Recent posts about BP Logix (3)

Workflow is Changing how Government and Non-Profits Operate

Start-ups across the United States appear to be fat and happy as billions of dollars are poured into their accounts and astronomical valuations enable them to make acquisitions and pay hefty salaries. Yet while the economy is purring along with increasing vibrancy, there are still sectors that do not necessarily luxuriate in the spoils of a booming economy.

Government agencies and non-profit groups, on the other hand, frequently deal with shrinking budgets despite an increased demand for services. People want more, however resources are not always available to address their needs. And, although it can be a major factor, technology alone cannot do what is required. As a result organizations are seeking better ways to run their operations. Workflow and business process management (BPM) are being recognized by government entities and non-profits as providing a framework that facilitates sustainable change while contributing to significant cost savings and enhancing efficiency.

Most enterprises look to technology to solve issues of operational redundancy, process change and organizational innovation. We know that there are plenty of vendors who promise ‘change’ and bottom-line improvements —and ‘demonstrate’ how to achieve these “quickly and effortlessly”. In our world, there is no such thing as effortless change. Most governmental and non-profit operations are not looking to improve quarterly numbers nor meet earnings per share expectations. When looking at how a County, a health department, or a non-profit organizes around goals, that view looks quite different from those of a typical company.

Workflow and BPM provide something beyond just software and APIs. With effective use of workflow and processes comes a culture change within an organization seeking business process improvement— and not just the data-driven kind. This is where governments have started to embrace workflow as a solution that maps to their needs. Rather than just identifying numerically-driven performance indicators, organizations that operate for the benefit of specific populations must be able to address issues of better customer service, sustaining a high responsiveness rate, and being able to adapt and meet needs in the midst of budget changes and organizational shifts. Workflow and BPM allow, and in fact, encourage teams to think about solving problems, not just meeting numbers.

Take, for instance, the County of Fresno (CA), where the IT department was tasked with providing better services to residents and identifying where processes could be improved. To meet the requirements of a growing population (whose need for services increases exponentially), the IT Department needed greater visibility into the County’s business processes. Its legacy system was no longer able to provide relevant analysis, reporting, or insights into the status of IT projects. As a result, IT was unable to predict delivery timeframes with any degree of certainty, preventing Fresno's IT team from being responsive to the needs of its citizens. Those needs were real and critical to its operations.  Fresno wanted to approach the problem in a meaningful and judicious way, which workflow subsequently provided.

In the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, WI, officials decided they needed a more efficient and responsive solution to processing licenses, permits, work orders, building inspections, and requests for services. West Allis wanted to help things move faster, eliminate red tape and be easier to work with. These needs align with what workflow does best, yet they are not one-off solutions. Each of the processes that West Allis sought to improve needs continual oversight and modification. Rather than employing a solution such as ERP (which would not truly address its requirements) West Allis has selected workflow to enable non-developers to adapt as needed.

In both cases, these teams were able to do those tasks that provide a better end result for constituents as residents and as taxpayers. Workflow and BPM provided cost-effective solutions that have deepened thinking and dedication to end goals. These teams, and those in other organizations like Memphis Light, Gas, and Water, and the National Institute of Mental Health, have created systems of improved communication, sharing of content, connections with third-parties and greater transparency to stakeholders, irrespective of where they sit in the organization.

These organizations will not announce quarterly numbers, nor offer dividends to shareholders, yet they are already recognized as using the valuable elements of workflow software and BPM software to create more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable ways to operate.

How business processes support internal policies and prevent data breaches

A recent breach of conduct by an employee has put Comcast in the hot seat for abusive and inappropriate behavior directed at a customer. Although a disgruntled member of the Comcast team changed the name of the customer (to a derogatory term) this is not the first time the company has faced these types of issues. Beyond being abhorrent behavior, this kind of action also damages the image and credibility of a brand.

It's reasonable to ask how Comcast could have avoided this situation. Like any organization of 150,000+ employees, there are some bad apples. Internal policies exist, however - and training teaches employees what is —and is not— acceptable behavior. Policies alone, however, will not prevent this kind of action from happening….

In every organization, policies are merely guidelines; they are not always widely known (we agree that they ‘should’ be) and are often difficult to enforce. Policy is, however, a legal shield— one that provides neither oversight nor accountability. And there will never be a policy that will cover every possible situation. Does your organization have a specific policy against changing a customer's name to an obscenity? Most likely, the answer is “ No.”

Even if no one in your organization (or Comcast’s) contemplated the ramifications of a customer name change during policy formulation, someone certainly analyzed it as part of process creation. That is why it is there, in the process where the solution resides.

Imagine that you were implementing a customer information change workflow application in Process Director. First of all, Process Director would record each change (just as it does for all actions) to ensure accountability. (As a result, if someone considered doing something ‘naughty’, he/she could expect to get caught.)

Second, you would want to build additional controls into the process. First-name changes are not a common occurrence in the scheme of things. You might add a level of approval to such actions before they are accepted. Or you might create a report that displays recent name changes (so the inappropriate names like the one in the article would appear at the top).

Perhaps you want to do something more sophisticated. In this case, the customer appears to have interacted with unusual frequency with customer service and technical support. You might build logic into your workflow that identifies such customers and makes note of (or requires additional approvals for) unusual changes to their accounts.

In today's social media- dominated world, it is simply too risky for a large organization to assume that none of its employees will do anything that reflects poorly on the company — and that results in nasty headlines. Policy alone can neither prevent nor repair such a mishap. It is at the level of the workflow itself that these situations should be considered and can be prevented!

The good news is that Process Director can provide you with all you need to create a strong defense against unwelcome behavior. Sure, Process Director provides you with greater control and insight into your business. In the end, however, what you'll appreciate most will be all the sleepless nights you never have to endure.

Our primary goal in understanding how we can best assist our customers, and prospects,  is to learn what they do and understand how they are doing it. We need to get a clear picture of their current environment or, in other words, we want to know their story.

Yet before a prospect is ready to engage with us, we also know they often want to kick the tires — to get a sense of our story—and to validate that they want to spend time with us to do that. We believe we have a compelling story and we love having that opportunity. This ‘conversation’ enables us to start a dialogue that enables us to understand where we and you, our prospect, intersect.

The BP Logix story is a somewhat ‘typical’ scenario. Our business emerged, and grew,  as a result of the inefficiencies we observed among vendors delivering  BPM solutions. The timing was 2008 and 2009 – and we had been developing enterprise software solutions for almost 10 years at that point. We recognized that business process management (BPM) is, and was, not simply a one-size-fits-all approach that is implemented once, upgraded when necessary and managed daily. There certainly is BPM software at the core of our solution. There are also, however, other aspects to consider. These include cultural change and adaptations to company behavior.

When we work with either a prospect or customer, we believe in creating a partnership.  We work collaboratively to deliver something bigger than software or upgrades. There are a number of pieces that we address at both the product and relationship levels—and we do this in a way that is neither overly complex, nor arduous.

Following is a quick roadmap of who we are and what we do - in essence, the basics of the BP Logix story:

1. Knowing your business: The first thing to know about us is that our way of determining if and how we can potentially help  begins with getting to know you.

2. Understanding challenges: We have spent considerable time understanding both the market — and our customers’ needs. A desire to be more efficient, the need to get colleagues on the same page, then getting the green light to making something happen  are common challenges and goals our prospects and customers face. We understand  and can help you articulate and address those challenges.

