Understanding Business Process Management: Pillars, Examples, and Tools

Author : Ben carey | Published On : 21 Mar 2023

Business process management (BPM) is a strategic approach that involves analyzing, optimizing, and managing business processes to improve operational efficiency, productivity, and quality. It involves identifying, modeling, automating, monitoring, and improving business processes to achieve business goals. In this blog, we will explore what business process management is, discuss the 5 pillars of BPM, provide an example, and discuss the business process management tools.

What is Business Process Management?

Business Process Management (BPM) is a methodology that focuses on improving business processes to achieve organizational objectives. It involves mapping and analyzing current processes, identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and developing new processes that optimize workflow, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

BPM involves a range of activities, including process modeling, process automation, process monitoring, and continuous improvement. The ultimate goal of BPM is to create a more efficient and effective organization that delivers value to customers, stakeholders, and shareholders.

The 5 Pillars of Business Process Management

There are five primary pillars of BPM, which are essential for creating a successful BPM program. Let's take a closer look at each one:

1. Strategy: The first pillar of BPM is strategy. This involves aligning business processes with organizational goals and objectives. BPM must be strategically aligned with the organization's vision, mission, and values to ensure that process improvements are relevant and beneficial.
2. Design: The design pillar of BPM involves creating and optimizing business processes to improve operational efficiency, productivity, and quality. It involves identifying process stakeholders, defining process boundaries, analyzing process data, and designing new processes that optimize workflow.
3. Execution: The execution pillar of BPM involves implementing and automating business processes to improve consistency, reduce errors, and increase productivity. BPM automation tools can help organizations automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, reducing the likelihood of human error and improving process efficiency.
4. Monitoring: The monitoring pillar of BPM involves tracking and measuring process performance to identify areas for improvement. This involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as process cycle time, process cost, and process quality.
5. Optimization: The optimization pillar of BPM involves continuous improvement and innovation. It involves analyzing process data, identifying process improvement opportunities, and implementing changes that improve process efficiency, effectiveness, and quality.

An Example of Business Process Management

A great example of BPM is a customer service process that involves resolving customer complaints. By using BPM, an organization can optimize the process to ensure that customers receive a timely and satisfactory resolution to their complaints.

The BPM process would involve mapping the customer service process, identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and developing a new process that reduces the time it takes to resolve customer complaints. The process might involve automating the complaint-handling process, improving communication between customer service representatives and customers, and providing training to customer service representatives to help them handle complaints more effectively.

Business Process Management Tools

There are many BPM tools available to help organizations automate, monitor, and improve their business processes. These tools include:

1. Process Modeling Tools: Process modeling tools are used to create and analyze process models. They allow organizations to visualize their processes, identify bottlenecks, and optimize workflow.
2. Business Process Automation Tools: Business process automation tools are used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. They can help organizations reduce the likelihood of human error, improve process efficiency, and increase productivity.
3. Business Process Monitoring Tools: Business process monitoring tools are used to track and measure process performance. They provide real-time data on process performance, allowing organizations to identify areas for improvement and make changes as needed.
4. Business Process Improvement Tools: Business process improvement tools are used to identify process improvement opportunities and implement changes that improve process efficiency, effectiveness, and quality.
5. Business Process Analysis Tools: Business process analysis tools are used to analyze current processes, identify bottlenecks, and develop new processes that optimize workflow. They allow organizations to visualize their processes, identify areas for improvement, and develop solutions that improve process efficiency.
6. Business Process Simulation Tools: Business process simulation tools are used to simulate and test new processes before they are implemented. They allow organizations to identify potential issues and make changes before the new process is implemented.
7. Workflow Management Tools: Workflow management tools are used to manage and automate workflow. They help organizations streamline their processes, reduce errors, and improve process efficiency.
8. Business Process Management Suites: Business process management suites (BPMS) are comprehensive BPM tools that include process modeling, process automation, process monitoring, and process improvement tools. They provide a complete solution for BPM, allowing organizations to manage their processes from start to finish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Business Process Management (BPM) is a methodology that focuses on improving business processes to achieve organizational objectives. The 5 pillars of BPM are strategy, design, execution, monitoring, and optimization. BPM tools include process modeling, business process automation, business process monitoring, business process improvement, business process analysis, workflow management, and business process management suites. By implementing BPM, organizations can achieve greater efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. BPM is a continuous process of analyzing, optimizing, and managing business processes to improve organizational performance.