Business Process Management Trends 2024

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Aside from leading a major technology conglomerate, Tony Stark was a popular and influential figure even before he became Iron Man. Yes, he was a busy-busy man in his personal and professional lives - that's to say he certainly needed every bit of help to maintain his lifestyle.

This is where Virginia “Pepper” Potts and Harold “Happy” Hogan came in. They assisted him by performing various simple and complex daily tasks, which enabled Tony to focus on tasks that required his unique personality, creativity and intelligence.

Businesses also look for such assistants who can optimize the way they plan, outline, implement and perform numerous routine or repetitive tasks. Enter Business Process Management (BPM). Simply put, BPM’s endgame is to streamline, quicken and harmonize processes to meet business goals.

To ensure their BPM efforts are effective, businesses look to adopt the latest technology and techniques. So, if you’re seeking what’s going to be big in 2024, we’ve curated the Top Business Process Management Trends of 2024!

Keeping to the theme of superheroes, we’ve always seen them receive help to complete their missions. Batman always had Alfred. Wonder Woman had Steve Trevor, who himself enlisted the help of others, Superman had Lois Lane and the Daily Planet to help him sniff out threats. Even the lonesome Hancock (Will Smith) eventually needed the help of Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) to improve his image.

Getting back to Iron Man’s universe, even the Avengers needed help with fulfilling daily tasks and chores. Why do you think Tony built the New Avengers Facility in upstate New York? #MarvelFansUnite

However, getting help to simplify tasks or chores isn’t restricted to the fictional world. It’s something that businesses also seek out with their processes. Especially ones that are routine, repetitive or predictable.

This is why they turn to Business Process Management, which helps design, analyze and optimize end-to-end business processes. This is done to streamline workflow and achieve strategic goals in the business ecosystem.

Ultimately, just like a superhero’s enemies, even businesses face uncertainties related to future techniques and technologies. So, moving ahead from the Business Process Management Trends for 2023, which included low code technologies, green BPM, adaptive case management and engagement strategies, we’re now going to turn our attention to the year at hand.

Read on to explore the Top Business Process Management Trends of 2024!

Trend 1: Low-Code/No-Code Development Will Ease Processes

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Low-code/No-code platforms retain their place in this year's trends too, as they benefit businesses by facilitating quick creation of applications. This is possible because no-code platforms enable users to create without needing any technical knowledge of coding and leverage visual tools and automation, which will sweep the business arena in 2024.

Low-code platforms allow users to make customized applications with a little bit of coding knowledge, allowing them to add code over pre-generated code, as well as handle more logic, data management and integration scenarios.

Red Hat believes that such platforms reduce app development time by 90%, which blends well with Gartner’s report stating that by 2024, 65% of apps developed will be done using such platforms and will increase to 70% by 2025. Furthermore, while the low-code platform market was valued at $7.61 billion in 2021, it’s projected to reach $36.43 billion by 2027!

According to Amitha Pulijala, Vice President of Product, Cloud Platform Services, CX, API, and AI at Vonage, “Low-code and no-code tools are a way to mitigate talent shortages because they allow companies to build software systems without the need for large teams of developers.” Hence, adopting low-code tools will be a major trend to revamp BPM strategies in 2024.

TechDogs’ Takeaway: Businesses that haven’t yet incorporated such technologies into their processes need to get a move on! Businesses that are currently using low-code/no-code platforms need to identify processes that need quicker turnover time or others that could use enhancements. Furthermore, businesses need also to keep up with the latest in low-code/no-code technology to better current processes. Of course, while businesses can outsource to companies to create highly customized software, they must also consider consulting experts to identify where such platforms drive digital transformation. Alternatively, businesses must also look inward to get solutions from employees as to which processes can be optimized. As the problem-facing group, they can identify efficient ways to boost productivity leading to better outcomes.

