What is BPMS and do you actually need it

Business process management software changes how organizations run their day-to-day operations. Here’s how we think about BPMS at Tallyfy.

BPMS stands for Business Process Management Software. It’s a tool that makes it easier to analyze, manage, and improve your business processes. But before we dig into the software side, let’s talk about the discipline behind it - because the software only works if you understand BPM as a practice first.

What is BPM and why should you care

Business Process Management isn’t something you “do” once and check off a list. It’s a discipline of constant re-evaluation and improvement.

What does that mean in plain English?

Every person in your organization - from the shop floor to the executive suite - should be looking for ways to make things better. Whenever there’s a chance to improve a given process, they should kick off what’s called the BPM lifecycle. It has five steps:

1. Analyze - Find what’s broken or slow in a process. Is it underperforming somewhere? Can parts of it be automated? Where are the bottlenecks?

2. (Re)Design - Using what you learned, either build a new process from scratch or tweak the existing one.

3. Execute - Put the new process into practice. Start small before rolling it out company-wide so you can confirm the new version actually beats the old one.

4. Monitor - Track the important KPIs (input, output, duration, etc.) to make sure changes are having a positive impact.

5. Optimize - If the process isn’t performing like you expected, find ways to refine it further.

Running through this cycle just once isn’t enough. You should loop through it as many times as needed until the process runs as efficiently as it possibly can.

So where does the software come in? Read on.

Why BPMS matters more than ever

Here’s something I think about a lot: Building an agent without a workflow is like hiring someone with no job description. Right now, nobody’s building the workflows those agents need to follow.

At this point, BPM and BPMS are essentially the same thing. The software is a critical piece of process management - without it, it’s borderline impossible to manage and improve processes at scale. If you’ve got hundreds of employees and hundreds of processes, how do you make sure:

1. Everyone follows the right version of each process (and not just doing it however they feel like)
2. Every single process is tracked, analyzed, and improved

That’s what BPM software solves.

In practical terms, a process owner can build the process inside the system - defining the exact tasks, adding instructions for each one, setting deadlines, and so on. Then the software makes sure it gets done right. It hands out tasks to the right people and automates handoffs. When someone finishes task #1, another person automatically gets assigned (and notified about) task #2. Want to change a process? Log in, update it, and every relevant person gets notified. The system enforces the new version instead of the old one. No more emailing hundreds of people to explain what changed. Something I’ve noticed across industries about process management is that teams don’t fail because they lack tools - they fail because nobody can tell which version of a process is the current one. That version confusion is the silent killer of process management, and it’s exactly the kind of problem that a centralized BPMS eliminates.

Here’s what a typical BPMS gives you:

• Automation - The software handles communication between task owners. Instead of sending hundreds of emails manually, it assigns tasks automatically.
• Modeling - Creating the process online with steps, tasks, and any other relevant details.
• Tracking - Department heads get a personalized dashboard showing who’s close to missing a deadline or where bottlenecks are forming.
• KPI Monitoring - Instead of tracking process metrics in a spreadsheet, the BPMS does it for you - input, duration, output, the works.

BPM vs workflow software

If you’ve been reading about BPM, you’ve probably also come across “workflow management” and wondered what the difference is. Honestly? Most BPM and workflow systems on the market today are basically the same thing.

They all route tasks, model processes, work with forms. Before, there was a real distinction - workflow management software specifically handled routing tasks between employees, while BPM software included that plus a bunch of other high-end capabilities. Today? It’s pretty much the same product with different branding. Some vendors (usually the older ones) call it BPM. Others go with workflow software.

How to pick the right BPMS - two features that matter

From what I’ve seen evaluating BPM tools over the past decade, you only get one shot with most software on the market. In discussions we’ve had about BPM tools, one legal services manager told us he evaluated Bizagi, ProcessMaker, Bonita, and several other BPMN apps before finding them too complicated and expensive - he was about to hire a dev team to build something custom before finding a simpler cloud-based alternative.

This matches what developers themselves say about traditional BPMN tools:

In 99% of cases it’s a solution in search of a problem, peddled by an expensive consultant

• Hacker News discussion

For most businesses it’s just dead weight, and it’ll either be resented or ignored (or both)

• Hacker News discussion

The average BPMS probably costs between $100,000 and $600,000, and takes 3 to 6 months to set up. If you commit to one vendor, you’re likely stuck with them for a while. That’s especially painful if your team refuses to use the platform.

You’ll end up spending six figures on software that just… sits there. So how do you avoid that?

Look for these two things:

Easy setup

Most BPM tools are hard and time-consuming to set up. But cloud-based BPM solutions don’t need any setup at all - register online and start using it immediately. These systems typically cost between $15 and $30 per user per month.

Why the massive price gap between $1,000 and $100,000? The expensive stuff is outdated. Most older BPM solutions are on-site, meaning they have to be installed on your own servers and manually integrated with everything else you use. That eats a lot of engineering hours. Putting BPM in the cloud eliminates all of that.

No-code process modeling

To get the most out of any software, it should be as user-friendly as possible. Your employees shouldn’t need a computer science degree to operate it.

We built Tallyfy because we kept seeing firsthand that this isn’t the case with most BPMS solutions. They’re easy enough for individual employees (they basically get a task dashboard), but creating processes? That often requires specialized engineers. Instead of a department supervisor building the process themselves, they’d have to coordinate with a developer to set it up.

For a company with a handful of processes, that’s manageable. For organizations with 1,000 employees? It gets expensive fast. After all, you’ll eventually need to make changes to every single process.

