Business Process Management (BPM) is an essential element for businesses that are looking to improve processes, measure their performance, and obtain maximum efficiency. BPM is about creating robust methodologies to establish clear, efficient, and scalable processes. The BPM approach is based on 5 essential steps which we’ll explore in this article.
1. Assessment of process maturity and performance
Assessing process maturity is the first fundamental step when implementing a BPM approach. A company can be considered mature when its processes are well-defined, employees understand and follow them, and continuous improvements are in place. A careful maturity assessment evaluates how well operations are defined and controlled. It can be done with the use of performance management tools, by analyzing the availability of internal performance management processes, and by evaluating the structures, procedures, and interactions that affect operations performance.
2. Analysis of the as-is state of business processes
The next step is to analyze the current process situation to assess the effectiveness of existing processes for business objectives. This helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of the procedures in place, which, in turn, makes it easier to see where to make improvements. Business process analysis (BPA) is an approach that involves a detailed, multi-step examination of each part of a process to identify what is working and what needs to be improved. Of course, analyzing the current state of processes is an ongoing activity because organizations are not static environments - they are constantly changing.
3. Identification of opportunities for improvement and critical points
Identifying improvements — through a better understanding of the effectiveness of current processes — is at the heart of business agility. There are several areas where a process can be optimized, ranging from improving user experience, such as reducing redundant inputs and clicks, to identifying bottlenecks in various segments of the process. Once the first version of the process has been automated, it becomes possible to examine the operational data and evaluate execution times and the impact of the different stakeholders. This helps identify opportunities for improvement, such as distributing tasks more efficiently or using resources more wisely.
4. Design and optimization of business processes
Business process design and optimization are crucial elements of BPM. Process design involves creating new workflows tailored to business needs to establish clear, efficient, and scalable processes. For example, a company might design a customer complaint-handling process that involves receiving the complaint, assigning it to a representative, investigating the problem, resolving it, and communicating the resolution to the customer.
On the other hand, the identification and modeling of existing processes aims to systematically map all operational processes, representing them in a process architecture. These processes can come from a variety of sources, from employee experience to industry best practices.
Finally, selecting and preparing processes targeted for improvement involves setting clear goals for what the company aims to achieve, and setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives. For example: reduce the number of bugs in software by 20% by creating a target process that includes regular code reviews, automated and manual testing, bug fixes, and regression testing.
5. Automation and integration of business processes
Improvement of the operational efficiency and competitiveness of organizations depends heavily on business process automation and how well the organization’s information systems can be integrated into their automated processes.
It’s important to clearly understand current processes, and then select those that are best suited for automation. This means selecting processes that are clearly well-detailed, well understood, and that don’t require extensive streamlining before they are automated.
Then, select the appropriate BPM tools and technologies. Selection criteria include company size and available resources, process complexity, the specific requirements (constraints) of the business sector, and alignment with the strategic objectives of the organization. An appropriate BPM process automation platform should be able to handle process complexity, be scalable to accommodate future business growth, and of course, meet specific needs of the organization.
Finally, good integration ensures that all systems work together to increase productivity and data consistency, with better communication among systems. This ensures that all necessary data is available for automated processes and that processes can interact with each other seamlessly.
The use of APIs, for example, allows communication between information systems and the BPM engine. Connectors can be used to retrieve and return data from repositories and databases and to use and update information in external systems.
In summary
BPM offers a powerful implementation methodology and useful tools to improve the operational efficiency of businesses. By following the 5 essential steps, from maturity assessment to process automation, organizations can maximize their competitiveness. With the right BPM process automation platform and a thoughtful approach, you too can transform your business processes for maximum efficiency.
BPM is not just a method, it's a means of transformation, and Bonitasoft is here to support you in this transformation towards operational excellence. If you're looking for a powerful and flexible BPM solution, the Bonita BPM-based process automation platform is an excellent choice. It offers a wide range of features to help you manage your business processes efficiently and align your organization with your customers' needs. With Bonita, you can create, execute, monitor and optimize your business processes, while delivering an exceptional customer experience every step of the way. Take a step towards operational excellence with Bonita.
Here are 3 ways to learn more:
- Build highly personalized, process-based applications today, for free, with our open-source Bonita Community Edition.
- See how you can reinvent your business processes with BPM. Watch our on-demand Bonita Platform Demo.
- Interested in full project lifecycle support and services from development to operations? Try unlocking the power of Bonita Enterprise Edition. Contact us today or explore our solutions to learn more about unlocking the full potential of process automation.
Bonitasoft knows its business. This article was not created with the use of artificial language technology.
