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3 key considerations with Cloud BPM

Cindy Cheng, ​Sr. Director of Marketing Communications, EMEA, Appian
January 27, 2014

When it comes to optimizing business process management and helping drive the efficiency and general benefits of these solutions, nothing provides quite the same advantage as the cloud. Cloud BPM solutions allow businesses to lower the cost of operations, increase their overall functionality and flexibility and drive integration with many other services and systems. From HR to IT, BPM solutions can help streamline workflow and promote the modernized efficiency that customers and businesses have begun to expect from day-to-day operations.

According to the Australia Broadcasting Corporation, cloud solutions can drastically reduce costs by anywhere from 30 to 60 percent when properly leveraged. From enhanced user interfaces to faster functionality, these tools deliver key support to professionals, as well as flexible access via desktop computers, tablets or other preferred devices. Additionally, the proper deployment of cloud solutions can support further investments into mobile BPM solutions.

However, in order to truly optimize workflow with cloud BPM services, enterprises have to consider several best practices, which may be essential for the proper integration of these tools into workflow and scalability of the solutions over time.

Determine need

The first thing any company has to do when adopting BPM solutions is to determine its own level of need and integration. Firms that rely on a high number of basic processes on a regular basis may benefit greatly from embracing BPM for automation purposes, while those more focused on a relatively lower number of more critical processes may want to leave everything to manual effort. Knowing how these tools can be best intertwined with workflow will ensure greater success with deployment and faster returns on the investment.

Plan for non-integration

No matter how a business operates there will always be some processes that a solution cannot be used to replace or improve. A firm has to analyze its workflows and determine which processes cannot be altered by cloud solutions, and adapt them as needed. As long as a firm is aware of where the cloud BPM deployment won't be effective, it will be able to optimize its returns more easily.

Own your processes

The best way to optimize BPM adoption, regardless of cloud, mobile or other deployment type, is to ensure ownership of those processes. This can be on the enterprise level, or on an individual basis. If employees are also taught to drive ownership, work can be performed more efficiently, while other factors like collaboration and review are performed more effectively as well.

Cindy Cheng

Director of Product Marketing