3 Types of Business Process Management

Friday, July 30, 2021 / Updated: April 11, 2024

Running a successful business takes far more than simply having a good product or service. There are so many other aspects of successful business operations and too often, we fail to take these into account. This can lead to inefficiency and even, ultimately, to the failure of a business.

All businesses have processes. These are step-by-step operations involved with a given task or aspect of your business. Managing these processes effectively is vital and you don’t have to do it by hand. There is a ton of high-quality business management software, such as we offer at CMW Lab, that can really streamline your business process management. There are a ton of benefits to this software, which we will discuss below.

Table of Contents

What is Business Process Management?

A business process refers to the step-by-step tasks that are part and parcel of completing the said activity. Most often, this process will have underlying documentation to ensure that the process is performed the same way, every time. Business Process Management (BPM) refers to the management of all business processes for a given company.

Basically, a business process refers to the steps, rules, and conditions by which a process is initiated and completed. A solid business process management plan is part and parcel of running a successful business.

You need solid, well-documented plans that will help you towards your ultimate business goals. This is not a process you do once and then never go back to it. This is a process that will be regularly updated and changed as inefficiencies are noticed or changes and improvements are made.

There are numerous types of business processes, but let’s take a look at three of the most common types of BPM. Not all of these categorizations are common, but they will show you the varied ways you can use this software to better understand and manage a process. It can really help you drill down to what exactly your business or a given process may need to be successful and efficient.

Document-Oriented BPM

Some types of BPM are fully automated, but others, due to the nature of the process, cannot be. A document-oriented BPM is one that, as the name implies, is used in processes that are largely or entirely based on paper or digital documentation.

For a large number of businesses, this is the primary mode of BPM, but some have a combination of multiple types. With a document-oriented BPM, the goal is to provide accurate and current documentation to relevant parties.

Automating aspects of this process will reduce the amount of correspondence required to complete an approval process. With workflow management software, you can create a centralized workspace where all the current and relevant documents are stored. This makes it easy for relevant parties to access said data and ensure that everyone is working from the same, up-to-date information.

Human-oriented BPM

Again, as the name implies, this is a type of business process management suited to tasks and processes that are completed largely or entirely by people. Since human input is required, this is an area of BPM that is less suited to automation than the others we describe here.

The bulk of this type of BPM relates to decision-making. While this cannot be automated, notifications and collection of information that plays a role in these processes can be. The idea behind a human-oriented BPM is to make it as user-friendly as possible.

For example, using software that has common features like drag and drop and a visual interface makes it more accessible than code-oriented software. Choosing software like this allows more people in the company to use and benefit from this type of software, without the need for a lot of technical know-how.

These processes directly impact your workforce, how they perceive their jobs, their job satisfaction, and their productivity. Given this, it is easy to see why we should give a lot of effort to creating solid human-oriented BPM.

CMW Tracker is designed as a human-oriented workflow management tool which covers all necessary document-oriented requirements and integration needs.

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Integration-oriented BPM

This type of BPM focuses on streamlining the flow of information and data between networks, people, and different software tools. For businesses with more complex operations that have a combination of human- and data-oriented processes, this is highly important.

Using integration and automation tools will reduce the amount of data that must be entered by hand. This not only saves time, but it also reduces the likelihood of human error. This can create a more productive and efficient workforce.

In Closing

Business process management (BPM) is a vital part of a business’s operations. BPM refers to managing the wide range of business processes your organization undertakes. Business processes are detailed plans about how to initiate, approve, and complete a given task. Business process management software tools can help you create better BPM plans, regardless of the type of management you need. Most commonly, businesses will need document-oriented, human-oriented, or integration-oriented BPM plans, or they may need a combination of all three. Software tools can really streamline this process and help you to have a more robust BPM plan.