Business process management and automation has many benefits for organizations looking to improve their operations, from cost reduction to increased productivity. However, these solutions can also enhance security and help firms embrace agility as a standard aspect of workflow, two advantages that may not be as readily attributed to the solutions but are commonly found.
According to ComputerWeekly, automation and proper use of BPM software can boost process visibility, which in turn helps employees be more flexible to adapt as needed while improving the security of processes on the whole. Citing a recent study performed by AlgoSec, a security policy management firm, the news source noted that increased complexity of processes - caused by various trends - is causing more firms to struggle with process management on a regular basis.
In fact, around 50 percent of firms operate with over 100 critical applications ongoing.
"This means a heavy workload of application connectivity change requests for IT teams, to enable those applications to keep up with the evolving needs of the business," Paul Clark, UK managing director for AlgoSec, told the news source.
Nearly 45 percent of respondents to AlgoSec's study reported managing over 11 application change requests a week, while 21 percent handle more than 20.
"The reason why these business-driven changes take so long is that the network and security requirements for just a single application may need multiple policy enforcement points and firewall rules, which in turn may be linked to several other applications," said Clark.
For many firms, the trick to optimizing their processes and boosting agility and security lies in harnessing the proper BPM solutions for their operating needs. As firms rely on new technologies, see new trends affecting their workloads and focus on new applications, tools like cloud and mobile BPM may be the answer.
The advantages of mobile BPM solutions is that they help boost the overall versatility of mobile business applications while improving their security at the same time. This allows companies to embrace automation and see all the usability they need from mobility adoptions and other efforts. These tools also enhance the reliability and accessibility of process management software, so that professionals can monitor and address and concerns immediately, regardless of time or place.
Clarks notes that better management of change through automation reduces the overall impact of security management, making it an enabler, rather than an inhibitor, to success.
Ben Farrell
Director of Corporate Communications
