PROCESS AUTOMATION

PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION
BPM AS AN ENTERPRISE CAPABILITY
Session 7
 • Identify the automation boundaries
• Review manual tasks
• Complete the process model
• Adjust task granularity
• Specify execution properties
Topics for •
•
Identify the Automation Boundaries
Review Manual Tasks
the Week •
•
Complete the Process Model
Bring the Process Model to an Adequate Granularity Level
• Specify Execution Properties
• The Last Mile
• Barriers to BPM Success
• The Six Success Factors of BPM Maturity
̶ Strategic Alignment
̶ Governance
̶ People
̶ Culture
• Measuring Process Maturity and BPM Maturity
• Recap
2
The BPM Lifecycle (revisited)

Process
identification

Process
Process architecture
architecture

Conformance
Conformance and
and Process As-is
As-is process
process
performance insights
performance insights discovery model
model

Process
monitoring and Process
controlling analysis

Executable
Executable Insights
Insights on
on
process
process weaknesses
weaknesses and
and
model
model their
their impact
impact

Process Process
implementation To-be
To-be process
process redesign
model
model

3
The well-known gap…

Process
identification

Process
discovery

Process
monitoring and Process
controlling analysis

Executable
Executable
process
process
model
model

Process Process
implementation To-be
redesign
To-be process
process
model
model

4
The result: two sides of the story

Conceptual “to-be” process models Executable process models

• are made by domain experts • are made by IT experts
• provide a basis for communication amongst • provide input to a process enactment
relevant stakeholders system - BPMS
• must be understandable • must be machine readable
• must be intuitive and may leave room for • must be unambiguous and should not
interpretation contain any uncertainties
• contain purely a relevant set of process • contain further details that are only
information relevant to implementation

“to-be executed”
process model 5
Bridging the gap: one task at a time
1. Identify the automation boundaries
2. Review manual tasks
3. Complete the process model Part I
4. Adjust task granularity
5. Specify execution properties
Part II

6
Adapted from teaching material of Remco Dijkman, TU/e.
1. Identify the automation boundaries

Principle: not all processes can be automated.

-> Start by identifying each task’s type:

1 2 3

Automated tasks User tasks Manual tasks

7
In BPMN: specify task markers

Automated tasks User task Manual task

8
 automated
In our example… user
manual

9
2. Review manual tasks
Principle: if it can’t be seen by the BPMS, it doesn’t exist.
-> Find ways to support manual tasks via IT:
• via user task
• via automated task
-> Isolate them and automate the rest

10
Alternative: isolate manual tasks

11
Alternative: isolate manual tasks

Segment 1 Segment 2

Segment 3

12
Quiz: let’s consider this process fragment

Prescription fulfillment process:

• Once the prescription passes the insurance check, it is
assigned to a technician who collects the drugs from
the shelves and puts them in a bag with the
prescription stapled to it.
• After that, the bag is passed to the pharmacist who
double-checks that the prescription has been filled
correctly.
• After this quality check, the pharmacist seals the bag
and puts it in the pick-up area.
• When a customer arrives to pick up their prescription,
a technician retrieves the prescription and asks the
customer for their payment.

Assume the pharmacy system automates this process.

Identify the type of each task and link manual tasks to
the system. 13
BPMN elements irrelevant for execution
• Physical data objects
• Messages bering physical data objects
• Data stores (both physical and electronic)
• Pools & lanes
• Text annotations

Remove or neglect, depending on BPMS

14
3. Complete the process model

Principle: exceptions are the rule.

-> Add exception handlers

It happed for real!

Principle: no data = no decisions, no tasks handover.

-> Specify all electronic business objects

15
In our example…

16
In our example…

17
4. Adjust task granularity

Principle: BPMSs add value if they coordinate handovers of

work between resources.
-> Aggregate any two consecutive tasks assigned to the
same resource
-> Refine tasks that are too coarse-grained

18
Look around
Candidate tasks for aggregation may not necessarily be
consecutive due to a sub-optimal order of tasks in the conceptual
model.

