BPM system: what it is and why it is needed for business

Stable and successful business development is not only the result of a correctly chosen niche, regular financial injections, search and implementation of creative ideas. Here it is also very important to ensure that all internal processes are closely interconnected, so that there are no delays, problems, failures. Only if we manage to implement a well-coordinated and comprehensive work will we be able to talk about customer satisfaction, the absence of problems with various services, including the tax service. If all this can be implemented within a small company even with relatively little effort, then the organization of business processes by representatives of medium and large businesses is a very complex process to implement.

And here advanced technical and software solutions come to the rescue, designed to organize a number of key internal processes, ensure their comprehensive operation, and fast interaction. We will talk about one of them in today's review. In particular, we are talking about the Business Process Management (BPM) system, which will help optimize the internal business processes of almost any company, as well as organize them from scratch without errors and the need for subsequent adjustments.

Now we will dwell in more detail on what a BPM system is, why it is needed for modern business and which companies should implement this technology in their work processes. We will describe in detail the basic principles of the functioning of this complex, and also highlight the key advantages. We will tell you what points you should pay attention to when choosing a BPM system for your business. The information provided will allow you to get a good understanding of this issue, assess the prospects for implementing technologies and understand how to perform all these works as correctly as possible.

You may also be interested in such a question as browser automation, which will increase the efficiency of business development.

What is a BPM system: get acquainted with the concept

In literal translation, the phrase Business Process Management sounds like “business process management”. And this is the main feature of this system. We are talking about the automation of all those internal processes that are carried out within the framework of one business with their structuring. As a result, the work is significantly simplified, its efficiency increases, and the coordinated work of the team is ensured. If one of the business stages is not implemented, the platform will not allow you to move on to the next one.

Moreover, it will remind you of the steps that were not implemented. Today, in practice, BPM systems are actively used in the process of automating work in the context of coordinating contracts, paying bills, optimizing HR processes, and systematized interaction with employees at different levels. It can also be used to organize the effective work of support services, which will increase loyalty on the part of the user audience and their level of satisfaction with the service.

Thanks to the implementation of a BPM system, the manager will see the entire structure of his business. How interconnected the processes in the company are and which employees are responsible for them. It will also be possible to monitor the status of work tasks, understand which department is connected at a particular stage, and how timely this happens. It will also be possible to easily identify weaknesses that have a negative impact on the final result. It is convenient that you can see how long it takes to implement each stage, understand where there is a slowdown and take measures to speed up these processes.

BPM systems provide special convenience for businesses in the context of financial management. Here you will see visual information about when and at what time certain payments were made, as well as related details. This data will significantly simplify the work of the financial department, eliminate problems with reporting, allow you to identify missed payments, etc.

Today, there are already quite a lot of BPM system suppliers in the world, since the technology itself is quite promising and attracts the attention of many business representatives. So, if you are planning to implement Business Process Management, it is important to navigate the market offers and choose those solutions and suppliers, in particular, who are able to provide you with a stable operating system, as well as competent technical support. We will talk about what points you should pay attention to when choosing a suitable product for your business closer to the end of the review. And now we will just note that the BPM system market in Russia has already exceeded 12 billion rubles and continues to develop at an accelerated pace.

Tasks that a BPM system can solve in modern business

We have already mentioned that a BPM system is a solution that in practice should be used by representatives of large and medium-sized businesses, in particular those who have a complex, multi-level structure. In this case, without automation and optimization of internal processes, it is impossible to ensure stable development. Using a BPM system in practice, you can get a clear picture of how the business works, systematize all actions, and control the work of the staff.

