No one expects the pace of business to slack off in 2019.
The fast pace of business has made agility a key business asset, and to be agile, a company must have excellent processes. Business process management (BPM) is how many of them streamline and automate processes – particularly back-office processes that allow more people to spend more time on core business objectives.
Outstanding BPM software is the key to innovating processes in 2019 and beyond. Here are five top BPM trends you can expect to see in the coming year.
1. BPM for Customer Service
Customer service has become an increasingly important differentiator, and companies are beginning to realize that they can’t solve customer problems effectively and efficiently if employees are faced with roadblocks when they try to handle customer service tasks. With BPM software streamlining the back end of customer services, employees are empowered to work smarter and be more responsive to customers. The end result should be a more loyal and enthusiastic customer base.
2. Increased Role of Digital Process Automation
Ordinary digital workflows automate many parts of business processes, but digital process automation (DPA) elevates automation to a new level. Repetitive, rules-driven business processes that do not require human intervention are processes that are ripe for DPA. Robotics are not the only route to DPA, but you can expect robotic machines to play an increasingly evident role in BPA in 2019.
3. Apps and Mobile Continue to Increase in Importance
Ordinary automated workflows free employees from the drudgery of things like filling out forms by hand and hand-delivering them to their intended recipients (or relying on intra-office mail to do so). BPM ascends to a greater level of functioning by adding mobility to the mix. Fewer employees spend their entire workday behind a desk, and mobile friendly, app-powered BPM ensures that they can offer their input from phones and tablets, even if they’re working off-site.
Mobility makes automated processes faster and more convenient, helping businesses remain agile.
4. Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things
With artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and logic enter business process automation. As just one example, temperature sensors attached to workspaces or products can be used to automatically record data as products are processed, or as workspaces are used to accomplish tasks. A product that for whatever reason exceeds the safe temperature range can be automatically routed out of the process, while supervisors can be notified to check and correct conditions as necessary.
5. Analytics to Drive Process Action
BPM often generates extensive amounts of data that can be used to further fine-tune processes and to influence other processes. Proprietary data is an extraordinarily valuable business asset, and BPM not only helps businesses collect and analyze it, but also turn it into actionable information that can drive or improve processes. BPM software that includes reporting capabilities already uses process data to inform and drive improvements, and companies should take full advantage.
Without outstanding BPM software powering processes, it’s hard to take advantage of the many adjunct technologies that are poised to improve business processes in 2019. PerfectApps is BPM software with a unique drag-and-drop interface that allows you to create and automate business processes without programming. PerfectApps integrates with spreadsheets, databases, Salesforce CRM, and other office systems, so putting BPM to work is straightforward and delivers a swift ROI.
Best of all, you can test drive PerfectApps for free by signing up for a trial. What better time than the new year to resolve to improve and automate business processes so your daily operations deliver maximum performance?
