The Ultimate BPM Software Guide for Business

Last Updated on March 25, 2024 by Owen McGab Enaohwo

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You run your business for profit. To work, you have to accomplish a task, or a multitude of them, by following a process. Processes are such a normal part of work that people hardly question their origin. Why are your organization’s processes structured as they are today?

Business processes are a legacy of centuries of innovation over how workers can best accomplish tasks. Processes took center-place in the workplace in 13th-century craft guilds, then popularized by Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, that defined division of labor and its benefits. 

With time, business process management became a critical need for businesses as the marketplace became more complex and companies expanded and segmented more.

Soon technology became a big part of process management. The modern-day reiteration of BPM software began with the humble FileNet workflow management system in the early 80s. 

IBM later acquired FileNet, and for a long time, BPMS was only used to route scanned business documents through a predefined process to improve efficiencies.

With time, nimbler workflow startups stepped in and introduced BPM software that pushed the envelope beyond document sharing. Today, this software niche is more than a business efficiency and cost reduction tool. BPM software has now advanced to support both analytics and event processing. 

BPM software focus has also shifted from business value addition to customer service. According to Forrester Research analyst Rob Koplowitz, more businesses are now turning to BPM software to facilitate cross-channel participation amongst all key factors that enable the customer journey. 

In this ultimate guide, we dig deeper into what BPM software is. You also get a list of the exact BPM software that top businesses are using. Let’s dive right in.

BPM Software Guide For Business Chapter Index

Chapter 1: What is BPM Software?

Chapter 2: Why is BPMS important for your business?

Who needs BPMS?

Chapter 3: Key Principles of BPM

The Life Cycle of BPMS

Chapter 4: How do I get started with BPM software?

Identifying the Best BPMS for Your Business

Chapter 5: How to select a BPM platform

Benefits of BPM Software

Top 10 BPM Software Systems

Chapter 1: What is BPM software?

What is BPM software

BPM software (BPMS) is a process automation tool meant to streamline workflows and processes for efficiency. These tools map out common business procedures pinpointing and then eliminating bottlenecks to help keep costs down. BPMS also ensures that workers who are performing a process work as effectively as possible.

The applications free employees from time-consuming tasks and assist them in focusing on critical business tasks instead by automating and streamlining tedious tasks.

Additionally, these applications feed business leaders with meaningful metrics that can help define and maintain the best business practices. The BPM software market is growing. It is going to rise from a 2018 value of $3.18 billion to $4.5 billion worth by 2024 as automation integration takes center stage in business operations. 

Here’s another article from SweetProcess on how to choose the best BPM software.

Chapter 2: Why is BPMS important for your business?

Why is BPMS important for your business

Business processes are a blueprint for business functions and success. Consequently, your company can only be as agile, flexible, and efficient as its operations prowess of interaction with each other. 

Unfortunately, many businesses simply allow software systems to dictate their processes. Other companies design their processes, isolated from their other functions and interactions.

Then there are businesses that do not go out of their way to create any processes. They simply let them sprout up as need be. Unless there is a form of optimization, business processes borne out of these scenarios will hamper business growth. 

BPM software is the perfect process optimization tool. These applications can help define business task steps and map these definitions to existing processes. You can also use these tools to improve processes for efficiency. Besides collaboration and automation, BPM tools also enhance a business’s engagement with its customers.

Who needs BPMS?

Who needs BPMS

Every large and medium-sized business needs workflow applications that eliminate extraneous process steps and helps in the automation of manual processes. Nevertheless, companies that interact with large client lists, or those that operate in heavily regulated environments, have a critical need for BPM tools. 

If your business requires streamlined customer service workflows, BPM tools can also give you a competitive edge. Business niches that require BPM applications the most include:

Finance

Workflow software is very beneficial for financial service businesses dealing with the triple problems of poor customer service, low efficiency, and excessive regulation. 

Companies in the finance sector have a high flow of ordinary customers demanding efficient banking, mobile, and online banking services. BPM systems can turn these businesses into customer-oriented businesses and eliminate the old processes to give them a competitive business advantage. 

