Workflow and Business Process Management

Business Process Management (BPM) is a new way of approaching the application of software to the optimization of business processes.  Instead of deploying discrete applications to automate specific tasks within the process, BPM provides a means to automate, monitor and control the entire business process, even those tasks that can’t be automated.  BPM software orchestrates and initiates process tasks according to defined business rules and it can modify process sequence dynamically as new information is provided.  BPM utilizes messaging and prompts users for completion of tasks that aren’t automated.  Full implementation of BPM requires a base level of a Service Oriented Architecture to be correctly implemented.

Some Key Points Regarding Business Process Management:

• Software becomes the orchestrator and monitor of business process task execution
• Business process tasks that can be automated (database look-up for example) are initiated and executed by the central control software and the results are carried to the next task
• BPM software interfaces with personnel through messaging (often email) and relies on personnel for process task updates
• BPM relies on web services to interface with various systems that are included in the process.  Most legacy systems can be connected and many BPM software manufacturers include a set of standard legacy interfaces.