Improving Workflow Performance with Business Process Management

A few years ago, I once spent the best part of a whole working day trying to track down the status of a single invoice. It had bounced between email threads, a spreadsheet, and three different people — none of whom were sure if it had been approved, rejected, or just forgotten altogether. The vendor was chasing us, but no one could tell me what happened.

Now, I’m not a finance person or a procurement officer, so that clearly wasn’t the best use of my time. It wasn’t a one-off, either. I’ve seen similar slowdowns in onboarding, content production, and IT requests, and the worst part? Everyone just accepts it as normal.

But it doesn’t have to be. Companies with optimized business processes see up to 30–50% improvements in productivity. That’s hours, days, even weeks saved across teams by simply building smarter ways to work.

In this article, we’ll dive into what business process management really means, how it works, and how you can use it to reduce friction, cut down on manual busywork, and bring more structure to the way your team operates.

Table of contents:

• What is business process management (BPM)?

• Types of BPM

• Why is business process management important

• The business process management lifecycle

• Business process management benefits

• What are the challenges of business process management?

• Business process management vs. business process re-engineering

• BPM examples

• Business process management software and BPM tools

• Business process management use cases

• BPM best practices

• What is the future of business process management?

• How to implement BPM in your organization

• Why Wrike works for production teams

What is business process management (BPM)?

Business process management (BPM) is the practice of analyzing, improving, and automating the way work gets done across an organization. It focuses on building repeatable, efficient workflows that reduce friction, eliminate waste, and keep business operations running smoothly, whether you’re onboarding a new customer, processing an invoice, or launching a marketing campaign.

BPM comes from a place of treating processes as assets — something you can design, test, improve, and scale. Instead of relying on siloed knowledge, scattered tools, or reactive fixes, BPM gives teams a clear structure to follow, with built-in accountability and room for iteration.

In my experience, business process management systems become especially valuable when teams are managing multiple processes across departments, tools, or stakeholders. It helps everyone get on the same page, even when the work is complex. Plus, with the rise of automation and business process management software, it’s now easier than ever to streamline workflows without requiring manual oversight at every step.

Types of BPM

Not all business processes are created equal. That’s why business process management (BPM) isn’t a one-size-fits-all discipline.

Depending on the nature of the work, the tools involved, and how much human intervention is required, BPM systems are typically divided into three core categories:

1. Human-centric BPM

This type of BPM focuses on processes that require frequent input, decision making, or approvals from people, like onboarding, hiring, or help-desk ticketing. Human-centric BPM tools are built around ease of use, collaboration, and task management to help business users stay engaged and ensure that manual processes don’t slow things down.

2. Integration-centric BPM

Integration-centric BPM is designed for processes that rely heavily on connecting multiple business systems, like customer relationship management software (CRMs), enterprise resource management systems (ERPs), or core business applications. These workflows typically involve less human input and more business process automation, focusing on streamlining operations between existing systems to reduce manual handoffs and enhance productivity.

3. Document-centric BPM

In paperwork-heavy industries, document-centric BPM helps manage the movement, review, and approval of key assets like contracts, proposals, or compliance records. These systems often include workflow automation, version control, and audit trails to ensure accuracy, compliance standards, and process performance.

Each BPM approach supports different business objectives, but all share a common goal: to streamline workflows, improve process execution, and deliver greater business value. Choosing the right type of BPM depends on the complexity of your processes, the level of automation you need, and how closely your workflows align with your broader business strategy.

Why is business process management important?

When teams are stretched thin and systems don’t talk to each other, even simple business operations can get bogged down by inefficiency. That’s where business process management (BPM) proves its value by helping organizations standardize processes, reduce costs, and stay focused on what drives real business outcomes.

BPM helps companies move beyond reactive firefighting. Instead of solving the same problems over and over, it creates a framework for process improvement and continuous optimization. Whether you’re managing business processes in HR, finance, or customer service, BPM tools make it easier to identify bottlenecks, eliminate redundant tasks, and improve collaboration across departments.

It also plays a major role in achieving regulatory compliance and mitigating risk. By defining clear business rules, audit trails, and approval paths, BPM systems support everything from service-level agreements to internal controls, which are critical in industries where documentation and accuracy are non-negotiable.

In short: BPM is about making sure your processes remain efficient as your organization grows. It’s a key part of any digital transformation initiative, and it’s what allows your workflows to scale without breaking down under pressure.

