What is Business Process Management (BPM) Software?

Business Process Management Software (BPMS) is a type of software that helps companies manage their day-to-day operations and processes more efficiently. It provides tools to design, model, execute, automate, and continually improve business processes. BPMS aims to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and improve overall performance and customer satisfaction.

It monitors the existing operational flows, helps simplify them by automating the repetitive tasks, and aligns them with your organizational goals. By mapping out your day-to-day processes, BPMS helps you discover operational bottlenecks and eliminate them, making your processes more connected and efficient.

Making the right choice of business process management software in a crowded market is unnerving. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly since it takes a lot of convincing to gain organizational buy-in. The wrong choice not only means wasted investment on the software, but it can also amount to lost hours and effort.

If you’re floundering and don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will tell you all you need to know about choosing the right business process management software and the best bpm software providers.

6 Best BPM Software List of 2023

Here are some basic information about some of the best BPM Tools for 2023.

1. Kissflow

Kissflow is a no-code BPM software that truly establishes a digital workplace. It helps streamline and automate all manner of work–processes, projects, cases, and collaboration.

Some of its best features include–user-friendly dashboard, customizable report templates, and an advanced form designer.

It offers flexible pricing plans starting at $199/month for different businesses covering a wide range of features and user base.
G2 Leader Winner 2021 – 4.3 / 5 (446 Reviews)

2. Processmaker

Processmaker is a low-code BPM and workflow solution that lets you design, automate, and deploy business processes. It’s ideal for companies that require enterprise-scale, production-ready BPM software.

What sets it apart from competitors is the fact that it offers an array of hosting choices–on-premise, cloud, or open-source.

They have three pricing plans starting at $1,500 per month.

3. Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a low-code application development program that allows users to create custom forms, design workflows, and build informative pages. It is best suited for companies looking for DIY solutions.

Pricing can vary from $10 to $15 per user per month.

4. Nintex

Nintex makes digital transformation a reality for SMBs and enterprises. It has added a cloud option along with its traditional on-premise hosting. It was designed to work alongside tools such as Office365, Sharepoint, and Project Server.

The Nintex Platform features capabilities for advanced workflow, modern forms, process mapping and management, mobile apps, and RPA.

Nintex suite has various products with pricing starting at $850/month.

☛ Here is a comparison of ‘ Nintex vs Kissflow – the Best Alternative to Nintex

5. Bizagi

Bizagi offers automation solutions for enterprises in the form of 3 products–Bizagi Modeler, Bizagi Studio, and Bizagi Automation. The Modeler uses Bizagi’s unique version of BPMN, which means that appropriate know-how and training is required.

Bizagi offers cloud as well as on-premise hosting options.

Bizagi doesn’t post their pricing on their website and requires you to contact them for a quotation.

6. Bpm’online

Bpm’online is a low-code BPM software for enterprises. It can either be purchased as separate products – bpm’online marketing, bpm’online sales, and bpm’online service – or as a bundled option with bpm’online studio.

It offers both on-premise and cloud-based hosting.

Bpm’online studio has a free version and enterprise version amounting to $25 per user per month.

The Features you need in BPM Software

Before ascertaining what the best BPM software for you could be, it’s a good idea to understand what features it should offer.

1. Visual process diagramming tool

The best BPM software should have a visual process diagramming tool that allows users to design workflows with ease without coding knowhow. This takes the pressure off the IT team and puts control in the hands of the end user.

2. Drag and drop form designer

With form designers, you can choose between simple and complex builders. While choosing, keep two aspects in mind. First, what will the end-users be comfortable with? Second, can you foresee getting value from it as processes become more complex?

3. Mobility

BPM systems that don’t come with mobile support are setting you up for failure. When on-the-go approvals are not facilitated, it puts processes in danger of experiencing delays.

4. Reporting and analytics

One factor that makes BPM implementation far superior to mere digitization is powerful analytics and reporting capabilities. They are crucial for gaining insight into how processes are performing and what improvements are needed.

5. Easy integration

Ability to integrate with other software is critical in the best BPM software. If the chosen BPM software can’t integrate, it will mean a lot of time and effort spent transferring data back and forth between applications.

6. Adaptive case management:

Not all work done in organizations is well defined and structured like processes. There is a fair amount of uncertainty involved, which can’t be managed by conventional BPM methodology. When BPM software includes adaptive case management features, it provides a more comprehensive solution.

7. Data and document management:

Businesses today are operating at lightning speed. It’s only logical that the volume of data and documents generated is massive. A good BPM system can manage data and documents effectively, creating and maintaining a very valuable resource of knowledge.

8. Role-based access control:

Data security is a significant concern for organizations everywhere. Opt for BPM software that facilitates granular access control to data. Limiting access to confidential data based on roles is an effective way to ensure that security remains intact.

9. Collaboration

No matter what the nature of work, effective communication between task performers is always required. For optimal productivity, it’s best if all conversations around work happen on the same unified platform. Switching between communication apps is chaotic and time-consuming.

10. Project management integration

Businesses also execute one-time activities, which can’t be classified as processes. Sometimes, even projects need streamlining and optimization. Choosing a BPM software that addresses this possibility and includes the ability to manage projects effectively will prove very valuable.

Evaluating BPM software

Here’s a checklist of useful questions to address when evaluating BPM software.

What are your team’s BPM needs? What business goals are you hoping to achieve?
What is the budget approved by your finance team?
What kind of hosting do you need–on-premise or cloud?
What kind of licensing model do you prefer–open source, free limited versions, or fully paid versions?
What does the software cost? What are the hidden costs?
What pain points are current clients experiencing, if any?
What kind of ROI are current clients earning?
What level of technological knowhow do the end-users have?
Can the BPM software scale?
Can it adhere to compliance with industry regulations?
How much training will the team require before using the software?
What are the reviews about product support?

The Kissflow difference

Kissflow strives to be a partner in your BPM journey, not just another vendor. With great customer experience at its heart, Kissflow drives your processes, projects, cases, and collaboration to peak efficiency.

The drag-and-drop designer helps you build workflows as simple or complex as you like. Customizable dashboards facilitate greater visibility into process performance. Notifications and reminders encourage transparency and accountability. Robust reporting and analytics provide valuable insights to improve operations.

Kissflow Process is a BPM solution you can choose with confidence.