IT'S THE ERA OF DIGITAL AND BPM IS HERE TO HELP MARK YOUR PRESENCE

One look at the world around us and a comparison with what it looked like a decade or two back establishes one fact: anything that does not transform, does not sustain. From cassette players to VCRs, anything that hasn't been able to keep up with the need for transformation and adaptability has slipped into oblivion.

The very same logic applies to a business which is looking to sustain in the long-run. However, while it's a given that every business needs to transform with time, it's not the kind of transformation that could have saved the above mentioned technologies from becoming a thing of the past.

WHAT, THEN, IS THE KIND OF TRANSFORMATION YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS?

One that is digital and keeps up with what's new in the world of technology. Digital technology enhances the performance of an enterprise by rehashing its business activities, core competencies, processes and models. But, it's important to understand that digital transformation isn't just about introducing the latest technology trends into an organization.

It is also about bringing about a cultural change to ensure that this transformation is powerful enough to convince industries to re-think the way they do business. Only by changing the culture within an organization and the thought process of the industry can digital transformation be complete. And, this is where Business Process Management or BPM comes into the picture.

SANS PROCESS TRANSFORMATION, THERE'S NO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

By optimizing processes within an organization, BPM or Business Process Management, helps achieve results in lesser time, to remain compliant, meet customer demands, and maintain agile processes. An intelligent BPM suite is armed with social media integration, RPA, case management and analytics. Intelligent enough to allow seamless interfacing with other systems like CRM, and e-mail, it helps create a more efficient centralized system.

A business management process which removes redundancy and adds to the decision making power of an organization is the perfect top-up to business growth. So, when it comes to choosing a BPM tool for one's business, it's smart to choose one that's intelligent.

Imagine you need a loan to help expand your start up, and you approach the bank you've been loyal to for years now. You've got a savings account with them, and also a few bonds, investments and deposits. You need the money fast, because for a start up to waste any time in this era of cut-throat competition can spell immediate doom. Your loan approval takes two days' time, and considering your situation is fairly urgent, you instead pay an alternative lender a visit and get the money in no time. Who loses out? The bank does. Not just on a loan request, but also a very loyal customer.

Given banks don't have it as easy as alternate lenders, with compliance regulations and security concerns, allowing legacy systems to handle such processes is not very smart. With BPM- based loan origination software, the bank could have retained a customer and a happy one at that.

With a BPM platform, banks and lending organizations can enjoy a faster time to market, as well as a quicker development cycles. It automates the commercial lending lifecycle from origination to disbursement to servicing, making processes paperless in an automated workflow environment with minimal manual intervention. Loan requests are captured from multiple channels, and credit scoring and underwriting of loans is efficient, due to seamless integration with third-party credit bureaus. Automating and centralizing business rules allows quicker lending decisions. And eventually effective tracking and analysis of the loan process means the bank can better comply with regulations.

THE PILLARS THIS REVOLUTION STANDS ON

What makes a BPM suite intelligent? While mobility is no more a luxury but a necessity for any organization, social media integration, along with extended active and predictive analytic capabilities, bring an intelligent BPM suite full circle.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE OBVIOUS FIRST PILLAR: Social media is an integral component of human life and every business nowadays, so leaving it out when it comes to building or choosing a BPM suite doesn't make much sense. It enables stakeholders, such as partners and customers, to be part of important decisions of the business. This goes a long way in making stakeholders feel like they're a part of the business. In addition to this, social media integration also exponentially improves the analytical capabilities of a business.

Also, customers nowadays spend a good amount of time on social media and businesses can make good use of this activity to analyze a customer's preferences. This works both ways. It could help a potential customer spot a business and their products/ services via a social media channel such as Facebook or Twitter. Also, the same channel could be used by a customer to initiate service requests ranging from feedback to complaints. In a world where social media can make or break lives, a business that doesn't cash in on this power, is doing nobody a favour.

THE POWER OF ANALYSIS CAN MAKE OR BREAK A BUSINESS: Analytical capabilities help discover significant business events, improve decision making while reducing decision latency, predict outcomes and evolve action plans. In addition to this, prescriptive analytics help mitigate risk by continuous evaluation of critical business factors, alongside detecting fraud and money laundering risks.

MOBILITY IS A NECESSITY: Last, but definitely not the least, comes mobility, without which it is near-impossible for any business to survive in a world which functions on mobile devices. By providing anytime-anywhere access to processes as well as information, an organization empowers the users as well as themselves. This enhances customer experience, increases productivity, and accelerates business growth.

To sum it all up, whether you're a new business that's just coming up or a well-established player or someone who stands the middle ground, an intelligent BPM is what you need to complete your digital transformation journey.

Virender Jeet
Sr. VP Technology at Newgen Software