3. The value of BPM and workflow: Until you actually see numbers that are the results of actual customer experiences (outcomes), it may be difficult to think through the possibilities that can be result through a better way of working.

4. The heart of the matter: Reading BP Logix BPM blogs can help you understand how we think about business process improvement, what we have created with our smart forms, how workflow underpins every process — and how to conduct business in a more efficient and profitable way. Our blogs represent our thoughts as to what is working and where progress can be made. They reflect what we hear from our customers and prospects — and what we learn as a result of those relationships.

5. Process, personified: Maybe the best way to understand what we do, and how you might benefit from partnering with us, is to get to know Process Pat.  Read and view the path he has undertaken to achieve his objectives through business process management and workflow automation.

6. Process Director: We talk a lot about how workflow and process automation can effect change, but it is important to understand the actual BPM platform on which that is built. It is an award-winning platform, to be sure — but it is the reason that our customers are also winning awards. Customers like Johnson & Johnson who were just awarded Gartner’s Global Excellence in BPM award for 2014.

7. Try it: Get to know what BPM and workflow look like. Request a free BPM software demo — and let’s start to get to know one another.

Part of every day at BP Logix is spent with our customers; learning how they use Process Director, understanding their issues — and listening to their (business) realities. When we started our company, paying attention to the customer was one of our core principles. To this day, understanding what drives them — and figuring out how to help them address their needs — forms the basis of our mission.

One of the things we have gained from our customer relationships is the ability to hold a mirror up to ourselves — and to hear how we describe what we do. We have heard from many customers and prospects that they do not necessarily think of what they are doing as ‘business process management (BPM)’ but, rather, as a way to facilitate how they ‘do’ business. In other words, they are (or were) not seeking a BPM solution per se. They wanted a way to improve workflow, enhance communications and increase transactions, both internally and outside the enterprise. Some equated that to BPM. Others describe what they are doing: developing smart forms with workflows, streamlining and automating their business processes. They don’t call (or care to call) that BPM. They say they are doing workflows or electronic forms or, simply, automation.

It is fair to say that BPM, both as a concept and term, may not be sufficient to explain what enterprises are trying to accomplish. Although some people have said that BPM is dead — or even less-than-relevant —we would not say that. Rather, we might suggest that the way BPM is being talked about may be outdated. And that fault lies with the vendors.

In reviewing today’s BPM software and product offerings, we know that most vendors are focused on selling a packaged solution that addresses a set of either vertical processes— or focuses on things that BPM case management software can deliver, perhaps workflows around SharePoint or another narrowly-defined target. What is needed is a new way of thinking about, talking about and using BPM.

BPM as a term implies that data, activities and participants need active management. At one time, that was very true— but with the onset of embedded social capabilities, cloud access, and data available through mobile devices and through the Internet of Things (IoT), the action of "process management" is now shared among any stakeholders who are involved in a business outcome.

Because of its expanding use and availability, the concept of BPM needs to be turned on its head —so that everything that happens in pursuit of a desired goal is included. The creation, governance, analysis and adaptation of business processes is not relegated to a piece of software alone. Far from it! Business processes are those things that support what the business is trying to achieve — and rely on the tools available to accomplish that goal.

No business can operate without a foundation of sound, yet flexible, business processes. Part of that flexibility comes from being able to do more things with processes that might have been previously intended for more narrow purposes. Take, for example, an experience from the world of retail. Imagine a marketing process intended to deliver email notifications to customers about upcoming sales. While that may appear to be relatively simple, underneath that activity are a series of connected processes that include pulling data from a user database, engaging writers, involving the graphics department, and scheduling the mailing on a calendar. The end result is more contact with customers— contact that is the result of connecting processes and workflows that ultimately involve partnering with stakeholders.

Increasingly users are accessing their ‘environment’ through mobile devices and social channels. BPM can deliver that access where and how they work and live. What separates BPM from many other enterprise apps is that it is supported and improved as a result of bringing the business process and workflow to wherever the user can best make use of it. This level of access enables people to be more responsive. For people and companies driving results, the ability to adapt and modify, review and approve in real-time, improves decision-making and keeps things moving forward. That is what it’s all about.

Is BPM dead? Is it outdated? At BP Logix, we prefer to look at a different question: how can businesses be improved as a result of better processes and workflows? If you want to call that BPM, or process management, or workflow-enabled processes, that’s fine with us. Our purpose will not change. We intend to help customers achieve their outcomes using our tools and insights to help them create the next chapters of their business stories.

Try it out:

• Request a free BPM software demo of Process Director.

Pat’s workflow implementation is eagerly awaited

These days, I feel like I'm on the trading floor of the NYSE. People all over the company are calling on me to ensure that their needs and requirements will be part of our workflow and process implementation. Word has gotten out —in a BIG way —that changes are coming and the sense I am getting is that no one wants to be left behind. I guess what you could say that I'm a victim of my own success. My evangelizing has clearly been successful— and the result is a lot of people frothing at the mouth to begin work with new workflow software. The only problem is, we haven't even launched this yet.

We have done our exploratory work and are wrapping up requirements for this project. I'm not a sales person per se, but I've spent considerable time all over the company talking to different groups to explain what we're going to be rolling out and how it will affect them. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. After years of paper-based communication, undocumented processes, and loose triage for decision-making, plus a host of other legacy ‘systems’ for conducting business, our employees appear eager to let those things be handled for them, enabling them to focus on business goals(rather than photocopying documents and waiting for approvals that may never come.)

The things I've explained resonate with the people here because, while we may be a bit outdated with some our business practices, our intentions have never changed —our goal has always been to deliver great results for our customers by conducting business with integrity, intelligence, and a passion for doing the right things. It is with great interest that colleagues are watching the progression of this project. They see advantages that will come from a comprehensive workflow solution, and they know that rolling it out in a judicious and measured way will help them be more successful in their roles. And I have promised that we should experience vast changes that include:

1. Project modeling and implementation: Employees who are project owners will be able to list the activities associated with their projects, estimate their durations, then drag-and-drop information onto those activities that must completed before subsequent activities can begin. They will essentially become their own project managers and process owners. This is significant because it represents flexibility they haven’t had before — plus the ability to centralize (but adapt), and to decentralize (when appropriate) process creation, management and change at the departmental and team level.

2. Parallel processes: As many activities as possible will run concurrently, without the need to explicitly specify parallel behavior. Things move fast around here —so this kind of thing will encourage a more integrated approach to decision making.

3. Status and updates: Process status can be determined at a glance. At any point — even the moment the process is launched — the system can determine which activities, if any, may not complete by their due date.

4. Analytics: The system we implement will record and estimate execution times each time a process is run, and create estimates accordingly. Insight and transparency can help eliminate any issues that we (or the system, actually) uncover.

Clearly, when all this was explained, it led to some big expectations — and I'm starting to feel the heat to roll out sooner, rather than later. Add to that some confusion, or mis-information, about what we're actually doing. Our project is not just about launching a "thing". Yes, it's workflow and process automation for sure, and it's a solution that probably could even be called a "platform". But it's also a mindset and a methodology on which just about every activity our people perform will be supported. This is critical — because workflow doesn't really exist as an app; rather, it IS the human instance of the app— and that sometimes needs to be experienced rather than explained.

I'm also spending time reminding eager execs that much of the success of our project will be in the flexibility it offers. That flexibility kind of exists now— I mean, anyone can do pretty much whatever they want to achieve a desired outcome. Having workflow, however, will give us a structure and framework with triggers, actions, steps, decisions etc. that can be managed, analyzed and updated. Repeatability will occur when desirable, but so too will change (and the accompanying change management as well.)