19
An exception to the rule

20
Our example…
Before
After Step 41

21
5. Specify execution properties

-> Process variables, messages, signals, errors

-> Task and event variables and their mappings to process
variables
-> Service details
-> Code snippets
-> Participant assignment rules and user interface structure
-> Task, event and sequence flow expressions
-> BPMS-specific: work queues, forms, connectors…

22
Business Process Management System

23
Process modeling tool
• To create and modify executable process models (by specifying
execution properties)
• To store and retrieve automation solutions from a process
model repository
• May import from conceptual process modeling tools

24
Example process modeling tools

Bonita Soft Bonita Open Solution

25
Execution Engine
• Instantiates executable process models (also called “cases”)
• Orchestrates distribution of work items to process participants
and software services in order to execute a business process
from start to end
• Logs execution data

26
Worklist Handler
• Imagine it as an “inbox”
• Offers work items to process participants and allows
participants to commit to these work items
• Handles participants’ work queues and work item priorities
• May provide social network capabilities

27
Example worklist handlers

Bonita Soft Bonita Open Solution

28
Administration & Monitoring Tools
• To manage automation solutions
• To configure access to system components
• To monitor participants availability and performance of process cases

29
Example monitoring & administration tools

Perspective
IBM BPMOne
BPM Process Admin Console

IBM BPM Process Portal 30

External Services
• Expose a service interface with which the engine can interact
• The engine provides the invoked service with the necessary data
it will need to perform the activity for a specific case
• Examples: rules engine, email or Twitter notification, DB
connector, CRM connector…

31
Example external services

Bosch Visual Rules editor 32

Evolution of the BPMS Landscape

33
© BPTrends
BPMS Landscape

Other Commercial Community

Big vendors
closed-source open-source open-source
• IBM BPM • Appian BPMS • Bonita Open • Shark
• Oracle BPMS • BizAgi BPM Suite Solution • YAWL
• Microsoft • Bosch inubit • Camunda Fox
BizTalk, Wf Suite • Intalio|BPM
• SAP NetWeaver • OpenTex tBPM • JBoss jBPM
BPM • Perceptive
• Software AG BPMONe
webMethods • Progress Savvion
• Pagaystems • TIBCO
PegaRULES ActiveMatrix
BPM

34
BPMS classification according to BPMN support

1. Pure BPMN: (re)designed from the ground up to

follow the spec to the letter
̶ IBM BPM, Appian BPMS, Camunda Fox

2. Adapted BPMN: use a BPMN skin but rely on

internal representation – predate BPMN
• Bonita Open Solution, BizAgi BPM Suite

3. Non BPMN: proprietary language and semantics

• Bosch inubit Suite, BPMOne, YAWL

35
 Cheat sheet
1. Control flow > specify sequence flow expressions…
2. Data flow > specify data types and data mappings
3. Resources > specify participants assignment rules, service details...

Finance ERP Invoice Report Invoice

Department

Enter Check
no
Invoice Invoice Post Invoice
mismatches
Invoice Details Mismatches
Invoice
received posted

Invoice DB Invoice
Senior Finance Officer
mismatch Block
exists Invoice
Invoice
blocked

36
PROCESS
IMPLEMENTATION
 Process Implementation in the BPM Lifecycle

Process
Management Processes

Define Vision Develop Strategy Implement Manage Risk

Strategy

Examples for BPM lifecycle and process mining identification Core Processes

Procure Procure Market Deliver

Manage
Customer
Materials Products Products Products
Service

35h B 30h Support Processes

15h Process architecture Manage Personnel

Manage
Information Manage Assets

A E
D
5m 3m 5m 10m 30m 2h 10m

15m
C
1.5h 10min
Conformance and Process As-is process
performance discovery model
insights

A B C D E

Process Process
monitoring analysis

Executable Insights on
process weaknesses and
model their impact

Process Process
implementation To-be process redesign
model
38
Chapter Overview

• This chapter deals with turning conceptual models into executable models
• Executable models can be used by a process-aware information system to coordinate a business
process
• We propose a systematic method for carrying out this transformation, which consists of five steps:
1. Identify the automation boundaries,
2. Review manual tasks,
3. Complete the process model,
4. Bring the process model to an adequate level of granularity, and
5. Specify execution properties.
• By following this method a conceptual model incrementally becomes less abstract and more IT-
oriented
• As part of this method, two standards complementary to BPMN are used:
̶ the Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN), and
̶ the Decision Model and Notation (DMN)
39
Setting the boundaries
• Guiding principle: not all processes can be automated.

