Why I Like Business Process Management and You Should, Too

If you’re a technologist, this story is for you. Learn why Business Process Management solutions are so likable.

This is not for the business or process owners or process architects. This is not for people trying to sell different technologies.

This article is for fellow technologists who are curious about the power of business process management solutions. Here’s why I like them and you should, too.

(A general understanding of Business Process Management – and their software solutions – is helpful).

My First Passion: Software Development

I am classically trained as a “computer scientist.” With a Bachelors in Computer Science, you have two choices: (1) Go for a Masters and Ph.D. and become a professor or researcher, or (2) morph yourself into a software engineer. I chose the latter to build things.

At first, it was some coding and programming and then a web app here or there. As my career moved on, I began writing and developing larger and more complex applications. I started writing process “like” applications – without knowing I was doing it. My initial “BPM” solutions were siloed, point solutions for a mostly singular purpose.

But I always wanted to know more: Why did we need this one little program here? Why did we need this web app? How was it used? Who used it? Where did it fit in the larger scheme of things?

Too many times in a job you get a list of requirements – and nothing else, not even how they relate – and I didn’t like that.

Then I Learned About Business Process Management

Then one day I learned about Business Process Management (BPM). It intrigued me because it seemed to include what I wanted to know: To understand why and how the applications I was building were used within an organization

BPM features technology solutions (BPMS) but it is not a technology solution itself. BPM is a philosophy with an emphasis on managing end-to-end business processes.

An example of an end-to-end business process could be onboarding a new hire, new customer onboarding, or supply chain management. These processes have activities that involve parties like functional subject matter experts, human resources finance, IT, operations, and possibly others to perform tasks. The process spans many individuals or groups within the organization across silos.

Before, I was writing single or multiple applications to perform specific activities for HR, finance or IT. BPMS brings disparate technologies together and orchestrates them to support the business as a whole and across functions.

Why I Like BPM and You Should Too

As I learned more about BPMS, I grew to like it even more, especially when I realized that to properly implement a solution I would need to know a lot of different technical areas. If you like to learn, and your aim is to deliver value as a full-stack developer, you’ll like BPMS, too. Jack of all trades and master of all!

Now I get to see the full picture of a business process and how it aligns with technology. I help define and understand the “As-Is” process to design the “To-Be” process. And I use my development skills and understanding of it all to code a solution to reality.

I can focus my efforts on delivering true value to the business rather than technical overhead or debt. I focus on people, process, AND technology.

Applying my core background in software development and architecture – with a renewed focus on process – has been a transformative experience for me. It can be the same for you.

These projects have also turned into transformational experiences for organizations – and I find that especially rewarding.