Things are heating up and while it’s creating stress for my team, it also means engagement and buy-in. These are things we can’t provide with requirements and guidelines alone. Anticipation comes from the pairing our goals with our expected solution. While exhausting and exciting, this is where we need to be! Beyond just the challenge of delivering according to schedule and expectation is the need to continually add to the foundation of what we’re trying to accomplish. As we keep telling our colleagues this won’t be a one-time delivery. It will be a fundamental shift in how our business performs and the way we operate long-term.

Learn more about Process Pat's quest to improve his company's business operations:

• Preparing to Move Forward: With approval to proceed with his project and approach, Process Pat prepares for the upcoming changes
• The Task Before Us: As Process Pat and his team prepare to implement BPM and workflow, he gives serious thought to how his team will move their project forward

Try it out:

• Request a free BPM software demo of Process Director

Learn more:

• Workflow Management Software Features
• Case Management Solutions Capabilities

With approval to proceed with his project and approach, Process Pat prepares for the upcoming changes

When we got funding for our business process automation and workflow project, a certain level of anxiety crept into my daily routine. After all, this approach was being seen as an overhaul —not just in technology but also in how we run our business. Now that executives have started to take notice, you might think that my stress level is off the charts. Actually, the opposite is true; now that we know our direction, I'm helping my team get focused, create checklists, and develop an actionable plan. When I see how this is unfolding, it moves the needle from “freaked out” to ‘measured excitement.’

This project won't happen overnight, nor will it be onerous. Our plan is to build requirements over the next month, develop new processes after that, then roll out the workflows for an initial application. We'll assess, review requirements, and then tackle the next application. Overall, we have a goal of modifying the way we work through automating and streamlining our processes and workflows over an 18 month period. When all is said and done, my company will enable internal employees and external stakeholders (partners, customers, and suppliers) to collaborate and coordinate to make better decisions, move forward faster, and, with luck, leapfrog the competition. Our remote workers will be as productive on the road as those at headquarters— and they will feel more connected as well.

While I'm feeling confident about where this is headed, I know that this is only going to be successful with buy- in across the company. We know that the processes, and their associated workflows, have the greatest opportunity for success when matched with a willing and engaged organizational culture. Our company is nimble and able to quickly adapt, but change sometimes brings frustration— and frustration in a corporate environment means lost productivity. The LAST thing this should do is limit our ability to get things done. The whole purpose is to enable the company to grow as a result of better process, more transparency, and involving more of the right people.

Thankfully I have executive support. That's a great start, but the execs aren't the ones being asked to get comfortable with something new. It will be the project managers, analysts, business managers — in fact almost anyone who has a stake in an outcome will be part of this new process and workflow implementation. I'm realizing that we are in good shape in terms of morale, but I'm keeping my eye on a few things that will help me guide us towards a successful roll-out:

Are we ready to change?: This is not just the first question to ask, but it's also the most important thing to assess and re-assess throughout our entire project.  Committing to change is easier before the change actually happens. So my job is to know how comfortable we are and how well we maintain progress towards our goals. I'm asking myself these questions:

• Is our team adept at prioritizing projects and processes?
• Can we operate with a flexible mindset that allows us to adapt to changing business needs?
• Do our executives REALLY understand how processes will be streamlined and workflow applied across the organization?
• Do we have the skill set to know when the time is right to add additional apps?

Is disruption going to help us improve— or will it be a distraction?: The fact is, some organizations just cannot make the shift to a new way of conducting business. That's not a criticism, and in fact, in some cases, those businesses are better off not changing. I know that we are fully prepared to begin this project, but can we sustain a longer term change in our culture and how we do business? My sense is that, with a well-prepared roll out and the right planning, we can. Part of my job is to be an evangelist.  I've been going to different groups within the company to make them aware of what we're doing and the impact on them. So far, the reception has been good, but I've been grilled a few times. I have no problem with that. I'm actually glad because that means that our employees have a stake in what we’re doing! That will make acceptance and focus easier.

Are we flexible when we need to be?: There is an erroneous mantra that gets thrown around. It says “Everyone needs to be flexible.” I agree with that, but only to a point. Ultimately, if everyone is simply flexible all the time then we don't adhere to guidelines or stick with consistent processes. So part of this planning process is to get to know those places in our organization, and in our processes, where we need to reward and operate according to consistent business practices— and those places where we can continue to change by being flexible. I recognize that this is one of the benefits of implementing workflow; we eventually get to understand how to be more flexible where it will provide an advantage, but then not worry about it in places where it makes no demonstrable change.

Automating our processes and streamlining our workflows will undoubtedly change the way our organization is going to work. And that is exciting. Our Execs are always looking at our bottom-line.  They expect that we will eliminate inefficiency. The anticipated advantages are going to be huge— but only with oversight and a lot of preparation. The next step is…well, the next step is to get moving and kick things off!

As Process Pat and his team prepare to implement BPM and workflow, he gives serious thought to how his team will move their project forward

My company has had five consecutive quarters of incredible growth: profits are up, we're hiring across all departments, and the team feels excitement building. This success is the result of delivering innovative products and executing with smart marketing. Like everyone here, I’d like to see that continue— and I’m in the fortunate spot to be able to have some impact on that. It’s the job of my team to develop business solutions to enable the company to be more efficient — and to support the teams helping us meet and achieve these goals.

While I'm sharing that great feeling, I’m also beginning to get twinges of anxiety that are gnawing at me and keeping me awake at night. To keep up with all this change, I’ve suggested an approach that will change the way our company works— and for which I’ll be responsible. Talking about putting myself on the line….

You see I've requested, and received approval, to automate processes across our entire enterprise to make us more efficient and effective as an organization. I recognize that without a proper solution we will not ‘get’ to where we want to be. The resulting project is going to be rather unique for our company — and I'm the guy responsible for making it happen. So while I'm happy about our company's growth, I'm sweating the details right now about how we're going to implement a better way of doing business.

My plan is to implement a business process management (BPM) system for our processes that provides a standard for communication and collaboration for the entire company— and will incorporate smart forms and automate our workflows. This system will need to be flexible and agile, adaptable to different teams and projects, and I want it to be something that doesn't require a technical skillset to develop — or to use. I'm looking for a software-based solution that solves our real business problems— but without the intermediary step of initiating a new project for each change that we make. In other words, this solution should help my colleagues work more collaboratively, trigger each step in the decision process, make better decisions (based on better information), and provide an ongoing record of the results. And in the end, I’m going to believe that business will be done more quickly.

Beyond just being a solution, this approach I’m taking has to have ‘permanence’ (as much as anything is permanent these days). My expectation is that within one year of launch, we will no longer rely on our outdated processes; we will enable remote workers and third-parties to access our system from both outside our firewall and with mobile devices. I believe there will be a comprehensive document management system that includes easily creating and managing smart forms, with alerts and updates being sent automatically to the appropriate people as needed. Clearly, this will be no small endeavor.

Another thing that makes this challenging is that, while the goal of our project is generally accepted, there are two schools of thought about how to get it done (aren't there always at least two?). Our growth has some people in a state of frenzy, and they want this ‘thing’ done as soon as humanly possible. I, however, prefer to build the solution that can launch over some period of time with minimal disruption and the best opportunity for success. After thinking this through in great detail, and talking with colleagues, I recognize that we will need to be judicious in our approach in order to create a viable and sustainable solution.

