Can Your BPM Application Pass The Smell Test?

This article is for people who still listen to music from cassette players.

Those who love flipping and the tape from Side A to Side B, winding up a messy string of tape with a No. 2 pencil, and still own a functioning Walkman.

Okay, so there may be very few people like this out there, but it’s still common to find business users still using a BPM application that came out at about the same time.

When you get used to certain tools, it can be hard to realize how old the platform is. The solutions you are comfortable with (like winding up a tape with a pencil) become “the way we’ve always done it”. But when someone new comes along, they can take a quick whiff of your BPM application and tell you that it needs to be thrown out.

Is Your BPM Rotting On a Legacy Infrastructure, Or Levitating On The Cloud?

Dan is taking over as the IT director at an established company. However, his predecessor was a staunch believer of exploiting old technologies till the last drop. Some of the technology stacks had been propped up, taped, patched, and plugged so many times that no one wanted to touch them.

The BPM software he had invested in many years earlier was no exception. It was a beast of an application and took up a lot of room on the servers. The company had spent a lot of money to buy and install the software, but the people who knew how to code it were quickly leaving and Dan was having trouble finding anyone who was willing to work with it.

Dan’s at the place where he needs to find something new, but the established management doesn’t want to see him come in and spend a lot of money on new flashy software. Here are a few ways Dan can convince his executive team to update their BPM platform without breaking the bank.

Support Issues

Dan’s predecessor hadn’t contacted the BPM vendor in many years because they had adapted the code so much that the vendor couldn’t do much. Dan found an old manual laying around for the initial version, but it was of no use. He gets emails about new patches released, but they don’t always work on his version and he’s afraid they’ll break the system all together.

Dan knows that there have been a lot more complaints from employees about the old system and a few persistent bugs. He can compare the cost of hiring someone to come in and rehaul the whole system to switching to a new cloud-based model that has updated documentation, chat support for all users, and friendly staff.

Interoperability With Other Apps

One of the few updates the previous CIO made was allowing the marketing team to use a new platform to handle new leads and social media posts. And, on further research, Dan quickly found a lot of shadow IT going on unbeknownst to the IT department.

Among many of its other problems, the existing BPM application can’t integrate with any of these new systems. So, there is a lot of manual data transferring and some departments are avoiding the old BPM system altogether.

Dan can make the case that without the ability to integrate, the existing BPM system will quickly become irrelevant. With new purchases in Finance and HR in the schedule, the more he can make the case for an integrated system the better.

Data Security

One of the former CIO’s biggest reasons for avoiding cloud technology was the security risk. He thought that keeping his company’s data in a tangible, on-premise server was the best option. But a recent server meltdown scare has made everyone aware that on-premise isn’t a foolproof solution. Dan’s also heard a few horror stories of other CIOs whose on-premise servers were seen as easy targets by hackers, when compared to the thick security around advanced cloud systems.

As a way to reign in some of the shadow IT and protect data, Dan is going to make the case that storing data on the cloud is actually more secure, as long as they go with a reputable vendor.

Cost Factor

The previous CIO always avoided new technology because of its perceived increase in cost. He would report on how much his department saved each time they made yet another patch to an existing system.

But Dan knows he was wrong. According to the US Government Accountability Office, federal offices in the country spend $60 billion (out of the total $78 billion) technology budget in maintaining obsolete systems, and the cost is rising each year. The investment on maintaining legacy systems also takes up to 75% of IT budget in many organizations, according to another survey data.

By switching to a SaaS-based model, Dan’s costs are more predictable and he can budget expenses better.

A Cloud-based BPM Application Is Music To Your Ears

Some people love the old, and the old solutions. But as an incoming IT director, you need to know the facts on the liabilities of using a legacy system. Unlike the heavyset on-site BPM software, agile cloud apps are extremely easy for everyone to setup and run, and they provide great responsiveness.

Investing in new technology is not just cost efficient and secure, it also invites greater flexibility, efficiency, and intelligence to your business management processes.

If you’re ready for an upgrade, take a look at Kissflow Process and find out just how much BPM power you can get for much less cost and much less headache than a legacy system.