Trend 2: Hyperautomation Will Streamline Workflows And Improve Productivity

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In the last few years, hyperautomation in Business Process Management has gained tremendous popularity across industries, which is why it was a trend last year and remains one this year. A driving force behind its popularity is probably the laundry list of benefits it brings, which includes improved quality and consistency of business processes, enhanced productivity, reduced errors and risks, better customer satisfaction and the coup de grace, faster output.

This is done by leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), process mining and a smattering of other technologies. Furthermore, hyperautomation comes with the ability to identify business processes and automate them by using bots. This will enable businesses to use a bot to replicate manual and predictable operations in exchange for quick, error-free and efficient outputs. Essentially, any process that can be driven by rules, can be automated, starting in 2024. It's no wonder hyperautomation bots are dubbed the "second coming of BPM".

In 2022, the global hyperautomation market size was estimated at around $40.96 billion and is expected to rise to $197.58 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 17.04% (2023-2032). Cathy Tornbohm, Distinguished Research Vice President at Gartner, believes “The shift towards hyperautomation will be a key factor enabling enterprises to achieve operational excellence, and subsequently cost savings, in a digital-first world.” If you want to improve your BPM outcomes, hyperautomation is the way to go!

TechDogs’ Takeaway: Businesses looking to improve productivity, streamline workflows and reduce operational costs, need to embrace hyperautomation urgently. Businesses still new to this phenomenon can begin with process discovery, which includes identifying bottlenecks and areas that need increased efficiency, as well as finding user interactions in the process. This is followed by process optimization, which involves testing and re-engineering automated processes before deploying them. Eventually, they can identify the right tools that can help them achieve their goals. Businesses also need to look at partners who specialize in process engineering, offer artificial intelligence and machine learning services, along with other tools that can push hyperautomation across the organization’s framework.

Trend 3: Adaptive Case Management (ACM) Will Solve Complex Cases

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Adaptive Case Management is a growing ideology that’s gaining traction as it brings a specialized and customized form of managing work cases and enhancing business process management, which is why it retains its place as a significant trend in 2024. While some processes remain routine, businesses need to be adaptable as they face uncertainties and unpredictability and ACM will help with that!
(ACM) Adaptive Case Management offers a structured approach to managing complex work cases with the infusion of software solutions that allow knowledge workers to manage processes on the go. Blending BPM, which carries out basic workflows and automation, along with ACM, which can handle more logic, data and collaborative efforts, businesses can leverage specialized knowledge to refine workflows and enhance output.

That’s what Blueprint Genetics (a company that provides comprehensive genetic diagnostics) was looking towards, when they implemented an ACM system, taking month-long manual processes to a 50% increase in productivity, a 50% decrease in average processing time and a decrease in the geneticist’s time from 3.5 to 0.5 hours.

Nathaniel Palmer, an expert who was rated as the #1 Most Influential Thought Leader in Business Process Management (BPM) and considered one of the early originators of BPM, believes, “Much of the knowledge worker’s daily activities cannot be accurately defined in advance, at least not with the precision necessary to code into IT applications, and therefore most often take place outside the realm of ERP and BPM.”

TechDogs’ Takeaway: Businesses looking to implement Adaptive Case Management (ACM) should turn to their existing employees to understand which processes can benefit from specialized and customized treatment. Additionally, they will need to identify and fix bottlenecks in current workflows to facilitate free-flowing data pipelines with updated information sharing, as ACM is a data-intensive approach. This will include setting up workflows and collaboration platforms that enable quick and efficient sharing of updated data. Businesses should introduce specialized and trained professionals into their system to lead the change, which could be done by developing existing employees or acquiring new resources.

Trend 4: Increased Workforce Collaboration Will Help Businesses Succeed

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“Teamwork makes the dream work” is a phrase businesses love, especially when it’s multiplied by “Communication is key”, which equals “workforce collaboration”, a new trend this year. It’s no secret that at the heart of any organization are its people. This makes it vital to ensure that they are provided with tools and platforms that facilitate better collaboration and communication across different teams, to enhance efficiency, innovation and productivity. This also will come in handy when dealing with Adaptive Case Management (see trend #3).