I also recognize that it may take time to train employees in new ways of working. Those colleagues who suggest that we make all our preparations and launch in a single "big bang" aren't taking into account that its success will ultimately be based on how many people use the new solution. And to encourage usage, we need to begin by making our employees partners in the process.

Am I stressed about the magnitude of what we’re embarking on? Not completely. I've been through a number of projects — not quite like this but with the goal of becoming more efficient and competitive. Over time I've come to learn what's effective when you're implementing solutions that may require some new behaviors or changes to long-held processes. Even before all of this I had been pushing for better ways for our employees to communicate, collaborate, and transact business. I always viewed that as being part of my job; I shouldn't BE a bottleneck, I should fix bottlenecks! Having worked in a variety of organizations, with varying mindsets about change, I feel like I have a Ph.D. in both operational and corporate inefficiency.

So yes, things are going well here. And yes, I'm a bit worried. But as long as I can commit to a realistic timeline, keep this thing on budget, ensure a smart roll-out and empower employees, then we will be on our way to achieving even more growth and success.

We get to work with some really innovative and interesting companies. Before we talk at any level of detail with a potential customer, we do a significant amount of research to learn more about their business, industry, organizational structure, and where they have had success. It is sometimes challenging work, but is always incredibly helpful, as it gives us a foundation to understand that organization and to identify both needs—and wants.

The truth about a company and its culture, however, does not usually come out until we have had a chance to meet with the people who will be implementing the workflows and organizing their business processes to work in this new way. We find IT managers and systems architects to be motivated, goal-focused individuals who are bent on doing things better. They have given serious consideration to the work they are preparing to do, and take pride in the foundation they have laid for that effort.

We also have observed that so many of the managers we talk with operate from a similar set of ideas and guidelines as to what they want to accomplish.

Following are five things we have heard that our customers do when planning for workflow implementation. We feel that they comprise a wise and judicious way of moving forward—and invite your feedback!

1. Establish lines of communication: Before positive outcomes can result from changing your business processes, the’ beneficiaries’ of this change need to know they have a voice —and will be a part of decision process. While all companies have tools for communication (email, meetings, wikis, internal portals), only those who have defined processes for how and when things are communicated actually realize the benefit of this collective input. Allowing people to have a voice and giving them the proper channels to hear that voice is pivotal to successfully implementing any new concept, methodology or product.
2. Distinguish between business and technology requirements: Ideally, there is an alignment between tech and business goals. In implementing workflows, however, there may be differences in what each group identifies as ‘what’s needed’ —and who has the expertise to provide ‘it.’ The business side needs to be very clear and detailed about who will touch the workflow activity and what results should come from it. That needs to be articulated to the tech team who needs to ensure integration with existing apps and the roll out of a usable interface. By identifying, up front, where the responsibilities reside and what expectations there are in terms of deliverables, these groups can better support one another to achieve their common goal.
3. Seek failure: Most smart companies do not truly seek to fail, but they do encourage innovation— and that sometimes results in failure...at least, until they get it right. That IS smart. If everything goes according to plan the first time, we may not be fully prepared for when there is a glitch in the workflow, or a document type is not allowed, or our reports miss an important metric. During planning and implementation, kick the tires. You will find probably not bring down your entire business with even a dramatic mistake. More importantly, you will learn more how your stakeholders will use their new business processes. THAT is valuable information!
4. Eliminate redundancies: The whole point of doing this is to make your business more efficient. With that in mind, it makes sense for you to give serious thought as to where bottlenecks have occurred previously and seek to eliminate them through ‘smarter’ workflows. Building a more efficient communication, approval and routing model into your workflow provides users with a more efficient way to operate —and a more agile way to conduct business.
5. Prepare for phase 2: You will not know what you cannot do until you begin doing what you can. Smart organizations plan with the future in mind— and are inclined to leave their process management to grow and change with them. If you become a victim of success with one project, you will likely get requests to adopt similar processes and workflow to other projects in other parts of the company. That opens the door to new processes, activities and decisions — and that can be exciting and exhilarating.

Each organization's needs are unique — paying attention to these five things will help form a mindset that prepares you for success and adaptability.

Try it out:

• Request a free BPM software demo of Process Director

Learn more:

• Workflow Software
• Workflow Management Software Features
• Business Process Automation Software
• Case Management Solutions

“Eating your own dog food” is a phrase that techies love to throw around — and while I have never loved it, it is apt in its intention. That well-worn phrase is aimed at describing the extent to which companies actually use their own products: the idea being that if it is good enough for them, it should be good enough for the public.

Not every product is meant for every situation, however. I do not think that Facebook wants its employees continuously looking at friends' pictures and posting updates on their lunch plans (especially during business hours.) Yet, there is certainly truth in the concept of truly knowing your product— and being your own customer certainly provides those insights. Having to rely on your own creation forces you to consider how others may use it. In the case of workflow and business process management, if what you create is not helping you run things more efficiently, then it probably is not doing much good for anyone else either.

As a company obsessed with workflow and business process management (BPM), we take our own internal operations very seriously. If you were to spend a few days with us, you would see a group of people who are focused, yet flexible. We recognize that there is power in using Process Director BPM software to meet goals, however not every problem can be “solved” with software. Our goal is to deliver a usable product. We also know, from our own experience, that a willingness to adapt to a new way of working will make the biggest difference. To paraphrase tennis great Arthur Ashe, “Our plan is to start where we are, use what we have, and do what we can.” At the end of the day, that is what workflow and BPM is all about - getting us closer to achieving our business objectives.

BP Logix is a BPM company that's culture is steeped in flexibility — and the recognition that implementing better and more automated processes helps us improve as an organization. While we have received numerous accolades from customers and analysts, they are not for being dogmatic about one specific way of doing things. Sure, we have deep and abiding faith that Process Director will enable any organization to collect, collaborate and operate with greater efficiency and better outcomes. We do not, however, advocate buying Process Director on the basis of a datasheet and 20 bullet points describing its workflow management software features — or even its benefits.

Rather, we come from a more consultative mindset that results from seeing how so many businesses, across many industries, handle their own processes and workflow. We have been astounded at some — and amazed at others! There are instances where we marvel at how a company got to $500M in revenue operating through an inefficient, paper-based environment that lacked any formal process. Rather than think of our job as one of selling, we prefer to think it as a learning process, and that process is somewhat of a journey. Along the way we teach, we acquire deeper understandings, and we apply them all in the kinds of BPM solutions we advocate. This perspective is what makes our jobs so fascinating and what helps us to better serve the needs of our customers.

Our product team recognizes that implementing new solutions is challenging for any organization, which is why we work collaboratively with prospects and customers to learn about their businesses: what constitutes "business as usual" and how it could be improved. What are their pain points, and are those pain points solvable? We seek to understand those things before we can have a substantive conversation.

The world of business constantly moves forward. Progress often occurs as a result of looking at what “could” be considered fire drills, mistakes or failed approaches. Those results are, however, simply the by-products of living and working in the real world.

Yes, we do eat our own proverbial dog food. We prefer, however, to know what our guests think of it— so we can serve up better batches and keep our customers happy.

Operating a company can be like taking a family vacation. While the kids find ways to distract themselves and everyone else, the parents are focused on getting from Point A to Point B with as little disruption as possible. Arriving at the destination does not mean margaritas and frolicking in the pool for the parents, either; there is parking, checking in, unpacking and feeding the group, just for starters.

