More than a decade ago, we explored how BPI, BPM, and BPMS collectively drive operational excellence. Today, we\u2019re revisiting and reframing that conversation \u2014 adding BPA to the mix to better reflect how modern businesses can deliver products and services more efficiently, innovatively, and profitably than ever before.<\/p>\n
The Business Process Family: Key Definitions<\/h2>\n
For starters, let\u2019s give a brief definition of each function so we can see how they\u2019re members of the same business process family.<\/p>\n
Business Process Management<\/h3>\n
Business process management<\/a> is the head of the family, so to speak, in that BPI, BPA, and BPMS all are subsumed within it.<\/p>\n At its core, BPM is how an organization manages and improves all its processes. It\u2019s all about continuously improving processes<\/a> to make the customer experience \u2014 and delivering value to the customer more quickly \u2014 the most important priority.<\/p>\n BPM also includes performance management, organizational change management, and technology to make sure process improvements are successful and sustainable.<\/strong> It fosters a culture that implements long-term, enterprisewide, and continuous improvements.<\/p>\n Business process improvement, then, is an inherent part of BPM. BPI\u2019s preeminent focus is boosting customer value by continuously improving quality, productivity, service, and cost savings.<\/p>\n Business process management solutions use technology-based platforms to model, manage, modify, and optimize business processes. BPMS solve process-related problems through automation, collaboration, and visibility.<\/p>\n These solutions serve two main purposes. They build agile workflow solutions for process and build a custom-developed application on top of a workflow engine that streamlines operations.<\/p>\n Business process analysis<\/a> uses data to document and analyze business processes to make them more efficient and better able to deliver value. BPA uses the data it collects to tell you which processes are (and aren\u2019t) working well and where there is waste and duplication. Then it relies on predictive analytics to identify a process for improvement and visualize how to improve it.<\/p>\n Data \u2014 its compilation, analysis, flow, and integration, and how artificial intelligence (AI) is supercharging the power of its value \u2014 has become the single most transformative influence on business.<\/p>\n Data is integral to what business process analysis can do<\/a>.<\/strong> Since business process management is the all-inclusive wellspring for all business process improvement applications, it\u2019s important to look at the relationship between BPA and BPM.<\/p>\n Business process management is an overarching term that encompasses BPA, and it\u2019s a means to provide standardized governance to all processes throughout the organization. Business process analysis, however, is a more cutting-edge BPM variant that employs data to find ways to improve processes and, unlike BPM, aligns those processes with business objectives.<\/p>\n Since the data enables a more granular, thorough, and faster analysis, that data can tie all process improvements to the bottom line and identifies processes that cut costs, grow value, and increase efficiency.<\/p>\n By using business process analysis, a company can pinpoint which processes align with their key business objectives and prioritize analyzing and improving those processes.<\/strong> This helps companies determine where and why business process deficiencies exist and develop process improvement plans to fix them.<\/p>\n BPA is very effective in analyzing problematic situations, such as recently adapted but underused technology, recurring turnover, and marketing process metrics that may not align with key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer conversions and qualified lead engagement.<\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s look at how BPA can improve business processes in specific ways.<\/p>\n BPA\u2019s value proposition centers around how much nimbler, more responsive, and more economical it can make business processes and how it enlists vanguard technologies to reach that goal.<\/p>\n That prospect resonates for the vast majority of businesses \u2014 those in the small and medium-sized enterprise category \u2014 because misaligned or malfunctioning processes can immediately impair their operations.<\/p>\n The benefits of business process analysis<\/a> start with the efficiency gains that make organizations more agile.<\/strong> BPA yields better time-to-value results \u2014 that is, how long it takes before a customer gets value from a product or service, which has repercussions for customer satisfaction and retention, not to mention revenue. BPA also reduces operational cycle time for workflows, such as employee onboarding or intake processes for customers or patients.<\/p>\n And, when a business is more efficient, it can optimize its deployments and releases. Siloed communications, development, and execution channels create process-frustrating bottlenecks, but a business process analysis can detect where that\u2019s happening and resolve approval process obstacles.<\/p>\n BPA tells you where you have costly task and labor redundancies and how moving to digital document workflows can save money by cutting down on the human error and time that can prolong document searches.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a good segue into what BPA can do to empower technology. Enterprisewide or even departmentwide technology adoption can be a daunting process. But BPA can install processes with useful training programs and workflows that encourage higher adoption rates.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to see the value proposition for BPA in tangible terms, you need process metrics<\/a> to do it. There are several types of these metrics:<\/p>\n Understanding these metrics is essential for enhancing performance and ensuring consistent outcomes.<\/p>\n A cautionary note is necessary: The value a business derives from a BPA can be greatly diminished if it doesn\u2019t confront these common BPA pitfalls.<\/p>\n To realize the full potential of a business process analysis, you need to integrate it with business process management methodologies.<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow these practical steps to gain BPA benefits from business process management methodologies.<\/p>\n Determine the business processes that significantly impact efficiency, cost, or customer satisfaction. Then, define the scope of the process by covering aspects such as where it starts and ends, major stakeholders, and relevant subprocesses.