Blog Posts Business Management Lean / Six Sigma / Quality

Kick the Complexities Out of BPM

Blog: BPM Leader

Organizations need BPM software that easily creates automated processes that fit their business. What they often get is an overflowing, ugly product that has a bad case of feature creep. Then the organization must fit its processes to the software. Does anything sound wrong with that?

Why is BPM software so hard for the average business leader to use that an IT expert has to stand guard in case the whole thing breaks down? Why do you need a certification course on software or a language, when nearly every business owner knows exactly how the business process needs to run?

But it doesn’t have to be like this. As the BPM industry continues to grow, some new players have realized the need for simplicity and intuitiveness for BPM software.

If you feel like your BPM project has created more complexity than it solved, start looking for an option that keeps things simple.

Keep Process Design Simple

The most important part of any BPM software is the ability for anyone to sit down and create an automated process. It may sound like a simple goal, but very few BPM tools live up to the mark. Many tools require coding skills or complex notations.

But a great process designer should be so easy that every guy in the finance team can create a purchase order request and take ownership of the steps involved. The process designer should map out things in logical business steps rather than activities that the software needs to take.

Keep it Simple in the Cloud

When you choose a cloud-based tool, you get an option that is easier both for your users as well as your IT teams. Users can log into the system from any device and keep processes moving. IT teams don’t need to worry about servers and maintenance issues.

Most enterprises are flocking to cloud-based apps that follow the software as a service (SaaS) distribution model because of their easy subscription options and scalability. SaaS apps are easy to implement and run, provide always-on data access, flexibility in cost, and great data security.

A SaaS based model also means you can test an option for a few months before you commit to a larger rollout.

Keep the Features Simple

Having a gamut of features with no real-world implications is a waste of resources for your teams, and they only complicate the use of viable features.

Many BPM tools have become very complex because they keep adding features that address a very small subset of processes. However, as a user, you are forced to deal with all of this additional functionality and wade your way through what you need.

Great functionality is a good thing, but it shouldn’t inhibit a user’s ability to make the workflow she needs right then.

Keep Customer Support Simple

Customer support should mean that when you have a problem, you ask a question and get an answer. So why do some BPM companies hide behind complex phone systems or emails that take days to close?

You need a responsive, round-the-clock solution that lets you interact with experts right when you need to.

When you insist on a reliable customer support, you ensure that there’s help at all steps of your BPM usage where your users are likely to get stuck. This doesn’t just remove your teams’ difficulty of using the software, but contributes in the long-term value chain of your business’ service delivery.

Keep Integrations Simple

BPM software that exists as an island is basically useless. It must easily integrate with all of your other essential software. This means your IT team should be able to have plug-and-play connections with the rest of your tool kit.

To really reduce complexity, you don’t want just another application sitting beside the dozen other ones you have. The best BPM solutions will easily integrate with your other software to create a winning solution.

Look for BPM software that makes impossible things possible, and difficult processes simpler.

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