The Tao of BPM

Tao is Chinese for "Way" or "Path," and is the core tenet for Taoist doctrine. It is also considered the path of equilibrium. Obviously in the constant search for rationalization, and improvisation the Tao principles metaphorically parallel and converge with the BPM philosophy.

Many consider BPM as the next step to automation. That can be such an understatement considering the world of business is evolving rapidly ushering organizations to realign and adapt to this change. A BPM system is synthesis of processes, collaboration technologies, applications that fosters the execution of business objectives. The ‘yin-yang' concept needs to balance the application of the BPM technology with the human factor. The dynamics of processes, data, and people needs to be coherently addressed by the new wave of BPM technologies. All these are interacting forces that impact an organizations growth, development, regulation and overall strategy.

The Tao principles & BPM

Harmony – BPM is about business being in harmony with technology and offering a holistic view into the changing process dynamics. Organizations treat processes with care since processes are the business. Processes keep evolving and BPM helps harmonize the process with the other vital constituents of people and technology making the organization equipped to deal with competitive forces and external factors.

Simplicity – Organization structures can be complex behemoths – but that is on the outside. At the heart it operates on simple fundamentals and BPM adoption is just a step forward in the pursuit of simplicity, to do away with the clutter and the redundancy. Interestingly a lot of BPM initiatives may lead to cutting down existing processes in a new thirst for effectiveness and efficiency. Organizations are desperately trying to make some headway from complex & discontinuous processes to simple & consistent processes.

Integrity – Integrity of systems, data and the underpinning elements of a business process are imperative to tread on the path of continuous improvement. It is “integrity” that will promote greater functional and departmental collaboration. Most of the technology landscape is abound with application silos used across departments, with no complete understanding of the various touch points. BPM with its service orchestration, composite applications, will help effectively address the challenges pertaining to enterprise integrity. This in turn requires well-formed business rules implemented in correct and compliant processes, based on accurate, consistent and properly managed information.

Transformation / Change - BPM recognizes that change is fundamental to business. BPM is the art of speeding up internal change within an organization to drive external change and extend it to partners, vendors and customers and make them a part of business transformation. A BPM system will put business processes at the heart of the organization and help transform the approach to how the organization delivers to its customers.

Spontaneity / Agility – All the noise about agility isn’t for nothing. Of all the expectations that an organization expects from a BPM system, agility rules the roost. A company without vision cannot benefit from BPM, but those who have this vision may now use BPM to execute their strategy in a rapid and precise manner. BPM system has the ability to inject agility right in the process development phase by leveraging service-oriented architecture, it can create re-usable process templates, define best-practices and different types of services. It can externalize rules that can facilitate dynamic process changes. This inculcates key characteristics of a business-user-friendly process.

The Tao of BPM thus rests on the perfect synergy of the “YIN” (passive & reception)- view of business strategies, building the BPM ecosystem and harmonizing the people, process and technology forces with the “YANG” (active & creative) – Identifying & exploring new opportunities, Quick & Efficient Decision-making, Innovating and Thinking-outside-the-box.

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