Insurance

Just like in the finance sector, insurance is also a heavily regulated industry. There are massive amounts of paperwork involved and tons of small steps between the claim and payment processes. 

BPM applications can streamline each step of these processes and transform the employees’ communication with customers.

Sales and Supply Chain

BPM software can automate the many contract creation and approval processes standard in these two businesses.

Healthcare

Combine extensive patient registration processes and health insurance and an inefficient process will quickly cause significant losses of revenue and customer loyalty. Workflow applications can automate these procedures and lower labor costs, auditing risks, and improve collections and billing. 

Civil Service

To accomplish government business, policies and rules are employed, which require consistency and uniformity to eliminate inefficiency. BPM tools can infuse order into these processes to enhance citizens and government employee engagement.

Chapter 3: Key Principles of BPM

As Zach Messler explains in his Appian blog post, technological terminology can be very confusing to new workflow users. 

The critical differences between workflow, BPMS, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems can be lost on business leaders looking for applications that will help optimize their business’s workflows. Below is a description of the differences and capabilities of these three systems.

BPMS vs. Workflow Software

To highlight the significant difference between workflow software and BPM software, Zach uses an analogy of a road trip. He defines workflow as a “short road trip” from point A to B. 

This trip is easy to plan for, and the time required for every pit stop and length of the whole journey is easy to gauge. In his analogy, Zach defines BPM as traffic control for a multitude of short road trips with different pit stops and journey lengths.  

BPM applications are the “master control center” that monitors, streamlines, and optimizes all the traffic in these short trips in real-time. These tools also dig back into past traffic data, pinpoint all the problems, then set to redesign the roadways to ensure efficient journeys for all travelers. 

Workflow is, therefore, a component of BPM, automating processes while cutting down on inefficiencies. BPM, on the other hand, is a complex system that keeps all human capital, automation tools, and multiple workflow cogs working in unison.

BPMS or workflow?

While both applications can streamline your business’s process, as well as manage workflows, workflow tools are perfect automation tools for single operations in a department. BPM tools, on the other hand, are ideal automation and workflow solutions for larger businesses that have multiple interconnected processes. 

BPMS vs. ERP Systems

ERP systems share a lot of similarities in function to BPMS. ERP systems are organizational tools that house and automate a business’s core functions. The application’s developers generally pre-build code that runs a business’s operations without the need for constant surveillance from a horde of developers.

Consequently, if a particular process fails to align with the ERP system’s procedure, a business will need to have the ERP’s code augmented or replaced. In contrast, developers design BPMS to model a business’s existing processes. 

They, therefore, are not only more process-focused than ERPS but have process customization features as well. Nevertheless, BPM software complements and supports ERPS implementation and management.

BPMS or ERP?

Businesses with limited processes will benefit significantly from an ERP system with an integrated workflow feature. Growing companies with new processes and added steps in existing processes, however, require BPMS. BPM software will aid in process redesign and improvement.

The Life Cycle of BPMS

The Life Cycle of BPMS

BPMS can ensure that any business, irrespective of its size, has access to process improvement tools. Robust BPM systems have a life cycle used to reengineer tasks or activities. The steps of this life cycle include:

Design phase

This is the identification phase for all processes that require the BPMS’s attention. It is also the stage whereby delays, failures, and bottlenecks are detected.

Modeling phase

This is the modeling phase for the business’s automated or manual processes. The stage ends with the creation of a deployment plan.

Execution phase

The deployment phase for the resultant improved processes via the BPM tool as their workflow dictates.

Monitoring phase

This is the process mining stage, where businesses study specific performance indicators such as the process’s duration, cost, quality, and capacity. Data from the mining process will highlight any discrepancies between the executed and the modeled processes. 

Optimization phase

All discrepancies noted in the monitoring phase are optimized to meet the process’s strategic objectives. This phase marks the beginning of the BPMS continuous process improvement phase that transforms processes over time by continuously monitoring measured results. 

Chapter 4: How do I get started with BPM software?

