Business processes of the company: ECM, CRM, BPM - what's the difference?
Today they talk a lot about business automation solutions. But, honestly, how many of the managers (top or lower - it does not matter) really understand the difference between EDS, ECM, CRM, BPM and other abbreviated IT systems? If you answered yes with confidence, explain - for whom all these reviews, videos, webinars, what kind of decisions, how and why to work with them?
There is nothing really reprehensible here. No matter how cool products are complex. Understanding the essence and purpose of IT systems, and even more so it was always difficult to select and implement a product. However, with the development of classical systems, the functionality of which now largely duplicates the capabilities of another class of solutions, this has become even more difficult, and here's why.
So, today we have:
How in this case to determine which of these solutions is suitable for a particular company. So, between ECM and BPM, as well as CRM and BPM, you can put an equal sign?
In fact, not impossible. Despite the implemented processes, neither ECM nor CRM replace BPM systems. The approach to automation, and therefore the purpose of all these solutions, remains different. What is the difference from the point of view of the enterprise introducing the product?
Differences in the objects of automation, characteristic of ECM, CRM and BPM, can be associated with differences in the architecture of these solutions.
The organization of work of business processes in ECM and CRM is based on the database (document storage / customer base) and the status of working with them (document status / transaction status). The process embedded in these decisions always refers to data from the two upper tiers. The work of BPMS is initially built as a process - it concentrates not on the object (document, client), but on the final goal of the process (the service provided, the product received by the client).
If the company needs to change the automated process, the situation is also different. In ECM and CRM for this, you will need to make changes on the two upper tiers. Such refinement is a costly thing, you will not be doing it all the time. Therefore, ECM and CRM are usually configured once and for a long time, fixing the desired order of actions in the information system.
To change the process in BPM to refine and change the solution architecture is not required. This explains the so-called “flexibility” of BPM, which is often mentioned among the advantages of these solutions. Changes are made immediately to the process model, and it is ready to go. At the same time, the processes started before the changes continue to work according to the old scheme.
Let's face it, the purpose, for example, of the SED-systems, has always been the fixing of the regulations for processing certain documents. These decisions do not imply that the routes of movement of documents will change. Neither the companies that have introduced the EDMS, or the functions of electronic document management systems, respectively, simply do not have such a task. Therefore, the processes implemented in the workflow systems remain unchanged. You build the document processing process once, and it works for several years. If there is a need for changes and improvements - you need another solution.
So, here are a few fundamental, in my opinion, differences between process automation in ECM, CRM and BPM:
I emphasize that both classical products and solutions with process automation capabilities, and BPMS class systems have their advantages. However, the confusion of concepts, and the attribution to one solution of opportunities that they in fact do not possess, is already marketing.
By investing in such automation, managers do not get the effect they expected, or simply lose time considering the product, which initially does not meet the needs of the business.
For each company, one solution or another is selected according to its needs. For example, we talked a lot about the versatility of BPM, but universality determines the wide functionality of the system. It is a priori wider than in highly specialized products, and for a small company it may be redundant, the system itself may seem complicated. And vice versa, for a larger company, just such functionality will be necessary, and investing in refinement, for example, a CRM system, for all the tasks that the company sets for the product will not be justified.
I personally know of the case when a large financial institution acquired CRM, well-known in the market, to automate a complex of processes for rendering certain types of services to clients. As a result, CRM did not take off, and the leadership, having spent several months in vain, was forced to look for another solution, which eventually became BPM. I deliberately do not mention the names of these systems, as a PR or anti-PR is not my goal. And this situation itself did not occur because CRM was bad, or BPM was good. Just every solution is designed to perform certain tasks. And if the customer initially understood the functionality of the system, and the vendor himself honestly admitted that the product was not designed to solve the set tasks, this would not have happened. Having worked hard, developers can, of course, finish the functionality of any system to what is required by the customer, but it’s not at all clear for what, and who is willing to spend so much time and money on it.
Carefully study the IT systems and demos, interrogate and try manager consultants. Good automation and thoughtful implementations.
There is nothing really reprehensible here. No matter how cool products are complex. Understanding the essence and purpose of IT systems, and even more so it was always difficult to select and implement a product. However, with the development of classical systems, the functionality of which now largely duplicates the capabilities of another class of solutions, this has become even more difficult, and here's why.