So too for those who run processes and operations within a company. If they were to be asked, "Are we there yet?” the answer would be, "We're NEVER there." That is truly the right answer, because business never stops. Processes start at the beginning, finish at the end, and then do “it” all over again...and again...and again.

The remedy that ensures smooth transmission of all data through an organization to its intended destination is workflow. Workflow used to be the domain primarily of large enterprises, armed with efficiency consultants. Now, however, solutions like Process Director provide a framework for fast implementation and flexible change management. We have detailed the value derived from workflow in our BPM Value Estimator in terms of things like increased efficiency through automated routing, more productivity as a result of improved decision-making capabilities, and more effective change management, due to easy-to-change rules and process updates.

Beyond metrics, however, we find that workflow is best able to be effective when it is matched with a willing and engaged organizational culture.

We can demonstrate the effectiveness of workflow software by sharing some existing BPM case studies of our customer experiences, however your success is predicated on having a thoughtful and well-formed strategy for implementing and managing your processes and operations. That means laying out what you want to accomplish and creating the roadmap (much like our parents did for their road trip). Process Director executes the plan, but an organization must be prepared and it is essential for decision-makers to be focused on the following:

Readiness: Let's assume your organization wants to be more productive. Is it ready to organize around workflow tools that encourages productivity? That's a different question. To understand the degree to which your company can be helped by workflow, consider these things:

• • Is your team adept at prioritizing projects and processes?
  • Does your company operate with a flexible mindset that allows it to adapt to changing business needs?
  • Do executives understand how workflow can help your organization?
  • Do you have the skill set internally to identify where workflow should be applied?

Intention: Workflow can do a lot of things, but to be effective it must implemented whole-heartedly. More often than not, we see groups within a company adopting workflow because they saw it successfully implemented in other areas of the company. We also see instances where workflow is implemented, but not adopted. It is critical that the people using workflow are prepared to use it, and that it is adopted as part of their normal working behavior.

Rules: For workflow to do its intended job, it needs to operate according to rules. Process Director is great at taking complex rules and defining processes with them, however those rules have to be outlined and created. Doing this ensures that documents ‘arrive’ where they are supposed to go, documents are approved, compliance adhered to, and timelines are met. If these things do not, or cannot, happen, then the role of workflow should be reconsidered.

Workflow will undoubtedly change the way your organization works. The advantages that come from it are huge. Setting your company up for success requires focus and serious effort, but much like a family vacation, after all the preparation and running around, there comes a point where you get to sit back and see your work pay off.

[embed]https://youtu.be/HduhwGtEMKI[/embed]

How an organization operates can be captured through things like org charts and project timelines. In fact, there is no end to the kind of tools available to give all of us those important “business insights.” These tools, no matter how good or thorough they appear to be, do not, however, always capture the things that ultimately dictate business outcomes.

For businesses to perform optimally, organizations need both the tools and the resulting behaviors that encourage efficiency and optimize operations. That foundation is not something that is packaged and downloaded. Instead, it is created when there is a pairing of great tools and a willingness to adapt. At BP Logix, we recognize that dynamic can only happen when we understand what our customers actually do - and where they are trying to go.

Our first job, to borrow from Stephen Covey, is to “seek to understand.” Listening to our customers is, for us, the most critical part of working with them. Learning about their goals and how they operate provides the foundation for discovery and collaboration. From there we can recognize the “if and where” we can partner.

Our customers do not talk as much about projects and implementations as they do about organizational changes and behavioral shifts. They are not just responding to a new technology. Instead, they have made it their business to cultivate a new approach to their operations.

To put this into context, let us consider a customer that manufactures widgets. BP Logix does not have any particular expertise in the manufacture, shipment, use or maintenance of widgets. It IS, however, helpful for us to talk about how workflow management software can help streamline processes for manufacturing widgets and provide better ways of capturing and routing data captured in the forms that are the basis for moving the widgets across and within the company. Workflow software and eforms software are only solutions if they can be used in a relevant and useful way within the organization. Finding that spot is what we listen for – and, when we can help, it is where we thrive.

A widgets manufacturer thinks that the heart of their business is, well, widgets. That makes sense, and it is true. We think that the heart of the business is the underlying structure of how widgets (or jeans, coffee, medical equipment, or any product or service) are made and how that widgets company realizes a profit.

There comes a point where our message has to find harmony with customers’ goals. A PowerPoint that just says, “Workflow, workflow, workflow” does not provide any indication that we know how that workflow maps to customer needs. One might think that workflow for widgets is pretty straightforward, but that widget maker, just like any company, is complex and requires solutions that meet its unique requirements.

We hear stories of warehouses filled with paper files and approval queues that are backlogged; this used to be the stuff of "BPM solutions". Today we look to at where, within the organization, there are bottlenecks that impact decision-making. These are problems that workflow, smart forms and document management systems can (and do) address. When the customer, provider, and users are in synch with the issue, a more efficient way of doing things can, and will, unfold.

Will an organization become more efficient as a result of implementing BP Logix smart forms and workflow solutions? Ask our customers and there will be a resounding "yes". With Process Director, is it possible to recognize, fix and adapt to business issues? Certainly. The stories our customers tell us are about embracing change and pushing through the discomfort that comes from disruption. That is an enlightened approach; in fact we find that thinking that way helps promote more and better change over time.

Multi-Chem, for instance, rolled out a document tracking, electronic notification, and electronic signature solution with Process Director. The company is now looking to use the same business process mindset to provide better processes in other parts of the organization. Members of the Data Analytics and Software Integration team at Memphis Light, Gas and Water told us about issues related to approvals and signatures. Process Director was put to the task, and because of its success, will be used for other issues.

These companies, like so many others that we work with; have come to realize the need to continuously innovate, and to use the resources at their disposal to be able to do this. They are using the intelligence and skills of their employees, and are deploying resources and data appropriately and intelligently.

The outcome of applying smart, long-term vision to business process improvement is, well, it's an improved business. More engaged employees, better business insight, greater efficiency; these things make for a great business story. For us at BP Logix, there is no benefit to just selling a product. We want to sell a product only when it provides demonstrative value.

"Time is the key as to why we implement BPM in the first place." --Scott Menter

Business processes are generally adapted (or implemented) to help organizations become more organized and purposeful, ideally leading to better outcomes. Even highly structured companies can easily get off track if they then fail to adhere to goals that business process management (BPM) helped them achieve in the first place.

BPM is applied to improve results - results that come from business activities - and to ensure that the right governance and guidelines are in place. These things alone help an organization become better at delivering against its business goals, yet they presume that a business has an unspecified amount of time in which to deliver on these goals.

Time is a critical ingredient within any business process as it enables an organization to gain more control over those processes while creating the ability to predict how later stages in a process will be impacted by earlier actions. This predictive capability changes the entire nature of how we perform those tasks. Early notification leads to early intervention and response, which results in a more comprehensive view of alternative actions, the players that can affect them, and how processes can be changed as a result of changing requirements. This is why BP Logix' patented business process automation technology, Process Timeline, has become a defining element of our product - and why it provides our customers with a particularly unique view into how processes truly run.

In some corners, workflow is often considered a substitute for BPM. While the association is apt, there is not a one-for-one mapping. Here lies a critical difference in how we think of BPM and how our competitors do. For the most part, other BPM vendors see a timeline as either purely at the methodology level (consideration for a reasonable amount of time for an activity to take place), or as a pre-defined and allotted amount of time (any particular task should take X amount of time). At BP Logix, we are a BPM company that recognizes that while time moves, the amount of time needed to complete, route, authorize or perform any number of actions for a given activity is dependent on other activities in that process and may need to be adjusted as the process evolves.