• Based on this principle, establish which parts of a process can be coordinated by the BPMS
and which parts cannot

• Input: the conceptual model of the business process

• Three types of tasks are to be distinguished:

1. Automated: are performed by the BPMS itself or by an external service,
2. Manual: are performed by process participants without the aid of any software,
3. User: are performed by a participant with the assistance of the worklist handler of the
BPMS or an external task list manager

40
Notation
• The distinction between automated, manual, and user tasks is captured in BPMN via
specific markers on the top-left corner of the task box
• Manual tasks are marked with a hand,
• User tasks are marked with a user icon.
• Automated tasks are further classified into the following subtypes in BPMN:
̶ Script (script marker), if the task executes some code (the script) internally to the BPMS
̶ Service (gears marker), if the task is executed by an external application, which exposes
its functionality via a service interface
̶ Business rule (table marker), if the task triggers a business rule to be executed by a rules
engine external to the BPMS
̶ Send (filled envelope marker), if the task sends a message to an external service,
̶ Receive (empty envelope marker), if the task waits for a message from an external
service
41
Exercise 10.1
• Assume you have to automate the loan assessment process model of Solution 3.8 (page
110) for the loan provider. Start by classifying the tasks of this process into manual,
automated, and user tasks. Then, represent them with appropriate task markers.

42
Review manual tasks

• Goal: check whether the manual tasks can be linked with the BPMS
• Guiding principle: if the task cannot be seen by the BPMS, it does not exist

• Two ways of linking a manual task to a BPMS:

1. Implement as User Task
2. Implement as Automated Task

• Note: There are cases in which it is not convenient to link manual tasks to a
BPMS.

43
Complete the Process Model
• Main goal: Establish that the the process model is complete
• Two principles underlie this step:
̶ i) exceptions are the rule, and
̶ ii) no data implies no decisions and no task handoff
(so, better include how data is used and produced)

44
Exceptions
• Often, conceptual process models neglect certain information because modelers deem it as
irrelevant for the specific modeling purpose, they assume it is common knowledge, or they
are simply not aware of it.
• Depending on the application scenario, it may be fine to neglect this information in a
conceptual model; however, information that is not relevant in a conceptual model may be
highly relevant for a process model to be executed

In the majority of cases, a model must completed with the aspects concerning exceptions to
make it executable

45
Data objects
• Purpose: All electronic data objects that are required as input and output by the tasks of
our process need to be specified

Rationale:
• Data objects are often assumed to exist in a conceptual model.
• In an executable model, where a software engine has to run the model, they need to made
explicit.

Each data object needed by the BPMS engine to pass control between tasks and to take
decisions must be modeled.

46
Granularity

• Tasks in a conceptual model may not be

at the right level of granularity for
implementation
• They may be either:
§ too abstract, in which case we need
to decompose them, or
§ too detailed, in which case they
should be aggregated

• Guiding principle: A BPMS adds value if it

coordinates handoffs of work between
resources

47
Unordered tasks
• As a rule of thumb, a (sub-)process whose tasks are performed in an ad hoc manner,
without any predictable order, is not suitable for automation via a BPMN-based BPMS. In
this case, a case management system or an ad hoc workflow system is more appropriate.
• If the BPMS supports the Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN) language, this is
not an issue

48
CMMN

• Defines which tasks have to be executed,

although potentially restricted by certain
conditions
• Describes what has to be achieved in a
process instead of how to achieve it
• Can be used as a type of sub-process in a
BPMN model, but also vice versa: tasks
in a CMMN model can have BPMN sub-
processes.

