Human-centric BPM and its Features
What is Human Centric Workflow?
Processes are the framework on which a business is built. The more optimized and streamlined business processes are, the higher will be the productivity. One of the most effective ways to improve business outcomes is to invest in a business process management (BPM) solution. A business process management system optimizes and streamlines process workflows by eliminating repetitive and redundant tasks. Businesses can choose from document-centric, integration-centric, and human-centric workflows as per their business requirements.
Introduction to Process Workflows and Business Process Management
Process workflows take the center stage for any business. The performance and efficiency of a business depend largely on the process workflows. The more organized and streamlined the processes are, the higher will be the business productivity. Implementing workflow automation software helps streamline business processes and eliminate redundancies. Understanding the process completely is an essential first step toward workflow software implementation. Once the process is mapped out, inherent bottlenecks and repetitive steps can be identified easily.
A business process management (BPM) solution helps run, measure, improve, and optimize business operations. Workflow management and BPM software together streamline business processes. BPM software integrates workflows with other applications, technologies, and systems. BPM brings together several processes and workflows for continuous business improvement.
The type of BPM varies in every business. BPM is classified into human-centric, document-centric, and integration-centric based on the purpose or the end result. Document-centric BPM is mostly used by procurement, accounting, law, and contract management businesses. The purpose is to create a document based on several inputs and multiple approvals from stakeholders.
Human-centric BPM is the most important type of BPM that businesses should pay close attention to. In any type or scale of business, humans play a pivotal role. Hence, controlling and managing human-centric processes enable smooth business operations.
Integration-centric BPM focuses on integrating business software with other department-specific solutions. Integrating enterprise-wide systems ensures better connectivity and seamless data exchange.
What is a Human-centric Workflow?
Every process workflow is made up of human and system components. System components carry out tasks like recording, gathering, copying, updating, and deleting data. Human tasks involve qualitative decision-making, creating, improving, judging, approving, and translating. Certain physical tasks like goods transportation, visual inspection, or video editing are also executed by humans. Apart from executing tasks, humans are capable of facilitating the flow of business processes and handling exceptional conditions.
A BPM that focuses on automating business processes that are driven by humans is called a human-centric BPM. System tasks are run in the background in a human-centric workflow. A data or system-focused BPM is limited in its responses to tasks that are assigned. Each task can either be completed or failed in a system-centric BPM. A failed task usually generates an error notification. However, in a human-centric BPM, the complexity of human responses is accounted for. Certain tasks like data analysis and conversion can be handled better by a system. By replacing human intervention in such tasks, efficiency is improved and the cost is reduced.
Human-centric workflow support capabilities like work reassignment, putting and releasing tasks from hold, and easy updates and upgrades. Here is a list of uniquely human tasks that can be handled by a human-centric BPM:
- Reviewing reports, measurements, and data
- Judging and evaluating
- Approving or authorizing
- Language Translation
- Choose between alternatives
- Creating and designing images
- Creating texts like contracts or proposals
Human contribution within a process can be translated as “what the person does”. When such activities are integrated into a system, automated assistance alerts or warnings need to be included to ensure whether the activity was completed on time or not. A human-centric BPM defines these activities as entities that are standardized and integrated into other processes. Human-centric BPM designs process workflows that are made up of difficult-to-replace human activities.
Features of a Human-Centric BPM
Human-centric workflows are designed keeping in mind the complexity of how a human reacts to a task and provide room for more than just a binary result. Features of a human-centric BPM are:
- Better flexibility and adaptability
- Faster responses to events
- Ability to reassign work
- Seamless integration with other systems
- Ability to place and release jobs on hold
- Mobile access
Does your business require a Human-centric BPM?
A human-centric BPM accentuates the human aspects of the process while designing the workflow. Human-centric BPMs expect a machine to think like a human, hence, presenting a very human-like context to the tasks. Such workflows come with a user-friendly interface that pushes the technological functionalities to the background.
Humans will always play a pivotal role in any business. Having a human-friendly BPM solution enables just anyone in your organization to operate the BPM. Just as emails or spreadsheets are easily understood and used by employees, human-centric workflows will be just as easy to use. Cflow is a cloud-based no-code workflow automation solution that can automate core business processes within minutes. It is easy to even for a non-technical person to understand and use Cflow. The visual form builder can be used to build forms easily. To know more about Cflow, sign up for the 14-day free trial.