Business Process Management Suites (BPM) have evolved over the years. A product category which was incepted to automate simple human tasks has mightily transformed itself into a productivity powerhouse which no enterprise worth its name can afford to ignore.
I remember in its nascent days BPM or Workflow software was just an extension to Document Management Systems. A lot has changed since then. Today, we will look at what makes up for a great BPM Platform. It’s not just about features and capabilities, but the overall impact it has on the way work gets done in enterprises.
Here is an infographic which illustrates 5 indispensable components of a modern day BPM Platform a.k.a BPM of 2017:
1. Core Modules & Features
Listed above are five key capabilities which forms an integral combination to build Process-based Applications. These five modules also happen to be the building blocks for an enterprise-grade business application:
- Data Modeler – Enables definition of the data structure for respective process based applications.
- Forms Builder – Enables creation of responsive user experience for end users.
- Process Orchestrator – Designing flow of human as well as system activities.
- Rules Engine – Rules repository to maintain organizational rules for standardization, compliance & reusability.
- BAM & Analytics – Real-time Activity Monitoring & Analytics for process improvement & optimization.
2. Business Friendly Interface
The promise of BPM software was always to give the power to business users. But unfortunately, that never materialized. Today, process-based applications are built by business users in collaboration with IT, thus BPM systems should provide with extremely easy to use tools tailored for this new breed of hands-on visionaries.
3. Enterprise Scalable
Today, BPM systems are expected to handle thousands of transactions concurrently on a daily basis, thus it becomes imperative for the BPM system to be extremely scalable.
4. Time to Market
Speed is the name of the game. BPM systems are expected to deliver process based applications in weeks and not months, thus doing away with traditional software development methods and adopt an agile-centric development approach.
5. Return on Investment
Most of the established BPM Platforms offer similar pricing models, the key difference lies in the return from those respective investments. Modern BPM Platforms should be able to provide tangible returns in form of reduced development efforts, implementation timeline and infrastructure cost.
The above list is an indicator of the absolute must-have capabilities for a BPM Platform of 2017. What’s your take? Is there a capability which is an absolute must have for you? Let me know.
Follow
