Business Process Management (BPM) vs. Workflow Automation: Understanding the Difference

Organisations are constantly looking for ways to optimise operations, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency. Among the prominent approaches that surface in this context are Business Process Management (BPM) and Workflow Automation. While both aim at improving processes, they often spark debate due to their overlapping goals and the question of which one to choose.

Although both approaches—BPM and Workflow Automation—are targeted toward process optimisation, both represent distinct methodologies with unique scopes, objectives, and implementation strategies. As businesses embrace digital transformation, both approaches play critical roles in achieving operational excellence. However, understanding when and how to apply each methodology is essential to ensure successful implementation and avoid suboptimal results.

In this blog, we delve into the core aspects of Business Process Management and Workflow Automation, highlighting their differences, similarities, and practical applications. By understanding these methodologies, you can make informed decisions and unlock the full potential of your process optimisation efforts.

What is Business Process Management (BPM)?

BPM is a holistic approach to improving an organisation’s business processes. It involves:

• Mapping Processes: BPM starts by identifying and mapping the end-to-end flows of an organisation’s key business processes.
• Analysing and Optimising: The processes are then analysed to identify opportunities for improvement, such as eliminating bottlenecks, reducing handoffs, or automating certain tasks.
• Implementing Changes: Necessary changes are implemented to the processes to boost efficiency and effectiveness and the process is published to be followed by the staff.
• Continuous Monitoring: BPM is an ongoing effort and requires processes to be continuously monitored over time.

The goal of BPM is to create more efficient, effective, and agile business processes to help an organisation enhance productivity and efficiency.

What is Workflow Automation?

Workflow Automation, on the other hand, is a more narrow and tactical approach that focuses on automating specific tasks or sequences of tasks within a broader business process.

Key aspects of Workflow Automation include:

• Defining Workflows: Workflows are mapped out, identifying the specific steps, decisions, and actions required to complete a task or set of tasks.
• Automating Tasks: Manual, repetitive tasks within the workflow are identified and automated using software tools and technologies.
• Streamlining Handoffs: Workflow Automation helps eliminate manual handoffs between team members or departments, reducing delays and errors.
• Tracking and Reporting: Automated workflows provide better visibility into process progress and performance metrics.

Workflow Automation aims to improve the efficiency, consistency, and traceability of individual processes but does not necessarily address the broader optimisation of the end-to-end business process. Also, it is effective if you already have clarity into current processes and have an identified need for automation.

BPM and Workflow Automation: Where Lies the Difference

The main differences between BPM and Workflow Automation include:

• BPM takes a holistic, enterprise-wide view of business processes, while Workflow Automation focuses on optimizing specific processes or tasks.
• BPM aims to align processes with strategic goals, while Workflow Automation targets operational efficiency and productivity.
• BPM involves a continuous cycle of process identification, analysis, improvement, and monitoring. Workflow Automation concentrates on automating specific workflow steps.
• BPM may leverage a wide range of technologies, including workflow engines, business rules engines, and process mining and analysing tools. Workflow Automation primarily utilises workflow management software and robotic process automation (RPA) tools.
• BPM’s outcome is focused on scalable, long-term solutions while workflow automation provides quick and immediate task-based efficiency.

Business Process Management (BPM) and Workflow Automation: Common Focus

While the scope, depth, and specific methods may differ, BPM and Workflow Automation share a common focus on improving business processes to drive greater efficiency, effectiveness, and organisational agility. Here’s how BPM and Workflow automation focus on similar goals.

1. Mapping and Documenting Processes: Both BPM and Workflow Automation involve process mapping as the foundation step to understand the flow of business processes. This provides visibility and clarity into how work gets done.
2. Process Improvement: A core objective of both approaches is to identify opportunities to optimise and improve processes, whether through automation, elimination of bottlenecks, or other enhancements.
3. Collaboration and Coordination: Effective implementation of both BPM and Workflow Automation requires cross-functional collaboration and coordination across the organisation.
4. Ongoing Monitoring and Refinement: Neither BPM nor Workflow Automation are one-time exercises. Both approaches involve continuously monitoring process performance and making iterative improvements over time.
5. Alignment with Business Objectives: Both BPM and Workflow Automation aim to ensure that business processes are aligned with and supportive of the organisation’s strategic goals and priorities.

Choosing the Right Approach: BPM vs Workflow Automation

Choosing between the two approaches ultimately comes down to the specific challenges facing the organisation, the maturity of existing processes, and the scope and complexity of the improvements required.

Here are some factors to consider when making this choice:

BPM is the right approach if:

• Your goal is to take a holistic, enterprise-wide view of your business processes.
• You want to gain complete visibility into how work actually gets done across the organisation.
• Your processes span multiple departments or functional areas.
• Your processes are complex, with many decisions, handoffs, and exceptions.
• You need to align your processes with overall strategic objectives.
• You want to establish a continuous improvement culture around your processes.

In these scenarios, a BPM approach can provide the comprehensive process identification, analysis, optimisation, and governance required to drive transformational change.

When going the BPM route, it is important to consider a BPM tool that aligns with your organisational objectives. However, some must-have features to consider include robust process mapping capabilities, advanced analytics, in-built methodology and collaboration functionalities. The tool must also provide comprehensive monitoring capabilities and offer scalability for growing organisations. Organisations should also evaluate the vendor’s market presence, product roadmap, and customer support reputation before making a final decision.

Workflow Automation is the right approach if:

• You have well-defined, repetitive processes with clear steps and decision points
• You need to improve the efficiency and consistency of specific process execution
• Your goal is to reduce manual effort, minimise errors, and improve throughput
• You have a clear understanding of the as-is process and just need to automate it.

Workflow Automation can deliver rapid improvements in productivity and compliance for targeted processes.

When looking for a workflow automation tool, essential features include intuitive interfaces, quick deployment options, pre-built templates, and seamless integration with existing business applications. The selection process for the workflow automation tool should also include factors such as implementation complexity, total cost of ownership, user adoption requirements, and available technical support.

Combining the Best of Both Worlds

Organisations can achieve the best of both worlds by combining the strategic power of Business Process Management (BPM) with the operational efficiency of Workflow Automation. BPM lays the foundation by analysing, prioritising, and redesigning processes to align with organisational goals and identifying automation opportunities, while Workflow Automation streamlines the execution of these optimised processes by automating repetitive tasks.

This hybrid approach enables businesses to drive strategic alignment, enhance operational excellence, and create a continuous improvement cycle. By integrating the two methodologies, organisations can deliver immediate efficiency gains while setting the stage for sustainable, long-term transformation.

If you are looking to start your process optimisation journey with a BPM tool, PRIME BPM emerges as a comprehensive choice.

With powerful features such as an in-built methodology, BPMN 2.0 for standardised process documentation, one-click analysis of process efficiency, value, time, and cost, and a robust process approval mechanism, PRIME BPM drives end-to-end business process improvement.

PRIME BPM has empowered organisations across industries to achieve their strategic objectives and drive operational excellence. Check out some success stories.

Interested in exploring how PRIME BPM can supercharge your business processes? get access to a 15-day Free Trial.