The more valuable aspect of the timeline is in how reliable a picture it provides of the future. This is where Process Director stands apart and is why our customers can use the predictive capabilities to make smarter decisions and adapt as needed. We created Process Timeline to help customers measure and predict process execution times and build flexible and executable processes. Users can design process according to how they answer two important questions for each step of the process:

• What must complete before this step can begin?
• How long will this step take to complete?

We refer to these, respectively, as dependence and duration questions. Each activity will begin as soon as its prerequisites, if any, are completed. The result is a solution with many valuable features:

1. Modeling is greatly simplified: project owners list each activity, estimate its duration, and then drag-and-drop it onto the activity or activities that must complete before it can begin.
2. As many of the activities as possible will run at the same time, without the need to explicitly configure parallel behavior.
3. The status of the process can be determined at a glance.
4. At any point — even the moment the process is launched — the system can determine which activities, if any, may not complete by their due date.
5. The system records actual versus predicted execution times each time the process is run, and adjusts its time estimates accordingly.

Organizations look to our patented business process automation software technology, Process Timeline, to help them deliver better results with more addressable solutions. The benefits from Process Timeline include:

• Faster time-to-value: The simplified model gives businesses the opportunity to go from discovery to full automation faster than was previously possible.
• Proactive response: The earliest possible notice of potential delays (and the resulting missed deadlines) — even for tasks that haven’t yet begun — means that your business can predict a future problem, adapt to changing circumstances, and succeed in overcoming those obstacles.
• Improved business process governance and BPM compliance: Every approval, every piece of data entered, and every step of every process is permanently stored by Process Director, and can be made available to internal or external auditors, regulators, or risk management personnel.
• Rapid changes: Business processes must respond rapidly to changing requirements. Process Director is configured through a simple, intuitive graphical interface, requiring no programming skills. As a result, Process Director makes it possible for your processes to change at the speed of your business.

When a business goal is addressed through a realistic application of governance and execution, the likelihood of success increases dramatically. When a reasonable timeline can help identify potential issues and predict outcomes, the organization can adapt and be flexible in how it handles the situation.

Multi-Chem works with BP Logix to solve internal processes and help make their organization run with greater efficiency.

There is a good chance that your commute this morning was enabled, at least in part, by work done by Multi-Chem, a BP Logix customer. A global company that is a service unit of Halliburton, Multi-Chem develops and manufactures oilfield products, gas well treatments and pipeline solutions that enhance oil production. The company’s products address the chemical challenges associated with producing, processing and transporting oil and gas. A rapidly-growing company (50-70% for 10 consecutive years), Multi-Chem has a longstanding record of creating solutions relied on by some of the world’s largest and most respected energy companies.

Internal operations depend on communication — and the processing of essential documents with partner companies and customers. Efficiency is also highly valued. Working with companies around the globe, and with tight timeframes, Multi-Chem needs to be responsive to all requests-- and for its employees to be armed with the most current and accurate information.

Jim Honea is Multi-Chem's Director of Technology, responsible for software acquisition, integration and internal development. His team supports 700 internal users, and in addition to software acquisition and integration and internal development Jim was also responsible for streamlining its document approval process. That was an area that would benefit from automation, as Multi-Chem employees relied on reviewing and approving hard-copy documents – and the processes that drove them were inefficient. Jim wanted to put in place a workflow solution that would reflect the processes employees were currently using, control the workflow of those processes and identify the specific location and status of documents. “Many of our processes seemed to go into a dark hole. We needed something that was electronic, much more precise than email, and that would control the workflow of the processes. We wanted to be able to ask the question: Where is the document and who has approved it?” Honea remarked.

Finding the right tool for Multi-Chem began with a review of SharePoint, InfoPath, Adobe and Process Director. Jim and his team had done their due diligence and were very specific regarding their requirements. The workflow management software solution they needed had to include document management software for document tracking, electronic notification, eForms that provide electronic signatures, ensure standardized information, and designate roles for viewing and submitting forms. It also had to mirror -- and improve on -- existing business processes, be reasonably priced, and not be disruptive to end-users.

We spent considerable time learning about and understanding Multi-Chem's needs. As is typical when we engage with a prospect, we wanted to be confident that Process Director represented a good fit. It is important to us that we deliver what the customer needs. In the case of Multi-Chem their needs mapped very well with Process Director’s features. "We were confident that Process Director could do everything we wanted and more–and comfortable that BP Logix provided the best value proposition,” Jim said.

The team implementing Process Director rolled it out under the name, "eDocs" and began by creating a variety of new eForms. The first was the Personnel Request Form (PRF), which was used for hiring and employee ‘events’. As an indicator of what was to come, the PRF dramatically changed the way Multi-Chem employees worked. Approvals could be done remotely and on mobile devices, and the IT team was able to track and monitor document progress. As a result of email notification, documents pending approval are more visible – and more easily tracked. This set the model for additional forms to be created and shared by employees across the company; in turn the new document workflow has facilitated a more effective organization.

“It is obvious that we are a lot more efficient. We can now quantify employee hours worked and vacations, properly assign company vehicles based on title, and enforce company policies. If we needed to hire a new sales person and did not have the ability to route the forms electronically, it could cost us lost opportunities – and that translates to money,” Jim commented.

The greatest benefit that Multi-Chem has received, however, is that it has standardized its business processes. And while the initial impetus for implementing an electronic workflow and approval process belonged to the IT group that is no longer the case. Selecting Process Director was an IT decision that has helped the business – and continues to do that every day.

Learn more:

• BPM in Utilities and Energy: BPM helps pipeline companies, utility providers and distribution organizations manage, monitor and continuously improve internal business activities.
• BP Logix: A KMWorld Magazine 100 Companies That Matter
• Request a Free BPM Software of Process Director
• BPM Value Estimator: Just where do you find value with BPM?

Technology pundits have been furiously typing away over the past couple weeks trying to explain the significance of Google's $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest, a thermostat company. "It will change how we manage our lives," say the early adopters. "It will give Google knowledge of our every movement," say the detractors. Around the halls of BP Logix, we feel like we have been in the catbird’s seat as an observer, and now a participant, in this event because one of our recent customers, Crestron Electronics, has (like Google and Nest) seen the future —and is already delivering on it.

Crestron has a well-earned reputation for product leadership in the development of advanced control and automation systems. The World Bank, Space Needle, Hearst Tower, Microsoft World Headquarters, Johnson & Johnson Belgium, the situation room at the Pentagon and the American Red Cross in San Diego, among others, rely on Crestron devices to manage offices, schools, hospitals, hotels and homes. The company’s integrated solutions control audio, video, computer, IP and environmental systems so they can be managed from a Web browser, mobile device, or other types of touch screens.

While the world questions how Google will apply the products and vision of Nest, Crestron has already figured out how to deliver intelligent automation systems globally. This puts them almost in a class by themselves! They are innovators who are adept at understanding how technology can be applied. This is validated by a 45- year history of success and progress.

We have thoroughly enjoyed learning how this New Jersey-based company runs. While it started out as a manufacturer of laser-leveling devices to help automate assembly lines, with the enthusiasm of a true tinkerer, founder George Feldstein continued to find opportunities to use electronic devices to automate just about anything and everything. As we have learned more about Crestron we have come to appreciate how the company operates. Crestron is a class organization, and one with which we are proud to be associated.