49
Execution Properties

• To make the model fully executable, we need to specify in the last step how each
model element is effectively implemented by the BPMS of choice

• The relevant Execution Properties are:

̶ Variables, messages, signals, errors, and their data types,
̶ Data mappings,
̶ Service details for service, send and receive tasks, and for message and signal
events,
̶ Code snippets for script tasks,
̶ Participant assignment rules and user interface structure for user tasks,
̶ Task, event, and sequence flow expressions, and
̶ Other BPMS-specific properties.
50
DMN
• Sometimes, the conditions that allow a process instance to be routed towards one or
another path in the model can be quite complex.
• OMG has developed the Decision Model and Notation (DMN) standard, which can be used
for specifying business rules

DMN provides three parts for the specification of business rules:

1. the Decision Requirements Graph (DRG), which describes how data is propagated
between different decisions,
2. the Simple Expression Language (S-FEEL) to define how values are extracted from
variables, and
3. Decision Tables (DMN tables)

51
DMN Tables

52
Assessment 3 Group Report and Presentation
• Students will work in a team of 3-4 members and choose an organisation for their project and will create a
BPM implementation strategy and implementation plan for the organisation.

• Students must use a BPMN tool (LucidChart/Signavio) and create a TO-BE recommendation model for the
report. Must use AND, XOR gateways, lanes and pools, and correct connections with relevant icons to build
TO-BE model (a proposed recommendation model by rectifying/upgrading AS-IS model in A2 Part B).

• The Group Report is due in Session 8 of Week 4 (5 pm) and the Presentation is due in Session 8.

• The weight of the assessment is 20 percent for the Group Report and 15 percent for the Group Presentation.

• Each Group is expected to submit their own work.

• Any materials taken from other sources must be cited accordingly.

53
Recap (Process Implementation)
• A five-step method was presented for transforming conceptual process models into
executable ones:
1. Identify the automation boundaries,
2. Review manual tasks,
3. Complete the process model,
4. Bring the process model to an adequate level of granularity, and
5. Specify execution properties
• CMMN was discussed as a technique to deal with unordered tasks
• DMN was presented as a technique to specify business rules

54
BPM as an Enterprise Capability
Process
Management Processes

Define Vision Develop Strategy Implement Manage Risk

Strategy

identification Core Processes

Procure Procure Market Deliver

Manage
Customer
Materials Products Products Products
Service

Support Processes

Process architecture Manage Personnel

Manage
Information Manage Assets

Conformance and Process As-is process

performance discovery model
insights

Process Process
monitoring analysis

Executable Insights on
process weaknesses and
model their impact

Process Process
implementation To-be process redesign
model

55
 Common Reasons for Failure of BPM Programs

• A sole focus on BPM methods and tools, not on business goals,

• The belief that BPM is the single source of truth,
• BPM projects that are managed as isolated silos, and
• An overall inability to change.

56
Exercise 12.1: Success of BPM Program

Indicate to what extent the following activities can be considered a success for a BPM program. For your
assessment, try to distinguish between prerequisites and measures of success. Prerequisites for success
are those activities conducive to or necessary for the eventual success of a BPM program but are not an
end in themselves. In contract, measures of success are activities that relate to the achievement of a
business goal through BPM.
a) The BPM team has correctly configured a modeling tool.
b) A process analyst has completed a Six Sigma training course.
c) The job description of a process owner has been updated.
d) The cycle time of the order-to-cash process was reduced by 5%.
e) A BPMS was installed.
f) The handling time of over 90% of claims was reduced to up to five days.
g) The process architecture was updated.