How do I get started with BPM software

Getting started with BPMS can be a challenge, especially for businesses that have dynamic, interdependent, and complex processes. There is, nonetheless, a streamlined approach that can ensure that your business benefits from this gradual improvement process.

Begin with business value 

Define what the strategy and goals of your business are, and then make an analysis of your processes. Choose from your analysis the processes that bring the highest return on investment.

Choose your primary project

To keep your business in the spirit of process improvement, begin with a manageable project. The improved process should prove to all stakeholders that, indeed, BPMS pays by delivering quick value to ensure funding and support commitment.

Deploy BPMS across the organization

With a successful initial project in the bag, expand the virtues of process reengineering across the rest of the enterprise. 

Identifying the Best BPMS for Your Business

Identifying the Best BPMS for Your Business

The BPM software market has evolved, and today has endless choices for the willing buyer. To help you zero in on what is the best BPM tool, below are various factors you should consider when identifying the best system for your business.

Deployment Method of BPM Software

One of the most critical decisions that you will need to make when choosing a BPM application for your business is its form of deployment. 

Software deployment can be either cloud-based or on-premise. On-premise applications install in your business’s computers, while cloud-based apps run from a remote facility such as server farms or cloud. A remotely installed BPMS is technically easy to manage because its vendor manages all its functions. 

The vendor additionally builds and maintains the computing architecture for high efficiency. Cloud-based BPMS, therefore, often delivers better performance than on-premise solutions.

Cloud-based BPMS is also very easy to deploy since your business will not need to purchase additional specialized hardware for the system’s installation. 

One more advantage of cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) applications is that their subscriptions are very flexible. 

On-premise BPM applications do require a substantial investment for software and hardware purchase and IT staff costs. Their systems are nevertheless easier to control, customize, and offer more data security than cloud-based solutions.  

Focus Market of the BPMS Vendor

The BPMS market has a wide range of participants, ranging from renowned names such as SAP, Oracle, and IBM to specialized software companies such as Red Hat. To ease choice-making, the Forrester Research group has classified the BPM software market into three primary classifications: 

Enterprise stack BPMS providers

These vendors not only have diverse software portfolios but run large organizations as well. Their software solutions can handle most large-sized business needs and provide easily integrated solutions when required. Enterprise stack BPM software can be too costly a choice for small-sized firms in need of simpler workflow tools. 

Application platform software providers

These innovative vendors have pushed the limits of BPMS innovation, building integrated platforms that can develop complex process improvement solutions. They are often more affordable, customizable, and flexible than enterprise stack BPM solutions.

Specialist niche market software vendors

These software providers align themselves with unique market opportunities, domain specialists, or market opportunities. The most popular expert niche BPMS vendors are either open source such as Red Hat, Microsoft focused, or domain focused such as SAP.

Classification of BPM Software Suite

BPM applications have three main suite divisions. These include:

Human-centric BPMS

Human-centric BPM suites are designed with people in mind. These applications recognize human actions such as work reassignment according to resource needs. 

They also acknowledge activities such as work put on hold, deadlines, reminders, or announcements, and place a premium on communication. Human-centric BPMS can be either decision or people-intensive in design. If your business is extremely people-oriented, then these are the best platforms for you.

Document centric BPMS

Document-centric applications do require human action, but they streamline document flows in business to support planning, decision-making, and approval. Are you pushing a lot of paper in your business? Choose a document-centric BPM tool. 

Integration centric BPMS

System-centric suites are severely technology-focused and streamline the workflow between applications within a system. An excellent example of an integration-centric BPM suite is one designed for online banking.

The BPMS’s Level of Software Sophistication

The level of BPM software sophistication has evolved over the years to fit evolving automation needs. The different levels of BPM sophistication include:

  1. Simple BPM software that mainly focuses on reengineering efficient workflows and processes.
  2. BPM suites that are an upgrade of legacy pure-play BPM software. This software class has integrated solutions that cater to a process lifecycle. 
  3. Intelligent BPMS or iBPM suites that integrate business intelligence with BPMS to create adaptive and more intelligent BPM tools. They give you more control, visibility, and transparency over their objectives.
The BPMS's Level of Software Sophistication

By BPMS Approach

There are two main BPMS approaches. These include:

1. Vertical frameworks designed to cater to niche processes industries. They, therefore, have pre-made templates that work perfectly within a unique industry’s processes. While a few tweaks are necessary for customization, these BPM tools are easy to deploy in their specific industries. As an illustration, there are BPMS tools specifically designed for insurance, hospitality, telecommunications, financial services, retail, and healthcare businesses.

