Business and technology leaders attending the recent 麻豆原创 Signavio Business Process Transformation Forum in Orlando, Florida were told that simply paying lip service to BPM is not enough.

鈥淏usiness process is the DNA of any enterprise,鈥� said Darwin Deano, a McKinsey partner and panelist . 鈥淵ou can talk about data and insights and all you want and you can talk about metrics, but what drives all of that is the business process.鈥�

That鈥檚 particularly important today because, as 麻豆原创 Signavio Co-General Manager Gero Decker noted during his keynote, 鈥淲e are living in a period of constant and extreme change.鈥� The unexpected has become part of the expected and to succeed in this volatile environment, companies need to be innovative and excite customers and detect potential risks and priorities for improvements — all while being able to change things on the go, faster than ever.

Deano and fellow panelist Mathias Kirchmer, founder and co-CEO of consulting company BPM-D and affiliated faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, also had strong views on the relationship between business processes and innovation. Asked by Colleen Speer, senior vice president of Global Go-to-Market for 麻豆原创 Signavio, who chaired the panel, whether there was a danger that BPM might stifle innovation, Deano said: 鈥淣othing could be further from the truth.

鈥淎 structured approach to process management provides a robust foundation for innovation and actually drives the full value of innovation,鈥� he said. “Innovation without process management is service level and does not have a true north. So in my mind, it’s actually a requirement to drive innovation with process management.鈥�

Kirchmer was in full agreement. In principle, he said, there are two ways that process management drives innovation. Many of the new digital native companies like eBay and Amazon have been founded based on new business processes. 鈥淭o invent those processes in a systematic way, process management plays a key role,鈥� he said; for example, by operationalizing design thinking.

鈥淪o process management enables process innovation, but process management also helps to improve the performance of your innovation process. That’s the second way BPM really drives innovation.鈥�

During the forum, speakers also discussed how 麻豆原创 Signavio gives business experts visibility into all business processes and potential bottlenecks, and provides suggestions for improvement based on industry benchmarks and best practices. Organizations benefit from having a detailed understanding of their business processes, which they can then optimize with agility to succeed and thrive.

More generally, Kirchmer described BPM as 鈥渢he management discipline that moves strategy into people and technology-based execution and does that fast and reliably.鈥� At the end of the day, he told the audience, 鈥渋t creates the transparency necessary to take fast, but well informed decisions and set the necessary actions.鈥�

For any transformation, especially digital transformations, that discipline is key for two reasons, Kirchmer said. 鈥淔irst, every transformation delivers the value at the end through new and enhanced processes. To make that happen, you need the discipline of process management. Second, such a transformation is normally not just a project that ends at a certain point. It is a real journey, and the discipline of process management helps to navigate through that journey.鈥�

Traditionally business process management has been about making business processes better, said Kirchmer, but he noted that in recent years the impact has become much broader. 鈥淚n the last five or six years, I get almost more requests to talk about process standardization and harmonization than just about process improvement.鈥�

鈥淧rocess management can play a key role in identifying the right degree of standardization. It also plays a key role in prioritization — figuring out what are the high-impact processes and which of those are of a low maturity level — and process management not only helps during the project, but afterwards in value realization and in keeping those processes on track.鈥�

Finally, Kirchmer noted that integrated process and data governance have become very important and a key component of the discipline of process management.

Echoing the same sentiments, Deano added that although business process optimization is viewed as the piecemeal application of technology, it is much broader than that. Implementing business process management means taking 鈥渁n end-to-end holistic look at what is the true essence of the business,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat includes the end-to-end process knowledge, and it includes the alignment to the operating model required to actually execute that process because ultimately you can design the best process, but if you are not organized for success, it’s not going to yield the benefits you want.

鈥淲hen positioning process management in an organization, it is important not just to discuss the required tools and techniques, but to stress the outcomes, the value it delivers,鈥� said Kirchmer. 鈥淚 always give the example if somebody asks you for the time, you don’t explain how the watch functions. You just tell them the time. And when you position process management at an executive level and you want to get people excited, you need to get them excited about what value it really brings – the quality, the efficiency, the agility, compliance and innovation.”

鈥淭o focus on outcomes and value, that is a very important first step to establish the discipline of process management,鈥� he said.

At the last month in Orlando, we heard a lot about the “process-centric mindset” as a way to discover new solutions to old problems and provide clarity amid complexity. The mix of business and technology and of thought leaders and practitioners delivered a cocktail of ideas, insights, questions, and prognostications that reminded attendees of the value of an in-person event.

The moments of insight seem painfully simple and obvious in retrospect. But simple is not the same as easy, and so here are top takeaways from the forum.

Time to Value: 14 Minutes

麻豆原创 Signavio Co-General Managers Gero Decker and Rouven Morato have strong feelings about process transformation. Speed, value, and experience are the pillars of process transformation success, so they decided to show just how quickly customers can achieve value. In less than 14 minutes — the average time to value for — the demo team was able to connect and analyze a live customer database, generate a model, and propose steps for improvement.