Here are just the main points that a modern BPM system implemented in a business will allow you to implement:

• Systematization of internal work. Such complexes will help to structure all business processes and visualize them. First of all, this will be convenient for managers who will be able to control the work of all personnel. In turn, employees responsible for the implementation of certain tasks will see at what stage their implementation is, adjust the implementation to the established deadlines.
• Improving the quality of management. Due to the fact that managers will see all the specifics of the business, it will be much easier for them to coordinate the work of departments or individual personnel. In addition, software solutions allow for simple interaction between different employees, providing each of them with access to a single database, including granting each of them the appropriate access rights. This is what will help avoid conflicts, intersections, and control the implementation of all production tasks. In the event that one of the employees goes on vacation or sick leave, the program delegates his responsibilities to another from the same department and with the same access rights. And as soon as a free specialist takes on the task, he will immediately appear in the program as responsible for its implementation.
• Automation of similar and routine tasks. We are talking about those issues that modern businesses face on a daily basis. As an option, these may be documents that need to be submitted for approval, the formation of reports on the work done, including within the framework of a specific project, processing of user calls and applications. Here, the BPM system will simplify the work of employees, relieve them of routine tasks and allow them to focus on more serious and important issues for the business.
• A simple and convenient way to obtain analytical data. The BPM system will independently collect information on all stages of work, indicating those places that can be called weak. That is, these are the moments where problems arise, where there is a shortage of employees to solve them. Alternatively, the program may show that in the last month the process of processing each order has taken longer than before. And the reason here is that the person who performed this work went on vacation. In this case, no special actions need to be taken, since the employee will return and resume his duties. But what if the person quit? This means that it is necessary to make up for the shortage of personnel in order to speed up the processing of orders and not let down customers.
• Increasing business flexibility. One of the most significant advantages of modern BPM systems is that they can be easily adapted to the specifics of a particular company. It can also be integrated into other services that your organization uses in practice, including CRM, ERP, HRM. The ability to automatically transfer data between all these components and their mutual processing is also implemented.

It is convenient that all tasks, both outgoing and incoming BPM systems, are displayed in one window. This saves staff from having to switch between different tabs. As a result, time is saved, productivity is increased: all relevant information will be in front of the responsible employee.

What kind of business should use BPM systems

Now we are not talking about the size of the company, since you already understand that a modern BPM system is a solution that is indispensable for companies with a complex internal structure. But at the same time, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that such programs can be implemented in absolutely any business sector. Here are just a few areas where a reliable BPM system will be indispensable in practice:

1. E-commerce. Thanks to this technology, even the largest online stores will be able to significantly simplify and automate most of the processes associated with processing user orders, replenishing their warehouses, and direct sales. They will also help conclude and renew contracts with suppliers, and get a clear picture of the demand for certain products on the market.
2. Manufacturing enterprises. In this industry, BPM systems are able to control all stages of production, from the supply of raw materials, components, and up to the shipment of finished goods from warehouses. Thanks to it, your enterprises will never find themselves in a situation where they have to stop production due to the lack of raw materials in the warehouse or when the order is sent to the wrong buyer, etc.
3. IT sphere. In this area, BPM systems will also help organize the most correct business management system, control all internal work processes, evenly distribute resources and employees across all projects, analyze income indicators coming from a particular product.
4. Retail trade. Here, everything is similar to e-commerce. A BPM system will help build a supply chain, control its operation, and identify places where failures occur. It will also significantly simplify the management of warehouse operations and improve customer service.
5. Financial sector. This includes banking institutions and insurance companies. By implementing a BPM system in them, you can simplify all work related to customer information and apply automation methods to processing user requests. Alternatively, such systems will help assess a client's solvency and reliability in just a few minutes. This will be a key parameter when approving a loan.

If we analyze the modern market, then the areas where BPM systems are also widely used include construction, the public sector, the service sector, warehouse complexes, logistics centers, etc. That is, it will be necessary wherever it is necessary to control each of the work stages.

Features of BPM systems

If we talk about the technical solution of a modern BPM system, it will include 3 key elements:

1. Administrative panel. Here are all the tools with which specialists will configure the work that must be performed within the system. Only administrators and, possibly, the head of the company, as a responsible person, will have access to it.
2. System core. This is the corresponding software capable of handling all work processes. The developer has access to the core. If difficulties or problems arise in the work process that administrators cannot cope with, they contact the customer support service.
3. User interface. Through it, company employees interact with the BPM system, solve the tasks that they face in their daily work. Here you can set the appropriate access rights, as an option, dividing them into different departments of the company, job responsibilities. As an option, you can highlight direct production and the sales department, the head and managers working with clients, etc.

