What Is BPM if you know Process Mapping Tools?

Process mapping tools such ARIS, Popkin and CaseWise are tools that capture business process designs and link them to business strategies, organisational structures and resources. BPM Systems such as Savvion are designed to manage the complete lifecycle of a process, from modelling right through to deployment, monitoring, analysis and improvement. With a BPM system low-level process maps are enhanced by developers and then automatically generated into running web applications which are managed and tracked by users and managers.

BPM systems have some modelling tools but this not to say that they compete with process mapping products. The process models designed by a BPMS such as Savvion are limited to those at the execution level - processes that actually run on the employee's desktop. High-level abstractions such as master processes and value chains are best modelled process mapping tools which have the capability to link executable process models to business strategies, organisational structures and resources.

Without a BPM system the processes designed with mapping tools still need to be programmed in languages such as .Net and Java. This involves passing the maps over to IT staff who prepare technical specifications which can then take over 12 months to develop, test, debug and deploy.

Savvion can import executable process maps from mapping tools that support the BPMN (business process modelling notation) standard.