Business Process Management Software

What is Business Process Management Software ?

The software in question makes it possible for the organizations to improve, execute, and improve already existing processes that once tweaked ensure that the organizational goals are achieved. These processes are the business processes that involve not only the business departments but the people at the same time and make the operations smooth. The software in question ensures that the business process model is supported and the business process is improved end to end. This is a complete suite of technologies that comprise the following components:

  • Process Mining Tools: The discovery of the tools and tips that ensure that the business processes are developed and driven.
  • Business Process Modeling Notation: Graphical representation of the existing business processes.
  • Workflow Engines: Process automation that completely supports the existing business processes.
  • Business Rules Engine: The most important aspect that allows the end-users to change the business rules without the help of a programmer.
  • Testing and Simulation: The process of behavior observation without even the development first.

In recent years the development of iBPMS has taken the market by storm. The term has been coined by Gartner Inc. and it includes the available technologies such as real-time analytics, complex event processing, business activity monitoring, and artificial intelligence. The dynamics of process automation have completely changed and it has become more data-centric due to the use of said technologies. The iBPMS has also given a rise to social integrations and collaboration capabilities. Business Process Management Software is also using the low code no code technology, which is once again a breakthrough in this regard as it does not require companies to hire professional coders to get the job done. Even the end users make changes to the processes on their own. Business Process Management Software ensures that all teams are on the same page so that the processes could be devised as per the need.

Importance of BPM

BPM works on the fact that the processes have more than one part and the deliverables are more than the process outcome. It recognizes the tasks that are optimized to meet the business goals such that it can put the goal of the business process into jeopardy. The business process management ensures that the leaders are guided to make effective tactical decisions. The process management is optimized to effectively manage the business tasks.

BPM is not a one-time gig as it provides a framework for the development of the processes in the future as well. Not only the creation but business processes are also improved to a great extent with the use of this program.

If the process is executed properly using BPM then quality is improved and threats are responded to in a better way. BPMInstitute.org a community of BPM professionals states that an ideal BPM:

  1. Clarity of strategic direction
  2. Resource alignment
  3. Daily operations streamlined

Importance of Business Process Management

BPMInstitute.org states that when a BPM is implemented successfully it achieves the following goals:

  • Marketing time management
  • Cost, productivity, and quality are improved to a great extent
  • Customer satisfaction improvement and SLA targets are met
  • Process designs are improved faster and effectively
  • Revenue increase and cost-cutting

The set of tools makes sure that the business strategies are aligned with the organizational goals and that all departments including the external partners involved get full forecasting of the outcomes. The integration of different organizational applications such as ERP and CRM is also made possible for better planning.

BPMS tools ensure that the analytics are run to target those parts in particular that could be automated to save both time and cost.

The manual tasks of any department are also automated to boost employee morale and productivity. The most common issues are addressed and the automation ensures that the bottlenecks are completely resolved. The digital transformation of a company is not possible without the proper implementation of the BPMS. Business process optimization is also achieved in its true sense which makes the creation of new processes easy.

Features of BPMS

Some of the features that the BPM has are as follows:

  • Complete process revamp for modeling and web applications
  • Process change once the analytics are run for a more reliable outcome
  • Content management system for secure file storage
  • Cloud and on-site deployment
  • Collaboration tools to bring different teams on board the process

The BPM providers are on the market to get the best of the companies available. It includes complex and rapid responses to process change and the use of robotic process automation and AI to get the process management to the next level. The real-time changes provide thoughtful insight.

Dan Morris a BPM expert in this regard writes that an ideal implementation of BPM includes an integrated environment that can support rapid changes and allow the cross-platform integration of the applications seamlessly. The other features include automated application generation and tech-savvy behavior.

Forrester Research in this regard states that the BPM market is evolving. This was stated in their 2019 report. They are also of the view that the name BPM has been abandoned by many vendors as they are of the view that it relates to expensive software that takes years to add any value to the business.

Forrester Research has renamed the BPM to DPA i.e. digital process automation and has segregated it as DPA – deep focuses on traditional automation of the processes and the DPA – wide that correlates to the process that is easy to implement and more straightforward. It at the same time also reduces costs.

For DPA-deep the organizations must look for service providers that can:

  • Handle complex processes across multiple variables like local regulations and security. At the same time, they must also support the high volume of requests
  • Support modern integrations such as RPA and AI which nurture the long-term process management for the company.
  • Application framework that is state of the art and accommodates cloud-first customers and also supports serverless computing to foster the processes for the developers.

