Two weeks ago I attended the Defense Procurement eBusiness Conference in Atlanta, GA. Like last year, Appian was a sponsor and exhibitor at the event, discussing and demonstrating the Acquisition Business Management solution built on our BPM software. The exhibit hall space was a little cramped this year, but I was happy to see so many people wade through our booth crowd to talk to us.

The particular conference presentation highlight for me was Richard Ginman’s presentation on Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) Initiatives and Efficiencies Priorities. I was already a big fan of DPAP given their recent efforts on the Procurement Data Standard (PDS) and the DoD Clause Logic service. Hearing Mr. Ginman speak just solidified my view that DPAP really understands the problems facing acquisition and is providing excellent guidance, support, and services to the DoD acquisition community.

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Tags: , BPM for Federal Acquisitions, BPM for Government, BPM software, federal procurement, Process Improvement for Government

The famous German statesman, Otto von Bismark, is credited with saying “Politics is the art of the possible.”  So too goes technology, particularly in insurance.  Lots of things are theoretically possible to do with insurance information systems, if there are no constraints on resources.  Insurance CIOs are never in that position.  In fact, they are in the opposite corner, struggling to maintain legacy systems and still squeeze out some budget for technological innovations that will delight customers and employees.  For them, developing new innovations is “the art of the possible.”  In practice, not much can get accomplished, which is why so many insurers find themselves technologically behind.

That state of affairs is being upended as will be demonstrated at next week’s Appian World conference.

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Tags: , Appian World 2012, BPM for Insurance, BPM in the Cloud, BPM software, Business Process Management, Cloud Computing

Appian is a regular sponsor of CXO Media’s “CIO Perspectives” conference series. At tomorrow’s CIO Perspectives New York, our CEO Matt Calkins will discuss Appian’s vision for BPM software in the modern age of mobility, cloud computing and social business collaboration.

This will be a preview of the keynote presentation Matt will deliver next week at Appian World 2012. Pre-registration for the conference is closing this week, so make sure you sign up.

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Tags: , Appian World 2012, BPM in the Cloud, BPM software, Business Process Management Software, CIO Perspectives, mobile BPM, Social BPM

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for…ERP. These monolithic, cumbersome and inflexible systems are not up to the challenges and requirements of the Mobile, Cloud and Social Age. If you have experience dealing with an ERP system – simply using one or, heaven help you, trying to extend one to fit the changing needs of your business and your customers – you already understand the problems. If you don’t, Forrester Research and Forbes Magazine have two quick primers for you.

The question is this: What does the demise of ERP mean for companies that have sunk massive investments into these antiquated beasts? Must they either forsake those investments and even throw good money after bad through massive rip-and-replace efforts, or just continue to suffer and struggle? Thankfully, modern BPM software offers a third way.

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Tags: , BPM in the Cloud, BPM software, Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, mobile BPM, Social BPM

Forrester analyst Craig Le Clair has published an excellent report called “Stuck In Cement: When Packaged Apps Create Barriers To Innovation.” In his related blog post, he frets that “concrete” is the more apt, but less poetic analogy. Based on the research findings, I suggest “Packaged Apps Are the Concrete Shoes Pulling Business Down.” That’s how dire a picture Craig paints, but he offers a ray of hope by positing that BPM Software is the answer.

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Tags: , application development, BPM software, Enterprise Resource Planning, Forrester, mobile BPM, Social, Social BPM

To kick off Appian World 2012, we’re offering optional tours of two popular Washington DC attractions on Sunday, April 15 in conjunction with USA Hosts. The spots are going fast, so sign up today for either a tour of America’s Main Street and Newseum, or the National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar Hazy Center.

End your conference experience with free training workshops on getting the most from your Appian BPM Software. Seating is limited, so register for the training you need today!

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Tags: , Appian World 2012, BPM software, Business Process Management

I recently gave my “Business Process Management 101” talk at a meeting of the National Credit Business Exchange.  The audience was eager to learn about a new approach to software and peppered me with questions, showing their excitement and enthusiasm.  But I noticed the enthusiasm waning in my discussions with the group after my talk as reality quickly set in.  The reason for the decline is exemplified in the comment I got from one attendee.

The words this person used were powerful and telling.  But I got more from their body language which showed the excitement I had generated ended up bringing back painful memories.  I knew right then and there that they wouldn’t even bring this to their IT department leader and a chance for their company to gain a competitive advantage was lost.

I wonder what this person’s CEO would have thought if they had been a fly on the wall for this conversation.  How did we get here?

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Tags: , Appian, BPM, BPM software, Business Process Management

Software applications have become the central nervous system of large companies.  Everything those companies do to deliver their goods or services is governed by or assisted through software.  A company’s success in the marketplace is therefore a function of how refined and capable their software is, and how quickly they can adapt it to changing needs in the market.  Companies that “play to win” have found ways to make their software a key asset.  Companies that don’t are merely “playing not to lose.”

Which type are you?  Read on to find out.

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Tags: , Appian Cloud, BPM, BPM in the Cloud, BPM software, Business Process Management, mobile BPM, Social, Social BPM, software-as-a-service

Social BPM looks a lot like Facebook and Twitter but, unlike those platforms, it is dramatically increasing worker productivity.

What is Social BPM? It’s an activity-stream interface that allows workers to more effectively manage their business processes. You can use Social BPM to handle critical events, collaborate with subject matter experts, initiate processes and consume personalized information; all with pinpoint enterprise security and auditability in a zero-training interface.

Below is an example showing how an ERP system can automatically post critical time-sensitive information to Appian’s Social BPM interface.

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Tags: , BPM, BPM software, Business Process Management, mobile BPM, Social, Social BPM

A good indication of where organizations are making technology investments comes from looking at their job postings.

Indeed.com, a search engine that aggregates job postings across a large number of employer and recruiting sites, has a nifty ‘job trends’ feature that tracks the growth of specific keywords being used.

A search for the keyword ‘bpm’ shows a 450% increase, since January 2005, in its use in job postings. This aligns with the widely experienced growth of the BPM software market and Gartner’s recent prediction about increasing BPM spending in 2011.

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Tags: , Appian Cloud, BPM in the Cloud, BPM software, mobile BPM, Social, Social BPM