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Recurring work is an absolute pain. With all your responsibility, the last thing you want to do is spend your valuable time doing work that doesn’t need to be done.
The answer? Process management software.
But that isn’t the real issue, is it?
You understand that process management software can help you increase productivity while saving you time and money.
The problem is that there are tons of software options on the market. You’re likely overwhelmed with the endless products presented to you in a single Google search.
This list will give you all the information you need to understand your team’s needs and ensure you make the best purchase decision.
Here are the top 5 best process management tools to help you narrow your search:
Process Street offers users pre-made templates as well as an easy drag-and-drop interface to build custom advanced workflows from scratch without any hassle. The software is designed to help businesses create a centralized system for all their process management.
Document management capabilities and features, called Pages, can be used to store all process information. These documents in Pages then live alongside their correlating workflows to ensure maximum transparency and efficiency to all team members.
This business process management platform’s wide range of interactions also helps users connect their different business applications to provide a centralized knowledge base for all business operations.
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Zoho Creator is a business process management platform that offers a low-code platform and is a great option for users of other Zoho products. Users can easily customize their business operations by creating applications designed to fit their organization’s exact needs.
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Pipefy provides users with business process software to effectively manage requests and approvals. The tool is well-liked by Volvo and Warner Brothers for its strong form builder. However, many users struggle to make do with the limited features while more advanced elements are quite costly.
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Another no-code business process management platform, Kintone is designed to help users build applications but is also used to store process documentation. The software provides API integration and basic database functionality.
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beSlick offers a process workflow builder to help managers have a more visually appealing overview of their organization procedures. Users can also utilize the flowchart feature to better understand how their processes are running.
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Trello is a popular project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and processes. While it may not be as robust as some of the other options listed, it’s simple and effective for managing tasks and workflows.
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Asana is a comprehensive project and task management tool that can also be used for process management. It allows teams to create and manage workflows, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.
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Smartsheet is a collaborative work management platform that can be used for process management, project planning, and task tracking. It combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with project management features.
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Wrike is a versatile project management and team collaboration platform that can be used for process management. It offers features for planning, tracking, and reporting on workflows and projects.
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ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that includes features for complex task and process management, goal tracking, and time tracking. It’s highly customizable to suit various workflows.
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Needed by every business, business process management software (BPM) helps teams focus on vital standard procedures that keep your organization running.
This BMP tool is designed to manage your business’s fundamental processes, automate any repetitive tasks, optimize your business operations, and manage logistics around the inner workings of each task.
Effective process management software empowers employees to focus on higher-value work and any exception cases that might pop up in daily operations.
This is because the software makes sure all documented work is managed with tasks delivered to the right stakeholders at the assigned time.
Obviously, your budget will be one of the first considerations. The longer the setup time, the longer the expected time to ROI. This cost will compound if you need to pay for extra consulting or setup costs.
The price should be the highest value for the cost of initial purchase, maintenance, and any additional needs.
Ideally, a good process management software will allow you to benefit immediately from some kind of ROI, whether that’s by:
The best process management solutions require basically zero setup, and certainly nothing from your engineering team.
You should be able to sign up, jump in, and start building & documenting your processes in minutes.
Once you’re all set up, consider how long it will take your team to learn how to use the platform before you start to see value.
If the platform is intuitive and easy to use, you should be able to benefit on some level immediately, without enlisting additional expert or consultation services.
Consultation services can be a valuable supplement. Speaking to process design experts about how to improve process efficiency and make the most of the software’s features can be very valuable.
But you shouldn’t have to pay extra overhead to simply start using the platform to manage your processes.
When you invest in process management software, you’re investing in the long-term development of your team’s operational efficiency.
Choosing a platform that is capable of supporting your growth is crucial to getting the most value out of process management software.
If you need to train every new hire on how to use a complex, unintuitive software platform, that will inevitably form a bottleneck.
If the platform is intuitive and easy to use (with well-documented help resources and responsive customer success), you should have everything you need to scale your team.
Process management software offers numerous benefits for businesses and organizations across various industries. Here are some of the key advantages of using such software:
Process management software helps streamline and automate customizable workflows, reducing manual tasks and the risk of human errors. This leads to faster and more efficient processes.
By automating repetitive tasks, employees can focus on more strategic and value-added activities, ultimately increasing productivity across the organization.
Process management software enables businesses to standardize their processes, ensuring that tasks are performed consistently and in compliance with industry regulations or internal standards.
These tools provide real-time visibility into the status of processes. Team members and stakeholders can track progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions.
