From a white paper that I’m working on now:
I think that the whole “BPM versus ACM” debate has completely blown out of all sensible proportion, when we’re really talking about a spectrum of functionality that ranges from structured process management (or what some people think of as BPM) to completely dynamic process management.
The key, to me, is that it’s not an either-or situation: almost every business process that I’ve ever seen lies somewhere in the middle, with both structured and dynamic aspects: in some cases, different workers may perform either highly structured or highly dynamic functions, depending on their role. We need both end of the spectrum – and everything in between – to manage our processes, and we need them to work together in a cohesive environment.
I’ll publish the link to the white paper, which explains this concept in a lot more detail, when it’s complete.
Hi – The clinical, overbearing preoccupation with process originated in the 20th Century w/Taylorism and later Fordism. Today they on the path of obsolescence and the history books. Few things do as much harm to modern orgs than process. Little/no impact or outcomes are achieved with linear ordered-systems, dynamic or otherwise. Innovation erupts from variation, the very thing process strives to eliminate. See:
http://networksingularity.com/2011/03/21/process-versus-networks.aspx
-j
I agree that the best solution is a blend of structured and un-structured and most organisations need a platform that delivers in both areas. This is why I go on about APG (Adaptive Process Guidance) because the whole point of it is to work in both a completely structured fashion, or un-structured, a blend of the two or to fill the gap between them.
I disagree with John, without structure in certain processes we work inefficiently, just look at any highly repetative, simplish process that you can find in most businesses (also, argue that point with Henry Ford – production line process). However, highly structured, rigid processes only make up around 20% of a businesses actual processes, so business needs a platform that deals with the other 80%, and these arent all unstructured processes, nor do they all need to be highly adaptive, nor do they need to spawn innovation.
Business need platforms that meet all of their needs, and by breaking down problems too small, as we tend to do in IT, we actually miss the larger picture and only solve a part of the problem. APG and a holistic approach is what a business needs to manage its functions, its business and the processes that turn the wheels of that business…
There’s a pretty lengthy exchange of comments on this over on my own blog, where this was originally published: http://www.column2.com/2011/03/its-not-about-bpm-vs-acm-its-about-a-spectrum-of-process-functionality/