The concept of BPM (Business Process Management) is far from new. So why are we discussing it again today? Because only recently have the stars aligned. Firstly, the task of process automation has transitioned from being complex and unclear to a "must-have" for businesses. The advantages of process management no longer need justification. Secondly, BPM technologies have become more accessible and mature.
As a result, we see that the BPM market is steadily and confidently growing. For instance, Precedence Research estimates a growth rate of 14.5% through 2033. This may not be hype, but that's for the better—it allows time to thoughtfully consider what type of BPM you really need.
Choosing BPM Solutions: Key Criteria
The most obvious criterion is cost. Businesses no longer want to pay millions of dollars per year for software licenses that solve relatively mundane tasks. BPM is no longer rocket science. Companies need a reliable and straightforward tool at a reasonable price.
The second requirement—no exotic solutions! No one needs a brilliant development with a unique methodology or process modeling notation. What is needed is just another brick in your IT architecture that can perform its function in a completely standard way.
That’s probably enough—the solution should be economical and technologically sound. This is why we're currently witnessing a wave of interest in open-source BPM engines. They have matured enough to fit into corporate landscapes, and previous concerns about code quality, reliability, and performance are no longer relevant. Moreover, the BPMN notation they use has become the de facto standard in process modeling.
In theory, this sounds appealing, but what about in practice? Naturally, a bare engine won't solve the problem. You'll need to invest significant effort into setting up the development of automated processes. While you might save on expensive software, team expenses will remain, and the BPM learning curve is steep—it may take a long time before developers produce their first process, often several months.
However, there’s a way to save time and money: to enable your team to start working efficiently sooner, you can use a ready-made set of development tools like the Jmix Framework, which includes a BPM component based on the Flowable engine. You'll still need to learn, but this will take significantly less time—around one month. And if you’re already familiar with the Jmix platform itself, it will be even faster.
The time for BPM has come—business demands for process automation will only continue to grow. Therefore, it’s best to prepare the right tools and a skilled team to meet these challenges now.
Jmix is an open-source platform for rapid development of business applications on Java.