30 business process management (BPM) workflow examples

You may already have a good understanding of the general purpose of Business Process Management (BPM) and how it works within an organisation to achieve unparalleled efficiency. However, to grasp the extent to which BPM can transform operations – particularly for those in Shared and Global Business Services – we need to get really specific about use cases per vertical.

This article covers 30 different business process management examples within 6 different sectors:

• Finance and accounting
• Insurance
• Law
• Healthcare
• Banking
• Logistics and supply chain

Take a look at the ones that are most relevant to your needs to gain a better insight into the capabilities of BPM and how a tool can work for you.

Business process management (BPM) workflow examples

We’ve broken down 30 different examples of BPM workflows into 6 verticals, so you can see how they can be applied across an organisation and various industries.

Finance and accounting

This is an area that has historically been held back by manual processes and where mistakes are expensive. These are examples of BPM workflows that can help to speed up efficiency in finance and accounting.

Invoice processing: The procedure for invoice processing can be automated using a BPM workflow, from receipt through to validation and payment. The time-consuming task of entry is removed, errors are reduced, and approval workflows ensure payments run on time.

Expense reimbursement: The manual submission, verification, and approval of employee expenses traditionally require a lot of paperwork and processing time. A BPM workflow can simplify and automate each stage and ensure compliance with company policies.

Budgeting and forecasting: Data collection and analysis are essential for creating annual budgets and forecasting. Automating these tasks within a BPM workflow makes the whole process easier and more accurate.

Financial reporting: Automating the consolidation of financial data from multiple sources allows for the creation of detailed reports. This provides clearer insight into the financial health of an organisation.

Tax compliance: Complicated tax calculations, deductions, and filings can all be automated. Reducing the manual work involved in tax processes minimises mistakes to maintain compliance with ever-changing tax regulations.

Insurance

The complicated regulatory landscape and documentation-heavy nature of insurance can benefit greatly from BPM workflows. Discover how introducing BPM workflows into insurance can boost operational efficiency and help your managed service run like clockwork.

Claims processing: The complex nature of claims processing can be streamlined with a BPM workflow that automates related tasks from submission through to assessment and settlement. The reduction in processing times means happier customers.

Policy administration: Introducing approval workflows and automating communication and documentation helps to improve the management of policy issuance, modifications, and renewals.

Risk assessment: A BPM workflow can be implemented to automate the data collection and analysis for risk assessment. This allows underwriters to evaluate and price insurance risks more accurately.

Customer onboarding: Improve the customer experience by automating all the steps involved in the onboarding process. Minimising manual involvement makes for an easy account setup and a good first impression.

Regulatory compliance: The regulations governing the insurance industry are strict and wide-ranging. BPM can assist with compliance by automating checks, monitoring, reporting and any updates to policies and procedures.

Law

A sector notorious for administrative complexity, BPM can alleviate the workload involved in complex cases and client relations.

Case management: Complex legal cases involve multiple stakeholders, large volumes of documents, and numerous deadlines. Using a BPM workflow to track cases makes sure nothing gets missed, everything is efficiently handled, and communication is clear.

Billing and time tracking: Fair and accurate billing requires careful time tracking. Employees can log their hours against tasks in the BPM workflow and invoicing is automated, making client billing simple and precise.

Contract review: The creation, review, and approval of contracts is another admin-heavy task that can be optimised with BPM. Automated workflows save a lot of time and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

Client onboarding: With a BPM workflow, the intake of new clients will follow a standard procedure. Automation makes the process run smoothly and every client receives the same excellent experience.

Legal research: In the legal sector, manual research is a necessary but demanding and slow task. A BPM workflow speeds everything up, automating searches, document retrieval, and analysis, enabling legal professionals to work more efficiently.

Healthcare

The safe handling of patient data, appointment scheduling, and medical supply management can all be improved by implementing BPM workflows. Discover the various use cases for BPM workflows  in healthcare, and how introducing these can superboost efficiency in healthcare.

Patient scheduling and registration: Effectively manage patient appointments and admissions through a streamlined scheduling system within a BPM workflow. This ensures smoother operations and reduced wait times for patients.

Medical records management: Integrating health records into a BPM solution allows them to be managed more safely and systematically. Storage is better organised, retrieval is faster, and patient information can be securely shared amongst healthcare providers.

Billing and claims processing: The end-to-end process of healthcare billing and insurance claims can be automated through a BPM system. This includes coding, submission, verification, and payment processing, minimising errors and expediting reimbursements.