Managers can assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress more effectively, ensuring that team members are accountable for their responsibilities.
By identifying and addressing process inefficiencies, software can help mitigate risks and compliance issues. It can also track and log changes to processes, aiding in audit trails.
Streamlining processes and reducing errors can lead to significant cost savings over time. This includes savings on labor costs, materials, and resources.
Many process management tools include collaboration features, enabling teams to work together seamlessly, even when geographically dispersed.
Process management software often includes reporting and analytics tools that allow organizations to analyze process performance, identify trends, and make data-driven improvements.
These tools are often highly customizable and can adapt to changing business needs. They can scale with the organization as it grows.
For industries with strict regulatory requirements, process management software helps maintain compliance and provides detailed audit trails for accountability.
Streamlined processes often lead to faster response times and improved customer service, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
By freeing up time and resources through automation, process management software allows organizations to focus on innovation and strategic initiatives.
Many process management tools are cloud-based, making it easier for remote teams to collaborate and access work processes from anywhere.
Going digital with process management reduces the need for physical paperwork, contributing to a more eco-friendly and sustainable approach.
Process management software encourages a culture of continuous improvement by providing data and insights that can be used to refine and optimize processes over time.
A process management software vendor should serve a diverse customer base. This means catering to companies of many sizes, industries, departments, and use cases. You can be assured that the solution they are offering is truly robust and representative of the cutting edge of process management software.
Pro-Tip: Research customer reviews on software you’re interested in using third-party SaaS review sites like GetApp or Capterra to get a better understanding of the vendor and if they’d be a good fit for your company.
Process management software should be supported vendor-side by dedicated departments like:
Understanding that entire teams exist to support various aspects of your chosen process management software means you can be safe in the knowledge that you will reap the benefits for years to come.
Consulting should not be necessary, but it can be a very powerful platform to take your process management software to the next level.
Consultation services provided by process design experts can help you build and document your processes to save you even more time and money.
Often basic training and guidance will be provided alongside the initial purchase in the form of support by the customer success team. This will help you get the most out of your process management software.
Your data is precious. That’s why you owe it to your team and your customers to ensure that your process management platform has security accreditation by a recognized authority (e.g. SOC 2 Type II accreditation).
These kinds of accreditations are industry-standard audits performed to make sure your vendor is securely managing your data. That’s because they are typically granted by a 3rd party firm that has reviewed and examined your vendor’s objectives and activities to make sure that everything is operating with your best interests in mind.
Consider when the company entered the space. Perhaps they are new or relatively inexperienced. This could mean:
Older, more established companies with top investor backing will typically have:
Here’s the range of features you should consider when picking a BPM suite:
You want a no-code editor to ensure your UX is intuitive and easy to use.
You want to be able to capture, organize, and share your team knowledge.
You want process management software that will empower you to create automated, fully-featured workflows with ease.
You want process management software that enables true continuous improvement in your team. This way, you can make updates to new and existing workflows to ensure consistency.
You want to have a transparent overview of all your processes. Everything you need to know is only a few clicks away. You then know who is doing what work, what processes are currently active, and when work was completed. This is a must-have feature for any BPM suite.
You want a BPM suite with approval features where work can be sent automatically to responsible stakeholders. You can easily have work approved, which ensures no bottlenecks occur.
You want to better your automation capabilities by scheduling your workflows. This can save you time as a new workflow can be created when certain parameters are set.
You want to pick process management software that offers integration capabilities with other work applications. Data entry can be reduced and your workspace can become more centralized and “speak to one another.”
You want the ability to easily streamline complex workflows when using your BPM suite. Effective “if this then that” technology can be used to break down your complex processes into simple ones that respond in real time to different conditions.
Process management software has emerged as a powerful ally for businesses and organizations seeking to thrive in today’s fast-paced and competitive landscape. This technology offers a multitude of benefits, ranging from increased efficiency and productivity to enhanced transparency, cost savings, and improved customer satisfaction.
By automating and streamlining workflows, process management software liberates teams from time-consuming, manual tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic endeavors and innovation. It facilitates standardization, accountability, and compliance, reducing risks and ensuring that operations run smoothly.
Furthermore, the ability to gain real-time visibility into processes, coupled with robust reporting and analytics capabilities, empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions and continuously optimize their operations. It fosters collaboration among teams, including remote workers, enabling seamless coordination and communication.
As the business landscape continues to evolve, embracing process management software becomes not just a competitive advantage but a necessity. Its flexibility and scalability ensure it can adapt to the changing needs of an organization, whether it’s a small startup or a large enterprise.