Recent posts about business process management (3)

What is BPM (Business Process Management)?

What is business process management (BPM), you ask? We here at BP Logix think of the BPM definition a little more simply: business process management (BPM) is a practice of refining business processes that will improve process efficiency and profitability. Really, BPM is what it sounds like -- identifying, improving, and maintaining processes within a business.

Passing a routine piece of paper to a co-worker is a business process. It’s when you establish rules and a method, either a manual method or technology-driven method, to govern how and when that piece of paper is distributed that you enter the realm of BPM. That’s our specialty.

What BPM Is Not

It's not a job or role within the process. If you use BPM software to manage work orders, the person completing those orders is not managing BPM, they are working within it. However, the manager or admin who designs the work flow to get the job done is participating in BPM.

It’s important to be clear. Business process management does not tell you how to do your job. It informs your entire organization how a business process gets done efficiently and ensures it gets done right every time.

What is BPM Software?

• eliminate redundancies
• minimize errors
• complete work sooner
• shorten project time lines
• make decisions easier
• follow compliance requirements correctly
• reduce paper consumption
• automate processes and alleviate workloads

Your organization is different from the next. Your needs are special to you.

That’s why a customizable solution is required for success. You can see specific examples of how organizations use BP Logix’s customizable BPM software, Process Director, throughout our site. To start, check out BPM examples on the successful use of Process Director in busy organizations.

One Last Note…

So, what is BPM? While outcomes differ, business process management matters globally because of the headaches it prevents. Process Director from BP Logix will empower your organization for all the reasons we list 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 software expert.

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There are a lot of perceptions about how productivity and business goals are handled by organizations. Most view attempts to gain efficiency as the domain of IT but it turns out it is not solely the result of implementing technology. Efficiency is also attributable to how all groups in the company collaborate to achieve  growth.

While this kind of thinking makes a neat delineation between the business and technology sides of an organization, it is short-sighted in failing to recognize that technology does not operate in a vacuum. Rather, it is the CIO and the IT department that are driving business growth through technology solutions and, most importantly, business process management.

IT is no longer the invisible place where requests are sent and solutions magically delivered. Rather, IT is firmly ensconced in what goes on within the business— and IT leaders are integrated into business planning so they can deliver better, more purposeful solutions.

Some enterprise applications can markedly reduce the time employees need to spend on specific tasks. Taking less time and using fewer resources to achieve desired results creates the kind of efficiency that all companies seek to achieve. To achieve those results requires an IT leader who can identify the solution that can do the job, encourage collaboration, integrate successfully with existing applications (and the company’s security infrastructure) and be acceptable to stakeholders. After all, with the right mix of applications and tools, an IT department's actions can contribute to reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

Most companies enable IT managers to make the changes necessary to enable the organization to become incrementally more successful. But organizations that seek excellence and want to grow more dramatically have come to rely on a different kind of IT manager: one that knows both the technology AND business requirements needed to achieve revenue growth. One of the ways this happens is through building a business process-based foundation, on top of which tasks and activities move fluidly towards business goals.

Progressive IT managers recognize that irrespective of how work is inputted, transacted and delivered, processes and workflow are always key to their work. Understanding how workflow software and BPM software impact business goals demands that these IT managers first understand the various parts of the business and their goals. With that knowledge, they can lead the effort to make changes rather than just respond to what C-level execs demand of them. A deep understanding of the organization, how all the pieces work together and their goals enables IT to create BPM solutions that will actually be used. This is an important distinction because without new tools and strategies, no advantage can be gained.

BP Logix customers are building solutions that address a variety of business issues —and Process Director is at the heart of how they address them. The product is a tool for business users as it is inherently capable of mapping specific business requirements to actual outcomes without having to invoke the skills of a developer or architect. It is also embraced by IT as it lightens the load of IT, enabling them to address other applications and requirements, while still satisfying the needs of the business.

Process Director is also able to operate beyond company walls so events and actions that benefit customers, partners or other third-parties can become part of processes and workflow. The feedback we receive repeatedly is that Process Director provides the flexibility and comprehensiveness that a single application simply cannot touch.

When IT departments deploy Process Director, they emphasize both business and technology goals equally. The act of establishing business processes instills a sense of what is possible because it breaks down any walls that might exist between the tech and business sides of the enterprise. Interestingly, BPM then becomes a rallying point for business growth. IT leaders can evangelize the notion that the company is prepared for anything because the business foundation is built on a tool that is optimized for business growth. That becomes a powerful weapon for the organization.

Business processes (BPM) takes the best of your enterprise applications and makes them both measurable and sustainable.

Many years ago Peter Drucker, the great management thinker, predicted the rise of what he called the "knowledge worker". As evidenced over time, Drucker was truly a thought leader. Today, we can acknowledge that we have arrived at “the place” Drucker envisioned: a place where almost all jobs require some element of knowledge work. Yet it is not true that everyone with a computer on his or her desk or a smartphone in his or her pocket qualifies as a knowledge worker.

The rise of the knowledge worker has also led to an impetus for business process management (BPM). BPM enables people to access more data. That, in turn, can facilitate new insights for knowledge workers who might not ‘normally’ have access to that same data.

Most enterprise applications run better and more efficiently when used by those who have what we call a ‘process mindset’. Of course, there are a variety of ways to use BPM to gain that process mindset and the insights that are derived from greater access to more kinds of data.

Case management software is a prime example. When case management software is paired with BPM software, business users can build, modify and manage sophisticated digital applications in a human-directed way. Case magnifies the effects of BPM because it is an agile way of integrating data from disparate sources and managing how it is used. As a result of detailed analytics, case management provides information that can be used to derive additional insights.

The true impact of BPM case management is best understood in the context of workflow. The market has a lot of BPM-only tools that rely on the "if, then" concept. They have been developed to manage sequential, time-driven events and operations. Yet many processes are more complex in what they deliver, who they touch and how they handle obstacles and changing conditions.

This is an important differentiator for case management because it is framed around processes that are not necessarily beholden to a timeline or a sequence— but are more often about the logic and actions taken within the process. A well-constructed adaptive case management solution can take into account things like business data (through the integration of information from different sources), business logic, deadlines, and insights derived from the data.

