Business process management (BPM) is a discipline to treat business processes as assets, to drive operational excellence and agility. Many technologies, tools and services can help achieve BPM goals.

A range of BPM technologies and tools will aid the efforts of organizations pursuing BPM strategies. These include BPM suites, business rule engines, business activity monitoring software, business process analysis tools, simulation tools and content management systems — as well as BPM methodologies such as Six Sigma and Rummler-Brache. To achieve the best results, organizations must assess processes, determine requirements and follow an effective process for technology selection, deployment and management. Following Gartner's advice on BPM technology and tools will help organizations ensure that they select the most appropriate BPM technologies, methods and service providers; reduce technology-related risks; mature their BPM capabilities; and optimize their process improvement efforts.

BPM technologies and tools are varied and rapidly evolving, so organizations must ensure they are ready before acquiring and using them. BPM planners must craft strategies to overcome hurdles such as:

• Assessing BPM maturity, and determining which tools are suitable to the organization's maturity level
• Building the business case, and overcoming budget limitations
• Establishing governance structures for BPM tool selection
• Developing skills and expertise in BPM technologies and tools
• Ensuring interoperability with other tools, such as enterprise content management and business intelligence applications

Gartner recommends that BPM planners follow five major phases with regard to their use of BPM tools, technologies and services. These phases may vary, depending on the specific nature of the organization and its BPM requirements:

• Strategize and Plan: Determine the business and technical needs and opportunities for acquiring new technologies and services related to BPM. Compare expected benefits to expenses to create proposed strategies. Review alternative strategies to generate a technology plan.
• Assess Current State: Assess the current industry use and maturity of desired technologies. Review your readiness for technology absorption. Examine what works and what doesn't. Identify risks, and review feasible options.
• Assess Competencies: Establish the criteria for technology, tool or service selection. Prepare the request for proposal, and solicit bids. Evaluate offerings, and perform reference checks. Make recommendations. Gain approval.
• Implement: Prepare for the training required, installation sequence and timing. Test the product or service against specifications, and verify quality. Create support staff resources.
• Operate and Evolve: Release the capability for final open availability. Monitor initial results against the plan. Maintain performance review, and plan updates.

The following documents are foundational research to get started with this initiative:

"Magic Quadrant for Business Process Management Suites, 2009"

"Toolkit: Framework for Matching BPMS Functionality to Process Management Needs, 2009"

"BPM Research Index: Business Process Management Technologies"