Business Process Management Software (BPMS)

Definition - What does Business Process Management Software (BPMS) mean?

Business process management software (BPMS) is a type of application that is aimed at streamlining business processes and workflows in order for them to become more efficient and adapt to ever-changing environments. This allows companies to manage entire process life cycles by defining and maintaining best practices in their processes. As such, BPMS is a valuable tool for developing and improving business processes as it can store all the data and publish them online, giving companies enterprise-wide access to it.

Techopedia explains Business Process Management Software (BPMS)

Commercial business process management software tends to center on the automation of business processes, essentially moving them from manual pen-and-paper endeavors to effortless automated transactions. BPMS tracks how business information is used and then maps the relevant business process. It also ensures that transactions are done accordingly. This effectively shows where data and process bottlenecks occur and highlights various deficiencies in business processes, including areas where resources are wasted, allowing managers streamline and optimize those processes.

There are three key types of BPMS:

Efficiency Monitors:Monitors every system of the enterprise for inefficiency in the processes by following it from start to finish. The software accurately pinpoints weakness and bottlenecks where customers might get frustrated and discontinue transactions and processes.
Workflow Software: Uses detailed maps of an existing processes and tries to streamline them by optimizing certain steps. Workflow software cannot suggest improvements to the process, only optimize it, so this software is only as good as the process itself.
Enterprise Application Integration Tools: A mixture of efficiency monitors and workflow software, EAI software is used to integrate legacy systems into new systems. This software can be used to map points for integrating old and new systems, optimizing their information-gathering characteristics and increasing the efficiency of system communications.