Jim Barksdale, the charismatic CEO of Netscape, famously said, “Nothing happens until somebody sells something.” In the business world, truer words have never been spoken. Money is the lubricant that runs everything we do. The purpose of every organization is to grow and improve—and a better bottom line indicates achievement on both counts. Reaching a certain financial outcome is, however, determined by numbers, and numbers only.
What the bottom line fails to calculate, however, is the human element in our business ‘activity.’ Improvements can be made - sometimes big, sweeping improvements - that do not show up on a spreadsheet. In sales parlance, this is often referred to as a "soft benefit", and may not, unfortunately, be considered. When we talk with Process Director users, however, we find that these "soft benefits" are precisely what fuels large organizational changes which, in turn. ultimately lead to better bottom lines.
This is the crux of the Process Director BPM software value proposition. It enables processes that lead BOTH directly and indirectly to improvement!
Those improvements occur in a variety of different ways:
Participant contribution: Let’s be honest: this is not exactly sexy stuff. But business process management (BPM) is a critical piece of how we run our organizations When we have better insights into the way our companies operate, we get a deeper sense of what is, and what isn't, working. Maybe we knew from the beginning that invoices weren't getting approved quickly because submitters did not include copies of paperwork, for example. Yet, when using a BPM and workflow tool we can identify what is occurring throughout the course of a process, contributing our personal knowledge to improve how things get done. (And reminding submitters, in this example, to include the appropriate documentation). Imagine if everyone in an organization had a tool that would allow them to be that involved?
Insight: For the sake of speed and expedience, people want to be supplied with data and metrics on a regular basis. In far too many cases, users just want to validate the status of some activity. But that's not what is essential. The really critical things are the issues and process that can be changed and improved through insight and analysis. A weekly Excel report can indicate specifics, but it does not encourage users to seek solutions. Process Director empowers users to combine their own analytical skills with the insights provided through our BPM and workflow solution. When combined, they give an organization the ability to change and improve in ways that are meaningful to them, to their customers, and indeed, to the bottom line.
Usability leads to engagement: Process Director does not require users to code in order to create or make changes to usable processes. By knowing and understanding what is important the right types of changes can be made easily, changes that can impact company performance. There are two important outcomes that can result from this: 1) The potential for better processes and operations, and 2) A sense of ownership among the employees who are involved. What's more, when employees know they can contribute in this way, a feeling begins to permeate throughout the organization— creating an internal esprit de corps. This becomes an invaluable asset for any organization, and one that begins to build upon itself.
BPM software and workflow software are business tools. Using them effectively results in greater efficiency and effectiveness. Those lead to bottom line business process improvement. We know that customers seek that when looking for a solution initially. We have come to find, however, that the bottom line is not the only benefit from automating and streamlining processes and workflows. They are solutions that breed the mindset of accountability and improvement— and that ultimately leads to better financial results.