As fall is here and we are heading into the end of the year, many of you are gearing up for your 2017 initiatives and beginning to conduct initial research. With countless companies looking to improve overall business, many are looking for a platform to drive efficiencies. Our new blog series, “5 Important Questions to Ask Potential BPM Vendors” has been created as a guideline for vetting possible solutions.

There are many elements to consider when embarking on a Business Process Management (BPM) initiative. These considerations include things like creating a BPM Steering Committee and establishing current state baselines for ongoing metrics, as well as Change Management planning and communications. The most successful BPM initiatives are those that are strategically aligned with targeted business goals, and fully supported by organizational leadership. But, while there are many components to consider when launching a BPM Program, ultimately you will need to decide on a technology vendor to provide a BPM solution that meets your needs, and delivers on the promise of your strategic goals.

Choosing the right vendor is crucial to the success of your overall BPM Program. Even a well-constructed BPM strategy and launch plan can be undermined by selecting the wrong BPM product vendor. For example, if the resulting solution delivers a sub-par user experience, adoption rates will likely suffer, putting any potential process improvements or efficiency gains at risk. The system must be intuitive and easy to use for all the target audiences – customers, process owners, case workers, fulfillment teams, etc. – or they will find a way to work around it. Similarly, the system itself must be stable and provide consistent performance, or users will lose confidence in it.

While usability and stability are critically important, it’s also important to minimize the extent of customization. Any true custom development required to implement your BPM solution will complicate future product upgrades. So, choosing a product that’s predicated on low-code configuration over customization is always an advantage.

And, selecting the wrong BPM vendor could also leave your organization in a position where you’re stuck with poor product support. You want to be certain you’ll have access to the support your business needs and expects once the solution goes live. So, you definitely want to find a BPM vendor who you feel offers the best combination of product capabilities and a true sense of partnership when it comes to ongoing support and maintenance.

Once you are finally ready to choose your solution, consider asking prospective BPM vendors five key questions to during the evaluation process.

Check back later this week for more on Question #1: “”How long will it take to implement my solution?”