I believe the promise of BPM has failed to a certain degree, thanks to fixed processes, long implementation cycles and the delivery of fragile, difficult to manage systems. Today, organizations require a different model for improving their efficiency and effectiveness. We’re seeing real evolution in this space. So much so that process-focused organizations won’t operate the same way in the near future. Here are the three biggest trends changing the course of BPM:
- Reinvention
The biggest trend in BPM is actually to reinvent itself and not be BPM any longer. End customer expectations have changed so radically that traditional process mindsets no longer work—at least for First Mile™ processes. Each end customer expects to be treated individually and no longer tolerates a standard, fixed process for doing business—and if confronted with that, they can very easily (usually at the swipe of a finger on their mobile device) switch to a competitor.So, one trend is to deliver much more flexibility. First Mile solutions require the support of dynamic, real-time process execution. It is all about empowering knowledge workers with the information and tools they need to create a positive business outcome for every customer. You see this in the dynamic or adaptive case management movement.
- Process Intelligence
The next trend is in the area of process intelligence. Given this dynamic environment, it’s becoming increasingly important to have the tools to monitor and mine the information created, and provide the business with real-time dashboards that deliver the ability to react to changing conditions. The real-time nature of this requirement is essential as it provides the context for quality decision making. A critical need here is for business users to design and implement this analysis capability, and not be burden by the time and cost that comes with traditional business intelligence infrastructures. - Mobility
A third, very important BPM trend is using mobility to rethink and transform your processes. At first, designers simply took existing processes and delivered the end user experience in a new form factor—the mobile device. The trend now is to rethink the way you do business, along with the processes that support your end customers and your employees. Organizations are reinventing the way they interact with their end customers—and leveraging mobility for more self-service—while making it engaging, fun and empowering for them.Think about what’s happening in mobile capture, for example. Consider a loan application. Now customers can hover their smartphone over a driver license, utility bill or W2 form … and the system accurately extracts all relevant information. It then intelligently integrates to other supporting systems to gather more complete information (e.g., income verification), request corrections in real-time from the end customer if necessary and, ultimately, complete an application. This process, which historically took days or weeks to complete, is now done in minutes.
And just like that, BPM is changed forever.
What do you think? What other trends are shaping the future of BPM? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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