- Now there are almost no classical ECM (I use as a synonym for EDS) or CRM. There are EDS with built-in capabilities for automating business processes, and modern CRM today is no longer just a database of contractors and a history of relationships with them, but systems that automate the entire process of working with clients.
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BUT, classic BPMS has always served to build and automate business processes. How now to delimit these solutions? What is their fundamental difference, and is there it?
A couple of examples, not to be unfounded (I took the leaders of the TAdviser rating and information on the sites of these products):- SED "BUSINESS" "allows you to optimize the business processes of the organization and automate the work with a large volume of documents. The main task is the automation of document-oriented business processes. ”
- CED Docsvision performs "automation of any business processes, integration between the SED and other enterprise systems, process management".
- CEC Directum with a business process management module that “ensures effective interaction of employees within business processes”.
Among the CRM-systems with embedded capabilities to build business processes include:- Terrasoft CRM (bpm'online) is a system for marketing, sales and service, with the ability to simulate and automate the company's internal business processes.
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM , which "allows you to reduce costs and increase profits by organizing and automating business processes, which helps to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty in all areas - marketing, sales and service."
- 1C: CRM , in which BPM tools are embedded, which allows “to develop and use business processes of any complexity in a company”.
Lists can be continued. - As for the BPMS itself (modern business process management systems), they highlight certain specialized solutions: BPM-based CRM, process engine ECM, and so on. Or form the product line in the industry key (business processes of a telecommunications company, business processes of a trade organization, etc.)
- ELMA is a business process management system based on which the application for organizing electronic document management ECM +, a solution for automating the process of working with CRM + clients and a number of other solutions are implemented.
- NAUMEN - offers solutions for contact center automation, procurement management, workflow and other products.
- Serena Business Manager (SBM) - offers a “portfolio of solutions for various industries and typical services.” In particular, the document flow in the organization; order management and other solutions.
So, today we have:
- ECM and CRM, with embedded processes;
- BPM, which automate the processes of workflow and work with clients.
How in this case to determine which of these solutions is suitable for a particular company. So, between ECM and BPM, as well as CRM and BPM, you can put an equal sign?
In fact, not impossible. Despite the implemented processes, neither ECM nor CRM replace BPM systems. The approach to automation, and therefore the purpose of all these solutions, remains different. What is the difference from the point of view of the enterprise introducing the product?
Products with embedded processes and BPM
- Document flow
- SED with embedded processes
By and large, the SED is a repository of electronic documents, with the possibility of their registration and the organization of the simplest movement (sighting, familiarization). The process of processing a document embedded in the ERMS is nothing more than a logical sequence of changing document statuses in the system. In other words, the status of a document is an attribute of tracking the current stage of its processing.
That is, the EDMS automates the processing of documents in the company, the stages of which correspond to the change of document statuses. Work in electronic document management systems is aimed at fast and error-free processing of the document. The result of the process is a document that has passed all processing stages (registered, endorsed, sent, etc.), which can always be quickly found. - BPMS automating workflow
BPMS automates the same stages of workflow as modern EDMS, but not separately, but within the framework of other business processes of the company. For example, the process of concluding a contract is considered as one of the sections of a broader business process of delivering cargo to a client. In addition to working with the contract, it also includes the request of the manager for the warehouse, the work of suppliers, logisticians and much more. The document appears only in the place of the process in which it is needed. The result of such a process is not a contract, but a cargo delivered promptly. As a result, the company has not only a correctly and quickly executed contract, it can control the fact that further actions related to the document are performed.
- SED with embedded processes
- Customer service
- CRM with embedded processes
Similarly, EDS has a CRM architecture. Classic CRM is a convenient customer base and status of working with them (history of relationships) - lead, acquaintance, offer, deal, etc.