2. Horizontal framework BPM tools, hwhich are very flexible. They are deployable across several industries since their ethos is in using technology to design and develop processes. 

Chapter 4: Essential Features of a Good BPM

Not all BPM software is born equal. There are BPMS features that can make all the difference between staying ahead of the curve or falling behind the competition. You, therefore, need to ascertain what the critical functions of a BPMS are before buying one for your business.

The top 11 features required in a BPM system include:

1. Easy process modeling tools

Look for software that has an intuitive, no-code graphical modeling tool that ensures fast user process design and roll-out. Drag-and-drop process designers will always win over hard-to-use code-dependent programs due to their low learning curve.

2. Robust form creator

Process modeling is highly dependent on form building, so a high-quality BPMS should offer powerful form building options. It should, for instance, have a drag-and-drop form visual builder with customizable field properties.

3. Reporting and analytics tools

Without adequate data reporting features, a BPM system is only a workflow tool. Reporting and analytics features should enable not only the creation of detailed reports and graphs but the tracking of key performance indicators as well. 

4. Data access protection

A BPMS should have role-based information access controls to protect your business’s sensitive information. Access features could include hidden, read-only, or editable, depending on users.

5. Third-party apps integration

A sound BPM system needs to integrate easily with multiple applications to ensure they can access as much relevant business process data as possible.

6. Mobile support

Businesses and their customers have gone mobile. A BPMS that does not have iOS and Android support is therefore outdated.

7. Robust user portal and administration features

Your BPMS of choice should have an easily accessible user portal adapted to your native tools. Employees will then find it easier to access it and make use of the system. The portal should also allow single sign-on (SSO) processes to ensure easy access granting and tracking of activity. You should have administrative access to keep in control and eliminate consultant costs.

8. Monitoring and security tools

Ensure that the BPMS’s monitoring and security conform to your business’s internal compliance policy. 

9. Large user performance

A BPMS with the ability to handle the strain of more massive user bases is a good choice because it allows easy scaling as your business grows. Ensure that you research a BPM tool’s user base and performance before purchase. 

10. In-built performance metrics tools

Performance data tools will help your business to spot problems in processes and initiate improvement. 

11. Collaboration

Process reengineering involves many discussions, sharing of notes, and other forms of communication that require constant team collaboration. A good BPM solution should not only allow collaboration but also streamline these conversations to ensure maximum idea input from all stakeholders.

Chapter 5: Process for the selection of BPM platform

Process for the selection of BPM platform

Besides the multitudes of BPMS options in the marketplace, in the path towards the selection of the best system for your business, you will also need to determine which system best matches the process optimization needs of your business.

So how do you correctly evaluate what your process optimization needs are?

Below are steps that you can follow to measure up a BPMS to your business’s needs accurately. 

1. Determine that your business requires BPM software 

At times, costly and time-wasting process bottlenecks might be a byproduct of poor management. A new BPMS, therefore, might not eliminate or jumpstart productivity. If poorly structured processes are the cause of your business’s problems, then a BPM tool should work perfectly. There are a few signs that you can use to gauge whether your business needs a BPM system or not. 

First, your business will have a problem with data duplication. You will also notice that simple approvals or requisitions take longer than they should. Another significant sign of BPM software need is employees heavily dependent on Excel sheets, PDFs, and paper. There also could be a lack of technology use due to the existence of legacy interfaces in the office. 

If you have a BPM in place but still have any of the problems highlighted above, then you may have made the wrong BPMS choice. The existence of these problems is a clear sign that there is a slow adaption to the BPMS or that the system is too inflexible and rigid for use.

