Every organisation has business processes which are generally inherited and have become entrenched to the extent that everyone in the organisation accepts that this must be the only way things should be done. This is regardless of the fact that changes may be required because the nature and demands of that business change, or that there is simply a better way of executing these processes.

Consequently, little to no attention is paid to managing such processes. It is not perceived to be a pressing issue to change or implement new procedures and processes. After all, work is still getting done and the fact that there may be a more productive and cost-effective way of doing the same thing is never pursued!

Processes are about activity and people; it is about making sure that the right people do the right thing at the right time with the right information on hand to undertake these activities.

The question then arises as to whether any individual can do all of the above simply by relying on memory and work habits?

The short answer, in all probability, is no!

Business processes are logical activities involving people. In that context, any software tool that can alert different users to activities that they are responsible for based on clear and logical triggers as and when they occur will invariably enhance any business process.

When that same software can also make available to the user all of the relevant information that the user will need to carry out the designated activity, then productivity and integrity in any business process is further enhanced.

Managing business processes also means that when there is a failure or disruption in that process, an appropriate person in the organisation must be alerted to any such failure or disruption; not a day or a week later, but as and when it happens!  System escalation becomes an important function of any software tool that is considered for BPM.

Often, SMEs mistakenly believe that BPM is the province of large companies with a large staff complement; in other words, BPM is only for large companies with money to burn.

When one considers that business processes are sales-, service- or administrative-related, and that these are critical in varying degrees to the success of any business, regardless of size, then one ignores BPM at one's own peril. The fact that an SME needs to do more, at the right time, with less people, makes the argument for investing in the appropriate tools for BPM a positive one.

Imagine if SMEs had no access to Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint or Word?