Getting the right business process management (BPM) software can be a challenge for many reasons. First, BPM is a sophisticated market and products vary in capabilities and features. Second, finding out the needs of your business is a challenging process. Hence, these six tips will help you choose the right BPM for your business.
Be Sure You Need a BPM Software
If you want to determine if you need a new BPM software, check for some signs like lengthy approvals, duplicate data, work that cannot be done without paper and excels, unscalable legacy interfaces, and more. Even when your organization is facing only one of these issues, investing in BPM software will prove advantageous. Here you can learn more about signs you need workflow automation.
How to Choose the Best BPM
After you know why you need BPM software, it is easy to understand the features that are needed. However, keep in mind that you are solving a problem as opposed to buying features. If the challenge can be solved without a certain feature you thought was critical, then don’t let the feature influence your decision. Some features you want to consider are flexible customization, analytical reports, customizable and safe database, navigable interface, and more than you can find here.
Prepare Questions to ask in Demos
The most critical step in picking the right BPM software is scheduling demos and ensuring you participate by asking questions. It is during the demo that you can determine what the product can do and get a feel if it is best for your business. You can ask the demonstrator how the product can solve your problem. Also, ask about the particular features that can aid in solving the problem. Inquire if they see the software as the best solution for your challenge. Remember to find out if any clients in your industry have been serviced by the product.
Measure Success in Numbers
Success must be defined in quantitative terms before the implementation of the product. Qualitative terms open up excessive room for debate, and you could end up with a product that is consuming more cash than improving sales. Set goals in numerals with a particular margin of error, and give room for adoption time delaying performance. A great measurement to consider is the overall process time. Determine the length of each process before you implement new software. Define the end and start of the process with the staff who will see it through, and ensure they are aware that this is a test of the time taken and not the speed of completion. Compare the overall process time prior to implementation with the time after full implementation
Set Minimum Support Standards, Maximum Adoption Times, and Maximum Deploy Times
When you enter the business process management market, you will discover that the majority of software companies will claim they have quick deployment and need minimal code. Hence, you will need to have a timeframe that makes an estimation of process design, adoption, and deployment. Research shows that a typical process design takes an average of 16 weeks. However, industry outliers are able to deploy in less than a few weeks. You also need to consider the reputation of the customer support of the BPM you want to buy. Not every BPM software is made for business users, and not every user is suitable for IT. Determine who will be using the software frequently and ensure they will get the support they require. In case the software is popular for having a high churn overrate or drop-off rate, this is a symbol it was great on paper but hard to use. Research case studies and customer reviews to avoid being oversold. However, it is interesting to have a look at this article presenting the stages of the design thinking process.
Offer a High-Value Proposition to Leadership
If you want to convince the management regarding a particular BPM software, which is critical for getting a budget, you require to focus on results. Even though BPM could facilitate numerous activities for staff in your department, management and executives do not usually consider task facilitation. The majority of executives want to know how revenue will improve, and most managers want to know how performance will be boosted. In this way, they want to make sure that every business part is achieving its purpose. Be sure to show the prospective gains of implementing a new BPM software in their terms. After acquiring the budget, you can now have a smaller list of choices. But prices can be negotiated particularly if more than 50 people will access the software.
Author Bio:
Caryl Anne Crowne is a contributing writer and media specialist for Allegra Network. She often produces content for a variety of business blogs.
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