For many firms, improving business process management efforts is key to optimizing workflow in modern enterprise demands. Just how to go about enhancing these efforts, however, is a different matter under much debate. Some firms embrace cloud BPM solutions while still more look to mobile devices to optimize their processes. Another contender, social business initiatives, are beginning to grow in popularity as well. However, it may be a combination of all three of these solutions that provides the largest benefit for companies.
Cloud, mobile and social BPM solutions can drive improvement, but many of the advantages that they provide can be further enhanced by the support of one or both of the other approaches. Understanding these benefits, and how each drives them, will show companies why investing in services that encompass all three can optimize workflow needs and ensure that process management software is as efficient and effective as possible.
Flexibility
Cloud solutions are known for their flexibility in terms of access, but mobile BPM adds these factors as well. In order to truly foster a work-from-anywhere, flexible business environment, a company needs to optimize its opportunities for working remotely. Social business initiatives also drive these efforts by helping employees connect with each other and the work they need to do more efficiently.
Scalability
The ability to adapt to evolving business demands and data volumes is also a key factor in any BPM solution. This feature isn't as easily achieved with mobility, due to the often small memory sizes of these devices, but combined with cloud and social business solutions these tools can drive productivity without any worries regarding storage space. This is another instance of these different approaches working together to ensure optimization.
Speedy adoption
Investing in new process management software can also be difficult in terms of expediting the actual adoption and implementation of the tools. However, many companies are already considering cloud, mobile and/or social initiatives, giving them the perfect opportunity to integrate these tools with their current strategies. The combination of these efforts will also encourage further improvements and open the doors for potentially unthought of solutions, such as BYOD or an internal social network.
Ultimately, the decision to embrace BPM is one that a business needs to make based primarily on its process management capabilities. The considerations of cloud, mobile and social initiatives can reveal new benefits and advantages that can further a firm's growth and opportunities as well though, and ensure that it is maximizing its capacity to grow.
Director of Product Marketing
Appian is a software company that automates business processes. The Appian Platform includes everything you need to design, automate, and optimize even the most complex processes, from start to finish. The world's most innovative organizations trust Appian to improve their workflows, unify data, and optimize operations—resulting in better growth and superior customer experiences.