The system consists of different software modules that are responsible for the functionality of BPM. We are talking about modeling and managing business processes, monitoring work and control in real time, integration with third-party services. Now let's look at each of these options in more detail.

Process modeling in a BPM system

The entire process of managing a BPM system and the processes that will be carried out in it begins with the modeling stage. For this, a separate tool is provided here, outwardly quite similar to a classic graphical editor. Here, a set of ready-made blocks is provided, using which you can consistently build a chain of all processes that will be carried out within your business. Thanks to this, a structure appears within which all tasks will be performed sequentially, and the persons responsible for each of them and the resources that will be required for implementation are assigned.

The modeling tool is easy to use and intuitive. You do not need to have any knowledge or skills to build the chain of actions that will become the basis for the subsequent work of the BPM system. The main thing here is to be well versed in the specifics of the business and what a certain process should be. It is noteworthy that all these settings can be performed by the head of the company or business analysts even without the involvement of programmers.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that you can model processes of any level of complexity, taking into account even small details. As an option, the BPM system will allow you to see all the stages of such a process as purchasing and shipping goods, approving a contract, etc.

Business Process Management

In this case, we are talking about modules that will manage work processes, monitor how the assigned tasks are being carried out and, accordingly, allow you to move on to the next stage. Working with this block will be simple and convenient primarily due to the presence of notifications from the system. It will send you messages, remind you of the work that needs to be done and their deadlines, and ensure that all operations are carried out in a strictly agreed sequence. The database will also be updated automatically. This means that your company's employees will always have access to the most up-to-date information.

People who will work with the BPM system will be able to see both the current stage of work and the next step in the interface, and will also have access to all the information they need when performing the corresponding stage. All those tasks that in practice do not require the involvement of specialists will be performed automatically. Alternatively, if one of your clients sends a request for feedback, such a system will inform the person that the company's employees will contact him soon. Another convenient tool in the context of business process management in a BPM system is the ability to evenly distribute requests between all managers. As a result, this will reduce the workload of specialists, as well as improve the level of customer service, which will have a positive effect on the development of the business as a whole.

Monitoring business operations in real time

In the work of a modern business, it is important to constantly monitor the implementation of work processes, instantly respond to problems and difficulties. This is the only way to ensure stable functioning, professional customer service, effective interaction with partners and sponsors of the company. Thanks to BPM systems, all these actions are automated. That is, the program will monitor in real time all the processes that are carried out in your business, track the status of task completion. If the program sees that there are deviations from the agreed plan in time or for any other reason, it will send the appropriate notifications.

That is, thanks to Business Process Management, all problems that will arise in the work of the business, weak points, errors will become obvious, and instantly. This means that the responsible persons and the manager himself will have the opportunity to make all the necessary adjustments as quickly as possible in order to prevent a serious aggravation of the situation. It is convenient that in operation, the BPM system will collect all data on business processes, process them and generate reports in the form of diagrams, charts, tables.

Integration of BPM systems with other services

If your business uses different tools to automate processes, improve their productivity, ease of use, expand functionality, then most of them can be integrated into the BPM system quite simply and quickly. In this case, we are talking about company chats, IP telephony services, analytics tools, accounting management programs, document flow in automatic mode and many others.

Thanks to such integration, you get a single information environment, where all data will be synchronized in real time without the participation of specialists. Such actions will significantly simplify the work of different departments, increase their efficiency, eliminate monotonous and routine tasks, improve the level of satisfaction of the consumer audience, etc. That is, as a result, you get a single closed business environment in which most of the processes will be automated and each of your employees will be able to access it in accordance with the access rights that are specified in their job responsibilities.