2. Discover the type of BPM system most suited to your business

Establishing that you need a BPM solution takes you to the second step—choosing the best BPM tool for your business. You can approach this quagmire by merely examining your business’s process types. If, for instance, your processes are too mechanical, then you need BPM software that will infuse automation and, if possible, robotic process automation. 

If your employees spend a lot of time dealing with third parties, then you should purchase a human-centric BPMS. Is your company scaling soon? Then you should go for a flexible SaaS solution whose features scale alongside your business’s needs.

3. Set a budget and present a value proposition to the stakeholders

Leadership responds to results, so ensure that the potential gains of a BPM system are clear in your proposal. To the executives, present revenue collection benefits and ensure that the managers also can gauge the level of performance improvement that the BPM tool will bring to the business. 

4. Define BPM system success

In quantitative terms, define what the successful deployment of the BPMS will mean for your business. You can, for instance, set numerical goals of improved process time.

5. Compile a list of potential suppliers

As per your business’s BPM needs, provide qualification considerations to potential suppliers. Define what your BPM system deployment and adoption time will be as well as expected support standards.

6. Analyze solutions and select a winner 

Evaluate the received proposals. The winning BPM vendor should not only meet your process automation needs but also demonstrate a pilot on a specific process. 

7. Deploy the BPM system and follow up

Once the BPM suite is up and running, do not neglect to regularly test and review your processes. Talk to your employees and inquire of areas that may require improvement.

Tips to keep in mind during the BPMS selection process:

· Study the feasibility of your BPMS vendor by researching their market share, product maturity, company size, and origin. Ensure that they have a local office or distributor so that you can benefit from their consultation and other support services. 

· Ensure also that the product is well maintained and upgraded by studying its road map, offerings, investment, and several new upgrades per year. 

· Evaluate the BPM software’s costs, product technology, and functionality. Note features such as type of license, packages, and installation and maintenance costs as they will all affect your bottom line.

Benefits of BPM Software

Benefits of BPM Software

Business process improvement has been at the forefront of most business transformation policies, as the effects of digital technology embed themselves in every facet of the business. 

Gartner Survey identifying customer service and support priorities in 2020 notes that improving operational excellence will be vital in giving companies a competitive edge.  

BPM software can enhance operational efficiency, which in turn will positively affect your business’s service and product innovations and improve customer service too. There are, however, many other benefits of BPMS, which include:

Data redundancy and risks reduction

A BPM system makes every business process very visible, which helps managers to pinpoint errors and eliminate them. 

By automating manual and mundane tasks, there will be fewer data redundancy occurrences. There also will be a top-notch process execution, which will help save resources and minimize errors.

Better operational control

BPM tools have a dashboard that gives you live access to your business processes. From this dashboard, you can assign, oversee, and monitor the progress of your business’s process execution.

Enhanced team collaboration

To achieve laid-out team goals, collaboration between members is vital. BPMS gives the team access to modernized communication channels such as messages, real-time notifications, and file sharing avenues to ease communication. 

Agility

The hallmark of business growth is its ability to scale its demands, needs, and goals. BPM tools make the process design very flexible so that changes are made alongside business growth.

Enhanced performance and productivity review

BPM software stores all your business’s performance data under one roof. They, therefore, make it very easy to identify areas that need improvement and pinpoint bottlenecks and unnecessary steps to optimize revenue generation. 

Con of BPM Software: The Expense

To successfully deploy and maintain an optimally functioning BPM tool, you will need the assistance of knowledgeable consultants. These experts ensure that all employees quickly adopt the BPM system and that all the relevant software integrations are seen to.  

BPM software that allows users to design and create their processes may require less consultancy assistance, but utilizing it will require time and dedication. 

The package, maintenance, licensing, and consultant costs could be prohibitive for some businesses if they do not take advantage of open-source software. 

You now understand what BPM software is. You also know what to look out for. So, what specific software should you go for? Here’s a list of the best in the market.