It is important to think about case management not as a "thing" like a project or a folder. Rather, it is the accumulation of all the elements that comprise the activity, all formed around the varying aspects of an issue, or case. The beauty of case management is that the goal is known, the premise understood, yet there is flexibility to pull in the necessary information so as to make better decisions based on deeper insights into the issues one is trying to solve.

Consider, for example, how a decision is made using a simple "T-Chart". We have all, at one time or another, sat down to weigh pros and cons of a T-Chart. To do that, we have to frame the outcome and provide details based on what we know. If it is buying a car, well, we know what we care about most that will sway us in making a decision. If gas mileage, air conditioning and color are critical, we would put them on the list. Maybe we do not care about cruise control and seat warmers, so we can exclude them. If cruise control contributed to gas mileage, and if better gas mileage could give you a better rebate, would that be a factor in your decision? All features have to be assessed and factored in at times independently, and at other times, collectively. A T-Chart (and most human brains), is incapable of calculating so many interconnected variables. Case management, however, is designed to do just that, and by doing so, provides users with an advantage in terms of perspective and understanding.

Peter Drucker also said, “The basic economic resource - the means of production - is no longer capital, nor natural resources, nor labor. It is and will be knowledge.” If you apply that to today’s enterprise, you will recognize the difference between data and, as Drucker says, “Knowledge.” Knowledge brings understanding, and understanding leads to a better decisions.

Case management is a methodology that can help organizations better address and use the information it collects. In so doing, BPM case management solutions enables companies to optimize their most prized asset.

The exciting news is that I’ve been given approval to implement workflow and business process management across our entire organization and find a vendor to partner with. After a lot of internal evangelizing, I have executive support to make it happen! I have accumulated a lot of great insights from colleagues about the functionality we need, and now have that most critical piece...budget!

I feel like I have already spent a ton of time on this, and we haven’t even started looking at products. So, for this next phase, I'm evaluating all manner of tools and applications, seeking the right solution for my company, and taking into consideration products (and their viability), appropriateness for our company, price, time-to-deploy, and the ‘fit’ with the vendor. Our goal is to ensure that we can get more work done faster, with improved communication and better results. We will certainly do our due diligence, but there are a lot of moving parts.

It is not hard to find software applications that are labeled as "BPM" or "workflow". There are lots out there. Since I’ve spent considerable time learning about the needs of different groups within our company, I have a specific set of requirements based on those BPM and workflow needs. First and foremost, the product must meet our standards and desired goals: 1) Increase efficiency in our operations, 2) Streamline how work is accomplished, 3) Improve collaboration, and 4) Expand our (collective) business insights. More than anything else, of course, it needs to address our business issues— but has to do that without creating extra layers of work. In other words, this workflow solution should help us get the right people involved, give them the ability to make decisions based on better information, process the results of those decisions, trigger each step in the process, and provide a track record of what transpired. Whew!

In evaluating vendors, one thing that stands out is how many say they provide BPM and workflow tools, but on deeper inspection, it looks like that's not actually the case. Instead of offering a unique workflow solution, many of these companies have what appears to be a workflow-based engine that was intended to work specifically with some other application; maybe ERP, CRM or SFA. That’s not what we are looking for— and I can spot an inadequate solution within two minutes into a demo.

Part of my evaluation is based on WHAT the product does, but also WHO the company is. This is not a pair of shoes that we are buying. I need to know that I can trust the people behind the product, that they take pride in what they do, and that they are easy to work with. After all, we are betting a major part of the foundation of our business on this.

I have taken part in a few demos and it is striking how most begin with a PowerPoint and 45 minutes of talking (a vendor monologue…) What I am looking for is a team who listens and wants to know my story. I want them to be honest and forthcoming, and to understand how they can help me and my company, given our unique characteristics.

The right vendor will be able to give me an accurate portrayal of what life will be like with its solution, and can address these questions:

• Can the product they provide address processes both across all internal groups and externally to third-parties? How is integration and collaboration handled?
• Does the product they provide improve workflow as a result of HOW it will be accessed?
• Can the product they provide effectively facilitate workflow and processes through mobile, social and other types of digital interaction?
• How much functionality does the company offer relative to electronic forms? Do they have the ability to accurately be called "smart forms"?
• What is the ease of building apps and forms? Can non-developers and business users participate in creating and modifying processes?
• Will I be able to take advantage of predictive capabilities with the product they provide?
• Are there data and analytics capabilities that I can use to better understand how my processes are performing?

The answers to these questions will determine how we move forward and which vendor we choose. We want to start with a conversation and a dialogue, though, not sit through a one-size-fits-all presentation. My hope is to find a vendor who is interested in more than my purchase order. I am looking for a partner that is invested in me achieving the results we need. If I can find that company, then I know I will be closer to project success.

Summer has finally arrived and with it come opportunities to catch a wave, dig your toes into the sand, grab a cold one, and decompress. If a nearby beach is calling your name, we'd like to send you off with that long-standing tradition of loading up on workflow-related material for your beach reads. While the beaches are filled with teens frolicking to summer grooves and kids kicking sand into your guacamole, you'll be content and ready to re-charge, as you ‘entertain’ yourself by flipping through some of the finest thinking on how BPM software and workflow software are changing the way the world works….

In all seriousness, it's true that we usually don't take time to ‘learn’ because we're so heads-down in "doing." It becomes easy to stick with what we know, but summertime gives us a reminder that slowing down and looking around usually presents some interesting opportunities.

We think about BPM and workflow all the time, and our website is loaded with best practices, knowledge and BPM resources to help you become smarter about BPM solutions and methods that can impact your business. For the purposes of convenience (and not to overwhelm you), we've chosen a few key pieces to help you better understand how BPM and workflow actually work, how to prepare your organization for using them, and what you can expect to gain. So here is the essential list of BPM and workflow beach reads (and your cue to grab that cold one):

1. The Project: Process Pat and the Journey to Process Improvement
This blog series follows Process Pat as he embarks on a path to improve his company's decision-making and outcomes by using BPM and workflow. Part 1 shows how Pat introduces the project to colleagues, then follows with how he gets executive approval in Part 2. In Part 3, Pat uncovers some important truths about how things get done within his company. This impacts how he proceeds with his project.