<\/p>\n Review the process-related documents you have, such as procedures, system reports, and workflows. Then interview process stakeholders, including owners and users, to pick their brains. See how the process actually operates so you can spot potential problems. Also, collect process-related qualitative data such as cycle times, associated costs, and error rates.<\/p>\n Use tools such as flowcharts, swim lanes, or BPM software to develop a detailed process map that visually demonstrates the sequence activities, data flows, and decision junctures within the process. Analyze the map to find out where there\u2019s room for improvement (e.g., eliminating bottlenecks, duplications, or delays).<\/p>\n Start with a root cause analysis to learn why problems are happening. Next, create KPIs that measure process effectiveness and monitor improvements. Ultimately, come up with solutions that can resolve the identified issues, such as automation, process simplification, or system alterations.<\/p>\n This fleshes out the previous step. Choose the most effective improvement plans based on a cost-benefit analysis and develop a detailed plan for making the changes, including new procedures, system updates, and training requirements. Finally, you must provide change management that effectively tells stakeholders what the changes are and steers the transition to the new process.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to know whether the improvements you\u2019ve implemented continue to hold up. That\u2019s why you should use KPIs to regularly track the impact on process performance changes that you made.<\/p>\n Develop a feedback loop where users and stakeholders can report on their experiences to help you find areas to improve.<\/strong> Over time, take that feedback and your ongoing analysis to continually refine the process.<\/p>\n You can take these steps in a sure-footed way by using business process improvement methodologies<\/a> that fit your business goals and the nature of your workflows. These could include:<\/p>\n Companies apply business process analysis and business process management approaches to business process functionality because they\u2019re seeking process excellence. Business process management solutions can support that purpose in a few big ways. Let\u2019s look at them.<\/p>\n Your business processes are absolutely foundational to the success \u2014 even the ongoing existence \u2014 of your business. Optimizing those processes is the key to gaining a competitive advantage and attaining your business strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n A BPM solution helps you model, manage, automate, and refine your business processes for greater efficiency and collaboration.<\/p>\n Typically, BPM solutions<\/a> fall into three related but distinct categories:<\/p>\n A business process analysis is unique to the business for which it\u2019s conducted because it\u2019s inspired by and flows from an organization\u2019s key goals and objectives. It creates a bespoke template for how a business instills, maintains, and adjusts change management throughout the enterprise<\/a>. Consider how that happens.<\/p>\n BPA informs and integrates with the goals of a business and how it manages change by shedding a light on where processes are inefficient so a company can formulate strategies to improve performance and realize those goals. Frequently, this involves developing a structured change management approach.<\/p>\n BPA makes this connection by:<\/strong><\/p>\n BPA supports change management by:<\/strong><\/p>\n So how might this look in the real world?<\/p>\n Well, say the goal is achieving a 20 percent reduction in customer response time. BPA can identify snags in the customer service ticket escalation process, such as duplicative data collection activities and sluggish interdepartmental handoffs.<\/strong><\/p>\n From there, a new ticketing system can be put in place that streamlines data capture, trains employees in the proper usage of the system, and develops clear escalation procedures. After the system is installed, you can track customer service response times to see if it\u2019s working properly and adjust it as needed.<\/p>\n As with everything else having to do with business processes, automation has significantly advanced the capabilities of business process management and business process analysis. At the forefront of this development is robotic process automation (RPA).<\/p>\n Robotic process automation<\/a> is software \u2014 specifically, software bots that can readily automate work that requires computer services. RPA extracts and transfers data upon request. For instance, a bot can automatically copy data from existing fields of a new invoice and subsequently paste the data into another system, such as accounts payable.<\/p>\n RPA\u2019s primary value is eliminating repetitive and rule-based manual tasks. It\u2019s easy to deploy and can manage business processes and their applications seamlessly throughout the organization. While RPA isn\u2019t always equipped to correct fundamental process flaws, its remedies can happen almost immediately.<\/p>\n Business process management has a greater scope than RPA in that it reshapes the entire business process and augments overall business efficiency and productivity.<\/strong><\/p>\nBusiness Process Improvement<\/h3>\n
Business Process Management Solutions<\/h3>\n
Business Process Analysis<\/h3>\n
The Relationship Between BPA and BPM: Different Yet Complementary<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Business Case for BPA: Tangible Benefits for Organizations<\/h2>\n
How to Measure BPA Success: Key Performance Indicators<\/h2>\n
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A Caveat: Beware These Common BPA Pitfalls<\/h3>\n
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Implement BPA with BPM Methodologies: A Step-by-Step Approach<\/h2>\n
1. Select and Identify Your Target Process<\/h3>\n
2. Compile and Analyze Data<\/h3>\n
3. Map Your Process<\/h3>\n
4. Improve Your Process<\/h3>\n
5. Develop and Implement Solutions<\/h3>\n
6. Track Continuous Improvement<\/h3>\n
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Select the Right BPMS for Your Organization<\/h2>\n
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BPA as a Strategic Enabler: Connecting to Organizational Goals<\/h2>\n
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The Automation Factor: RPA and BPA<\/h2>\n
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