Supply chain management: Manage the inventory of medical supplies efficiently by integrating supply chain processes into a BPM workflow. Stock levels are constantly tracked and maintained, preventing shortages.

Compliance management: Adhering to healthcare regulations is an essential but complex responsibility. Automated checks, audits, and reporting can be incorporated within a BPM workflow so that compliance and patient data security standards are always strictly upheld.

Banking

The banking industry is transforming rapidly to meet customer expectations. Automation and BPM workflows are being introduced in many areas to keep up with the competition and increase banking efficiency.

Account opening: Provide a slicker customer experience by implementing BPM in the account opening process. The data collection, verification, and approval stages are automated to create a smooth journey for new customers.

Loan processing: Manage the complete lifecycle of loan applications, approvals, and disbursements with a BPM solution. Automated workflows are incorporated that strictly adhere to compliance standards and lending regulations.

KYC compliance: Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures can be automated within a BPM framework, making accurate customer identity verification simpler and providing stronger protection against potential fraud.

Transaction monitoring: Monitor and identify potentially suspicious transactions by integrating real-time monitoring mechanisms into banking systems through BPM workflows, aiding in fraud prevention and compliance.

Customer service requests: Use a BPM solution to automate ticketing systems and workflows. This streamlines the management of customer inquiries and service requests, resulting in prompt resolutions and greater customer satisfaction.

Logistics and supply chain

Once impeded by manual work and disparate systems, logistics and supply chain operations can be transformed by the introduction of BPM workflows. Learn about the various use cases for BPM in the logistics and supply chain industry to boost efficiency.

Order processing: Order processing can be automated from receipt to fulfilment through a BPM system, reducing errors and processing time. Transparent workflows also mean any issues or delays can be swiftly identified and addressed.

Inventory management: Stock-level management and reordering processes can also be automated on a BPM system. This optimises inventory turnover, preventing both overstocking and stock shortages.

Transportation management: Complicated logistics operations and shipment tracking can all be coordinated within a BPM workflow. Workflows provide a clearer view of delivery status and enable the improvement of delivery schedules and routes.

Supplier relationship management: Maintain good relationships with your suppliers by automating communication, orders, and payment through a BPM system. Centralising all interactions on a single system avoids payment delays or delayed responses.

Quality control: Another time-consuming task when done manually, quality checks can be automated using BPM workflows. Labour costs are reduced but consistent quality and compliance with industry standards are maintained.

Benefits of using business process management (BPM) workflows

Take a look at the key advantages of implementing BPM workflows into your operations.

Less stress and more success

Repetitive tasks are automated to minimise manual work and expedite inefficient procedures. Significant amounts of time and resources are saved, liberating employees to focus on higher-level work. Operations are streamlined from beginning to end, optimising every process to eliminate unnecessary steps.

Perfect precision and hassle-free compliance

Many manual processes are prone to human error, but automated workflows minimise mistakes. Work is created to a higher level of accuracy, reducing the time and money spent on fixing issues. Plus, standardised processes ensure consistent work that always abides by industry regulations.

Smooth service and happy customers

Automating some customer service processes and interactions delivers faster response times. Customers enjoy a quick and seamless experience, with queries and requests handled promptly. BPM also enables tailored customer engagement informed by data-fueled insights, leading to more satisfied and loyal customers.

Budget-friendly and money-maximising

BPM minimises the need for manual intervention, so more work can be done in less time. Labour costs are reduced and resources can be allocated more effectively. Implementing BPM workflows also provides greater transparency over operations, enabling the identification and elimination of bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Illuminated decisions guided by data

BPM workflows can provide real-time data and performance metrics are automatically tracked for visibility into process effectiveness. This provides actionable insights into business operations and supports data-driven decision-making, helping to fuel the ongoing improvement of operational efficiency.

Versatility and sky-high growth

Introducing BPM workflows makes organisations more agile, as they can quickly adapt to changing business needs. As requirements evolve, whether because of regulatory requirements or an increase in demands, a BPM solution allows for the simple modification of processes. As a business succeeds, BPM easily scales to accommodate limitless growth.

Choosing a business workflow management tool

No matter what industry you work in, there are some essential qualities you should look for when choosing a BPM workflow tool. Automation capabilities are paramount, a good tool should have functions such as task assignment to minimise manual intervention.

User-friendliness should also be a high priority so that all employees can use the system without the need for extensive training. Check the level of vendor support you will receive as well, alongside integration capabilities, to make sure there won’t be compatibility issues

To find out more about what exactly to look for in a BPM tool, check out our blog here on this very topic.

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