Top 10 BPM Software Systems

Zoho Orchestly 

Zoho Orchestly

Zoho Orchestly, from one of the world’s largest business software developers, is a process automation tool that maps pipelines to optimize tasks. The application refers to itself as your business’s “command center,” bringing the functionality of collaboration platforms, scheduling apps, and task boards all under one roof.

It is code-free and has a centralized dashboard that displays all its features via a graphical user interface. Zoho Orchestly’s learning curve is, therefore, low for new users. Code-savvy users are nevertheless free to customize their business automation needs on the platform.

Pros

  • Code-free
  • Easy to use UI
  • Has native mobile apps
  • A myriad of useful integrations
  • Robust reporting and collaboration tools

Cons

  • Has no free plan

SweetProcess

SweetProcess

SweetProcess is a cloud-based standard operating procedures design tool that creates processes for workers. 

It is also a fantastic employee-training platform that interactively guides employees in training through a business’s procedures. 

The platform has an intuitive user interface that makes it easy to view all the documents required for a business process. 

The interface also makes it very easy to add details such as checklists, screenshots, instructions, or photos to these processes. 

Once a new workflow is ready, you can assign your team members specific roles with set due dates. The platform will also send reminder emails to teammates when tasks are almost due.

Pros

  • Trial period with no credit card required.
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Visual standard operating procedure designer
  • Tasks audit and assign features
  • Single sign-on function
  • Integration with Zapier and 1,000 other applications
  • Mobile access

Cons

  • Priced for mid-sized to large businesses

Kissflow

Kissflow

Kissflow is easy to use cloud-hosted BPM software with a human-centric approach to the workflow design process. 

It places the power of process optimization into your hands, making it easy for you to map processes as per your visualization of the thought process. It is also effortless to deploy and has an intuitive interface, plus a 14-day free trial use.

This BPM tool has over 50 preinstalled customizable business process scenarios. You can nevertheless build your business application from the ground up. Kissflow has a myriad of integrations, including Google and Zapier End Point, and it has iOS and Android apps as well. 

Ask for the BPMS pricing for organizations from the Kissflow sales team.

Pros

  • Free 14-day trial
  • Advanced reporting features
  • Single sign-on
  • Zapier support
  • Mobile apps
  • Easy-to-use five-step workflow wizard

Cons

  • The UI is too visual and lacks flexibility

Nintex Platform

Ninex Platform

The Nintex Platform has been around for over a decade and was originally built for Microsoft SharePoint integration. The BPMS is a globally recognized workflow automation provider, offering integration between content management systems, cloud workflows, mobile users, and collaboration platforms. 

Nintex is very developer-oriented, ensuring that its users can customize its features to fit their business’s process automation needs (with assistance from developers). It, however, has a fantastic drag-and-drop workflow editor, which encourages people-friendly participation in the process.

Nintex’s enterprise-focused packages might be too pricey for small businesses, but it has a flexible pricing scheme for larger enterprises with its standard package starting at $950 per month. 

Pros 

  • Drag-and-drop workflow editor
  • Powerful integrations
  • Native mobile app
  • Built-in management and task assignment features

Cons

  • Built for the Microsoft environment
  • Pricey

Appian

Appian

Like Nintex, Appian is also an enterprise-level BPMS, a costly tool for small businesses in need of a process automation tool. It nevertheless is a veteran platform with over two decades of BPM innovation under its belt. Appian has perfected the art of ensuring that businesses can build BPM tools in low-code environments, which makes it a favorite platform for regular people and the IT-savvy folks.

It has a multitude of integrations with other business applications to ensure a continuous process flow, and real-time data reporting from any connected application. You can, however, try it out with its 30-day free trial package. If you like it, you will need to pay $90 per month for its standard package.

Pros

  • No code experience platform 
  • Robust collaboration and social intranet features
  • Native mobile apps
  • Modeling a sophisticated logic decision engine
  • Visual process modeler

Cons

  • Pricey for small businesses
  • The user interface looks dated and may not be easy to navigate

ProcessMaker

ProcessMaker

ProcessMaker is a well-established platform with over two decades of business experience. It is an open-source iBPMS with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. 

ProcessMaker has a document builder and workflow management features connected to a cloud-based visual process modeling tool for easy workflow design. 