People like Sherwood King, Senior IT Director for the company, look for BPM software and workflow solutions that enable the company to continue innovating and executing. As a result of its rapid growth and staffing requirements, Creston needed to update policies and procedures. The former system (a combination of Microsoft Word, Visio, and Excel) was no longer manageable. King wanted a product that could be IT-centric, understood and used by business users, and facilitate more collaboration and communication company-wide. He selected Process Director to support those objectives.

In Phase I King and his team will be automating and streamlining the company’s onboarding process, as its dynamic growth translates to lots of new hires. Phase II will involve more complex processes around support and approval systems. Improved workflow processes and greater business process automation are anticipated as a result of deploying BPM capabilities from Process Director.

We are always delighted to have customers reiterate that choosing Process Director has been the right decision. It reminds us that the work we do is meaningful and valuable. When a company with the stature of Crestron chooses to partner with us to help them deliver award-winning products to the world, it reminds us that the best output is a byproduct of well-managed, considerate and intelligent decisions and actions. We are proud to be that kind of partner.

See For Yourself

Process Director from BP Logix will empower your organization for all the reasons above and so much more. Ready to see for yourself? Learn more about our free BPM software demo of Process Director and contact us today for a demonstration from a BP Logix business process management expert.

"Social" seems to be the buzz word, if not the implementation, in just about every enterprise application today. Some vendors have done a nice job identifying how to bring social into the realm of usability, while others seem to be delivering a lot of "check box" acknowledgement. Granted, the industry is in its early stages — with business process management vendors trying to figure out the right "formula" for integrating social with BPM.

At BP Logix we believe there are huge advantages to adeptly incorporating social with BPM — and we are already delivering on it. Well before Process Director was delivered, we were aware of the implications of social and that demand for it would be increasing. We recognized that there were elements of social that inherently solve issues of communication and collaboration among the various players in business processes. We observed how business process management software was being used and noted where we could leverage social to give process participants more opportunities for engagement and interaction. More than being "just software" the methodologies and strategies that make social what it is are fairly easy to understand. We also appreciate that people are good at using social tools to fit their needs.

At a first glance, social capabilities may seem to be too random and unstructured to be relevant to business processes. When most of us think social (at least initially) Facebook and Twitter come to mind as entertaining way to connect with others — rather than thinking about how social might be incorporated into a "process discipline" and accompany real business goals.

Yet, social is all about...well, being social. Rules about how communication and conduct should be handled in a social network are dictated either by users or owners. Users either comply or lose their effectiveness. With BPM solutions and workflow solutions, users want need to engage, share and collaborate. Rules facilitate and drive those interactions — but not for process actors alone. Rather, all interactions are intended to get closer to delivering on the goals of the business. Social groups tend to like relying on rules— so a BPM software solution that leverages rules is a good fit.

Ultimately, social software creates new pathways along which business processes can travel. Because it is also simple and recognizable, social software allows customers, partners and others in the ecosystem to feel more comfortable engaging with processes —and allows different parties to collaborate and fuse their data and decisions. This leads to more inclusion and contribution, which might not be as readily available without an entree like social.

This is precisely what we saw and heard from partners, customers and prospects. Their needs could be solved with some of the same behaviors that are a natural aspect of social networks. We decided to help users take advantage of what they already knew and apply it to solving business problems. We suspect that integrating social with BPM may lower the barrier to entry, involve more people, accelerate the learning curve, and decrease some of the hierarchical limitations that exist in many organizations.

Process Director  provides social media integration that encourages organizations to apply the best practices of social to business process planning and implementation. Social is big and trendy — yet we have figured out how to apply it in a way that helps drive business progress. And we will continue to do so.

Baseball legend Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't bragging if you can do it".... From the baseball diamond to the halls of the enterprise, it ain't bragging if it delivers actual results.

At what point will your organization be ready to adopt a business process mindset and implement a process-focused way of working?

We wish the answer could easily identified, like some ancient Zen wisdom ("You will know when you are ready!"). As with the adoption of business process management itself, however, you will need to strategize and plan – then create the vision and train your staff to be successful.

The most important element to BPM software readiness is willingness. As discussed in Part 3 of this series ("Do You Have a Process-Focused Organization?"), an organization needs to be self-aware regarding both its shortcomings and strengths in order to understand how BPM software can aid in improving the organization. From there, the organization has to be willing to undergo ‘change’ in order to ultimately achieve the results it wants. This is a critical point.

All enterprises seek improvement from new technologies and business methods, yet there is a certain amount of naiveté in thinking that simply buying and using a new tool will ensure success. BPM is not a conventional “tool”, and it cannot be ‘dropped in.’ Rather, BPM needs to be integrated into how the organization works. It is not ‘one button-click away’. The essence of what BPM is and provides has to be embedded into the minds of employees and manifested in their work.

Whoever leads the BPM charge in an organization needs to communicate the impending changes in a way that emphasizes preparation. BPM adoption can be initially disruptive because it is something that can only be conducted through humans. (We are not focusing on technology solutions here.) That disruption, however, can be minimized by willingness to embrace the change. The staff should understand what to expect and feel supported. Most notably, employees should be aware of the following:

• Long-term impact: The business initiatives that people work on do not change simply as a result of BPM adoption; the way in which they are conducted, however, does. The initial impact will occur in their daily work, yet the results will not likely be ‘fully realized’ for a period of time. As a result, awareness of what is to come will impact the transformation. It is important to be patient with the people who will be using the new business processes. Their adjustment to the new process, and acceptance of it, will ultimate impact the results and make the process itself more successful.
• Vision: If you communicate your vision to your team and set the tone for what is to come, you will create buy-in from participants. You do not need to wave the BPM flag and rally the troops. You do, however, need to create a sense of hope that, combined with a realistic set of expectations, will enable your team to recognize when they are arriving at their goal – and when they have achieved it.
• Understanding business reasons: The question on most people's minds (but one that few will actually ask) is a simple one: "WHY are we doing this?" Be very clear as to the business reasons for implementing BPM. It is not enough to point out broken processes or inefficient activity. (One should also not presume that employees are unhappy with the status quo. Often it is quite the opposite.) Since you will have done a great deal of work to identify a solution to known issues, sharing this with employees should be part of your implementation plan.
• Timeframe: Too many solutions are geared towards a launch date. For a new technology implementation, that may be fine for at some point “it” has to be turned on. BPM may be turned "on", however the impact is truly felt only after it has been given time to work — and after people have adapted. At that point they can begin to see process improvements. Your organization should be aware that BPM is iterative and ripe for improvement the longer it is used. With BPM you don’t need to wait for new versions in order to see improvement. Instead, the participants can make it better the longer they work with it. Patience is key.
• Desire: It is difficult to instill a ‘passion for improvement, as we cannot truly know what makes each individual ‘tick’. With the support of the executive team, you can set the tone for how you want your business to operate. Demonstrating sincerity for changing the way you do business and improving the work environment goes a long way towards helping staff become comfortable with the forthcoming changes, and at the same time, embracing them.

After all the research, strategizing, planning and training there will come a time when your teams are working differently, with noticeable results and recognizable improvement. Don’t underestimate the need to prepare and communicate with your stakeholders in advance, however. They are the ones who will ultimately determine the success or failure of your BPM implementation — and it is they who should feel supported and recognized as a key part of the success of your BPM initiative.

