A business process is not a single application but rather a flow of tasks and, often, documents that typically involves many individuals, departments and enterprises. Even if automated, the process probably taps into many databases and programs, which is why it can be so prone to the errors and inefficiencies that come from poor coordination, communication and data integration.
As a process-intensive industry, government is keen on the latest generation of business process management software. Case in point, the Marine Corps, which replaced a fragmented, paper-intensive legacy procurement system with a solution from Appian Corp. Acting as a sort of centralized, Web-based layer of logic atop legacy applications, Appian Procurement connects administrators, internal customers and contractors, plus their systems and processes, while enforcing new policies. The result, according to the Marines, was $9 million in first-year savings.
Industry says agencies want BPM to help achieve some of the same goals that have driven IT procurement in recent years. They want to deliver better service to citizens; improve overall efficiency; comply with privacy, security and budgetary regulations; gain tighter control over resources; and save money. BPM can function as a type of high-level messaging framework for IT strategies that meet the goals, such as integrating stovepipe applications, standardizing software development and sharing data across agencies. But most of all, experts say, agencies appreciate BPM for the flexibility it brings to business processes, allowing them to respond quickly to changing demands.
What BPM is—and isn’t
Using a BPM suite involves modeling and analyzing existing processes, then designing more efficient ones—sometimes by automating them for the first time. In the implementation stage, the organization turns the model into a working application, often by integrating it with other applications.
“Once you map out that process, and the integration points are defined, you can just publish it, and it will be up and running on the server,” said Laura Mooney, senior director of corporate and product marketing for Metastorm Inc.
Finally, BPM suites let you monitor and manage the system, typically through a user-friendly dashboard that accesses business intelligence or analytics software—sometimes licensed from BI specialists such as Cognos Inc. and Hyperion Solutions Corp.
There are two basic kinds of BPM: human-centric, which focuses on collaboration between people, and integration-centric, which automates processes that need little or no human intervention. Integration-centric BPM isn’t devoid of people power, but focuses it on event handling and other processes that keep automated systems running smoothly.
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