You can, however, access it offline if need be and synchronize data when online. ProcessMaker has a monthly subscription of $19 for its Enterprise package.

Pros

  • Clean, easy to use interface
  • Visual process modeler 
  • Affordable
  • Very scalable features
  • It uses BPMN 2.0 standards for process modeling

Cons

  • Some features require a level of coding knowledge

Bizagi

Bizagi

Bizagi is a cloud-based iBPMS with powerful machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence process automation features. It, nonetheless, has an on-premise option. The platform’s drag-and-drop process designer and pre-built automation tools make it very easy to deploy and onboard employees. 

Bizagi has a popular e-learning portal with tons of informative courses for its users, and it integrates with popular systems such as FileNet, SharePoint, and Alfresco. Bizagi’s package prices are available on inquiry from its sales team. 

Pros

  • An intuitive visual process modeler
  • On-premise and cloud-based options
  • Powerful AI and ML out-of-the-box capabilities
  • Native mobile apps
  • Free process modeler

Cons

  • Clunky drag-and-drop editor

Pipefy

Pipefy

Pipefy is a BPMS designed for both small and enterprise-level businesses. The platform has been designed to cater to a wide range of operational processes ranging from shared services, software development, BPO, finance, and customer support. 

It is an easy-to-use lean management platform with useful task management, issues-tracking, and Kanban board features. 

It has a large user base, and industry leaders such as Capital One and Toyota depend on its process streamlining features. Pipefy’s customer support team is highly reviewed and is very helpful and responsive to users. 

The platform has four subscription packages, which include a free plan for small groups. Its Professional packaging goes for $9 per month, while its Business plan costs $18 per month. 

Pros

  • Affordable BPMS for small businesses
  • Free starter package
  • Easy integration feature

Cons

  • Lacks integration with standard tools such as Google Calendar

Process Street

Process Street

Process Street is an easy-to-use BPM software that caters to teams in need of workflow management features such as progress tracking, collaboration, and checklists. The platform has thousands of pre-made templates that cover all types of workflows ranging from blog writing, CI server configurations, and social media promotions.  

It has team collaboration features such as checklist comments addition but has no real-time notification features. Most disappointing is that it also does not have a dedicated data-reporting module, unlike some of its competitors. There is, however, a data overview page on its dashboard. It has free trial periods for its packages, and its cheapest Basic package goes for $12.50 per user per month.

Pros

  • Easy to use UI
  • Easy to share process templates
  • Supports Zapier
  • Has a pubic API

Cons

  • Limited security and access options
  • Basic reporting tools

Tallyfy

Tallyfy

Tallyfy is a cloud-based BPMS suitable for all business sizes and is applicable across a wide range of industries. It has an easy-to-use visual process builder that utilizes a checklist-modeled interface to help users to define, execute, and manage repeatable business workflows.  

Tallyfy integrates with Zoho, Zapier, Salesforce, Skype, and Basecamp, and you can use these applications to generate new workflows straight from it. 

The platform also has robust audit and reporting tools, and HotDocs integrations as well. Its Tallyfy Docs plan costs $42 per month, while its other robust BPMS package costs over $100 per month.

Pros

  • Easy to use UI
  • Zapier support
  • Many software integrations
  • Accessible data collection, routing, and reporting tools

Cons

  • No pre-made process automation templates

Conclusion

BPM software vendors are increasingly investing in low-code rapid deployment tools for citizen developers with the focus of enabling customer interaction with a business’s internal systems. 

The age of complete automation is here; artificial intelligence is taking over BPMS’s chat, voice, and cognitive expertise features to ensure seamless support processes. 

Machine learning has also become vital in the process optimization drive, while real-time process analytics have become key to business process improvement. The endless choice of intelligent process optimization and automation platforms out there will increasingly make it more difficult for you to pick the perfect BPM software for your business. 

If you, however, study your business and answer all the right questions before purchasing a BPM system, you will set your business up for success and endurance.  

To get the right BPM, there are some vital questions you need to answer. Download our guide below to learn more.

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