Learn more:

• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 1: Know Thyself (and Thy Process)
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 2: Do You Have a Process-Focused Organization?
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 3: We Sell BPM, But Should We Sell It To You?
• BP Logix: A KMWorld Magazine 100 Companies That Matter
• Request a Free BPM Software Demo of Process Director
• BPM Value Estimator: Just where do you find value with BPM?

In today’s competitive market, you, or we,  would be hard pressed to find executives who do not want their companies to be better organized and more efficient. Most C-level leaders pepper their speeches and memos with messages that implore employees to find smarter ways of working, techniques that will maximize their business process improvement efforts and reduce or even eliminate repetitive tasks. The hope is that somewhere between "working smarter" and “a validated bottom-line improvement” some actions will occur that make that vision a reality. Unfortunately, that middle ground between desires and outcomes is usually where the best laid plans often go astray.

Our corporate leaders  have demanding jobs and, as a result, normally do not get too involved with the many projects required to carry out their vision and strategies. Rather, they hope their ideas and exhortations will drive the actions of their staff — and encourage people to take the appropriate risks to deliver on their vision. The identification and execution of those tasks, however, often gets lost somewhere after being “announced” in a PowerPoint presentation. The reason the delivery of a mission fails to happen has a lot to do with execution — or lack of it.

There is nothing wrong with a CEO who demands a better way of working. His or her credibility is often based on the ability to set a course of action based on articulating the vision. One of the keys to achieving goals lies in creating a foundation that is process-driven. Given the right preparation, employees can take management concepts and devise a plan that will  deliver results. The link between strategy and delivery is execution — one that is based on a repeatable, understandable set of systems and workflow processes.

To implement a vision for the business (irrespective of who is demanding the change), organizations must have a core belief in the value of “process.”  And it is forward-looking companies that recognize and lend their support to the impact of process within their organizations.

Even for those that already do recognize the value of change, it is still worth the time to look more closely at how the company views its business processes. Are employees operating according to uniform, yet flexible, processes — or do they forsake logic and hope that a tool (even a great BPM software) will do the work for them?

The good news is that even companies that fail to follow a rigorous business process can, with some discipline, operate more efficiently. The principles that establish a successful process mindset include:

1. Operating according to established rules: Without a framework for action, a lot of time can be spent creating a new process each time a task needs to be accomplished. Process-based organizations have defined rules for how activities are handled, who is responsible for what, and how approvals are handled. Relying on these rules means that employees can focus on outcomes, rather than on process itself.
2. Change is valued: Many executives are good at identifying activities that provide quantifiable benefits, especially where incremental business process improvement (BPI) is not a huge challenge. Executives choose where to focus, putting energy into tasks where there's a reasonable expectation of success. Some, however, recognize that victories of the repeatable type are important but do not necessarily drive business forward. Implementing the types of activities that both initiate and drive “process” will help the organization to be more successful. Change can be embraced because there is confidence that established processes will prevent operations from being derailed.
3. Execution is decentralized: Organizations that operate with a top-down approach may stall when trying to implement a process. When Lines of Business managers and directors are given the authority to decide and implement business processes (done so, of course, in accordance with accepted organizational rules and best practices), the results increase dramatically. When the “process mindset” is embedded into the thinking of managers and employees, execution  improves significantly.
4. Risk is inherent in doing business: Certainly there is some risk involved with implementing new ways of doing business. New ways of thinking run the risk of causing dissension, distractions, and sometimes simply fail. Some organizations are also risk averse.  Those that are not, however, embrace the changes that result from implementing better business processes. They recognize that risk is inherent in doing and growing the business — and they believe that improving their processes will provide a competitive advantage.

When you begin thinking about “process” and how to drive your business to the next level, self-evaluation is crucial. Does your company value and understand the benefits of process? (Automating, streamlining and becoming more efficient are the most frequently cited benefits.) Do you have a process mindset? If you can answer affirmatively you are on your way to process nirvana (well, maybe not quite). Those who are not yet “there” need not fear. We will look more closely at what that mindset looks like in part four of our series.

Learn more:

• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 1: Know Thyself (and Thy Process)
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 2: Do You Have a Process-Focused Organization?
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 3: We Sell BPM, But Should We Sell It To You?
• BP Logix: A KMWorld Magazine 100 Companies That Matter
• Request a Free BPM Software Demo of Process Director
• BPM Value Estimator: Just where do you find value with BPM?

Smart businesspeople are always looking for ways to improve operations. "Faster is better" is often the mantra, as we humans are somewhat predisposed to looking for ways to arrive ‘there’ (wherever that may be) more quickly. In today’s technology-driven world, that means we usually default to looking at devices and software to help us get where we need to go faster than anyone else.

While technology can often deliver noticeable value when an organization needs things to change, the people choosing the BPM solution don’t always account for the fact that humans need to guide the actions coming from the technology. BPM software and workflow software itself is basically worthless without engaged and motivated people trying to mold it to fit an organization or solve a problem. All too frequently we rely on a solution to take care of itself, forgetting that it is the job of business stakeholders to act as caretakers of the business – not only the software that runs it but also the covenants and guidelines by which that software performs its job.

The adage "garbage in, garbage out" is too often ignored. A tool (software, process, hardware) is only as good as the data that goes into it. For a technology solution to work, it needs to have been well thought out — and directed at a specific solution. The tool you choose to solve a problem might be fundamentally sound, but the way it is implemented might be flawed. When this happens, the results of your efforts cannot be as profound as they could be.

The cultural changes that need to happen before you implement BPM have to do with this mindset. Undoubtedly you will encounter people within your organization who want to open a metaphorical box labeled "BPM", plug it in and start using it. They believe that THAT is what process change is all about. You certainly do not want to disabuse them of the notion that business process management (BPM) can bring about massive change — but it behooves you to get them to recognize that the way they work may need to change (at least somewhat) before any tool can bring about improvements.

The BP Logix approach begins with first understanding your business and your needs. That may sound simple enough, but businesses are complex, and it is not just a matter of us reviewing a checklist of issues. The first step involves you communicating your vision and needs. How we address those needs to provide a solution that brings value to the organization is the next part of the dialogue. Just doing things faster, or even just doing them differently, is not necessarily going to give you better results. The opportunity to learn about your business, opportunities, gaps, and how a solution might help you achieve specific business goals is the next step in our conversation.

This is where the culture of change begins to take shape, and where an organization can gain a better understanding of how it can automate processes as a way of doing business (not just as a tool). Decision-makers will be best served if they think of change as an evolutionary part of their business, not a goal unto itself. As they consider BPM solutions that will help them automate tasks and implement workflows, they should also think about how ‘process change’ can be manifested throughout the organization. Change can be good— but if there is no fit culturally or environmentally, or if attitudes impede innovation, it is likely that no solution will work.

Thinking through the issues regarding what is important to your business will help you get a better understanding of the type of solution that can help run your business — and result in a greater impact on your goals. When considering your current state and its  challenges, these conversations will hopefully guide your thinking regarding the fundamental aspects of how — and whether — your organization’s culture can capitalize on process change.

Learn more:

• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 2: Do You Have a Process-Focused Organization?
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 3: We Sell BPM, But Should We Sell It To You?
• Organizational Change and BPM, Part 4: Preparing Your Organization for BPM
• BP Logix: A KMWorld Magazine 100 Companies That Matter
• Request a Free BPM Software Demo of Process Director
• BPM Value Estimator: Just where do you find value with BPM?