In the last few years, working styles have undergone extreme transformations, going from in-office work to remote work to a hybrid of the two and further exploration. This has made it crucial for businesses to maintain sustainable and effective collaborative environments. In fact, studies have shown that online collaboration tools are being used by 56% of employers to maintain effective communication with employees, while 86% of global employees believe that a lack of collaboration results in workplace failures in leadership positions.

Jen Rhymer, Assistant Professor, School of Management, University College London, says, “Companies will need to specifically support collaboration styles that allow for flexibility across time and physical space. This means being able to differentiate between the different types of collaboration (asynchronous collaboration like independent status reviews or synchronous collaboration like real-time meetings) and invest in ways to support various working styles.”

TechDogs’ Takeaway: Businesses must look to increase and streamline communication within the organization for improved BPM results. This can be done by building sturdy, smooth and effective channels to enhance remote worker connectivity. Businesses should look to create long-term platforms to facilitate the exchange of observations, suggestions, engagement, innovation, problem-solving and process feedback. Furthermore, businesses must share details of changes implemented in processes or the introduction of new ones with all affected teams. This will be supplemented with gathering performance reviews of processes and gaining insight into improvements. Businesses should also look at elemental changes that can be made, such as prepping teams, establishing roles, gathering opinions, sharing resources and information, promoting healthy communication and celebrating accomplishments.

Trend 5: A Human Experience-Centric Approach Will Strengthen Business Processes

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The last trend is one that was divided last year but finds itself merged into one this year. At the base, Business Process Management helps solve delays for businesses by automating processes or setting up streamlined workflows. In setting up quick processing of routine and repetitive tasks, it tends to lose personalization. While Adaptive Case Management (see trend #3) brings in customization, it’s used only for specialized cases. To retain automation but bring in personalization, BPM will need a human touch!

Dharmesh Shah, the CTO & Co-Founder of HubSpot, believes, “Many companies have forgotten they sell to actual people. Humans care about the entire experience, not just the marketing, sales or service. To really win in the modern age, you must solve for humans.”

On the other end of the spectrum, employees involved in the business process management workflows also face the brunt of highly automated work, which could leave them feeling merged into routine operations. This is where businesses need to improve their involvement and experiences by improving and increasing workforce collaboration (see trend #4). In fact, a survey by Gartner found that employees who operate in human-centric work models (where they are seen as people, not just resources) are 3.8 times more likely to be high-performing. This is why businesses will need to ensure their BPM solutions are effective, efficient and satisfactory for all stakeholders involved in 2024.

TechDogs’ Takeaway: Businesses should consider offering customized experiences through their platforms, be those that are used internally for employee collaboration or externally to communicate with customers. For customers, businesses can adopt independent generative artificial intelligence tools or plugins to enhance communications and provide personalized experiences. They can also set up their interfaces to be able to collect feedback and suggestions in an easier way. Such exchanges will also open the door for data collection, which will benefit their Adaptive Case Management efforts (see trend #3). On the flip side, businesses should provide employees with user-friendly, intuitive and clean interfaces and tools to facilitate simpler designing, executing, monitoring and optimizing of business process management systems and boost workforce collaboration (see trend #4).

Wrapping It Up

So, there you go! Business Process Management (BPM) helps businesses streamline and optimize their business processes, to produce effective and smoother functioning of workflows. This is done to enhance productivity, achieve strategic goals quickly and foster growth. Every year, businesses look to leverage technologies and techniques to enhance their efforts.

The focus in 2024 will be on leveraging low-code/no-code platforms, hyperautomation, adaptive case management, increased workforce collaboration and human experience-centric approaches to strengthen business processes. Consider where you can adopt these techniques and technologies into your business processes, as they’re coming into full swing soon!

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Business Process Management (BPM) ToolsEnterprise Solutions Business Process Management (BPM) Low-code No-code Hyperautomation Adaptive Case Management (ACM) Increased Workforce Collaboration Business Process Management Trends Business Process Automation Process Management Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Process Automation

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