Cloud-Enabled BPM Platforms

Cloud-Enabled BPM Platforms

One of the most exciting features of cloud computing for businesses is the ability of some cloud services to execute business process management functions. These may include tools to manage / monitor business activity, analyze information and set up workflows among other things. Cloud enabled BPM platforms essentially exist to compliment an existing cloud networking service; that is to say, the BPM platform itself is not intrinsically linked to any specific cloud platform / service, it simply serves to compliment another cloud networking package (which is usually a third party provider). In stark contrast, a BPM platform as a service (BPM PaaS) is a set of BPM management tools/services that come with, or can be added via a package offered by a cloud provider. (These two BPM examples are often confused for one another.) In addition to the possibilities for managing, organizing, analyzing and deploying business-related data / processes, cloud enabled BPM's are also fully compatible with both private and public cloud models / networks.

The main purpose of employing cloud enabled BPM platform services seems to be saving money. How is it possible to save money simply by utilizing a cloud enabled BPM platform? The costs of upgrading or deploying additional software and hardware can be astronomical, if a business is considering taking on these costs for an upcoming or in-development project they are taking a risk. By using a cloud enabled BPM platform to analyze / assess risks and potential benefits, certain functions or processes can often be handled utilizing present system resources; or at least a determination can be made regarding the validity / need for an upgrade and whether or not it will be cost effective in the long run. In other words, a cloud enabled BPM can give business owners a clear indication of their potential growth and / or loss in profits regarding their current development methods and use of technology / tools.

Another interesting way that businesses have been using cloud enabled BPM platforms involves sharing certain processes across a series of private clouds. This might be commonly found among businesses that inhabit the same industry; perhaps they decide to set up a customer service center that caters to both businesses? The entire setup can then be managed by a third party, with input from all / both organizations or solely by one entity alone. By consolidating in this manner, individual businesses can save a lot of money while keeping their standards high (in terms of the service itself); in fact, many organizations that participate in a shared BPM platform will often gain access to much improved standards and resources than they would if they were covering the costs all by themselves.

The concept of a cloud enabled business process management platform literally blurs the line between what is considered to be IT and what is considered to be Business Management / Operation. This is clearly evidenced by 2010 Gartner surveys that indicate more businesses using their line of business budgets to fund the use of BPM platforms. Business owners and managers are obviously seeking to position these new tools toward use by upper management while limiting access (to the processes and collected data via BPM platforms) to IT personnel. This is somewhat understandable considering that IT personnel are only responsible for functionality and are not to be actively involved in business-related decision making. However, in certain cases IT managers may be able to recommend certain changes or additional deployments that can greatly benefit a company's bottom line.

One of the most difficult aspects of utilizing a cloud enabled BPM platform is simply getting others within an organization to actively support it. The easiest way to help others overcome their uneasiness concerning a BPM platform is to recommend integrating it via the organizations current line of cloud services (directly from the provider). In doing so you will be able to more clearly create an indication of the potential benefits offered and perhaps garner more support from management regarding use of a BPM platform. Before signing a contract or agreement with a BPM platform provider, explore your options in terms of flexibility; you should be able to transfer nearly all elements of an established service from one provider to another in the event that you want to switch. This includes all models, artifacts, rules, definitions and even dashboards / interfaces.

The rules and potential applications for cloud enabled BPM platform technology is here, but there aren't that many companies that are providing these types of services. And of the companies that are providing BPM platforms (as either part of another established cloud networking service or as an add-on service that can be appended to a third party provider's cloud networking services) the overall level of expertise concerning their operation is moderate to low. This is clearly the case, since most of these same companies offer little to no options for customization. If companies are able to begin offering individual businesses options for customizing their service packages the usability (not to mention, popularity) of cloud enabled BPM platforms will dramatically rise.

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