2. BPM Means Business. So Does Workflow.
This blog provides an understanding of the differences and similarities between BPM and workflow, and how different types of organizations benefit from them.

3. Business and the Clock: Workflow and Time
Time can be both the greatest asset and, potentially, biggest enemy, of any business. Failing to meet a schedule or not delivering on expectations can be disastrous. This blog explains the importance of having the element of time included in your BPM and workflow solution.

4. Business Process Outcomes: What an Enterprise Should Expect for Its BPM Investment
The blog outlines seven key outcomes that an organization should expect after implementing BPM. It provides a roadmap for ensuring success and driving towards important business-process improvement.

At this point, you should be well-versed in the language, trends and key elements of BPM software and workflow software. Feel free to grab another cold one, catch a wave, and start a process. Cowabunga!

Business is going really well at our company. We have seven consecutive quarters of significant growth, dramatic improvement in margins, we are hiring good people, and morale is great. In the midst of this, the last thing anyone wants to do is kill the momentum. Which is why, if I don't nail the project I'm planning, I could easily become the guy who ruined all the fun.

The truth is, I think we have the potential to improve. Even with all this success, I see areas that would benefit from business process improvement— in areas like how we manage tasks, how we communicate, and how we make decisions. I see this from the perspective of an employee whose work depends on business processes and workflows. Yet, as Director of IT, I also know that with the right solution, the right internal buy-in, and collaboration, we can improve on how our company achieves its goals. If I can get agreement and support to drive a project that identifies and implements a business process improvement solution, I have no doubt that every department within the company will get on board.

It is interesting how success can sometimes breed complacency. Some might attribute it to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" syndrome. In other words, since business is going so well, why introduce something that will require ‘change’ and modify our business operations? My vantage point tells me that this is precisely the right time to make a change. We are already running efficiently and have a focus on our goals. Some could translate that as we're already where we want to be. Yet, I’m sure we can do better.

So the challenge is for me to sell it. I need to get senior management to approve and support the project. In fact, I even need them to champion it. The first step, however, is to get my CIO and other executives to recognize that this is not the time to sit on our hands. I need them to see that with action, we can prepare our company for a future where we can replicate the things we are doing well right now— and even do them more effectively.

In order to get their approval and for me to then be able to move forward, I have to explain it in their terms. I need to inform and persuade our executives by focusing on outcomes. I want them to see the critical improvements that our company will realize with the implementation of this kind of thinking (yes, I need to talk to them about business process management), and I also need to assuage any concerns they have. My approach will be a mixture of salesmanship and exploration. I recognize that in the course of doing this, I will also learn more about the issues they think are important, and ultimately, I may bake those into our solution.

These are the issues I will address in order to get executive approval:

ROI: As they say, accentuate the positives. Our executives need to answer to their Board and investors; their performance is based on how well they manage costs and increase revenue. I am doing a fairly rudimentary cost/benefit analysis that demonstrates significant cost savings from deploying a robust BPM solution. It includes estimates of reductions in the number of hours employees spend on time- consuming tasks, the impact of faster and more collaborative decision-making. And because I am looking at a BPM solution that doesn’t require coding to create processes, my ROI shows significant savings that will come from avoiding the IT application queue (plus having the ability to create, modify and manage their own processes.)

Empowerment: Executives love it when people can do more. A BPM software solution, especially one that does not require IT to build and manage processes, empowers employees to improve their workload by creating more efficient ways to accomplish tasks. I know they will love to learn that we can reduce the IT burden and give staff the ability to build, implement and manage processes. That means there will be cost savings and change management all in one.

Risk mitigation: There are always concerns, with any new BPM or workflow software, around allowing access to company and customer data. I completely understand that! If our data falls victim to a hack or security breach, it could have a major impact on our brand; if customers cannot trust us, they will not remain customers for very long. I have already built in tight security controls for our network and our environment. To ensure that our BPM system will be secure, I have developed specific guidelines for usage and access, and, with the solution I'm proposing, I will be able to monitor usage trends and behavior.

Automation benefits: Most of our business activities consist of repeatable processes. The issue is finding time to actually codify them as processes and commit them to how people work. In my company, even the C-level execs are frustrated with the length of time it takes to accomplish certain tasks. I am going to demonstrate what a BPM solution with workflow automation capabilities can do to automate certain tasks, thereby reducing red tape and increasing efficiencies across the organization.

My work is cut out for me. Our execs, like all execs, are a demanding bunch— but that is why I like being here. I want them to really poke at my project because it will ultimately help me create a better plan.

I will be back shortly...and I will let you know if I got the green light. Wish me luck!

Continue The Journey

The Project, Step 2: Process Pat Seeks Executive Champions

Spring is in the air, and for students, that means that freedom is close at hand. Although their plans may include summer jobs, internships and vacations, college administrators are using this time to re-tool and plan for the coming academic year.

Establishing and maintaining processes for the diverse activities that occur in a college environment is critical to helping students become successful, as they prepare to navigate school and life.

Colleges and universities live by a rigorous calendar that includes many repeatable process activities. Having a business process foundation underlying these actions enables the institution to run smoothly, servicing the needs of students, professors, vendors and other stakeholders. From enrollment to course selection, student services to employee management, the entire college experience (at least, for those responsible for operations and management) requires participation, collaboration, and effective repeatable process management of records and processes.

Let us consider the situation that most institutions of higher learning are in: they are not-for-profit (money is tight), their deadlines are driven by a strict calendar (one that cannot be changed if something goes wrong), they serve a diverse population (students with different needs, from different backgrounds, all with different expectations), and are beholden to a noble, but somewhat vague, goal (create a more educated citizenry). Imagine creating a business plan that has this kind of backdrop. Venture capitalists would run in the opposite direction.

While this scenario might look unwieldy and insurmountable to some, for smart colleges — those that have deliver a great education while existing on a solid foundation of organizational best practices — operating with process efficiency and generating solid results means the same thing as it does for a Fortune 500 company. As with any well-managed and forward-thinking organization, for colleges, BPM software and workflow software are critical tools.

