Read about the benefits, prerequisites, and impact of successful business process management (BPM) initiatives, with a closer look at the United States.
Today's IT Leaders on Market Trends
Learning from BPM LeadersBenefits, Prerequisites and the Impact of Successful BPM Initiatives
usiness process management (BPM) software Drivers for Success: Why BPM?implementations are now moving into the main- There is a growing realization among business and IT stream, according to a new IDG Research Services executives that best practices delivered by standard soft-Bglobal study. A significant majority of respondents report ware used to manage stable core processes cannot effective-they are in some phase of one. ly accommodate unique and often- More tellingly, a subset of early changing business requirements. adopters has already used BPM to Enterprises must have flexibility to foster business innovation, imple- quickly create innovative business menting projects whose business processes that can differentiate the value outstrips traditional success company for competitive advan-measurements such as increased tage. And to achieve that flexibility, productivity and service quality. many companies have turned to Through quantitative surveys BPM software. and in-depth interviews, IDG In addition, BPM delivers broad Research has identified BPM leaders and innovators and cross-functional gains. For example, Colorado-based Pulte their prerequisites for BPM success, benefits to be gained Mortgage is applying BPM software to its end-to-end loan and the overall impact on the organization. These findings origination process, from application to closing. By inte-serve as best-practices guidelines for BPM initiatives grating the process across multiple functions-such as loan that help CIOs avoid potential trouble spots and derive counseling, underwriting and closing-the company expects maximum value from the investment. to deliver mortgages more effectively and reap economies of scale. "Since the mortgage origination process doesn't have an assembly line, there's no conveyor belt carrying a product Key Findings: through the factory," says Jean Schab, functional architect BPM leaders rely on several techniques to achieve at Pulte. "For us, BPM is the logical equivalent of that con-success: . Cross-functional collaboration. They collaborate veyor belt. It manages this sort of across teams when making software purchasing assembly line, this business process, About CIO2CIO: This decisions and when determining where to apply for us." peer-based thought BPM initiatives. Pulte's cross-functional BPM leadership program expectations mirror those of the analyzes quantitative . Metrics. They develop comprehensive methods research with CIOs and of measuring and monitoring the results of BPM other IDG survey respondents, who tests it with qualitative initiatives. list broad-based processes as their top interviews. To obtain a free download of . SOA. They put a service-oriented architec- priorities for BPM initiatives: the complete 31-page ture (SOA) in place before beginning a BPM . IT management research brief cited in initiative. . Knowledge management this paper, go to www.cio.com/whitepapers/ . Role and responsibility development. They cre- . Customer service researchbpm2. To learn ate new positions and functions designed to maxi- management more about this program, mize the value of the BPM initiatives. . Product and service please contact mavery@ development and management cxo.com.
CIO2CIO | LEARNING FROM BPM LEADERS 1Today's IT Leaders on Market Trends
strategies to make the most of their investments:
Who Are BPM Leaders? Plan for change management.IDG Research Services recently surveyed 400 IT Nearly half (43 percent) cite change management and the executives: 100 in the U.S., 100 in Europe, and 200 associated BPM user training costs as the most signifi-in Asia-Pacific. Interestingly, when asked, "Which cant hidden implementation costs. It is by anticipating business benefits did you derive by using BPM soft- these costs and convincing the business that change man-ware in your past and current BPM initiatives," most agement is a vital investment that BPM leaders achieve worldwide respondents ranked reduced operating success. For example, Pulte has instituted a change man-costs and improved productivity as their top respons- agement board that go... [download for more]