57
The BPM Maturity Model

58
Exercise 12.2: Six BPM Success Factors

• In recent years, many companies have started initiatives towards “The speed and quality of our application development deter-mines
digital transformation, better customer experience, and regulatory how our customers experience the service. [. . .] There-fore, we
compliance. Partially, these initiatives are operationalized by the can’t afford any mistakes in our software. This is all the more true
help of BPM programs. Rabobank is one of the largest financial now that the supporting role of employees at local member banks
service providers in The Netherlands. In a white paper, Pieter van is disappearing. Processes must be fully functional. At the same
Langen, a senior manager with Rabobank, reports on their BPM time, we must make sure that we can promptly anticipate
program and the way they use ARIS as a process modeling tool. customers’ desires and comply with laws and regulations. This
• Which of the six BPM critical success factors does Van Langen’s requires clear-cut and transparent pro-cesses for software
report refer to? development. [. . .] If we develop an appli-cation for an innovative
mobile service, it is crucial to know exactly what its impact will be
on the environment and other systems and processes. We use
models to do this. [. . .] We wanted to be able to find and maintain
all system document-tation related to our IT in one central
location. [. . .] Moreover, we wanted everyone, from the business
analyst to the archi-tect, to be able to count on the fact that the
retrieved system documentation will be correct, and that
everybody can feel confident in using it. [. . .] In this way we have
more control over the quality of the applications we develop. These
benefits directly translate into a better service for our customers.”

Source: https://info.softwareag.com/rs/858-DJP-
749/images/SAG_Rabobank_RS_Aug16_web_tcm16-129443.pdf
59
Strategic Alignment

1. Strategy-driven BPM project planning: How aligned are the methods and tools we choose in each
phase of the BPM lifecycle to the particular business goals we want to achieve?
2. Strategy and process capability linkage: Does the business strategy directly influence the business
processes and vice versa?
3. Enterprise process architecture: How well is the enterprise process architecture specified?
4. Process performance measures: How well are process outcomes and related process performance
measures defined?
5. Process customers and stakeholders: How well is the view of customers and other process
stakeholders incorporated in BPM projects?

60
Exercise 12.3: Strategic Alignment

• In a case study, Reisert, Zelt, and Wacker report on the corporate “In order to produce innovative solutions faster and more simply, SAP started in
strategy of the software vendor SAP and the way how they used 2008 to transform its research and development processes. SAP moved away from
complex and static project methods toward agile and simple pro-cesses, thereby
BPM to achieve their goals. significantly reducing the throughput time of the standard innovation cycle. Based
• Which capability areas associated with strategic alignment are on the experience of this trans-formation and optimi-zation, [. . .] SAP decided to
described? increase the emphasis on Business Process Management (BPM). Therefore, BPM
initiatives were implemented on a company-wide level in the effort to establish a
process infrastructure and a process improvement culture. [. . .] The key success
factor in SAP’s journey from BPM concepts and ideas to measurable impact [. . .]
was the strategic alignment of BPM with top management support. [. . .] The
Process Manager is responsible for defining the process improvement goal (with
approval from the Business Owner), which is typically derived from the SAP strategy
(im-provement portfolio, strategic objectives), from a current issue in the process
(impediment, audit finding), or from an idea from the SAP idea management
initiative. [. . .] The effect of the process changes are measured according to Process
Performance Indicators (PPIs), which in-clude throughput time, cus-tomer
satisfaction, and cost per unit output. These PPIs are measured by the Process
Manager and compared with pre-viously defined success criteria.
[. . .] Although the triggers for actual process improvement can be numerous, the [.
. .] activities involved in improving a process are standardized and, as such, are
documented in the SAP Process Map.”

Reisert, Zelt, Wacker: How to move from paper to impact in business process
management: The journey of SAP. In vom Brocke, Mendling, eds.: Business Process
Management Cases. Springer-Verlag, 2018.
http://www.bpm-cases.com/projects/how-to-move-from-paper-to-impact-in-
business/ 61
Governance

1. BPM decision making: What BPM decisions can be taken and when, to handle both expected and
unexpected circumstances?
2. BPM roles and responsibilities: Is there a clear definition of BPM roles and associated
responsibilities?
3. Process performance measurement system: What mechanisms are in place to measure process
performance and how appropriate are these mechanisms based on the chosen performance
measures?
4. BPM standards, conventions, and guidelines: How well are BPM standards, conventions, and
guidelines defined?
5. BPM quality controls: What control measures are in place to review and guarantee quality in all
phases of a BPM project?

