you need. You can also customize these to ensure they meet your specific workflow needs. Meanwhile, the no-code interface makes it easy for anyone on your team to create the necessary tools. The tool also has plenty of integrations to manage external data within your app. For example, you can add Dropbox files to the app or record information collected in emails.  

Pros

• Kintone offers personalized workflows and a good range of apps.  

Cons

• The tool has a poor user interface, and plans can be expensive.  

16. Otter AI: Transcription with AI  

Using Otter AI to transcribe interviews for case studies, expert comments, and note-taking for regular meetings. When the meeting is over, you’ll drag and drop the audio recording of the call into Otter’s web app. Within minutes, you’ll have a full transcript and—more importantly—an AI summary of what was discussed in the call. Sure, many video call tools will do this for you (it’s worth checking out the Zoom AI Companion if you use Zoom exclusively). However, there are two reasons you might prefer Otter.ai.

Your transcription tool should be separate from your meeting platform of choice. You might often find yourself pulled into Zoom, Google Meet, and Riverside meetings, depending on what your guest prefers to use. Another handy Otter.ai feature is the ability to click on a bullet point within the meeting summary, automatically taking you to that point in the recording. Here, you can play back that moment with Otter’s transcription playing alongside it like captions.   

Pros

• Otter AI helps you get organized and structure your meeting notes. 

• The tool will even offer summaries and key takeaways to help you make sense of the information.  

Cons

• The free plan is limited, and advanced features can get pricey.  

17. Zapier: Automate Your Workflows  

Zapier coordinates between different tools, which is as simple as that. It makes it easy to get started and has many combinations—more than you can consider. You could connect your communication tool to your email or transfer form information into your project management software. Zapier has probably figured out a way to do anything that you want to automate.  

Pros

• The tool offers several automated workflow templates, keeps a running list of automation history, and can automate multiple tasks with one trigger.  

Cons

• Zapier can get pretty pricey, and there’s a learning curve if there isn’t already a pre-set connection between the two apps.  

18. Pictory AI: Transform Text into Video  

Pictory allows you to create video content from text—even from the URL of your webpage. This is a great way to transform and repurpose long-form content, whether you're a marketer, social media manager, freelancer, or content creator.  

Pros

• Pictory AI is easy to use, and you can create a video by pasting a script. 

• The tool comes with a wide range of features and integration with Getty Images.  

Cons

• You can’t use different audio tracks in a single video, and there are limited options for AI voices.  

19. Studio Creatio: A No-Code Workflow Tool  

Studio Creatio is a no-code platform designed to automate workflows and build applications without requiring technical expertise. Studio Creatio stands out as an exceptional workflow application due to its robust no-code platform that allows users to automate workflows and build applications without requiring extensive programming knowledge. One of the most compelling features of Studio Creatio is its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, which simplifies the process of creating and modifying workflows. The platform's composable architecture supports extensive integration capabilities, enabling connectivity with various systems and data stores.  

Pros

• Workflow Automation: Powerful automation capabilities to streamline repetitive tasks and processes. 

• Scalability: Adapts to growing business requirements with flexible configuration options. 

• Integration Potential: Ability to integrate with various third-party systems and data sources.  

Cons

• Learning Curve: While user-friendly for essential functions, advanced features may require more training to master effectively. 

• Complexity for Large-Scale Projects: May struggle with highly complex business processes or large volumes of data.  

20. Descript: Edit Audio and Video by Editing Text  

Descript is a powerful audio and video editing platform that integrates AI to streamline the content creation and editing process. Edit media files through transcribed text rather than fiddling with the audio file. The tool is easy to use and includes advanced features, making it a go-to solution for podcasters, journalists, and video producers.  

Pros

• Descript helps you easily edit videos as a Word document. 

• It has an intuitive interface and advanced features, like Overdub and Studio Sound.  

Cons

• Descript has no mobile app for editing podcasts or videos on the go. 

• The Descript transcribe feature has a decent accuracy rate but sometimes makes mistakes when identifying names and accents.

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Use Cases of AI Workflow Tools

Transforming Customer Service and Support with AI Workflows

AI workflow tools can streamline customer service and support operations to improve the customer experience. For instance, chatbots and virtual assistants can automate responses to routine inquiries, raise tickets for complex issues, and assign moderators to address them as quickly as possible. AI can also collect and analyze customer feedback to improve products and services. Integrating FAQ software can enhance customer satisfaction by instantly delivering the necessary information while saving time and resources.   

