The emergence of business process management (BPM), through the evolution of workflow - particularly over the last decade - has been revolutionary for businesses, as holistic process automation across the entire modern business enterprise is now a reality, and not just a `blue sky` concept.
However, workflow took time to evolve to the BPM status it enjoys today - and many organisations are still stuck in a mindset that equates workflow with document imaging and management, rather than the effective BPM and integration framework tool that it has now become.
This is according to Mark Ehmke, Managing Director of Staffware SA.
"Initially, workflow was seen very much as an add-on to document imaging and document management capabilities," he continues.
"Essentially, the emphasis and importance shifted from a focus on the document as the source from which all work, decisions and activities flowed, to the process itself. In other words, the process became elevated above the document as the mission-critical kick-off point.
"If we think of how e-commerce transactions - be they business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) - now rule the day in terms of modern transactions, with the Internet as the dominating business environment and conduit, this shift of emphasis from document to process makes perfect sense."
Ehmke adds that modern business processes are started via many different channels, including the Internet, automatic teller machines (ATMs) and even call centres.
"This shift in emphasis, from being document-centric to process-centric, signifies another very crucial aspect of workflow - its flexibility. Workflow is not a proprietary technology, but over time has evolved at the same pace as the surrounding technologies, such as operating platforms and the Internet," Ehmke emphasises.
"BPM came about this way - providing an independent process layer which separates the process from the application logic and the underlying IT infrastructure," he clarifies.
He says that another way of thinking about BPM is as a "framework layer on top of enterprise application integration (EAI)".
Apparently the universality of this BPM framework, not to mention its essential flexibility and interoperability, makes it possible to `plug` a variety of technologies into it, resulting in minimum time spent on development or customisation by the business using it.
"Practically, the business implications are huge," Ehmke says.
"The BPM framework for example makes it possible to have 80% of the necessary vertical industry business process framework already in place, no matter which industry one is operating in."
As a practical example, he cites the Tele-Management Forum`s framework, which is a set of common business process automation or workflow templates, that a group of the major global telecommunications companies (including Telkom) have agreed to work from, based on universal `best practice`, re-usable processes.
Ehmke is also very definite about the potential benefits of the BPM framework in the public sector.
"Public sector service development is a key factor in getting SA off the ground from an international investment perspective," he stresses.
Ehmke says the frustrations and inefficiencies experienced when dealing with government departments, together with a high reliance on reams and reams of paperwork, has meant an equally high margin for human error in the back office, consequently resulting in processing bottlenecks, delays, duplications, inaccuracies and errors.
This sad state of inefficiency does not always have to be the case, however, according to Ehmke, who is of the opinion that what he refers to as `joined-up government` can become a reality in SA in the foreseeable future.
According to Ehmke, the concept of so-called `Joined-up government` originates in the UK, when the British government adopted the slogan to communicate its stated intention of "...getting different parts of government to work more closely together and across (more) boundaries than they have in the past...reflected in local authorities, government agencies, voluntary and private organisations working together," he quotes.
A set of recommendations, published at the same time as the `Joined-up` government campaign by the British government, stipulated that it should seek to "...enable the delivery of services electronically in a secure, citizen-focused manner that maintains accountability and allows for audit, complaint and redress".
As well as serving its citizens and managing the national economy, governments are considerable users of goods and services in their own right.
"This typically means that all their processes need controlling and accounting for. It is no wonder therefore that governments everywhere are looking at the potential that electronic working can offer, in making their processes more efficient and manageable," Ehmke comments.
"Typically, government departments which could benefit significantly include Home Affairs, Motor Vehicle Licensing and justice departments; where interaction with members of the public is intensive and high profile.
"In fact, we have already seen the first moves towards the implementation of business process and workflow automation in both the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Justice."
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