How to change business processes to support an ECM initiative?

Most people do not like to change their ways of working, but the business benefits of an ECM solution are often linked to changing existing business processes. The new AIIM BPM training program concentrates on delivering to the trainee the skills and tools to do just that. In some regards, the BPM courses can be considered as the key consulting and analysis tools to best utilize ECM technology.

The BPM training program covers all the standard areas of general business analysis such as defining processes, identifying key stakeholders, modeling "As Is" and "To Be" scenarios, and how to test these (via technology and practice). These key areas should be considered from a broad perspective within the enterprise and in relationship with ECM. Business improvement will often not come from the exclusive use of ECM technologies, but by combining these with ERP systems, legacy applications, or other common business applications and processes.

While the goal of this course is to equip trainees with the basics of business process improvement techniques, we also briefly cover related areas including methodologies that make great use of such techniques. These include Six Sigma, Lean and TQM, along with some important historical perspective on the roots of BPM – with particular focus on BPR (Business Process Re-Engineering), lessons learned from that period – and direction on where the industry and requirements are currently headed. This will be particularly important as BPM provides the opportunity to make a radical change to a business, focused on outcomes not just on processes (unlike earlier methods that looked to the collective impact of multiple small changes).

I strongly recommend that all AIIM ECM Practitioners, Specialists or Masters take a look at the new BPM program for improving business processes linked to ECM. AIIM has classes schedule in cities all over the US and Europe, and the online BPM Practitioner and Specialist courses will be available September 10, 2007. For more information visit www.aiim.org/training.

By Atle Skjekkeland.