What do you do if your business process management software is inefficient?

It seems obvious, but the first thing I do in my assessment is understanding whether the capabilities of my current BPM software is sufficient. Define how you want to use the software, evaluate the features and functionality of your own software, consider anything required technically, support and train your staff appropriately if you haven't already, analyze costs, and check alternatives.

If your business software isn't working well, first figure out what's causing the problem. Talk to the people who use it every day to see what's not working. Then, look at other options to see if there's a better fit. You might need to train people better or change the way things are set up. Keep an eye on how things are going and be ready to make changes if needed. Working together with your team and IT can help solve the issues and make things run smoother.

Before diving into BPM software, take a step back and assess your needs. This self-evaluation ensures you choose the right tool for a smooth journey. Here's your needs assessment checklist: Process Pain Points: Identify bottlenecks that delay projects and frustrate your team. Are approvals slow? Handovers clunky? People & Skills: Consider your team's technical expertise. Do they need user-friendly software, or are they comfortable with complex configurations? Scalability & Growth: Does your chosen BPM adapt to your evolving business needs? Can it handle increasing project volume and team size?

We always define our software requirements before making a change. That includes looking at the core features, integration capabilities, user interface, technical ability, scalability, and mobility of the solution.

Our team will always explore alternatives to our current software. We look at feature comparisons and of course do a deep cost analysis. We will have vendors in to present demos and setup a proof of concept to determine the viability of the new solution. Finally, it's vital we check references and reviews of the alternatives to ensure they are solid.

Our last resort should be choosing or creating our own software. It's simply not cost-effective and the ongoing costs will persist until you outgrow the software. It's best to tailor a pre-existing solution to fit the needs of your own organization, or change the processes of your organization to fit the software and best business practices.

In my opinion, the implementation of the software can be just as important as the software itself. You need to choose the right partner, and ensure you are aligned on the goals for the implementation.

One of our clients literally develops RaaS and AaaS technology specifically to help business processes. These customized virtual robots can essentially do any functions that a human does - 7-10 times faster with zero errors. The product is perfect for most companies with at minimum 250+ employees, with common repetitive tasks and/or where mistakes, fines, and re-work is costly. Guaranteed ROI model, with the majority of customers achieving payback within 1-3 months following implementation. The great thing is they can integrate with existing software and legacy programs.

When your BPM software isn't up to par, it's key to pinpoint the bottlenecks, seek team input, and consider whether fine-tuning or switching tools is the best path forward.