BP Logix has worked with a number of colleges universities and technical colleges, gaining insight into their needs and expectations. Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) in Utah has a goal to continuously innovate and improve, whether delivering programs to students or services to support staff. Recognizing that it had cabinets filled with paper forms —and processes that would benefit from workflow automation— the IT team reviewed its requirements, scope and criteria, then issued an RFP for a repeatable process automation solution to automate its processes and more effectively manage its forms and data. Determined not to build the solution in-house and with the support of the President’s Council, DATC selected Process Director BPM software.

DATC then rolled out the repeatable process management solution to a number of departments. In student services alone there are already 17 completed processes with five in the queue. In Finance there are seven processes. In HR and IT the progress is equally impressive. The Director of IT paid us a compliment when he said, “Knowing where our business processes and workflow are without having to chase them down is invaluable. What used to take days is taking hours — what used to take weeks is taking days.”

Columbus Technical College is one of 28 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia, and its focus is on providing education for the 21st Century workplace in areas like healthcare, business, applied sciences and general studies. Columbus serves about 4,000 students per quarter and operates on an $18 million budget. CTC’s innovative IT department identified BPM software and workflow software as essential elements in solving a long-standing issue: repeatable process management of the vast amount of information required for approvals and decision-making for all types of issues.

The IT group recognized a need to eliminate manual routing of data and documents and replace it with an automated system. They evaluated a number of repeatable process management solutions and decided on using Process Director. As a result, they have been able to streamline business processes on campus—and provide enormous benefits in terms of information access, efficiency and cost savings.

The lesson for today, students, is that irrespective of what the organization does, it has goals, and operating with greater process efficiency while reducing complexity is among them. BPM software and workflow software are proven repeatable process management solutions that enable institutions to ‘do’ business more effectively and remain focused on their greater purpose, no matter what that purpose is.

Ready to see for yourself?  Contact us today and schedule a free workflow software demo of Process Director from a BP Logix BPM software and workflow software expert.

Spring is in the air, and for students, that means that freedom is close at hand. Although their plans may include summer jobs, internships and vacations, administrators in the higher education industry are using this time to re-tool and plan for the coming academic year.

Establishing and maintaining processes for the diverse activities that occur in a college environment is critical to helping students become successful, as they prepare to navigate school and life.

Higher education institutions live by a rigorous calendar that includes many repeatable process activities. Business process management software enables the institution to run smoothly, servicing the needs of students, professors, vendors and other stakeholders. From enrollment to course selection, student services to employee management, the entire college experience (at least, for those responsible for operations and management) requires participation, collaboration, and effective management of records and processes.

Let us consider the situation that most higher education institutions are in: they are not-for-profit (money is tight), their deadlines are driven by a strict calendar (one that cannot be changed if something goes wrong), they serve a diverse population (students with different needs, from different backgrounds, all with different expectations), and are beholden to a noble, but somewhat vague, goal (create a more educated citizenry). Imagine creating a business plan that has this kind of backdrop. Venture capitalists would run in the opposite direction.

While this scenario might look unwieldy and insurmountable to some, for smart colleges — those that have deliver a great education while existing on a solid foundation of organizational best practices — operating with process efficiency and generating solid results means the same thing as it does for a Fortune 500 company. As with any well-managed and forward-thinking organization, for colleges, business process management software and workflow software are critical tools.

BP Logix has worked with a number of higher education institutions, gaining insight into their needs and expectations. Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) in Utah has a goal to continuously innovate and improve, whether delivering programs to students or services to support staff. Recognizing that it had cabinets filled with paper forms —and processes that would benefit from workflow automation— the IT team reviewed its requirements, scope and criteria, then issued an RFP for a business process management software solution to automate its processes and more effectively manage its forms and data. Determined not to build the solution in-house and with the support of the President’s Council, DATC selected Process Director BPM software.

DATC then rolled out the business process management software solution to a number of departments. In student services alone there are already 17 completed processes with five in the queue. In Finance there are seven processes. In HR and IT the progress is equally impressive. The Director of IT paid us a compliment when he said, “Knowing where our business processes and workflow are without having to chase them down is invaluable. What used to take days is taking hours — what used to take weeks is taking days.”

Columbus Technical College is one of 28 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia, and its focus is on providing higher education for the 21st Century workplace in areas like healthcare, business, applied sciences and general studies. Columbus serves about 4,000 students per quarter and operates on an $18 million budget. CTC’s innovative IT department identified business process management software and workflow software as essential elements in solving a long-standing issue: management of the vast amount of information required for approvals and decision-making for all types of issues.

The IT group recognized a need to eliminate manual routing of data and documents and replace it with an automated system. They evaluated a number of business process management software solutions and decided on using Process Director. As a result, they have been able to streamline business processes on campus—and provide enormous benefits in terms of information access, efficiency and cost savings.

The lesson for today, students, is that irrespective of what the organization does, it has goals, and operating with greater process efficiency while reducing complexity is among them. Business process management software and workflow software are proven business process management solutions that enable higher education institutions to ‘do’ business more effectively and remain focused on their greater purpose, no matter what that purpose is.

Ready to see for yourself?  Contact us today and schedule a free workflow software demo of Process Director from a BP Logix BPM software and workflow software expert.

In One Hour, You’ll See Your Business in a Whole New Light

https://youtu.be/ueJL0lgHIXM

No one wants to do the same thing, day in and day out. Especially in your job. If you’re not finding ways to improve and innovate, you probably aren’t providing much value.

At the same time, the idea of change is often scary. Sometimes it requires you to move out of a comfort zone —and at other times to buy into a new vision. That might seem daunting to some of us, but what if, as a result of this ‘movement’, you could improve the foundation of your business operations —with minimal stress? And what if you could share a workflow software solution that had the flexibility to change as the business changes and grows? THAT would be worth the effort, wouldn’t it?

Change in the business environment is inevitable. There are big changes (replacing key executives, losing major customers, market swings), and there are small changes (updating reporting requirements, re-organizing distribution lists). Some are anticipated and manageable; the big ones can, however, pull the rug out from under you. When you have employed the right tools, however, the business can keep moving in the direction of its goals.

