Download BPM Consulting Best Practices

As Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon, famously remarked, "The market rewards discipline". In the world of strategic management, perhaps there is no better embodiment of discipline than the practice of Business Process Management (BPM). The exacting attention to every crevice of an organization's workflow, BPM requires a steadfast and meticulous approach.

The Imperative of BPM

Business Process Management is the discipline of improving a business by analyzing its processes and creating efficiencies and cost savings. Global consulting firm McKinsey highlights that successfully implemented BPM can produce cost savings of up to 20% and improvements in time cycles by up to 30%. For Fortune 500 companies, even the smallest efficiency improvement can result in substantial savings or revenue increases.

BPM and Digital Transformation

BPM encapsulates several key elements of Digital Transformation. Forrester Research reports that 72% of businesses listed improving customer experience as their top priority. BPM plays a crucial role in Digital Transformation efforts by optimizing processes for better service delivery and improved customer journeys.

BCG argues that by utilizing a cloud-native architecture, organizations may "amplify the benefits of BPM." Businesses adopting such an approach experienced a 20% faster market response time, reinforcing BPM's value in the Digital Transformation arena.

Embracing BPM for Operational Excellence

Operational Excellence, once a buzzword, is now a vital cornerstone in strategic planning. Accenture's latest report posits that Operational Excellence can only be achieved by investing in capabilities like BPM. It's the key to creating predictable, repeatable success, offering a way to check and control processes in an iterative and sustained manner.

Pitfalls to Avoid in BPM

1. Going too big, too soon: Bain cautions against the urge to standardize and streamline every process at once, advocating instead for a phased approach to BMP.

2. Focusing solely on cost-cutting: Process optimization is more than just cost reduction. PwC heralds the idea that successful BPM should also lead to improved customer satisfaction and innovations in service delivery.

3. Silo mentality: For BPM to be effective, a systems view is crucial, promoting enterprise-wide visibility. This ensures that optimizing one process won't sub-optimize another, a viewpoint endorsed by Gartner.

Winning with BPM - The Way Forward

So how can a Fortune 500 company ensure they achieve the benefits associated with successful BPM efforts? A well-crafted Strategy Development process is crucial, one that takes into account risk management and performance management considerations.

The critical first step in successful BPM implementation is engaging Leadership at all levels. McKinsey research confirms that "Executive buy-in is crucial." BPM initiatives often transcend the entire organization; hence strong leadership will ensure a unified drive towards process optimization.

Culture also plays a vital role here. EY reports that "an organization's culture is the most significant hindrance to successful change"; therefore, creating a culture that welcomes continuous improvement is essential.

The importance of BPM in the world of strategic management cannot be overstated. With the growing emphasis on efficiency and the accelerating pace of Digital Transformation, any organization, be it a startup or Fortune 500 company, could stand to benefit from investing time into a robust BPM strategy.