Business process management (BPM)
Business process management covers modelling, executing, monitoring and improving business processes. Different products support different parts of that lifecycle.
The example here is process modelling linked to ERP functions, entities and customisations. Consultants, process owners and other stakeholders may use it to understand and configure how work runs across systems.
Key facts
- In this example, consultants and business owners use the same model; participants and operational roles depend on the product.
- Process definitions are copied, merged and versioned.
- System releases affect processes and customisations, and the product has to show where.
- Copying one process can quietly copy everything linked to it.
What it covers
| Aspect | In this category |
|---|---|
| Model | Processes, steps, owners and linked system components |
| Audiences | Consultants and business owners |
| Change | Copying, merging and versioning process definitions |
| Upgrades | Effect of system releases on processes and customisations |
| Observation | How processes run compared with the model |
Who uses it
| Role | What they need |
|---|---|
| Consultant or implementation partner | Detail: entities, functions, customisations and their links |
| Business owner or process owner | A simplified view of how the company runs on the system |
| Project or change manager | The effect of an upgrade or change on processes |
What makes it hard to design
Two audiences, one model. A consultant view and a simplified business view sit over the same model.
Copy and merge. A scope preview comes before linked processes are copied, and a comparison view before definitions are merged.
Releases. Release impact is shown per process and customisation.
Consultants and power users call a screen powerful when business users in the same company call it unusable. Labels based on business outcomes, with technical terms available on request, serve both.
Trade-offs
- A detailed model is precise and hard for business owners to read, and a simplified one loses the links consultants need. Two views over one model keep both, with twice the screens to maintain.
Common mistakes
- Copying one process quietly copies everything linked to it. The scope of the copy should be visible and adjustable beforehand.
- One view built for consultants and shown to business owners
- Merges without a comparison
- Release effects discovered after the upgrade