A Free Workflow Software Demo Will Put Organizational Change at Ease

We know about change. We have been fortunate to partner with dozens of customers as they use Process Director workflow software to improve operations, increase collaboration, create new processes, and effectively change how their organizations get stuff done.

You know what change means within your own organization — now we would like to invite you to experience Process Director. Having first learned about your organization and its goals, our free workflow software demonstration of Process Director will provide a customized view. We will show how the workflow software can address issues in the context of your organization. Our customers tell us that they appreciate the fact that we don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ mentality —and that we customize what we share to make the conversation more relevant.

It is important for organizations to adopt workflow tools that enable them to be more efficient and adaptable to changing business requirements. Just like the weather, business priorities and tactics can change rapidly and sometimes before we are completely prepared to deal with them. Process Director has business process automation software with predictive capabilities built in that enable users to meet changing demands. And, of course, all of this can be done without programming.

The free workflow software demo and discussion we engage in will provide you with insights as to how Process Director works —and give you a feel for the ease with which you can make changes and adapt to your company’s needs. We can point to awards and customer validation; their story is not your story. What you have going on in your group, division, and across the entire company is unique and we want to talk specifically to your issues and concerns.

The best way for you to understand what Process Director can provide is to see it in action. Be able to map Process Director to your specific challenges and needs is our goal. Where it can make the biggest impact is up to you.

While we can provide a list of what Process Director can do, seeing it in action will give you the context as to where it might best fit in your organization. And, of course, it helps us to have a more meaningful conversation regarding where you want to take your business.

We invite you to contact us and schedule your free workflow software demo of Process Director today!

Organizations run as a result of human interaction: nothing gets done without the effort of many people bringing their unique skills to the effort of achieving goals.

In our current digital age, businesses rely on communication and collaboration more than ever before in making decisions. That is generally considered a positive outcome of the ultra-connected digital world in which we live —and operate. The downside, however, is that there is a dizzying array of tools, applications and solutions that promise great value for sharing and connecting.

Deciding which tools to use, how to use them, and how to ensure they are delivering on their promise can create confusion and indecision (precisely the things they are supposed to overcome.)

Businesses must remember to use their technology investment for the purpose of growing the business. This is done by facilitating better internal processes— and getting closer to customers. Better processes beget a more optimal working environment. Proximity to customers provides an opportunity to learn, analyze and predict user behavior. No single tool provides a cure-all, or a way to do both of these things; a combination of the right tools and an adaptable organizational mindset can change how collaboration and communication are handled among stakeholders.

To map what an organization does for its employees, partners, and customers requires a solution that supports internal goals along with easy access for end users. In today’s market, customers are used to on-demand access from almost any and all devices. Delivery of information through social channels does not just bring more touch-points. It actually signals that the business wants to engage and is ready to transact in a way that is convenient for the user. Social tools and cloud-based availability are among the ways that companies can deliver value — and leverage their existing technology investment when connecting with customers.

Social media, mobile apps, and cloud-based services have been the primary drivers behind the shift to increasing customer engagement. Consider the traditional non-storefront commerce model (and by “traditional” we refer to the way we purchased goods before the 21st century). That customer service model included a phone center accessed via IVR (interactive voice response) systems, staffed with call center representatives, in which every contact was handled by this rep, acting as a middleman. The rep had the benefit of knowing the company processes, however once products left the warehouse, there was little knowledge as to how they were used or what the reaction to them was. Even for customers who called with complaints or questions, there was little way of capturing that.

With the help of workflow that supports social functionality, that model has been upended by the simplicity and immediacy of Twitter and Facebook. Customers are mobile, connected, and have high expectations! Process Director is equipped to give those customers non-stop touch points with vendors.

Our customers who use the social functionality of Process Director share how this has dramatically changed how they integrate the ‘customer connection’ with their internal processes. Process Director gives them, and you, the power to:

• Drive workflow behavior from social media events (such as a tweet or Facebook status update)
• Respond to customers via Twitter (tweet, RT, DM, reply)
• Manage Facebook campaigns (likes/unlikes, comments)

The preponderance of social media tools have helped to advance the ability of organizations to deliver results to their customers. With capabilities that facilitate connecting and communicating both inside and outside of their corporate walls, Process Director is improving response time and enhancing communication.

Using social functionality to encourage productivity and efficiency enables our customers to become more responsive. Through social media, both internal and external processes can be improved, delivering better results to the intended audience.

The world we live in is a more scrutinized place than it was a generation ago. In our personal lives, that provides a sense of security. For companies, however, it means that virtually any activity or transaction can be used to determine if business operations comply with company, industry and/or legal standards. Companies need to not only operate according to specific rules and regulations, they also need to be able to track and audit their actions. For this type of work, compliance automation with workflow software can be a huge asset in ensuring all aspects of business process governance, risk and compliance (GRC).

Workflow software is a perfect complement to GRC because it is fundamentally about breaking down business activity to smaller steps and distributing that information to those who can address the issues or tasks. GRC and business process governance concerns itself with ensuring that activities are resolved or advanced — and that the right people provide the right level of approval to enforce desired behavior.

Workflow software solutions, like Process Director, use alerts and triggers to identify actions that deviate from expected outcomes and have a built-in document workflow management system with storage capabilities to record the lifecycle (and history) of document versions. These compliance automation solutions should also integrate with existing security and directory applications, to be able to operate seamlessly within existing application architecture.

Compliance can impact the financial and legal condition of a company. And as more companies look to their workflow frameworks, or create new ones, they create a risk and compliance environment that minimizes exposure and enhances transparency.

Compliance Automation With Industry Regulations

Government regulations are usually specific to particular industries. OSHA, the SEC, the FDA and a host of other agencies mandate an ever-changing number of regulations and policies, and adherence to them is mandatory. FERPA, SOX and HIPAA guidelines are intended to drive specific actions and produce specific results.

There are some compliance automation solutions that purport to address certain regulations; they often have difficulty keeping up with changes to policies and laws. Because workflow software is focused on the business and has the flexibility to change to meet changing needs, it can overlay industry-specific regulatory requirements into the routine actions of employees involved in a particular process.