Optimizing HR Processes with AI Workflows  

AI tools can optimize HR operations to improve business productivity. For instance, AI-powered workflows can enhance talent acquisition with automated candidate screening and sourcing. They simplify onboarding with streamlined administrative tasks and personalized training modules. Moreover, AI can automate sending calendar invites for interviews and generating company policies that comply with the latest industry standards and laws.     

Optimizing Financial Operations with AI Workflows  

AI workflows can transform financial operations by accelerating processes like invoicing and expense reporting. They also leverage predictive analysis for cash flow management and fraud detection. Furthermore, AI increases accuracy in economic forecasting, optimizes investment strategies, and ensures regulatory compliance with minimal manual intervention. This enables significant cost reductions and risk mitigation. 

Streamlining Supply Chain Management with AI Workflows  

AI workflow automation can facilitate smooth inventory management, procurement, and logistics. It allows businesses to predict demand, prevent stockouts, and automate order processing and fulfillment with timely deliveries. This results in improved supply chain visibility, better supplier relationships, cost-efficiency, faster responsiveness, and reduced downtime. 

Boosting Marketing and Sales Automation with AI Workflows  

AI-driven workflows can help identify, qualify, and prioritize leads for personalized follow-ups. They also enable teams to create targeted marketing campaigns to increase conversion rates and enhance customer engagement. This can boost the sales cycle and maximize return on investment (ROI) by providing insights based on customer behavior analysis and campaign performance. 

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7 Tips to Leverage AI for Workflows

1. Assess Your Business Needs 

Start by identifying what specific issues AI can resolve within your organization. For instance, businesses often utilize AI to extract data from invoices, reducing errors and effectively streamlining processes. Next, evaluate your existing workflows and uncover areas for improvement.

2. Define Your Goals and Objectives 

After spotting the avenues for enhancement, outline your goals and objectives for implementing AI automation. What exactly do you want to accomplish? Possible outcomes include increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved customer experience. Clearly articulating your desired results will help direct your decision-making process. 

3. Research & Identify the Right Technologies for Your Needs 

Investigate the various AI automation solutions available in the market and assess their capabilities, features, and compatibility with your existing systems. You have two options: single AI tasks and custom AI workflows. Single AI tasks involve using AI solutions that are specialized in performing specific tasks, such as invoice processing or custom document parsing. Custom AI workflows include creating your AI workflow by combining multiple AI techniques to address your business needs. Evaluate these options based on your use case and factors such as ease of integration, scalability, and the level of customization required. Start with the simplest, like invoice processing, and test its effectiveness. If it falls short, progressively add complexity, moving to custom document parsing and a complete AI workflow. 

4. Pick and Choose the Best AI Models 

Select the most suitable AI models for your workflow to develop RAG systems, customize AI tasks, and implement conditional logic to optimize your business processes. Choose from various AI models, including Google Cloud, AWS, Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, and more. Ensure they align with your business requirements by considering model pricing, latency, and accuracy. 

5. Build Your AI Workflow 

Constructing an optimal AI workflow requires a well-thought-out strategy that includes architectural design and smooth integration of AI solutions. With Eden AI’s workflow tool, users can create intricate and comprehensive AI pipelines that blend various AI technologies smoothly. 

6. Implement and Monitor 

Carefully execute your implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition and minimal disruption. Then, continuously monitor the performance of the AI automation solution and make adjustments as needed to optimize its effectiveness. Every step of your AI pipeline is under your purview. Track the progression, review intermediate results, and ensure every stage aligns with your desired outcomes. 

7. Measure and Optimize 

Regularly evaluate the impact of your AI automation solution using key performance indicators (KPIs). Use these insights to refine your processes and optimize the AI automation solution to meet evolving business needs.

Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio — Try Otio for Free Today

Knowledge workers, researchers, and students today suffer from content overload. With the click of a button, anyone can create content. The problem isn’t going away. It’s only going to get worse. Otio helps researchers manage and make sense of this overwhelming amount of information. Instead of relying on fragmented, manual tools, Otio provides one AI-native workspace to collect, organize, and extract knowledge from research materials. Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today! 

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