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BPM isn't just about technology

Malcolm Ross, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy, Appian
September 6, 2013

When implementing business process management solutions to improve workflow and efficiency, companies take a wide variety of factors into consideration. From IT compatibility to the efficiency of process automation, understanding the aspects that play a role in the optimization of BPM will ensure that a firm is able to focus on growth and boost overall operations. However, it is equally important for businesses to consider the human element of process management.

According to reports from the Aberdeen Group, top-of-their-class businesses are investing in BPM solutions and seeing key improvements to their workflow. These firms saw a 26 percent reduction of operating costs, 41 percent improvement in customer service and 41 percent growth of process efficiency. However, the most important advantage that these companies saw, and continue to see, are improvements in the ease of use, comprehensiveness and flexibility of their processes for employees. This helps workers improve their own workflow and focus on productivity and efficiency growth as a whole.

Easy to use

One key consideration is how easy to use the solutions are. A BPM solution has to provide employees with strategies that they can quickly pick up and put to use in the workplace, without causing confusion or increased stress.

Easy to comprehend

In order to foster ease of use, a business has to ensure that the BPM suite that it invests in is also easy to understand. A strong understanding of the tools will also help professionals adapt them to unique workflow needs.

Improved flexibility

However, to provide that adaptability and ensure that process management solutions are scalable to enterprise needs, a business also has to ensure they are highly flexible. Only then will it be able to optimize workflow around the company's unique needs.

"Espousing the convergence of knowledge sharing, workflow management and analytics, the new generation of BPM tools expands beyond the IT user and enables business users to better understand and manage their business processes," the Aberdeen Group study noted.

Optimizing workflow and efficiency on the individual level promotes a stronger work environment in which employees will feel more confident and secure in their positions and be able to focus on growth on a massive scale. However, getting the most out of investments into BPM software requires a strong understanding of the tools both on the decision making level and the business end user's. Only then can excellence be achieved with these tools.

Malcolm Ross

Vice President of Product Marketing

Malcolm Ross