Foreword by Tom Baeyens

Business processes represent the core functions of an organization. If these core functions are implemented inefficiently, a company gives its competitors an easy advantage. Business Process Management (BPM) is nothing more than ensuring that an organization is run well and remains in good shape. For small companies, a single person might be able to oversee everything that is going on and deal with situations as they occur. But when companies grow larger and processes expand, it’s harder to maintain control. Work is delegated, people start optimizing their own responsibilities, and an overview can quickly get lost. Over the long run, constant monitoring and improving of business processes are what separates good organizations from excellent ones.

One aspect of managing business processes is automation. Despite big advancements in software technology in the last decade, building custom software to support business processes remains expensive for enterprises.

Traditional BPM Systems (BPMSs) have attempted to simplify the creation of software for monitoring business processes. The biggest advantage of BPMSs is that they’re based on flowchart diagrams. Business managers and technical team members can understand these diagrams, which helps bring communication of requirements to a new level.