Here is our take on the points you should consider while choosing a business process automation software

1. Alright, you have reached a moment where you are seeing more time spent in operational issues
and fire-fighting than running your business. Your team is creating more spreadsheets than ever
and you don’t have a clear idea of the status of different projects. You use disparate software for
different functions, all in silos. You know all information is available but buried somewhere in
corporate email and spreadsheets.
That is when you think there should be a better way of doing this – you do a quick search on
Google and automation, workflow and BPM comes up, in no particular order. There begins your
search for a software to automate your business processes. You are probably looking for a
system not very complicated but something that still brings order to the chaos whirling all
around.
Here is our take on the points you should consider while choosing business process automation
software –
1. Problem
What is the process problem you are trying to solve? Are you trying to automate simple business
processes within your company or are you looking for a comprehensive system that may need to
interact with other software that you have already invested in? For example, you might want the
data from your workflow software to flow into your accounting software or ERP.
2. Budget
Ultimately, this might be the single biggest influencer on your decision. So, it is very important
to know the high level budget that can be allocated for this purchase. It might be prudent to
consider the total cost of ownership instead of just the immediate purchase price as many costs
remain hidden and return to bite later during implementation time after a vendor has been
selected.
3. Deployment – Cloud or On Premise
More and more organizations are moving towards the cloud and this trend is being seen even in
large enterprises. The OpEx model, low upfront investment, significantly lower risks and
scalability options make cloud deployment a very tempting offer. You might want to be
cognizant of the risks like data storage outside your company, cost escalations and migration
nightmares if moving to a different vendor. Your organization might be unique and consider
these points carefully before making your decision.

2. 4. Timeline for implementation
What timelines do you have for getting an automated system implemented? How much time do
you have before you start losing money or your sanity? The implementation time is dependent on
the processes you wish to automate and the amount of customization required. For some, it might
be worth the wait to implement a system that does more things automatically, while for other
companies that have requirements that might change; a more iterative implementation might
help.
5. Product features
The features of the BPM software are important from the perspective of the product’s capability
to solve the customer’s problem. Nothing more, nothing less. An enterprise BPM software might
have all the bells and whistles but if it fails to solve the customer’s problem efficiently, the
product premise is fundamentally flawed. So looking at product features from the problem angle
is important.
6. Product support
Never choose a vendor before you interact with the customer support team. You are going to be
reliving this experience over and over again and the experience of talking to customer support
personnel should be anything but stressful. Ensure you understand everything from the process
of registering a trouble ticket to the cost of phone support so that there are no surprises later.
7. Vendor reliability
How reliable is the team behind the product? Is it a startup trying to unseat established players,
or is it another avatar of the leading incumbent? If you are short listing a small vendor, ensure
you talk to the top management and develop a feeling of trust before venturing. With established
players, getting to know the product roadmap and recent press releases will give you an idea of
the current state of the company.
8. Vendor location
With the advent of cloud, this factor seems to have lost much importance. Nevertheless, you
might want to ensure that the vendor can be contacted via phone or email in case of an
emergency. Today, there are vendors operating and servicing customers all over the world from a
single office in a small town.

3. 9. Customer references
Recent examples of customer success gives the necessary adrenalin push for you to re-affirm
faith in the product you have shortlisted. It would be a good idea to understand the complexity of
the implementation if you are planning something similar.
10. Implementation model
Finally, the implementation model might determine the overall cost of the project. Enterprise
implementations are typically driven through reseller partners and system integrators. Smaller
implementations might be driven by the vendor’s professional services team and might have an
impact on the total cost and timelines.
All of the above considerations aside, choose a vendor that you trust. More often than not, the
trust you place in the vendor enables the vendor to raise and deliver beyond your expectations.
Good luck and let us know how you chose the BPM software at your company. If you are still
debating, try CFLOW to quickly automate business processes within your company.