Consultancy
10 Business Process Management Bpm Trends Voor 2021Business process management (BPM) as a discipline is continually evolving. Below is an overview of the key trends and developments for 2021.
The origins of business process management date back to the mid-20th century, when BPM first emerged within organisations’ production processes. BPM focuses on improving the design and execution of business processes, with the aim of making them smarter and more streamlined.
With rapidly rising customer expectations, as seamless processes are essential for gaining a competitive edge, and the need to operate in an agile and efficient manner, with effective processes acting as the lubricant of a well-functioning organisation, the importance of BPM has increased significantly in recent years.
What does 2021 have in store for BPM? Experts from BPM Consult share ten trends they expect will have a major impact on the future direction of business process management in the years ahead.
1. The time has come to truly let go
A new balance between working from home and meeting in the office calls for a reassessment of how productivity is measured and how processes are managed. Working on the basis of trust, and letting go of unnecessary controls, is an absolute must in the coming year. Task-based management and overly controlling supervision are becoming obsolete. A well-designed performance dashboard is the new panacea, supported by clear objectives and transparent expectations.
2. Efficiency 2.0: Breaking free from entrenched patterns
Covid-19 has firmly shaken up long-established patterns. We are seeing more change than we ever thought possible. Meetings are fewer, shorter and more efficient. No more paperwork or wet signatures. Being forced to work digitally has created significant potential for efficiency gains. 2021 is all about reaping the benefits of these gains. No complaining, but making the most of them. Not back to the past, but quick to the future.
3. Architectures are coming of age
The worlds of business, data, applications and hardware too often operate happily alongside one another. But working alongside is turning into working together. Process owners, functional management, information management, technical management, ICT and internal control: understanding each other better is becoming second nature.
Enterprise architecture frameworks and reference architectures are gradually shifting from an ICT perspective towards Operations, Marketing and Quality. Are we finally going to improve processes together? It is high time for a knowledge community that oversees and safeguards the architecture as a whole.
4. From global to hyperlocal
International supply chains have been disrupted by Covid, and the advantages of local products have become more prominent. This has been further fuelled by the sheer lack of understanding about importing a cut of meat from America when there is plenty of good produce available closer to home.
Local processes are being significantly improved, reducing convenience and cost as key reasons for importing goods. There is a renewed customer appreciation and even loyalty for products sourced locally.
5. Robots are made on the march
RPA technology is developing rapidly and embedding itself within process flows. Simple administrative tasks are increasingly being outsourced to robots. Can you picture it? Software robots clicking virtual buttons, entering information into text fields, opening, reading and editing files. Goodbye routine tasks and error margins, welcome virtual colleague.
6. Results are measured by gut instict rather than rational analysis
Performance measurement is becoming a way of tapping into sentiment. Gaining insight into the customer’s subjective experience requires a different approach to measurement. In 2021, intangible perception-based metrics will continue to grow. The more we know about customer appreciation, the more we understand what customers themselves may not be consciously aware of. But they certainly feel it.
These new performance metrics act like sensors for instinctive feelings. They are inherently subjective and focused on perception. Goodbye traditional customer satisfaction surveys, welcome sentiment gauges. Reading emotion is becoming a core competence.e.
7. Improvement becomes a hygiene factor
For too many organisations, continuous improvement is an afterthought. Nice to have, but only if there is time to spare. They will lose out in the labour market. For new employees, such an attitude is a dealbreaker, a reason not to choose that employer.
It is becoming both an explicit right and a clear responsibility, formally defined in the role and included in performance reviews. Organisations that fail to embed continuous improvement explicitly in their HR processes will lose the race to attract new talent.
8. Interfaces across the value chain are becoming stronger
Working remotely helps significantly to break down departmental and organisational silos. Quite literally, people move beyond the boundaries of their office building. It becomes easier to choose your conversation partners and to start a dialogue. This creates an ideal starting position to strengthen the entire value chain as partners, truly place the customer at the centre, and enhance the shared interest.
9. Siri presents itself as the service desk
New developments in IT continue to grow at an explosive pace. It is not only RPA that is advancing rapidly. The digital personal assistant is also improving every day.
Front desk queries are increasingly being handled by a digital first-line assistant. Want to know the status of your request? The digital assistant has the answer. Need to reschedule an appointment? The digital assistant takes care of it for you. No more emails, no long telephone queues or even longer waits for a response, but immediate digital support over the phone.
10. Online user reviews make poor processes unacceptable
Which consumer no longer carries out online research before making a purchase decision? In addition to products, service providers are increasingly being confronted with online reviews. The majority of your customers look at them and factor them into their purchasing decisions. Companies with poorly performing processes are quicker to fall behind.
So pension funds, software suppliers, banks and insurers need to get their processes in order quickly. But do not act out of fear, act out of belief. Reviews can also bring in additional customers.
