Everything You Need to Know About Business Process Management Systems

A business process management system (BPM) is capable of transforming your business. 

It’s like a guardian angel protecting you from the curse of bottlenecks. 

This page will show you how to find and implement these guardian angels so your business can become more efficient.

We’ll give you examples of how BPM tools can help, their benefits, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

What is a business process management system?

Companies use business process management systems (BPM) to optimize or remodel their internal processes.

These tools will also enable you to maintain and monitor business activities and those who manage them. 

The result? Maximized productivity and efficiency.

Benefits of using a business process management system

Here are our top benefits of using business process management systems:

Improved agility

Your business must react to change quickly. 

BPM tools can give you the speed to meet all your company demands. They do this by pinpointing processes that need to be adjusted. You’ll then be able to respond much faster.

Efficiency and cost saving

Inefficient processes waste loads of time and money.

The more complex the process, the more difficult it can be to identify. BPMs can find inefficient processes and eliminate slowdowns.

Increased transparency

Employees are often unaware of many internal processes.

All the processes handled by a BPM can be visible to relevant stakeholders. This will increase transparency and promote trust within your company.

Business process management system case studies

Are you wondering what common business processes can be managed with a BPM system?

Below you’ll find some use cases most BPM tools can handle.

Managing approvals 

You can view requests and approvals from a dashboard. This allows you to deal with all of them quickly. 

Reduce human error

BPM tools minimize data entry errors and issues with lost paperwork.

Promote transparency 

Know exactly what your team is currently working on and what the deadlines are.

Invoice processing

BPM tools let you design automated workflows that can eliminate fraud, improve accuracy, and reduce delays.

Managing suppliers

Incorporate vendor risk management to save yourself from problems and form strong relationships with vendors.

Onboarding employees

Make onboarding fast and streamlined by using workflows that allow automated data gathering.

Choosing the right business process management system

When choosing the perfect BPM tools, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

The complexity of your processes

The first step before deciding what to buy is assessing what you need. The best way to do this is to discover how complex your processes are. That way, you’ll know how robust the tool should be to handle them well.

Integrations

Before purchasing a business process management system, ensure it offers integrations. 

You’ll first want to list all the software and apps you already use. Does your team work predominantly on Google Drive? Do they communicate via Slack? Then look for platforms that can integrate with those apps.

Size of the organization

Is your company a startup, mid-sized, or enterprise? BPM pricing often depends on the size of your organization. That said, some BPMs have different offerings depending on your chosen price tier. Generally, the larger the organization, the more you pay. But that often means you also get additional benefits. So first, decide on your business objectives and then purchase the relevant product.

Tips for choosing the best BPM system

Here are our top 5  tips on how to evaluate different BPM systems and make a final decision.

Real-time monitoring – Look for BPM tools that feature monitoring applications. These applications will monitor all processes in real time, allowing them to pinpoint issues quickly.

Integrations – Most BPMs provide integrations, but not all will fit your needs. It’s generally best to choose a tool with as many integrations as possible.

Support – You’ll want a platform that offers support to its customers. This could be in the form of online tutorials, help centers, or email and phone support.

Usability – Consider what you need the systems to do and who will use them. Will it be used by frontline staff, IT specialists, or throughout the company? The best BPMs are easy and friendly for everyone to use.

Cost – the pricing is important but should be one of many variables you think of when selecting a BPM. Still, decide on your budget early on, as some can be expensive. 

Business process management system examples

We’ve tested several popular BPM tools and whittled them down to 5 of the best ones currently available.

Bizagi

This cloud-based solution is more suitable for advanced users because it requires coding skills.

Features:

• Business process management systems with customizable workflow templates
• Business process management systems for supply chain management
• Business process management systems with real-time reporting capabilities

Pricing: 

• Click here to see Bizagi’s pricing plan.

Process Street

A no-code solution, Process Street offers fully customizable workflows, thousands of integrations, and extensive customer support.

Features:

• Business process management systems with integration options for other business tools
• Business process management systems with a proven track record of success
• Business process management systems with a user-friendly interface
• Business process management systems with a flexible pricing model

Pricing:

• Click here to see Process Street’s pricing plan.

Kissflow

Popular no-code BPM software featuring advanced designing tools and automations, workflows, and real time monitoring.

Features:

• Business process management systems with collaboration features
• Business process management systems with customizable workflow templates
• Business process management systems with real-time reporting capabilities

Pricing:

• Click here to see Kissflow’s pricing plan

Zoho Creator

A low-code platform featuring highly customizable forms and workflows. Best suited for those who like a personalized experienced.

Features:

• Business process management systems with collaboration features
• Business process management systems with customizable workflow templates
• Business process management systems for supply chain management

Pricing:

• Click here to see Zoho Creator’s pricing plan

Processmaker

Processmaker is a low-code, cloud-based BPM with added integrations and automations. Perfect for larger companies and enterprises. 

Features:

• Business process management systems with comprehensive training resources
• Business process management systems with strong security measures
• Business process management systems for supply chain management
• Business process management systems with a flexible pricing model

Pricing:

• Click here to see Processmaker’s pricing plan

Implementing a business process management system

Implementing a new system can take time and effort. Follow the below steps to make the process swifter and smoother:

Identify processes in each department

Once you know what the processes are, you can start examining them. Some may need to be improved, and some designed from scratch. Consider the cost and magnitude of each process before you proceed.

Set goals and targets

Knowing what is urgent and what’s not will make the implementation process quicker. Prioritize tasks and set targets. This will allow you to track daily performances and the scope of work. 

Provide training

Train your employees on how to use the new business process management system. The success of these tools will often depend on how your staff interacts with them. Ensure everyone knows how to stay accountable for the processes they carry out.

Test

Before you implement any new process, test it first. If it doesn’t work, change it and test it again. It can take a few rounds of polishing and refining until you find what works for your business. You’ll also know if the BPM tool delivers what was promised.

Business process management system best practices

Here’s a list of best practices for successfully implementing and minimizing business disruption:

 Be performance-driven. Any business change you make should be based on performance measurements. Know what your aims are and evaluate how to get there.

Keep communication alive. Certain processes are more complex than others and involve several departments. Ensure all teams involved are always in the loop and aware of what’s going on. Identify the tasks they’re responsible for. This will help you structure your workflows accordingly.

Think about your customers. Depending on your industry, you’ll want to prioritize core processes that involve clients. This will allow for creating the best customer experience possible. You can also reach out to them for feedback. 

Implement solutions one at a time. Prioritize your processes and make a checklist of which ones to tackle first. You don’t want to take on too much. Take small steps to allow for mistakes. Always measure and analyze each implemented process before moving on.

To summarize

Business process management systems can help you with approvals, real-time monitoring, and more.

But make sure you choose the one that fits your company’s objectives. 

Opt for robust support and a user-friendly interface with added automations and integrations. 

Implementing a BPM system can change your business from slow and ineffective to efficient and agile within weeks.

If you’re after improving or redesigning all your business processes, a BPM tool can save you loads of time and money.