Workflow software tends to operate as a conductor of business processes, yet with a layer of governance built in. Process Director, for example, has built-in capabilities like electronic signature technology, multi-factor authentication, document usage and storage rules that can be applied to any type of document or process. And because each asset and action is tracked, your organization can analyze business functions to determine if an employee, a group, or even the entire company is compliant.

Ready for audits

Business audits are an inevitable factor of business life. Whether for internal purposes (Are we maintaining our internal SLAs? Have we met authorization standards?) or to ensure industry compliance (like Sarbanes-Oxley), there is almost always an oversight organization that requires knowledge about some past activity.

Workflow software solutions offer a storehouse of transactional activity that includes timestamps, user information, and approval tracking. For whatever purpose is needed, one can see the “who,what,where and when” of every business action. This prevents employees from providing false information (either intentionally or inadvertently), and provides insights that ensure the error can be corrected in the future.

Like the insurance policy you may buy but hope to never use, one hopes to never be audited or questioned on any risk-related issue. Because the price of doing business in our global, connected economy requires adherence to certain business principles, however, it is critical to use the right compliance automation tool to deliver optimal and compliant business activity.

Ready to see for yourself? Contact us for a free demo from a BP Logix business process management expert and learn how your organization can maintain compliant with Process Director workflow software.

Business Process Outcomes: What an Enterprise Should Expect for Its BPM Investment

We talk with companies of all sizes and shapes and, even though their industries vary, their business challenges are usually quite similar. Some have preconceived notions of what a business solution “should” look like. And they have perceptions as to what success looks like as well.

It is not our job to suggest a workflow solution where one is not warranted. We always have to consider a customer's predilections when creating the right solution for them. It is important, however, for decision makers to understand the reality of what workflow is— and what it provides.

The first part of our engagement with any customer is to listen to their story and learn what is important to them. We are workflow and business process experts, but we can’t identify how to help a customer until we understand their challenge. Once we “get it”, we can work with that customer to suggest where BPM and workflow could help.

For us to be successful, and for our customers to derive value, we must also help them achieve a significant ROI. And our customers tell us they have achieved measurable improvement in these areas:

1. Document format standardization: Different types of documents are used within organizations, with differences attributed to functional needs and design preferences. This is totally normal. As long as all documents adhere to business rules and some level of guidance, which are provided by a workflow solution, variances in look-and-feel can be accommodated.

2. Deeper user engagement: The whole point of workflow is to increase transparency and eliminate bottlenecks caused by participants who are unaware of changes and updates. A workflow solution must alert people to changes in documents, request approvals where needed, and provide real-time updates. Those enable the business owners to manage expectations and be better equipped to anticipate where issues might occur. They enable them to be more informed and able to adapt.

3. Integrate data: No matter how you look at it, data drives an enterprise. There's almost nothing that happens that is not ‘informed’ by data that resides somewhere else within the organization. Irrespective of company size, data needs to be shared and workflow is the best enabler of that communication. An effective workflow and process management solution should be able to easily pull data (that includes specified, selected sets of data) from different documents and applications, and integrate it into a usable, functional presentation layer. This data forms the foundation of the workflow— and it is critical that it be easy to create and manage.

4. Make use of replicable patterns: A key element of business efficiency is automating processes. Workflow provides a foundation upon which processes can be built, and is done in a way that mirrors human activity. Doing so allows participants to optimize what works best for them, and use what they've learned in other processes. The goals can be different however the workflow foundation and processes supporting it can be re-used and re-purposed.

5. Better governance: Once created, workflows can be adapted and changed, however the workflows themselves must be carefully managed. You want everyone included who should be included — yet access needs to be limited to those who are actively involved. A solid workflow solution will facilitate easy change management, so that new players can get involved and contribute.

6. More user and admin flexibility: With all the great things a workflow provides, one of the most important things it needs is flexibility. This means it has to be changeable, easily, to adapt to new business needs, new participants, and updated goals. Workflows are not built then left to fend for themselves. This limits what workflows can provide. The true test of an effective workflow is one that is able to constantly change, like the business it supports.

7. Increased predictive capabilities: Irrespective of what you are trying to achieve through your workflows and processes, you should be able to have visibility in to what a post-workflow world looks like. Your solution must provide intelligent, thoughtful predictions about the improvements you will see, then measure whether or not you are actually achieving them.

Business challenges come in all shapes and sizes, and they are not easy to predict. But if you have implemented an effective workflow solution and adhere to a smart business process framework, you will be well positioned to deal with any issues you might face. You are trying to build something that will enable growth; your workflow and BPM will prove time and again that they can be effective tools to help you do that. Contact us to learn more about Process Director and schedule a free demonstration today.

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.

Time can be both the greatest asset and, potentially, biggest enemy, of any business. Failing to meet a schedule or not delivering on expectations can be disastrous. Having insight into your organization’s cadences and applying that information to ‘predict and prepare’ is one of the most important advantages any company can have.

Within the preparation process itself is the need to manage deliverables, activities and actions. One of the best ways to do that is by streamlining and automating the processes that run the company.

Process Director has been developed to address the dimension of time as it relates to meeting the demands of today’s business environment. The patented business process automation software technology, Process Timeline™, gives users the earliest and most immediate notice of potential delays in processes, leading to earlier intervention and fewer surprises. It also offers process owners the ability to examine “what-if” scenarios, enabling them to predict the impact of an anticipated or hypothetical delay in a given process instance.

Analysts at Info-Tech Research gave high praise to this functionality when they said, "...[the Process Timeline] ensures that processes are triggered and executed in the proper order. The Timeline feature also displays all of the project due dates in relation to each other, and when a due date is missed or the workflow is edited ad hoc by a user, the Timeline automatically adjusts and updates itself to reflect the new expected due dates with no additional plug-ins required.”

Our competitors tend to think of timelines differently than we do as is demonstrated in their offerings. For most, timelines are either about: A) How a process is structured, or B) As an element ‘baked’ into an action. In other words, every action is merely added to a time-specified place on the process continuum. There are others who view timelines as a series of milestones best instituted by identifying and establishing repetitive tasks. These vendors believe that at various steps in the process, (some) action should be dictated by a pre-defined set of milestones, events and notifications.

