Where will evolution of BPM bring?

In the modern world a key technology for improvement of operating activities of most the companies is the methodology of Business Process Management (BPM) which is directed to increase in customer focus and business performance. For implementation of similar technology it is often necessary to change the management system existing in the company. If at functional approach managers direct groups of tasks through chiefs of divisions, then at process – as a control object the business process representing a set of tasks (functions) connected by a certain sequence and logic of execution is selected. As a result of transition to process management to the companies appears responsible for result of business process in general which synchronizes actions of several functional divisions among themselves.

From workflow to BPMS

To active promotion of the process approach in management there is a development of the corresponding information systems allowing to automate in the best way business process. At the first stage of development these systems received the name workflow, and the basic architectural principles and specifications of data were set by consortium WfMC (Workflow Management Coalition) formed in 1993. The main difference of the similar systems from applications of other classes is existence of a graphic process model in which compliance to logic in workflow "core" - systems there is a routing of work assignments between contractors and participants of process.

Workflow consistently coordinates templates of interaction of the manual and systematized tasks. Due to the active development and application of IT in business further development of workflow-systems happened towards expansion of functionality, monitoring and the analysis of the performed business process. Gradually similar systems evolved in a class of the solutions called by Business Process Management System (BPMS) and providing support of a full stroke of process management from process description before controlling. It is possible to tell that workflow is only 1 of 10 technologies which can be found in BPMS. Thus, BPMS are the most effective IT tool used for implementation of the process approach in the company now, allowing not only to manage processes in a foreground mode, but also to organize a continual loop of improvement of business processes. BPMS where it is necessary to automate quickly processes with strictly registered logic and need of introduction of regular changes are most effective. As a rule, in BPMS automate the business challenges connected with service of a large number of clients at a wide product line, these processes require a tough regulation and frequent changes for compliance to new customer requirements.

Who is who in the market of BPMS?

The market of BPM actually did not suffer during economic downturn of the last years. It is a consequence of the fact that application of this methodology and the corresponding tools increases operational efficiency of key business processes that in turn allows to strengthen positions in competitive struggle.

According to Forrester Research analytical company, the main interest in BPMS at world level is observed in bank and insurance sectors, service companies, production, the state and health care, retail trade, power and telecommunications. In Russia there are the specifics, here BPMS is generally used only in banks and insurance companies and also in a telecom. Considering serious interest in this type of systems, many vendors added for the last few years to the product portfolios of the BPM solution by purchase or own development.

In the Russian market in several companies use K2 system. The Ultimus BPMS system has several implementations though its active promotion in the territory of the Russian Federation was contracted after purchase of IDS Scheer company by Software AG company. Easy BPM the BizAgi system moves ahead more than a year in the Russian market, however about the finished projects did not appear yet. Are present on at this sector and open-source of a BPM system: Alfresco (Activiti) and JBoss jBPM. If to speak about prevalence, then the largest weight among the implemented BPMS certainly behind products of IBM (Lombardy and Process Server). However there are new companies and products, some vendors develop the modules BPM based on the existing platform, and others expand functionality of the system by acquisition of developer companies of BPM. When choosing it is worth being guided not by a big name of the producer, but requirements of own business and activity. Often systems with smaller functionality have successful solutions for certain fields of activity.

At the same time in the western market attempts to improve the existing approaches in business process automation are made. Considering new products in the field of BPM, it is possible to detect the new concept of Subject-oriented Business Process Management (the subject focused approach to business process management, S-BPM) advanced by Metasonic company. In the classical BPM model formation of a business process model comes from large to detailed, i.e. "from top to down". Each level sets requirements of detailing to the following. In the subject focused S-BPM model large businesss-processes form by aggregation of detailed processes ("from below-up").

Summarizing, one may say, that the BPMS tools already won the strong place among other information technologies. Now in the companies there is a set of areas where the number of changes and complexity of business processes accrues that does BPM systems by demanded means of increase in operational efficiency. And what system to select – to solve to the user.