A Guide for Evaluating BPM Automation Software

Have you ever been to an enormous supermarket and felt instantly overwhelmed? Looking through aisle after aisle stocked with similar products under different brand names, you begin to feel suffocated and tempted to run.

The paradox of choice is very real. It has also come to confound organizations that want to invest in BPM automation. Gone are the days when one or two vendors dominated the market.

Is there a way to avoid confusion and ultimately poor decisions? How can organizations ensure that they purchase the right BPM automation software?

Identify the Problems

Take some time to consider and clearly map out the issues you’re hoping to resolve through BPM automation. Are your processes too slow? Are they riddled with errors? Do the processes need more transparency? Or do you see potential to automate frequently recurring tasks?

You also need to look at industry-specific requirements at this point such as compliance. Another aspect to consider is the nature of your processes. Depending on the business process, you may need human-centric, integration-centric, or document-centric BPM automation software.

Establish a Budget

There’s no dearth of BPM automation software today. You will also find varied pricing models for the same. Finding software that addresses your needs without breaking the bank is necessary. Additionally, it’s a good idea to look at the details. What additional costs are involved? Are there hidden expenses that could turn up unexpectedly? Is the pricing on par with industry standards?

Understand the Timeline

When choosing to use BPM automation, companies often forget the implementation timeline involved. One question to ponder is how urgently do you need the BPM automation software implemented?

Based on the type of the processes you’re trying to automate and the customization that you need, the implementation time could change. The more complicated the process and customization, the longer it may take to get BPM automation up and running.

End User Specifications

When choosing BPM automation software, it makes perfect sense to include the preferences of the people who will be using it on a daily basis. Are they familiar with BPM software? Will they prefer a product that involves coding or one that needs minimal to no coding? What sort of interface would be best for them? Will they need on the go access?

Product Features

Similar to how you need to check the label of food before you eat it, with BPM automation, you need to see what’s inside before you commit to an option.

Some of the best BPM automation software options have features such as visual business process modeling tools, drag-and-drop form designers, role-based access control, mobile support, integration capabilities, powerful reporting, and analytics among others. But just because a vendor says they have a feature doesn’t mean it is any good. Make sure you test out the features to know that it is a good fit for you.

Vendor Research

Most organizations feel that researching BPM automation software stops with the product. However, it is extremely critical to complete the circle by delving into the vendor’s background as well. Vendor research can tell you what kind of experience you can expect through the purchase process as well as the lifecycle of the product.

Here are some aspects to look into while trying to know a potential vendor better.

• How many customers does the vendor have? What industries do their clientele hail from?
• What systems have they built the product on?
• How many employees do they have?
• What sort of SLAs and support do they offer?
• Do they offer training?
• Are customer referrals available?

Examining all these aspects while trying to find the right BPM automation software will keep you from making an investment you may regret.

Kissflow Process–A Compelling Choice

If you’re looking to increase process efficiency and accountability, kissflow is a compelling choice to consider. With an easy-to-use interface, scalability and real-time analytics, Kissflow can boost productivity rates and minimize errors.

Sign up for a free trial with Kissflow Process and watch your business grow.