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Cloud computing delivers business agility, BPM unlocks this potential

Malcolm Ross, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy, Appian
July 20, 2014

Organizations are increasingly turning to the cloud because they want to become more agile as a business. While cloud computing has significant potential in delivering on this promise, organizations that want to truly maximize the value of the technology must support their cloud plans with business process management innovation. Neglecting to improve processes in light of cloud plans can mean failing to make the most of the technology's potential.

Deploying BPM software to support business agility strategies that come with the cloud could prove essential as more organizations are turning to the cloud for this express purpose.

Agility a primary motivation behind cloud investments

Citing a study performed by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, a recent Forbes report explained that agility is emerging as a primary motivation factor behind cloud deployment. In the early days of the cloud most companies that turned to the technology did so with specific IT goals in mind, and the plans had clear measurables in the form of cost savings. Business agility has become the focal point now that the cloud market has begun to mature.

Approximately 32 percent of respondents to the study said that business agility was their primary reason for implementing the cloud, Forbes reported. Coming in second was increased innovation at 14 percent, reduced costs were also rated as a top priority by 14 percent of organizations. Rounding out the top four, scalability came in at 13 percent. While technology goals are still clearly relevant, it is also extremely evident that many organizations are turning to the cloud to improve business functionality.

Cloud computing has already begun to deliver on some of these promises, as the study also found that 37 percent of respondents have already witnessed the simplification of business operations through the cloud. Furthermore, 33 percent of those polled said the cloud has allowed them to more effectively deliver internal resources.

Using BPM solutions to maximize the value of cloud computing

Cloud BPM solutions provide a key benefit that - they deliver all of the process optimization offered through traditional BPM through a flexible cloud software model. The end result is a solution that enables businesses to adapt processes based on the new demands created by cloud computing in an accessible, streamlined manner. Implementing a cloud BPM solution ends up using cloud technology to help organizations get the most out of their cloud investments.

Cloud computing represents a significant disruption in how businesses operate. BPM solutions play an integral role in helping organizations respond to this disruption and take advantage of the agility the cloud can deliver.

Malcolm Ross

Vice President of Product Marketing

Malcolm Ross