The business process management (BPM) lifecycle

The BPM lifecycle typically follows five key stages: Design, Model, Execute, Monitor, and Optimize. Each one plays a crucial role in helping business processes stay efficient, scalable, and aligned with business goals.

Let’s break each one down:

1. Design

This is where the foundation is laid. At this stage, you identify the core business processes that need improvement, whether it’s onboarding new employees, managing purchase requests, or handling customer service tickets.

You’ll define process goals, map out current workflows (as-is processes), and sketch the ideal version (to-be processes). That includes outlining roles, business rules, timelines, and handoffs.

For example: If your team struggles with invoice approvals, the design phase might uncover where delays are happening, such as unclear approvers or manual data entry, so you can address them up front.

2. Model

Once your process is designed, business process modeling brings it to life. Here, you build a visual representation (often using process modeling tools) to simulate how tasks flow from one stage to the next, including any conditions or exceptions.

This helps spot potential issues early, like bottlenecks or gaps in handoffs, before the process goes live. It’s also where teams can assess how the process interacts with existing systems or regulations.

Think of this as your blueprint: a clear view of how the business process will actually operate under different scenarios.

3. Execute

Time to put the process into action. Execution means implementing the workflow using BPM software or workflow automation tools. Depending on the process, this could involve automating repetitive tasks, integrating business systems, or assigning tasks to team members.

During execution, the process is now actively being used by staff. You’re no longer working in theory — this is real-world performance. That’s why good execution relies on clean task management, system integrations, and minimal manual input for routine work.

4. Monitor

Execution isn’t the end — monitoring is where the real insight happens. BPM systems track how the process performs: Are tasks completed on time? Where are delays occurring? Are service level agreements (SLAs) being met?

This stage involves process performance tracking through key performance indicators (KPIs) and business activity management (BAM). It ensures visibility into process execution and highlights whether the process is delivering the intended business outcomes.

With tools like Wrike, you can build dashboards to monitor workflows in real time, making it easier to spot trends, flag issues, and maintain operational efficiency across numerous processes.

5. Optimize

Armed with monitoring data, you now loop back to improve. Optimization is about refining the process based on what you’ve learned — streamlining steps, adjusting timelines, automating processes, or reallocating resources.

It’s also where continuous process improvement happens. No process stays perfect forever. Whether you’re adopting machine learning for smarter decision making, integrating new systems, or improving compliance, optimization ensures your workflows stay aligned with your organization’s strategic goals.

This cyclical approach helps ensure your business processes remain efficient, scalable, and valuable — no matter how fast your organization grows or how complex your operations become.

Business process management benefits

When done right, business process management (BPM) has a ripple effect across the entire organization. It’s not just about speeding up workflows — it’s about unlocking real business value by improving how work gets done at every level.

Here are some of the biggest benefits of BPM initiatives:

1. Greater operational efficiency

By standardizing and streamlining workflows, BPM helps eliminate unnecessary steps, automate repetitive tasks, and reduce time spent on manual processes. That means fewer bottlenecks and more consistent results, especially in complex processes involving multiple departments or approvals.

2. Better visibility into business processes

With BPM software in place, you can monitor performance in real time. This visibility helps project managers and business users see how workflows are progressing, where delays occur, and which tasks require attention. The result? Faster decisions, improved accountability, and more predictable outcomes.

3. Improved alignment with business objectives

BPM ensures that every step in a process ties back to your organization’s strategic goals. Whether you’re focused on customer satisfaction, compliance, or cost reduction, BPM tools make it easier to align your processes with those critical strategic goals and measure how well they’re being met.

4. Better compliance and risk management

Business process management systems help ensure that workflows follow defined rules, approval chains, and regulatory requirements. With a clear audit trail and standardized execution, teams can reduce the risk of human error and improve accountability, which is especially important in industries with strict compliance needs.

5. Faster adaptation to change

Markets evolve, regulations shift, and business strategies change. With a well-implemented BPM framework, it’s much easier to adapt existing processes without starting from scratch. BPM allows you to test, refine, and scale process improvements quickly, without disrupting your entire operation.

6. Cost savings across the board

When you reduce manual work, streamline operations, and cut down on delays, the cost savings add up fast. Many organizations report significant reductions in operating expenses after automating business processes, especially in areas like procurement, HR, IT, and customer support.