Processes embedded in CRM allow you to automate the business process of selling a product or service. The stage of capturing clients / requests from the site, forming a queue for calling, the task to send a commercial offer, automatic sending reminders to managers about the need to contact the client, transaction history. In addition, modern CRM may include work with the documents necessary for the transaction, can be integrated with ERP (shipping management), etc. Thus, the use of CRM helps the seller to conduct a transaction on the way from the lead to the customer. The result of this process is the sale of goods or services. - BPMS automates customer relationship processes
With regard to the functionality of BPMS, these systems take the process of working with a client beyond the scope of the sales department, connecting other departments of the company to it. By analogy with the scheme in which we considered the document flow, the sale is not the final part of the process of working with the client. The result will be promptly delivered goods to the customer. The process is initially built as a coordinated work of production, purchasing department, warehouse, sales department, accounting, delivery services, etc.
In addition, the use of a BPM system makes it possible to take into account that the efficiency of the process of working with a client depends on a number of other, internal business processes of the company, which also have to work without delay - for example, to have raw materials in production, the stock is replenished in time at the warehouse. Without this, the risks that the declared quality and terms of customer service will be in jeopardy will always remain.
- CRM with embedded processes
Differences in the objects of automation, characteristic of ECM, CRM and BPM, can be associated with differences in the architecture of these solutions.
The organization of work of business processes in ECM and CRM is based on the database (document storage / customer base) and the status of working with them (document status / transaction status). The process embedded in these decisions always refers to data from the two upper tiers. The work of BPMS is initially built as a process - it concentrates not on the object (document, client), but on the final goal of the process (the service provided, the product received by the client).
If the company needs to change the automated process, the situation is also different. In ECM and CRM for this, you will need to make changes on the two upper tiers. Such refinement is a costly thing, you will not be doing it all the time. Therefore, ECM and CRM are usually configured once and for a long time, fixing the desired order of actions in the information system.
To change the process in BPM to refine and change the solution architecture is not required. This explains the so-called “flexibility” of BPM, which is often mentioned among the advantages of these solutions. Changes are made immediately to the process model, and it is ready to go. At the same time, the processes started before the changes continue to work according to the old scheme.
Let's face it, the purpose, for example, of the SED-systems, has always been the fixing of the regulations for processing certain documents. These decisions do not imply that the routes of movement of documents will change. Neither the companies that have introduced the EDMS, or the functions of electronic document management systems, respectively, simply do not have such a task. Therefore, the processes implemented in the workflow systems remain unchanged. You build the document processing process once, and it works for several years. If there is a need for changes and improvements - you need another solution.
So, here are a few fundamental, in my opinion, differences between process automation in ECM, CRM and BPM:
ECM | CRM | BPM | |
Automation object | Processes related to the processing of documents | Customer Relations Processes (Sales) | All business processes of the company |
The result of the process of providing goods or services | Contract | Sale | Goods delivered to customer |
Automation result | Fixed order of tasks | Fixed order of tasks | Fixed order of tasks that can be changed |
I emphasize that both classical products and solutions with process automation capabilities, and BPMS class systems have their advantages. However, the confusion of concepts, and the attribution to one solution of opportunities that they in fact do not possess, is already marketing.
By investing in such automation, managers do not get the effect they expected, or simply lose time considering the product, which initially does not meet the needs of the business.
For each company, one solution or another is selected according to its needs. For example, we talked a lot about the versatility of BPM, but universality determines the wide functionality of the system. It is a priori wider than in highly specialized products, and for a small company it may be redundant, the system itself may seem complicated. And vice versa, for a larger company, just such functionality will be necessary, and investing in refinement, for example, a CRM system, for all the tasks that the company sets for the product will not be justified.
I personally know of the case when a large financial institution acquired CRM, well-known in the market, to automate a complex of processes for rendering certain types of services to clients. As a result, CRM did not take off, and the leadership, having spent several months in vain, was forced to look for another solution, which eventually became BPM. I deliberately do not mention the names of these systems, as a PR or anti-PR is not my goal. And this situation itself did not occur because CRM was bad, or BPM was good. Just every solution is designed to perform certain tasks. And if the customer initially understood the functionality of the system, and the vendor himself honestly admitted that the product was not designed to solve the set tasks, this would not have happened. Having worked hard, developers can, of course, finish the functionality of any system to what is required by the customer, but it’s not at all clear for what, and who is willing to spend so much time and money on it.
Carefully study the IT systems and demos, interrogate and try manager consultants. Good automation and thoughtful implementations.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/301462/
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