The Complete Guide To Business Process Management (BPM) Lifecycle

​​Business process management (BPM) is a comprehensive approach to improving an organization’s business processes. The BPM life cycle consists of five phases: design, modeling, execution,  monitoring, and optimization 

In this post, we will explore each phase in detail.

What is Business Process Management (BPM)?

Business Process Management (BPM) is a systematic approach to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization’s business processes.

It involves the identification, analysis, and redesign of business processes to achieve specific goals such as improved customer satisfaction, reduced cost, or increased revenue. 

BPM is a holistic approach that takes into account the people, technology, and organizational structures involved in a business process. It is a continuous improvement methodology that can be implemented in any type of organization, large or small. 

BPM can be used to improve any type of process, from simple tasks like data entry to more complex processes like order fulfillment. By improving processes, organizations can achieve higher levels of efficiency and quality, which leads to improved customer satisfaction.

Source: Gartner

Business Process Management Examples

BPM can be applied to any type of business process, no matter how simple or complex. 

For example, a basic process like order fulfillment can be made more efficient by introducing automation or eliminating steps that add no value. 

A more complex process like new product development can be improved by streamlining the process and introducing checkpoints to ensure quality control.

BPM and Process Mining

BPM and process mining are two complementary approaches to process improvement. BPM focuses on the design and improvement of business processes, while process mining uses data mining techniques to automatically discover, monitor, and improve real processes.

Process mining is based on event logs, which are a record of all the activities that have taken place in a system.

BPM and process mining can be used together to create a complete picture of a process and identify areas for improvement. 

If you are curios to learn more about process mining, we recommend our Introduction to process mining, or check out all of our posts related to process mining

BPM and Business Intelligence (BI)

BPM is often used in conjunction with business intelligence, or BI, which is a system of software that allows businesses to collect and analyze data.

BPM can help organizations identify inefficiencies in their processes and make improvements. Business intelligence can help organizations understand their data and make better decisions about where to focus their efforts.

If you want to read more about business intelligence (BI), we recommend our post Introduction to business intelligence (BI), or check out all of our posts related to business intelligence

What is the Business Process Management (BPM) Life Cycle?

The Business Process Management (BPM) lifecycle is a framework that helps organizations manage and improve their business processes. 

The BPM Lifecycle is a five-stage model for designing, implementing, and improving business processes. The model is designed to help organizations ensure that their processes are efficient and effective.

What are the Steps in the BPM Lifecycle?

The BPM lifecycle typically consists of the following five phases:

1. Design and Planning

In this phase, organizations use process mapping to identify and document their current business processes. They also develop performance metrics and create a roadmap for improvement.

This can be done through a variety of methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys.

2. Modelling 

The second step in the BPM lifecycle is modeling. This is where you define the processes that need to be automated, and map out how they will work.

There are different ways to model processes, and the best way will depend on your specific needs. The most common ways to model processes are:

• Flowcharts
• Process maps
• Data flow diagrams
• Swimlane diagrams
• Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

Whichever technique you choose, the goal is to create a clear and concise model of the process that can be used to guide the development of the automation.

Once the modeling is complete, the next step is to begin the implementation. 

3. Execution

The third step in the BPM lifecycle is execution and we implement the improvements. This is when the processes and tools that were designed in the previous stage are put into action. The goal of this stage is to ensure that the BPM system is running smoothly and efficiently.

In order to successfully implement a process, it is important to have a clear and concise plan. The plan should be designed in such a way that it can be easily followed and executed by those who are responsible for carrying out the process.

It is important to track and monitor the performance of the BPM system. 

Once the plan is in place, the next step is to assign roles and responsibilities. Those who are responsible for executing the process should be given clear and concise instructions on what they need to do. They should also be given a timeline for when the different actions should take place. 

4. Monitoring

In this phase, the organization monitors the performance of the improved processes and makes tweaks where necessary. This involves tracking the performance of the process and making sure that it is meeting the desired objectives.

There are a number of different metrics that can be used to monitor a business process, such as cycle time, throughput, and yield. It is important to choose the right metrics to track, as this will give you the most accurate picture of how the process is performing.

Monitoring can be done in a number of ways, including process mapping, process audits, process metrics, and process reviews. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to select the right method for the specific process being monitored.

5. Optimization

The final stage of the business process management life cycle is optimization. Once a process has been designed and implemented, it’s time to start looking for ways to improve it. 

There are a few different ways to optimize your processes. You can streamline them to make them simpler, automate them to make them faster, or redesign them to improve quality.

The goal of optimization is to continuously improve the process so that it becomes more and more efficient over time. This can help to save time and money, and can ultimately lead to a better experience for customers and employees alike.

Benefits of the BPM Life Cycle: Why is the BPM Life Cycle important?

The BPM life cycle is important for a number of reasons 

1. Ensures that processes are designed in a way that optimizes them for efficiency and effectiveness
2. Provides a framework for continuous improvement, so that processes can be continuously tweaked and improved over time 
3. Helps to ensure that processes are consistently followed and that any deviations are quickly identified and corrected
4. Finally, the BPM life cycle provides a framework for measuring process performance, so that businesses can identify areas where they need to make changes

Conclusion: Business Process Management (BPM) Lifecycle

The Business Process Management (BPM) lifecycle is a framework that helps organizations manage and improve their business processes. The BPM lifecycle is important because it helps organizations ensure that their business processes are efficient and effective.

The BPM Lifecycle is a five-stage model with the steps, Design, Modeling, Execution, Monitoring, and Optimization

FAQ: BPM Lifecycle