How BPM improves communication and collaboration across teams

In 1876, the first call ever made on a telephone was Alexander Graham Bell summoning his assistant with the words: “Mr. Watson, come here; I want to see you.” It could be argued that in the following century and a half, business technology facilitated numerous capabilities, but bringing people together to work effectively continues to be a core driver.

The concept of collaboration is more important now than ever. Since the pandemic, workforces have continued to be dispersed, with most companies now familiar with large teams scattered over numerous locations. Whether it is remote workers or multinational task forces, collaboration can be hard to foster and maintain.

An entire software industry has sprung up to provide virtual workspaces, online meeting rooms and shared productivity platforms, but there remains a quiet but effective collaboration tool already at the heart of many organizations: business process management (BPM).

How BPM leads to communications benefits

When the majority of folks think about the benefits of effective process management, they often leap to the efficiencies of good processes, the reduced costs and waste, and the security of greater compliance.

There is no denying these are key outcomes for good processes, but nearly half the executives surveyed by BPTrends in 2020 identified collaboration as a key benefit of their BPM initiatives. Understanding and improving the way they work gives teams both focus and opportunity to contribute to a shared goal, and everyone benefits from the outcomes.

A great process management platform serves collaboration across the business and can help your organization to achieve these three key outcomes:

Build communication

The one thing your teams all know – or should – is what they do at work every day. They are subject-matter experts on their processes, equipment and business areas. There is no one better suited to examining your business processes and identifying where breakdowns can occur or inefficiencies exist.

Giving teams a platform to share those observations through comments, suggestions and process feedback, allows them to start a conversation across locations or business teams. Tying that feedback to particular processes ensures that it is not lost and the conversation is visible to those stakeholders that need to consider it.

Draw teams into the conversation

When a process changes, it is vital that affected parties are kept in the loop. A good process platform alerts key RACI stakeholders to the fact that there is new information at hand. When suggestions are submitted, process editors can be informed. When processes are due for review, those with process responsibility are notified and can seek out feedback on the effectiveness of the status quo. Where changes are warranted, a robust approval system ensures that managers and team leads are both made aware and able to provide timely feedback on the improvements.

Provide a common reference point

One of the challenges of a dispersed workforce is the potential for isolation. Not just of people, but of information. Problems can arise when one person’s documentation becomes outdated, or forms do not match the required content for rapidly evolving systems. Great process management tools serve as centralized repositories for key documents like forms, templates, protocols and compliance requirements.

Remote teams can be sure that they are accessing the same documents and using the same information when they are working together. When content needs to change, updated information can be made available to everyone concerned as fast as it can be uploaded. Everyone can literally be on the same page and ensure their outcomes match.

Collaboration in 2023 continues to be a challenge for many businesses, but it does not have to be complicated to achieve. Great process management tools hold collaboration at the heart and can help the most remote teams work together in ways that even Mr. Bell could not have fathomed.