62
Exercise 12.4: Governance

• In a case study, Reisert, Zelt, and Wacker report on the governance “As the transformation significantly reduced the standard innovation cycle’s
of BPM at SAP. throughput time, SAP decided to build on this success and founded the Productivity
Consulting Group (PCG). [. . .] PCG was founded as a process office with direct
• Which capability areas associated with governance are described? oversight over SAP’s corporate functions throughout all regions. The PCG is
responsible for establishing a process infrastructure in the company, including
process governance, idea management, and improvement services. The PCG is
located in the area of SAP’s COO [the Chief Operations Officer], which facilitates a
direct connection between the PCG’s portfolio and the corporate strategy. By
grouping PCG with an organizational unit called Business Insight and Technology,
the company ensures a close relationship with IT projects and innovations. [. . .]
PCG manages the SAP Process Map and provides SAP-wide BPM standards on how
to design, measure, and improve processes. It also manages the BPM community,
which entails educating the Process Managers on BPM methodology. Process
Managers are responsible for defining, operating, and improving processes, so they
pursue the business goals, strategies, and objectives defined by Business Owners. [.
. .] The effect of the process changes are measured according to Process
Performance Indicators (PPIs). [. . .] SAP uses its own process maturity model that
has been tailored to the company’s needs.”
Reisert, Zelt, Wacker: How to move from paper to impact in business process
management: The journey of SAP. In vom Brocke, Mendling, eds.: Business Process
Management Cases. Springer-Verlag, 2018.
http://www.bpm-cases.com/projects/how-to-move-from-paper-to-impact-in-
business/

63
People

1. Process knowledge: To what level do process participants and related process stakeholders know
the processes they participate in?
2. BPM knowledge: How much do the people in BPM roles, such as process analysts, know about BPM
methods and tools?
3. BPM and process training: How developed is the corporate training in BPM and business processes?
4. Process collaboration and communication: How do process stakeholders collaborate and
communicate with each other for the achievement of process objectives?
5. Propensity to lead BPM: How willing is a company’s management team to lead BPM projects?

64
Exercise 12.5: People

• Continuing with the case study by Reisert, Zelt, and Wacker, the “The PCG supports a series of communication and enablement activities in order to
extract below reports on the activities of the Productivity Consulting establish a solid relationship with the BPM community.
Group (PCG), which is in charge of BPM at SAP and of the people in • SAP Process Excellence Newsletter: Bi-monthly issues that contain training
relation to BPM activities. offers, information on upcoming events and success stories on process
improvement.
• Which capability areas associated with people are described? • Process Manager Information Sessions: Bi-monthly sessions for Process
Managers to share best practices and roll out information about BPM standards.
• Process Management Training: Classroom and virtual training sessions on [SAP’s]
BPM methodology, tools, and best practices (from Process Managers for Process
Managers).
• SAP Process Summit: Annual event where all Process Managers come together
to exchange best practices, get inspiration from external speakers, and learn
about new topics related to BPM.
• SAP Process Excellence Award: Increases the visibility of excellent processes and
provides a platform for employees who are working on process improvement by
rewarding outstanding processes that accomplish measurable process
improvements and have a positive impact on the company.”

Reisert, Zelt, Wacker: How to move from paper to impact in business process
management: The journey of SAP. In vom Brocke, Mendling, eds.: Business Process
Management Cases. Springer-Verlag, 2018.
http://www.bpm-cases.com/projects/how-to-move-from-paper-to-impact-in-
business/

65
Culture

1. Responsiveness to process change: To what extent does the organization embrace and respond to
continuous process change?
2. Embedding of process values and beliefs: How deep is process-thinking ingrained in the corporate
values and beliefs?
3. Adherence to process design: To what degree do process participants adhere to process designs?
4. Leadership attention to BPM: How much support do leaders exhibit for BPM?
5. BPM social networks: Are social network in place to shape and disseminate BPM in the
organization?

