What is Business Process Management?

Business Processes are coordinated chains of activities producing a business result. They typically involve people (taking or processing orders), information (reviewing customer details and credit history) and technology (using ERP or CRM systems process). They are the day-to-day tasks that combine to make your business function. Yet they are often poorly understood and remain hidden within systems, organisation culture and people's heads.

Business Process Management (BPM) is a management practice that provides for governance of a businesses processes with the goal of constantly improving agility and operational performance. Essentially, it is about the visualisation and effective coordination of your core business activities. Once made transparent and understood, these processes can be automated, managed and optimized to operate as the business strategy directs. This is combined with a model driven software suite able to rapidly deliver a technical solution to coordinate end-to-end activities, whether performed by a person or a system. Business process management suites (BPMS) also provide activity monitoring and reporting of performance, with simulation to test "what if" changes to the processes.

Business Process Management = techniques for process improvement + tools to execute and optimise process performance

When combined effectively they deliver a differentiating capability that allows businesses to visualise, understand, design, change, automate, monitor, simulate, manage and continuously improve their operational business activities.

Creating a sustainable BPM practice requires a unified approach, breaking down traditional boundaries; with people, process, information and technology working together. It is important to define a strategic vision in conjunction with an incremental and iterative adoption. Establishing an organisational "kit of parts" whilst delivering to meet the immediate needs of the current business drivers.

Rather than reducing the reliance on people - BPM emphasises the value of coordinating people, information and systems.

BPM allows business users and IT professionals to work collectively to manage and rapidly support changes to operational processes in response to volatile business environments.