Simply mapping a process for the first time allows everyone to see the flows and interconnectivities of how work gets done. It also highlights how optimization in one area impacts other systems and can diminish the experience for other teams downstream in the process. Add in the ability to identify bottlenecks and redundancies — and, more importantly, tailored suggestions for highest impact changes — and people start to get excited.

Process Software Is Not Process Knowledge

麻豆原创 Signavio executive Colleen Speer hosted a lively discussion with thought leaders and . Part of that conversation included a reminder that business process knowledge is not the same as deploying business process management software.

Functional leaders — CFOs, CHROs, CPOs — understand how work should get done and own their processes. As the discipline of process transformation evolves, more and more companies are looking to process management software to help them standardize, harmonize, and optimize processes across their organizations.

Both speakers warned against the misperception that process knowledge is less important in automated systems, arguing that automation fragments process knowledge, effectively outsourcing it. Successful organizations are setting themselves apart by encouraging their leaders to keep actual process knowledge alive, because the organization鈥檚 ability to evolve depends on it. It is not an either-or-decision; true success needs both.

Change Is a Lifestyle

There is no doubt that we are living in a time of increased volatility, and that success depends on a company鈥檚 ability to adjust behaviors quickly and without friction when confronted with changing markets. Change is not just about having a flexible technology infrastructure. Businesses are made up of people and no change will happen if they aren鈥檛 ready and willing.

Under the right circumstances, people can be quite good at change; after all, our species is the most adaptable on the planet. Articulating clear goals, , and can help create the necessary climate of adaptability.

Processes Generate Data

Over the past decades, data has rightly become a highly prized asset. Companies that effectively harness data often outcompete others in their industry. C-suites everywhere run on data-driven dashboards that track key performance indicators (KPIs), turning an alarming red or a soothing green depending on circumstance. That data comes from processes generated by the day-to-day activities of getting work done. If a KPI improves and you want to replicate that improvement, look for changes in the processes that generated the data.

In It Together

A process mindset makes it clear that everything an organization does is interconnected — the ripples of any change travel far. The inherent challenge then is to create positive waves of change that not only improve the bottom line, but also increase customer and employee satisfaction.

Based on the engagement in Orlando, many in the process-driven community are passionately dedicated to elevating the discipline from the ranks of mere regulatory compliance. With a process mindset, organizations can develop agility and resilience, give business leaders a pathway for connecting strategy to execution, and provide clarity amid complexity.

Expertise is always engaging and curious minds are a delight, but it鈥檚 not every day that you get to witness a collective shift in mindset.

To dive deeper into what process transformation can do, watch replays from the or register for the 麻豆原创 Signavio Business Process Transformation Forum in .

At the 麻豆原创 Signavio Business Process Transformation Forum, , we鈥檙e gathering to explore these issues and to demonstrate how a strategic approach to is the foundation for true business agility. Notable thought leaders, executives, technology experts, and business leaders will be on site, sparking questions, creating insights, and driving conversations designed to help us all more prepared for what鈥檚 next.

This year鈥檚 event offers some great opportunities for anyone attending, including:

Hearing from Thought Leaders

We鈥檝e gathered some of the industry鈥檚 great minds to share their perspectives on the value and potential of process management. 麻豆原创 Signavio Co-General Managers Gero Decker and Rouven Morato will kick things off, sharing their latest thinking on process transformation as a strategic differentiator in a changeable world. Forrester analyst Bobby Cameron, whose specialty is on transformative uses of technology to drive business success, will help make the link between technology infrastructure, customer experience, and business outcomes. 麻豆原创 Signavio Chief Product Officer Ron Agam will make the connection between technology and sustainability, as organizations across the world work to transform business practices to meet new goals. And in a can’t-miss the discussion, Darwin Deano of McKinsey and Dr. Mathias Kirchmer from BPM-D will talk about how establishing process management as a strategic discipline helps companies achieve their business goals, with process standardization and harmonization as the critical basis for agility.

Getting up Close with 麻豆原创 Signavio Solutions

Our best subject matter experts will be on site to walk through our capabilities and offerings. They are ready to show and discuss everything from business process transformation, how to approach process automation, and driving innovation. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take a look at our latest 麻豆原创 Signavio Community site, where customers can ask questions and exchange information.

Learning from Peers

There鈥檚 nothing better than hearing from companies and people who are facing the same issues and opportunities that you are seeing. A wonderful roster of customers are on tap to share their experience and advice, including Avaya, General Motors, NTT, Driscoll鈥檚, Honeywell, Jabil, Qorvo, Molex, and Aristocrat. Be ready with your questions and thoughts to make these sessions as interactive and informative as possible.

Having Some Fun

Science tells us that we learn more easily when we are having fun, so get the most out of your trip by getting engaged with your fellow attendees. Plenty of networking opportunities will be provided throughout the event. In addition, golfing legend Gary Player will provide inspiration as he shares what he has learned about success during his long career and life.

The 麻豆原创 Signavio Business Process Transformation Forum, being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, September 20鈥�22, 2022. .