66
Exercise 12.6: Culture
“With the implementation of the SAP Process Map and easy-to-use tools for
• The last extract from the case study by Reisert, Zelt, and Wacker process documentation, process modeling has become an important part of
reports on the results and lessons learned from the way SAP Process Managers’ jobs. Currently, 626 employees have an editor user for
embraced BPM. process modeling, and more than 1,200 employees are enrolled in internal
training that helps them to design and leverage processes at SAP. Today,
• Which results can be related to the capability areas associated with 92% of all Level 3 processes are documented and published in the SAP
culture? Consider also the descriptions for Exercise 12.5. Process Map, and 1,023 processes on Level 3 and below are documented. [.
. .] Based on a sample of 100 projects per year, SAP currently achieves a
typical result of 20:1 payback and a customer satisfaction that exceeds 75%.
In addition, many processes’ processing time has been reduced significantly,
including a process in the marketing services team that eliminated eleven
process steps and reduced processing time by up to 74%. [. . .] A strong BPM
community and a culture that supports BPM initiatives, where every single
employee contributes to process improvement, are essential. SAP
established the Process Excellence Award, process management events,
and other activities that contribute to the creation of a process
management culture and a deeper understanding of the value of BPM.”
Reisert, Zelt, Wacker: How to move from paper to impact in business
process management: The journey of SAP. In vom Brocke, Mendling, eds.:
Business Process Management Cases. Springer-Verlag, 2018.
http://www.bpm-cases.com/projects/how-to-move-from-paper-to-impact-
in-business/

67
Process Maturity

• Assessment of how broad and deep a given spectrum of business processes is.
• Supported by Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) by the CMMI
Institute.
̶ Level 1 (Initial),
̶ Level 2 (Managed),
̶ Level 3 (Defined),
̶ Level 4 (Quantitatively managed),
̶ Level 5 (Optimizing)

68
BPM Maturity
• Assessment of how broad and deep the spectrum of BPM activities is.
• Level 1 (Initial): BPM is non-existing or rarely used. When available, BPM projects are carried out in an ad hoc fashion
within individual divisions. Such initiatives are uncoordinated, limited scope and minimal employee involvement.
• Level 2 (Managed): The organization starts capitalizing on its first BPM experiences to build up BPM capabilities. A
process-thinking mindset starts to emerge among its employees. As the awareness of BPM increases, the first
processes are documented and analyzed. There is also increasing involvement of the management level, though
knowledge of BPM methods and tools remains with external experts.
• Level 3 (Defined): The organization reaps the benefits of the first BPM projects, though the focus is still on the early
stages of the BPM lifecycle. The use of methods and tools becomes more sophisticated. In-house BPM training is
established to reduce the dependence upon external experts. The first process collaboration and communication
forums are set up to facilitate the dissemination of BPM experiences (e.g., using intranets to share process models).
• Level 4 (Quantitatively managed): The focus of BPM projects shifts towards the last phases of the lifecycle: change
management accompanies BPM projects to guarantee the acceptance of the redesigned processes; systematic
performance monitoring ensures that BPM projects deliver strategic benefits. A BPM Center of Excellence is
established with well-defined roles to coordinate all BPM efforts. There is process orientation in every project (not
only in BPM-specific ones) and the company minimally relies on external expertise.
• Level 5 (Optimizing): BPM is fully-established, on both the operational level and the strategic level, where it has
become an integral part of any manager’s activities, accountabilities, and performance measurements. BPM methods
and tools are widely accepted and a standardized, company-wide approach to BPM is in place. As BPM becomes the
way business is done, the BPM Center of Excellence reduces in size.
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Patterns of BPM Maturity

Blue pattern:
• High maturity in strategic alignment and governance, low
elsewhere.
• Typical of organizations where BPM is driven from top, e.g.,
sponsored by the CFO or CEO.
• Strong executive support for BPM, often because of a sense
of urgency.
Orange pattern:
• High maturity in methods and IT, low elsewhere
• Typical of organizations where BPM is driven under the
sponsorship of CIO.
• Strong emphasis on BPM methods and software solutions.
Green pattern:
• medium maturity in people and culture, low elsewhere
• Typical in organizations that are affected by rule-based
governance and heavy unionization, where everyone’s buy-in
is sought for any redesign decision.