Some BPM solutions come with a no-code process builder. That means anyone can create processes without developer help - from shop-floor employees to C-suite executives. That’s the direction the whole industry is heading, and frankly, it’s overdue.

Top 5 BPM tools compared

Not sure which BPM tool to pick? There are a lot of them on the market. Here are five worth looking at:

Getting started with BPMS

Already picked a provider? Great. Here’s the process for getting everyone on board:

1. Set up the process templates. You’ll need department leads for this (and software engineers if you chose one of the older BPM vendors). Create detailed process flowcharts with department leads, hand them to the engineers, and they’ll handle the rest. If you went with a no-code workflow tool, you can build the templates yourself without any outside help.

2. Create employee accounts and set up permissions. Anyone who participates in a process should have access to the system. But limit their permissions - shop floor employees should only be able to participate in processes, not change them.

3. Automate whatever you can. Build integrations with your other tools to cut out menial work for your team.

4. Track and analyze processes. Measure metrics as you go and compare them to your benchmarks. When you find inefficiencies, move to step 5.

5. Keep improving your processes. Process improvement is the whole point of BPM software. Even when something’s performing well, there’s always room to make it better. Keep running improvement initiatives so your organization operates at peak efficiency.

Ready-to-use process templates

Example Procedure

Employee Onboarding

1HR - Set up payroll and send welcome email

2IT - Order equipment and set up workstation

3Office Manager - Prepare physical workspace

4IT - Create accounts and system access

5HR - Welcome meeting and company orientation

+3 more steps

View template

Example Procedure

Client Onboarding

1Gather Basic Information

2Send Welcome E-Mail

3Conduct a Kick-Off Call

4Conduct a 1 month check-in Call

5Request Feedback

+1 more steps

View template

Example Procedure

Internal Purchase Order Request

1Submit Purchase Order Request Form

2Finance Manager: Review Standard Purchase Order (Under $10k)

3Update Procurement System Status to Rejected

4Notify Employee: Purchase Order Rejected

5Generate Official Purchase Order Number (Standard PO)

+10 more steps

View template

Calculate your process management ROI

BPM software eliminates manual coordination and saves you from sending hundreds of emails. Traditional BPMS can cost $100,000 to $600,000 with 3-6 month setups. How much could your organization save by streamlining process management?

Once you’ve set up the software and got everyone on board, congratulations. Adopting BPM software isn’t the easiest thing to pull off. But at this stage, as long as you keep analyzing and improving your processes, you’ll start seeing real improvements to your bottom line.

I’ll leave you with this thought: the biggest risk isn’t picking the wrong BPMS. It’s spending six months setting up software that nobody uses because it’s too complicated. Start simple. Start with something your team will actually adopt. That’s probably the best advice I can give.

Related questions

What does BPM stand for in software?

BPM stands for Business Process Management. Think of it as a tool that maps out and speeds up how work gets done in a company - sort of like how a GPS finds you the fastest route. With BPM software, teams design, track, and do their everyday work better and faster.

What is a BPM tool used for?

A BPM tool helps teams create consistent, repeatable ways of working together. You know how a baker follows a recipe to get the same delicious result every time? BPM tools do something similar for work processes - they help teams automate tasks, monitor progress, and spot opportunities to do things better.

Which is the best BPM tool?

It depends on what you need it for. Tallyfy is great for teams who want something straightforward and easy to learn - other tools might work better for large enterprises with very specific technical requirements. It’s a bit like choosing a car: a family might want a minivan, while a solo commuter prefers a compact.

How much does BPM software cost?

BPM software typically costs between $10 and $100 per user each month. Simple tools like Tallyfy start at the lower end, while enterprise systems can run into the thousands. Most offer free trials so you can try before you buy.

Can BPM software work for small businesses?

Yes - and it’s often where BPMS has the biggest impact. Modern cloud-based tools are affordable and easy to use, so even small teams can get more done with less effort. It’s like having a smart assistant that keeps everything organized and running smoothly.

How long does it take to set up BPM software?

Basic BPM tools can be up and running in a few days. The complicated enterprise ones? Maybe months. Cloud-based products like Tallyfy get going fast because they’re built to be simple - no technical setup required.

What problems can BPM software solve?

Missed deadlines. Confusing handoffs. The same mistakes happening over and over. BPM software acts like a traffic controller - making sure work flows smoothly and everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing next.

Do I need technical skills to use BPM software?

Not with modern tools. If you can use social media or shop online, you can probably use BPM software. The best ones have drag-and-drop interfaces with clear step-by-step instructions.

Can BPM software connect with other tools?

Most BPM software connects with other business tools - email, calendars, document storage, and more. The right combination of integrations can make your whole tech stack work better together.

What’s the difference between BPM and workflow software?

They’re closely related. BPM software tends to have more sophisticated features for analyzing and improving processes. Workflow software is mainly about getting work from one person to another. BPM goes further - it shows you how work actually gets done and helps you make it better.

How do I choose the right BPM software?

Start by listing what you need the software to do. Then consider how easy it is to use, what it costs, what support looks like, and whether it can grow with you. Try free trials and demos to find the best fit for your team. Don’t skip the trial period - that’s where you’ll spot dealbreakers.

What are signs you need BPM software?

If you’re dealing with missed deadlines, disorganized teams, lost documents, or grinding through repetitive tasks - you’re probably overdue for some BPM software. It’s like having a messy closet that desperately needs organizing. The right tool makes everything click into place.

Can BPM software help with remote teams?

Absolutely. BPM software is probably even more valuable for remote teams because it provides clear processes everyone can follow, no matter where they’re located. It’s like having a shared playbook - everyone stays on the same page even when they’re in different time zones.