There is value in applying timeline concepts in this way, but it is also limiting. Checklists are helpful to a point. With this perspective, they encourage customers to make their business issues fit within this pre-defined set of potential circumstances.

Other vendors recommend creating processes before any tools are applied. This is not all bad, as it encourages a process-focused mindset— and we are all for that. But it fails to take into account the ways in which a process or solution can change, and how the organization needs to deal with that change.

The biggest difference is that BP Logix views timelines as relevant to the entire process. Each step along the process is subject to the dictates of the Timeline, and can be adapted as the process changes. Within each activity in the process can be entire separate, but related workflows that facilitate the overall process.

A process is very much an evolutionary thing. It must adapt to the changes that occur in the business. Process Director enables non-technical participants to update and change both the Timelines and its processes easily. It empowers the people who recognize problem to be able to affect necessary and relevant changes.

We believe the Process Timeline — and the results it achieves for customers. They attest to the fact that, because of the ability to predict and act, they are better equipped and prepared to be problem solvers. That, in turn, enables their companies to be more successful in delivering results and meeting expectations.

If you are interested in learning more about workflow and BPM, we invite you to join us for a free BPM software demo of Process Director, the award-winning solution from BP Logix - please contact us and we will coordinate with you.

In our technology-obsessed economy, business managers trying to find business process management (BPM) solutions to the problems they are facing often turn to software. In the eyes of many, anything that can be downloaded, accessed via the cloud, or available on a smart phones represents a potential problem-solver. And while technology can bring about major improvements regarding how we work, there’s a lot more to changing the way that the organization works than downloading bits.

One of the biggest predictors of success is preparedness and readiness to prepare for change. For our customers, success is a result of the benefits of the workflow they have initiated — workflows that automate, streamline and tie together what can sometimes be disparate parts of a process. We have learned that to have a realistic framework for that workflow, an organization must first recognize that it is ready. This means requirements gathering, internal education (or training) and “process change” to facilitate the transition to a workflow-friendly environment.

Recognition is an important first step; from there employees can factor in specific information about what needs to be solved, who needs to be involved, and the requirements that will lead to a successful outcome. These are the factors that play a key role in ultimately solving issues! In the preliminary stages of your workflow solution search, however, they provide a framework that helps participants truly understand the role they play in improving business operations.

Workflow doesn’t just happen. You can’t ‘announce’ a workflow launch one day and expect your processes to become wildly efficient the next. For workflow tools to have an impact on an organization, the team responsible for implementation needs to have considered where it will be used, how it will be used, and whom it will benefit. This is the defining moment for the workflow mindset.

The concept of workflow can, and should, enter the minds of your team before it is implemented. This gives them time to prepare, anticipate and create an optimal environment for the launch. Your internal workflow champion should advise those involved to begin building requirements around these questions.

- Do my processes need to only work internally, or should they be available to third-parties in our ecosystem?

- Can my workflow be improved by HOW it will be accessed? What impact do I anticipate from mobile, social and other types of digital interaction?

- Is our organization looking at short-term, repeatable processes only? Is this limiting my ability to achieve better results from workflow?

- Are there documents and data sources that, if included in my workflow, could make it more valuable?

- What level of interaction do I want my team to have? (For example, do you want participants to have the ability to make changes to the workflow or should this be the domain of experts only?)

- Could my workflow be more valuable if it provided data analysis and metrics?

The answers to these questions will determine how to move forward to adopt the right workflow for your needs. Simply asking these questions will help those who work on your processes to think through the fundamental aspects of how they can begin to make changes in thinking and work habits— changes that can ultimately help to identify the best workflow tool and to deploy it in the most effective way possible.

Increasing profits is critical, but BPM and workflow can positively impact so many elements of organizational operations

Any organization’s bottom line is an incredible “motivator.” It is used to pay bonuses, bestow awards and give accolades to those whose efforts lead to reducing spending and increasing profits. After all, the purpose of any organization is to grow and improve— and a healthy bottom line indicates achievement on both counts. There are limitations, though, to what a company can try to achieve through its profit-maximizing efforts. As a result companies have to safeguard against idealizing “business improvement” in terms of numbers only.

What the bottom line fails to calculate is the human element in business activity. Improvements can be made — sometimes big, sweeping improvements— and not be represented in a spreadsheet as those efforts may be more difficult to quantify. When we talk with Process Director users, however, we find that these so-called "soft benefits" often help change the mindset of the organization in such a way that long term bottom line improvement becomes embedded into how the company actually operates.

This is the essence of Process Director. It enables processes that lead BOTH directly and indirectly to business process improvement. Some benefits are realized immediately, while others form over time yet their impact is seen, felt and heard for years to come. These longer term improvements are usually seen in a variety of ways:

Participant contribution: We all go to a job every day and would like to make an impact, and play a role in both our own and the company’s success. When we have greater insights into the way our company truly operates, we can gain a deeper sense for what is, and is not, working. Maybe we sensed that invoices weren't getting approved quickly because submitters did not include appropriate paperwork, for example. Yet, by using a BPM software and workflow software solution, we can identify what is going on throughout a process leading to improving the way things get done. Imagine if every person in an organization had a tool that would enable them to be involved in creating better, and faster, processes leading to better, faster results.

Increased visibility: Pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote, "...what is essential is invisible to the eye." He was talking about things far grander than workflow, but his sentiment can also be applied to our business environment. Let's look at it this way: for the sake of expedience, employees rely on a steady flow of data and information. In far too many cases, that data may not lead them to think too much about the process. But that's truly not what is essential. It's useful however the critical things are the issues and processes that, through insight and analysis, can be changed and improved. A weekly Excel report does not encourage employees to seek ways to improve a process. On the other hand, Process Director empowers users to apply their analytical skills to the insight provided by our product. When combined, they give an organization the ability to change and improve in ways that are meaningful to the organization, its customers, and to the bottom line.

