Could you explain what is meant by 'workflows' in the context of process automation?

In the context of process automation, the term "workflows" refers to a sequence of steps or tasks that are executed automatically to achieve a specific goal. This can include, for example, the process of building and deploying an application, data processing, or automating business processes.

Workflows allow structuring and organizing actions by setting the order of execution, transition conditions between steps, and error handling. In DevOps, this is often used to automate CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery), where each stage — build, test, deploy — is a step in the workflow.

An example of a simple workflow in YAML for CI/CD:

steps:
  - name: Build
    run: ./build.sh
  - name: Test
    run: ./test.sh
  - name: Deploy
    run: ./deploy.sh

Thus, workflows help increase efficiency, reduce errors, and accelerate processes by automating repetitive tasks.