In short, BPM helps you move faster, work smarter, and get more value from every process, from simple workflows to the most complex cross-functional operations.

What are the challenges of business process management?

So it’s clear that business process management (BPM) promises big benefits, but implementing it successfully isn’t always straightforward. For many teams, the road to streamlined operations and optimized workflows includes a few bumps along the way.

Here are some of the most common BPM challenges organizations face:

1. Resistance to change

Changing how work gets done can spark pushback, especially from teams used to “the way things have always been.”

46% of employees are hesitant to adopt new technologies because they worry it might threaten their roles. And when business process management involves automation, that fear can grow fast. Even if a new system promises to streamline workflows or eliminate repetitive tasks, if it’s not introduced with context and support, people pull back. The key is involving teams early, showing them how BPM helps them (not replaces them), and giving them the right training to feel confident, not sidelined.

2. Lack of process visibility

It’s hard to optimize what you can’t see. Many teams struggle to document their existing processes or fully understand how tasks move through their organization. This lack of visibility can lead to flawed BPM design or missed opportunities for automation and improvement.

To avoid this, start by mapping out your current workflows, even if they’re messy. Tools like process mining or visual workflow builders can help surface hidden inefficiencies and create a baseline from which you can actually improve. It also helps to identify the people who know the process best — the ones who live it day to day — and involve them early. Their insights are invaluable for spotting real blockers and designing smarter solutions.

3. Technology complexity

Choosing the right BPM tools isn’t always straightforward, especially with so many business process management systems, workflow automation platforms, and integrations to evaluate. Getting the tech stack right is essential for streamlining processes without creating new silos or complexity.

In my opinion, the most common trap is layering on more tools than teams actually use. Suddenly, you’re managing processes and managing the software that’s supposed to manage them. And the data backs this up. In our Dark Matter of Work report, we found that 70% of knowledge workers feel stressed having to juggle multiple tasks, systems, and applications, and that the average creative agency has added a huge 15 apps to their tech stack since March 2020.

The answer isn’t more tech, it’s more strategic tech. Instead of adding another tool, the most adaptable teams focus on platforms that integrate well with your existing systems, support automation without heavy dev work, and give users enough flexibility to adapt workflows without waiting on IT.

4. Scalability issues

What works for a small team may break at scale. BPM processes need to be flexible enough to grow with the business, accommodate multiple workflows, and support evolving business goals — without constant rework or IT involvement.

5. Gaps in ownership and accountability

When no one “owns” a process, it’s easy for things to slip. A successful BPM strategy requires clear roles, responsibilities, and governance. Without strong process ownership, efforts can stall during execution or fall apart during process monitoring and optimization.

6. Poor integration with existing systems

BPM doesn’t live in a vacuum. To deliver real value, it needs to connect with your foundational platforms, such as your CRM, ERP, or task management software. If your BPM suite doesn’t integrate well, it can cause data silos and slow down business outcomes rather than improve them.

Knowing these challenges in advance can help you build a more resilient BPM strategy — one that’s realistic, scalable, and aligned with your team’s real-world needs.

Business process management vs. business process re-engineering

Business process management (BPM) and business process re-engineering (BPR) are often confused, but they serve very different purposes. Think of BPM as continuous tuning, while BPR is a full teardown and rebuild when processes are fundamentally broken.

BPM examples

Business process management isn’t limited to one department or industry — it’s used anywhere teams need to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, or improve consistency. Below are a few common examples of BPM in action:

1. Employee onboarding

HR teams use BPM tools to create standardized onboarding workflows that automatically trigger tasks for IT setup, paperwork, compliance training, and check-ins, ensuring every new hire has a smooth and consistent start.

2. Invoice processing

Finance departments automate invoice approval workflows, reducing manual data entry and routing documents to the right approvers based on rules like department, cost, or vendor — cutting delays and improving audit trails.

3. Customer service ticketing

Support teams rely on BPM systems to route tickets, escalate issues, and track SLAs. Workflow automation ensures responses are prioritized and assigned appropriately, improving resolution times and customer satisfaction.

4. Marketing campaign approvals

Marketing teams can build a BPM workflow that routes campaign assets (like email copy or ad creatives) through drafting, internal review, compliance checks, and final approval before launch — all tracked in one place.