The low code no code is another technology that must be integrated within the BPM of this age. This ensures that the platform is used by the core developers and business users in the same way.

Business Processes using BPMS

The department involvement, regulations, security, and prone to change are some of the characteristics that should be integrated within the BPMS that are used to align processes and make it an easy task to perform. The departments or branches that can use business process automation to make better decisions are as follows:

  • Account management
  • Budget tracking and management
  • Claims management
  • Compliance management
  • Customer orders
  • Employee onboarding
  • Inventory management
  • Invoice processing
  • Performance monitoring
  • Project tracking
  • Workflow tracking
BPMS Vendors and Markets

BPMS tools that were service-oriented architecture a few decades ago have laid a foundation for the more robust platforms of this time. The advancement that has been done includes process automation, workflow management, process model building innovations, and BPMN and BPM turned into running applications that can support real-time change.

Donncha Carroll of Axiom Consulting Partners is of the view that the transformation is not sudden and it has been in making for a long time now. Almost a decade ago AI was integrated into the BPM models for increased effectiveness. The drawback was that the systems in question are inflexible and required high-end IT supports as the end-users were unable to make changes. This also raised the cost and made maintenance a difficult task.

Cloud-based SaaS platforms are on the rise as they require little to no IT support and at the same time are deployed easily. The control is therefore shifted to the business managers. The scope of BPM has not only increased but more people can access the BPM and get the right solution for the business problem without minimum involvement from other departments.

Though these are technical advancements the BPMs are more focused on cost reduction and effective employee or customer engagement so that their experience is enhanced. The digital transformation initiatives are something that has taken the use of BPM to the next level as the businesses are also ready to invest in this initiative.

The major software platforms are also integrated with BPM and this is another feature that makes them stand out. The BPM-specific tools have a wide range of capabilities that makes them the first choice of organizations. The enterprise software programs that have been designed for a specific task are narrower in scope and do not provide enough help when needed. The ERP without the BPM will become of no use in the coming year due to the lack of advanced features to offer.

Vendors that offer Evolving BPM Tech

The LCNC and the RPA are some of the advancements that are added to make sure that the BPM programs evolve. The process mining and the AI capabilities are the other integrations to make the process faster. The vendors that have recently modernized their BPM solutions are:

Examples of enterprise software vendors that have added BPMS capabilities through acquisitions or product development include Microsoft, ServiceNow, and SAP.

Examples of open-source BPMS vendors that have built BPM-related capabilities on an open-source core of tools for modeling and implementing business processes include RedHat, JBoss, Business Suite, ProcessMaker, Camunda, and Bonitasoft.

Workflow software providers are also extending their capabilities to ensure that rigorous business process changes are supported. This also includes real-time changes if required to ease the process for the users. Examples include Nectain, BP Logix, Nintex, Kissflow, Webcon, and Zoho.

FAQ: Business Process Management (BPM) Software

What is a business process management software?

Business process management (BPM) software is a suite of technologies that enables organizations to improve, execute, and optimize their existing processes to achieve their business goals.

What is the best BPM software?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best BPM software for an organization depends on its specific needs and requirements. However, some popular BPM software options include Appian, IBM, Oracle, Pegasystems, and TIBCO.

Is SAP a BPM tool?

SAP provides various tools and solutions for business process management, but it is not solely a BPM tool.

Is BPM an ERP?

BPM is not an ERP system, but it can integrate with ERP systems to help organizations align their strategies with their goals.

What is meant by business process management?

Business process management (BPM) refers to the practice of identifying, analyzing, designing, executing, monitoring, and optimizing business processes to achieve organizational goals and improve efficiency and effectiveness.

What are the 4 types of business processes?

The four types of business processes are operational processes, management processes, supporting processes, and development processes.

What are the 5 stages in BPM life cycle?

The five stages in the BPM life cycle are design, modeling, execution, monitoring, and optimization.

What are the five steps in the business process management process?

The five steps in the business process management process are identify, analyze, design, execute, and monitor/optimize.

What is an example of a business process management system?

Examples of business process management systems include Appian, IBM BPM, Pegasystems, Oracle BPM, and TIBCO BPM.

Is BPM an ERP system?

BPM is not an ERP system, but it can integrate with ERP systems to help organizations align their strategies with their goals.

What are the 5 stages in BPM life cycle?

The five stages in the BPM life cycle are design, modeling, execution, monitoring, and optimization.