Ownership: Employees that have the right tools and permissions can make changes that move a company closer to its goals. Process Director, for example, does not require coding skills to create a usable process —nor to change that process when required. By knowing and understanding the desired outcome, the right types of changes (those that will impact the bottom line) can be made. Two important outcomes result: 1) The potential for better processes and company operations, and 2) A sense of ownership among the employees who are involved. What's more, when employees know their contributions hold the potential to make a real impact, a feeling begins to permeate throughout the organization –and a sense of esprit de corps emerges. This becomes an invaluable asset for any organization, and one that begins to build upon itself.

BPM and workflow are outstanding tools to help businesses perform more effectively. Using them can and ‘should’ result in bottom line improvements. We also know that BPM and workflow can lead to a mindset among 'players' that enables them to be a part of, and accountable for a better way of doing business.

Every organization has some elements of workflow occurring in its daily operations. Even though an organization might not have formalized the very structure of its processes, we know that nothing can happen unless there is a sequence of actions that arrive at a desired result. In colloquial terms, it's called, "Getting Stuff Done." In our vernacular it’s called “Getting Stuff Done through Workflow.” And while stuff always gets done, making sure it's the right stuff, done at the right time, with the right people requires a more structured action plan.

One of the first steps towards business efficiency is recognition. That recognition might be as simple as “Something has to change!” or just the awareness that there's a potential to do things better. This is important because it goes to the heart of what the people in companies actually value. We understand that there is a huge difference between a company that was ‘sold’ a workflow software solution versus one that was seeking a workflow solution for business process improvement in some specific area of its business. For those organizations that want to find a tool to serve as the basis of a better way of doing business, workflow software can be an incredibly effective asset.

Establishing a “Workflow Process” doesn't begin immediately after you sign a purchase order. It starts by establishing a culture that looks to its workflow tools as an operational foundation (the place to start). If your organization is ready for that mindset, you are already a step ahead. (You would be surprised at how many companies buy workflow software, yet have a very limited concept of how to use it). The fun starts once you begin building your guidelines and requirements for implementing what the ‘workflow mindset’ in your organization.

Based on working with hundreds of customers over the past 10+ years, we have observed that there are four steps that, when followed, tend to ensure workflow success. There is also a recommendation: that your implementation team includes both IT and business leaders. The more closely aligned they are, the faster the road to success:

Here is our list:

1. Write down the steps: Yes, this may seem obvious however you want to be clear about the actions, people and decisions that need to occur to arrive at a desired result. Be aware not to make the mistake of thinking that workflow takes care of itself. Workflow is incredibly effective, but only if it is provided with the proper steps.

2. Anticipate changes: Workflow is not something you set up once, then leave it to take care of itself. Workflow is meant to be responsive to your business and the people involved with it. If you have no intention of ever changing what you do, when you do it, or who does ‘it’, then you could set up your workflow and leave it. But we all know that business needs change constantly. Your workflow and processes need to be equipped to be easily changed and updated so they remain in alignment with your goals.

3. Predict outcomes: Do you know what results you are trying to achieve? A workflow is wonderful only if it improves results by delivering a result faster, better, or more efficiently. The key for you and your business is knowing what that "thing" is. You should give serious thought to the results you are currently achieving— and create a model for what a post-workflow world would look like. Make intelligent, thoughtful predictions about the improvements you will see, then measure whether or not you are actually achieving them.

4. Analyze: For workflow nerds (we are among the more dedicated), the REAL fun comes when you have time under your belt and look at the results: Are projects being accomplished faster? Did you eliminate time-consuming steps? How is workflow contributing to your company’s overall efficiency and effectiveness? Remember to think about the metrics that will demonstrate the improvements you wanted to achieve — then analyze your processes to determine whether or not workflow is helping you reach them.

Workflow is neither simple, nor complex. It is a methodology and it is a tool. Workflow can be used in any number of ways you to help your organization. It is not, however, something that should be implemented once —then left to run in the background. Leave that to your high six-figure ERP systems. Workflow can help you to accomplish something constructive and useful. Make sure that you apply it with that in mind for your organization.

If you search the Web for the term "business productivity", you will find that many of the results are associated with business applications. There are apps for time management, apps for invoice processing, apps for inventory control, and apps to help you with just about everything you might want to do. (There is even an app that will remind you when to take breaks). At a macro level, this makes sense. Because they are built to target specific functions, apps are great at identifying and attacking well-defined issues. In and of themselves, however, applications can only solve those problems they are equipped to address. That, too, makes sense.

Business operations can also be enhanced by, and through, applications. Irrespective of how work is inputted, transacted and delivered, the foundation for business productivity will always be process and workflow.

Your business is a complex creature that changes constantly. While most applications are updated regularly with new features, businesses themselves thrive on real-time decision-making, which can only happen with an underlying set of principles and actions that move the business forward.

At BP Logix, we work with a variety of companies who operate in many different industries and markets. Each organization is unique with goals change from quarter to quarter (or week to week). The one thing our customers continually tell us is that they need a unified way to conduct their business; not the "same way" but, rather, having a template that facilitates consistency among users. While workflows themselves are flexible and meant to be modified when needed, employees must be prepared to attack problems as they arise, in order for the company to thrive and be successful.

Our customers also come to us with different types of problems. Because they are smart and innovative, they come with what we call a ‘solution mindset’. There are very few issues that they haven't been able to solve— and Process Director is a major ally in how they attack those issues. The BP Logix faithful use Process Director to address both narrow, specific issues, and larger, inter- and intra-company ones. Process Director gives them the flexibility and comprehensiveness they need to address and resolve their problems.

Any type of process, be it one for marketing, financials, HR, manufacturing, or any combination of these, can be addressed by Process Director. Beyond a BPM software and workflow software solution, it is also a methodology that weaves a mindset among users. No business application, no matter how robust, can do this unless it is integrated across the enterprise. That requires months of work and a significant budget. A process, on the other hand, can be created to identify the critical data and human interactions needed to move forward. A process is not at the mercy of data; rather, it makes use of data from a variety of BPM applications and workflow applications to make the things it delivers more valuable than the sum of its parts.

Business processes offer a unique type of platform. They do not rely solely on bits and bytes. Business processes take data, combine it with the human element, and establish a more efficient and productive environment for the employees that make a business more competitive and successful.

Learn more about Process Director with a free BPM software demo.