5. Purchase order management

Procurement teams use BPM software to manage PO requests, validate budgets, and trigger approval chains automatically based on cost thresholds or project scope.

Business process management software and BPM tools

Modern BPM tools help teams design, automate, and track business processes with less friction. These technologies support everything from simple task flows to complex workflows that span multiple teams and systems.

• BPM modeling tools make it easy to map and improve how work flows.

• Workflow engines automate task routing based on rules, triggers, and deadlines.

• Business rules engines (BREs) apply decision logic consistently across workflows.

• Process mining tools analyze real-world activity to uncover bottlenecks.

• Business activity monitoring (BAM) offers real-time dashboards to track performance.

• iBPMS platforms use machine learning and AI to support smarter automation.

• Low-code/no-code tools let business users create workflows without coding.

• Robotic process automation (RPA) extends business automation into legacy systems and manual tasks.

These tools reduce human oversight, improve performance, and help teams align operations with broader organization objectives.

Business process management use cases

BPM helps teams manage the business processes that power daily operations — from approvals to support to content production. With the right business process management tools, teams gain structure, speed, and visibility.

HR and onboarding

HR teams use workflow management to coordinate onboarding steps like payroll, training, and equipment requests. With business process automation, repetitive tasks are streamlined, reducing errors and improving consistency.

Finance and approvals

Finance departments rely on a clear process model to manage invoices, budgets, and purchase requests. Automating handoffs cuts delays and supports process optimization, while improving tracking for audits and compliance.

IT and internal requests

IT uses BPM to handle ticketing, system access, and equipment requests. These business processes benefit from automation technologies that route tasks automatically and reduce manual triage. Teams can monitor business process performance and adapt through smart BPM implementation.

Marketing and campaign approvals

Creative teams often manage complex workflows involving content drafts, feedback, and compliance. BPM initiatives connect these flows with project management tools, helping teams automate workflows and stay on schedule.

Customer support

Support teams use BPM to route tickets, enforce SLAs, and monitor resolution times. These BPM initiatives improve speed, reduce human error, and allow for continuous improvement through better insights.

BPM best practices

Building sustainable workflows takes more than automation. These best practices help teams apply BPM in a way that drives clarity, consistency, and long-term gains.

Business process automation

Start with repeatable business processes that slow teams down, such as approvals, internal requests, or onboarding. Apply business automation to route tasks, reduce delays, and remove manual steps.

Business rules

Strong rules define how each process runs. Clear triggers, conditions, and escalation paths to prevent confusion and support reliable execution.

BPM software

The right BPM software supports how your teams already operate. It should integrate with core tools, support workflow management, and scale across complex processes.

Business activity monitoring

Once processes are live, use real-time process tracking to track performance. Dashboards and alerts help teams measure output, improve visibility, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Over time, this data feeds back into your process model and supports smarter, faster project management decisions.

What is the future of business process management?

The next wave of business process management software is smarter and more adaptive. Platforms are starting to use AI and natural language processing to simplify how workflows are built and updated — reducing reliance on technical teams.

BPM focuses are shifting from static efficiency toward agility. Future-ready tools help teams scale, adjust to changing priorities, and improve visibility without reworking entire systems.

As process automation evolves, more teams will be able to adapt workflows in real time — not wait for a formal redesign. That supports faster decisions and better alignment with business goals.

How to implement BPM in your organization

Start with one process that’s frequent, manual, and easy to improve, like approvals or requests. Map it clearly, then build a visual process model to guide updates.

Choose business process management software that matches your workflow needs. Look for features like process automation, integration support, and low-code customization.

Roll it out with one team. Use feedback and metrics to refine the workflow, then expand to similar BPM focuses. Track progress to support continuous improvement and better productivity.

Business process management tools

Modern BPM tools blend workflow management, automate processes, and collaboration into one system. Look for:

• Visual builders

• Task routing and approvals

• Embedded dashboards

• Rules-based logic

• Integration with business software

All-in-one software like Wrike’s combines project management with process automation to manage tasks and coordinate teams. Whether you’re improving one flow or scaling across departments, a good BPM suite supports structure without adding complexity.

Why Wrike works for production teams

Wrike brings together business process management software and project management so production teams can work faster with less chaos. Build custom workflows, assign tasks, and track progress all in one place.

With built-in process automation and real-time visibility, Wrike helps teams stay aligned, adapt quickly, and enhance productivity without extra complexity.