Choosing a BPM system correctly: practical recommendations

We hope that now you understand how advanced, technological and easy-to-use solutions modern BPM systems offer for almost any business with a complex internal structure. For those companies that specialize in selling goods, services, working with the consumer market in general. And now it remains to implement the last stage - to navigate the variety of all the solutions presented on the market today and choose the most suitable option for yourself. To make this process as simple, fast and reliable as possible, we recommend paying attention to the following points:

• The needs that your company has today and in the near future. That is, you should clearly understand which processes you would like to optimize and automate. Moreover, you should think not only about what is happening within your business today, but also about the future. If you are planning scaling and expansion, then you should select a BPM system, so to speak, "with a margin".
• The functionality of the program. This point follows systematically from the previous one. This means that you need a software product that can fully meet the needs of the business. Also pay attention to whether the system provides for the possibility of automation and modeling, whether there are the analytical tools that you will need. If your business already uses some services, then make sure that they can be integrated into the BPM system.
• Convenience and ease of use. You should initially understand that almost every employee of yours will work with such a software product. This means that all solutions should be simple and intuitive. They should not require complex training. Yes, initially you will need to brief and train your staff on how to work in the BPM system. It would be great if the product supplier provided such services. Focus on maximum simplicity. Thanks to this, employees with different levels of technical training will be able to work with your system without any problems.
• Security level. Any program that is used within the business should have good protection against any unauthorized access, loss of important data. Therefore, pay special attention to studying the BPM system from the point of view of its security. You must make sure that it fully ensures the security of the company's data. If there is even the slightest doubt about this, pass by and look for other options.
• Flexibility of customization, the ability to scale. Most modern businesses can hardly be called static. Within its framework, a huge number of processes occur that can change depending on external factors, including market trends, consumer audience demands, and many other aspects. This means that the BPM system you choose must quickly respond to these changes. Yes, specialists will have to do most of the work manually. But at the same time, they must be able to do this, and quickly enough. Also, we must not forget that a successfully developing business will require expansion and scaling. And these capabilities must also be implemented in the software product.
• Reasonable cost. Here we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the price of a BPM system will directly depend not only on the supplier itself and its requests, but also on the functionality, as well as the number of people who will use it in their work. That is, the larger your company, the more employees will work with the program, the more extensive tools should be implemented in it. And this will definitely affect the cost. It is also important to pay attention to the BPM system format itself. You can purchase a boxed version, which is purchased forever. Subsequently, you may need updates, for which you will have to pay extra. You can also purchase a subscription system, paying for its use monthly. In this case, no third-party payments are provided. All updates will be implemented in the BPM system automatically immediately after their launch, without requiring any additional settings.
• Availability of technical support. In practice, this is a fairly convenient solution, since any difficulties and problems in the operation of the software will be resolved promptly, and by specialists who are well versed in this matter. In addition, technical support often includes the provision of training materials, and in some cases, instruction. You should also be provided with all the necessary documentation that can help you understand the operation of the system itself and all the services that are present in it.

Today, there are many BPM system providers who also offer a free trial period. Such a solution will allow you to evaluate the functionality and ease of use of the program before purchasing, compare several options with each other and ultimately make the most balanced and correct decision directly for your business.

Summing Up

Does your business need a BPM system? This is an individual matter, and you yourself must find the answer to this question. But we want to draw attention to the fact that such a program differs from all other similar services in that it focuses not on a separate task, but on business processes as a whole. Thus, modern CRM, which is implemented in almost every business, is tailored for marketing and sales. With their help, you will be able to track the work of managers with potential clients, but nothing more. BPM is not focused on a specific department, but takes control of the general sales process, including even hiring new personnel in the event that someone quits, communication with clients, marketing, logistics, concluding contracts and many other processes. In turn, the CRM that is used today in your business can be easily integrated into the BPM system.

That is, in this case, we are talking about a more complex software product that is highly flexible and allows you to adapt it to the specifics of each individual company. At the same time, at the output, you get a solution that can optimize and automate the work of the business as a whole, increase its efficiency and, as a result, the level of income. Therefore, the choice of a supplier should be approached as comprehensively and professionally as possible.

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