Key Automation Functionalities for Effective Process Management

Key automation functionalities for effective process management.

Process Management is all about defining, designing and implementing processes that result in the achievement of desired business outcomes. With the growing complexities surrounding business operations like never before, companies are finding it difficult to manage their routine activities within limitations of manpower capacity, time and money. To meet these challenges head-on, best practice research has identified six key capabilities that are essential for successful process management.

Maintenance of Effective Processes

A robust Business Process Management (BPM) system facilitates continuous administration by keeping systems up-to-date with changes in standards or information – thus making sure that the next results remain accurate. A mature BPM system uses metadata to track what’s changed over time so that different versions of a process definition can be reviewed, compared and archived.

The system also manages user access privileges to control who has the right to change what in the system, as well as those with authority to approve changes from specific users.

Improve Process Execution

One major issue that gets repeatedly raised by organizations is the lack of traceability between process definitions and business performance. In order for organizations to be able to properly benchmark their processes against best practices or industry standards, they need an effective “process analytics” capability that will provide accurate historical data on how individual processes are executed over time (frequency, average time, etc.). While this information allows enterprises to review how efficiently they’re operating, it also gives them better visibility into potential problems like bottlenecks and other issues that may hinder the success of a process.

Identify Process Risks

In order to identify risks associated with processes, companies must have “hazard identification” functionality that will allow them to easily spot patterns in process outcomes at different points in time. By searching for outliers from the norm, organizations can be able to identify potential problems before they occur by closely monitoring trends over a predefined period of time. This helps them streamline operations by spotting areas for improvement or identifying any abnormal activity so that corrective action may be taken before any major problems happen.

An effective business process management system should automatically set off alarm bells when it detects deviations from established norms so managers know exactly where their attention is needed immediately.

Enable Collaboration

In most cases, companies use different internal systems to support their business processes. In order to ensure that workflow between these systems is managed effectively, the BPM system should contain “collaboration mechanisms” like effective messaging applications and integration capabilities with other enterprise software. This allows workflows to be linked across disparate systems so staff members can easily share information or follow up on open tasks immediately. By making certain activities (like approvals) easier and more immediate, facilitates improved collaboration between employees working in different departments or teams.

However, this collaboration should not just be restricted to people within the organization; it should also include external suppliers and partners as well as customers – becoming a truly collaborative business process management platform. This involves not only integrating collaboration capabilities between customers and suppliers but also allowing the organization’s customers to partner or collaborate with each other.

Modernize Processes

The BPM system should make it easy for organizations to take processes “to the cloud”. Instead of having to download software and use local servers, business process management applications are quickly evolving into internet-based solutions that can be accessed anytime on any web-enabled device. This allows companies to work on their documents or manage their tasks from anywhere by giving them freedom over where they perform their work. This means they no longer need multiple versions of programs installed across different devices – all they need is a computer/laptop, tablet or smartphone while travelling or working away from the office.

Increase Process Efficiency

Businesses continue to struggle with optimizing their workflow because of difficulties in implementing effective process automation. While some organizations get it right, many do not have the time or resources to spare for this kind of project. However, if the BPM system is implemented correctly, it should allow businesses to automate business processes so they run smoothly without any human intervention – making it much easier to cut costs and boost productivity across your organization. This kind of contextual intelligence ensures that automated tasks are performed at just the right moment based on dynamic conditions that change over time – improving overall efficiency and performance levels.