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Exercise 12.7: BPM Maturity of SAP

• In Exercises 12.3 to 12.6, we have learned about the BPM program at

SAP.
• Assess the BPM maturity of SAP from what is reported in the quoted
text.

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Example of BPM maturity assessment for an insurance
company
• The Figure shows an example of BPM maturity
assessment for an insurance company.
• The assessment is framed in the context of a BPM
roadmap, which describes desired levels of
maturity over time.
• The company in this example follows the orange
pattern: The driver for BPM is methods and IT,
rather than strategy.

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10 Principles of Good BPM
1. Principle of Context Awareness:
BPM should fit the organizational context. It should not follow a cookbook approach.
2. Principle of Continuity:
BPM should be a permanent practice. It should not be a one-off project.
3. Principle of Enablement:
BPM should develop capabilities. It should not be limited to firefighting.
4. Principle of Holism:
BPM should be inclusive in scope. It should not have an isolated focus.
5. Principle of Institutionalization:
BPM should be embedded in the organizational structure. It should not be an ad hoc responsibility.
6. Principle of Involvement:
BPM should integrate all stakeholder groups. It should not neglect employee participation.
7. Principle of Joint Understanding:
BPM should create shared meaning. It should not be the language of experts.
8. Principle of Purpose:
BPM should contribute to strategic value creation. It should not be done for the sake of doing it.
9. Principle of Simplicity:
BPM should be economical. It should not be over-engineered.
10. Principle of Technology Appropriation:
BPM should make opportune use of technology. It should not consider technology management as an afterthought.
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 Recap (Enterprise Capability)
• This chapter argued that to achieve sustainable success with BPM, we need to go beyond the application of
methods, techniques, and software tools, and consider BPM as an enterprise capability embedded in the
corporate structure.
• Accordingly, BPM should not be seen as a one-off project, but as a coordinated set of projects developed
over time, each of these aiming to improve one or more business processes via the BPM lifecycle.
• First, we presented typical fail reasons of BPM programs, and traced these back to a lack of strategic
alignment, a weak or nonexistent governance structure, or an underestimation of the role that employees
and corporate culture play for the success of the BPM program.
• We then introduced the BPM Maturity Model as a tool to measure the success, or maturity, of a BPM
program within an organization. This model revolves around six critical success factors: strategic alignment,
governance, methods, IT, people, and culture, each sporting five capability areas. The underlying assumption
is that BPM success influences business process success, which in turn influences business success.
• Regarding maturity assessment, we differentiated between BPM maturity and process maturity. The former
measures the completeness and quality of the set of processes executed in an organization; the latter
measures the maturity of the BPM program that drives the management of these processes.
• We overviewed the CMMI framework for process maturity assessment and reused the nomenclature of its
maturity levels to discuss five levels of BPM maturity according to the BPM Maturity Model. From this, we
delineated three key patterns of BPM adoption within companies.
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Assessment 3 Group Report and Presentation
• Students will work in a team of 3-4 members and choose an organisation for their project and will create a
BPM implementation strategy and implementation plan for the organisation.

• Students must use a BPMN tool (LucidChart/Signavio) and create a TO-BE recommendation model for the
report. Must use AND, XOR gateways, lanes and pools, and correct connections with relevant icons to build
TO-BE model (a proposed recommendation model by rectifying/upgrading AS-IS model in A2 Part B).

• The Group Report is due in Session 8 of Week 4 (5 pm) and the Presentation is due in Session 8.

• The weight of the assessment is 20 percent for the Group Report and 15 percent for the Group Presentation.

• Each Group is expected to submit their own work.

• Any materials taken from other sources must be cited accordingly.

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Recap

Identify the
Review manual Complete the Adjust task
automation
tasks process model granularity
boundaries

Identify the
Specify execution Review Manual Complete the
Automation
properties Tasks Process Model
Boundaries

Bring the Process

Model to an Specify Execution
The Last Mile Recap
Adequate Properties
Granularity Level
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END OF CHAPTER