| The term Business Process Management (or BPM) | | | | using a patchwork of interfacing software |
| refers to activities performed by businesses | | | | with human intervention needed where |
| to optimize and adapt their processes. The | | | | applications are not able to automatically |
| activities which constitute business process | | | | interface. In addition, certain process steps |
| management can be grouped into three | | | | can only be accomplished with human |
| categories: design, execution and monitoring. | | | | intervention (for example, deciding on a |
| Process design This covers either the design | | | | major credit application). Due to the |
| or capture of existing processes. In addition | | | | complexity that this approach engenders, |
| the processes may be replicated in order to | | | | changing a process is costly and an overview |
| test them. The software support for these | | | | of the processes and their state is difficult |
| activities consists of graphical editors to | | | | to obtain. Business rules are a growing area |
| document the processes and repositories to | | | | of importance in BPMS as these rules provide |
| store the process models. An emphasis on | | | | governing behavior to the BPMS, and a |
| getting the design of the process right will | | | | business rule engine can be used to drive |
| logically lead to better results as the flow | | | | process execution and resolution. Process |
| on effect of problems at the design stage | | | | monitoring This monitoring encompasses the |
| logically affects a large number of parts in | | | | tracking of individual process so that |
| an integrated system. Evolution of business | | | | information on their state can be easily seen |
| processes requires a change to the process | | | | and the provision of statistics on the |
| design to flow on into the live system. | | | | performance of one or more processes. An |
| Integrating business process is also a | | | | example of the tracking is being able to |
| current research area. Integration of | | | | determine the state of a customer order (e.g. |
| software for process design to be used both | | | | ordered arrived, awaiting delivery, invoice |
| for creating graphical representations of | | | | paid) so that problems in its operation can |
| workflows and implementing and maintaining | | | | be identified and corrected. In addition, |
| these workflows makes evolution of business | | | | this information can be used to work with |
| processes less stressful, given that | | | | customers and suppliers to improve their |
| requirements are not as static as information | | | | connected processes. Examples of the |
| systems. Process execution The traditional | | | | statistics are the generation of measures on |
| way to achieve the automatic execution of | | | | how quickly a customer order is processed, |
| processes is that an application is developed | | | | how many orders were processed in the last |
| or purchased which executes the steps | | | | month etc. These measures tend to fit into |
| required. However, in practice, these | | | | three categories: cycle time, defect rate and |
| applications only execute a portion of the | | | | productivity. Copyright 2007 Ismael D. Tabije |
| overall process. Execution of a complete | | | | |
| business process can also be achieved by | | | | More articles from this pro: D. |