The document discusses the concept of reaching a "tipping point" for business process management (BPM). It suggests that for BPM to reach mainstream adoption and truly take off, more needs to be done to increase awareness and understanding of what BPM is, how it works, and when and how to apply it among business executives, IT professionals, and other stakeholders. The document also references scientific theories of tipping points and technological examples of ideas and products that achieved widespread adoption.

1. B PM - The Tipping Po
int
B ru William
ce s
N o e be 21
v m r 01

2. B PM is a m re e
atu , stablishe practice - right?
d
o way back in 1 978, M ichael Z isman's thesis at the U niversity of P ennsylvania outlined "the first
moder wor
n kflow system."
o in 1 984 I D S S heer was founded and applied the term “B P M ” to their A rchitecture for
information S ystems (I D S ).
o T en years ago, R oger B urlton’s “B P M : P rofiting from P rocess” and peter F ingar’s “T he
T hir W ave” for
d mally defined the genr T her ar now O ver 300 books published on B P M .
e. e e
o N umerous boutique and pure-play vendors are in the B P M S market. A ll the top software
vendor - I B M , O r
s acle, S A P , S oftwar A G - have B P M offer
e ings. I t’s a multi-
billion dollar S oftwar M ar
e ket.
o A ll the top consultancies have B P M practices.
o 92% of the F ortune-500 own some form of B P M software.
o 56% of the F ortune-500 told I nformation W eek last year that B P M was a “top priority”.
→ T he term “B P M ” returns over 55 million results in a google search - about the same as “M ichael
J ordan”, “electr guitar and “P luto”.
ic ”,
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 2
e e

3. T !
se
N O
S o w all u B PM e e day to ru o r bu sse
e v ry n u sine s!
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 3
e e

4. What? B PM I sn’t M ainstre ?
am
→ E veryone isn’t clamoring for bpm.
→ it’s not a standard/default business approach.
→ C orporate I .t. isn’t naturally building B P M apps.
→ B P M P rojects aren’t routinely delivering high value.
→ P rojects don’t evolve into programs and initiatives.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T here F aster | S lide 4
e

5. Despite all the pro ise histo
m , ry
and e e
v rything acco plishe to date -
m d
B PM H A sn’t ye re d the tipping po
t ache int.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 5
e e

6. B PM I S
here
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 6
e e

7. W e wan
t to be he
r!
e
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T here F aster | S lide 7
e

8. We kno B PM is m
’ll w ainstre w n:
am he
→ E veryone is clamoring for it.
→ it is a standard/default business approach.
→ C orporate I .t. is naturally building B P M apps.
→ B P M P rojects are routinely delivering high value.
→ P rojects do evolve into programs and initiatives.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T here F aster | S lide 8
e

9. S o What’s ho
, lding B PM fro Tipping?
m
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 9
e e

10. what’s holding B PM fro tipping?
m
1 . D o enough people know what it is?
→A sk thr executives what “B P M ” stands for
ee .
→A sk thr I T staffer what B P M is.
ee s
→A sk thr lean six sigma black belts.
ee
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 0
e e

11. what’s holding B PM fro tipping?
m
2. D o people know why it’s important?
→ to their business.
→ to their function or department.
→ to them - P ersonally.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 1
e e

12. what’s holding B PM fro tipping?
m
3. D o people know how B P M works?
→ W ho owns it. who uses it.
→ how it shapes your business.
→ what clear impacts it makes.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 2
e e

13. what’s holding B PM fro tipping?
m
4. D o people know when & how to apply bpm?
→ how to model & analyze business processes.
→ how to measur and optimize pr
e ocess per mance.
for
→ how to orchestr automated wor
ate kflows.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 3
e e

14. what’s holding B PM fro tipping?
m
5. I S B P M suppor & r
ted einforced?
→ ar the r people officially endor it?
e ight sing
→ is it fashionable to be a B P M ’E r?
→ do the social nor make it the attr
ms active option?
N ovember 201 1 | S oftware A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 4
e

15. and so here we ar .
e
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 5
e e

16. What’s it man to re the tipping po
e ach int?
o “tipping point” is an epidemiological term.
→ T he moment when a vir r
us eaches critical mass - when it becomes an epidemic.
o I n a S ocial S ystem:
→ the existence of sufficient momentum such that the movement becomes self-sustaining
and creates further growth.
o I n technology:
→ I deas and behaviors and new products move through a population very much like a
disease does.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 6
e e

17. A lso kno n as “Cro
w ssing the Chasm”
(c) G eoffr W . M oore, 1 991 .
ey
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 7
e e

18. Ex ple o Te lo s re
am s f chno gie aching the tipping po
int
1 994: O pen systems
1 996: N etscape and the B rowser
1 998: T he web
1 999: J ava
2002: portable D igital M usic: the Í pod
2005: S oftware-as-a-S ervice
2007: L C D T elevisions
2008: T he Í phone
201 0: the Í P ad
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 8
e e

19. • L e lok at the scie o tipping.
t’s o nce f
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 1 9
e e

20. What m s so e
ake mthing ‘tip’?
I t all boils down to thr simple things:
ee
1. T he L aw of the few.
2. T he stickiness factor.
3. T he power of context.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 20
e e

21. P ar
eo
t
The law o the fe
f w L aw ’ s
I t dosn’t take e e ne - ju the o s that m r.
e v ryo st ne atte
T hr classes of cr
ee itical enablers:
o M avens - the E xperts, helpers, advisors, translators.
o C onnectors - the networkers, communicators.
o S alesmen - T he advocates, encouragers.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 21
e e

22. The stickine facto
ss r
it’s ju irre
st sistible - yo ’v go hav it!
u e tta e
P eople can’t get it out of their minds.
o M emorable - something about it; you just can’t forget.
o F ashionable - people want to be associated with it.
o U nderstandable – it’s ingestible, it makes sense.
o E quated with success - strong self-identifications.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 22
e e

23. The po e o co x
wr f nte t
S itu n and co x are mre im rtant than fu
atio nte t o po ndamntal traits.
e
E pidemics ar highly sensitive to the cir
e cumstances and conditions of when and where
they occur.
o J ust T he right thing at J ust the right time.
o A pplied in just the right place.
o W ith great attention to the detail that make it effective
o A voiding fundamental attribution error.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 23
e e

24. What m s B PM a “tipping po
ake int” candidate?
I t’s r for an epidemic type of phenomenon - to cr the chasm.
ipe oss
I s everyone satisfied with the status quo?
→ N ope - just stuck in the way we do things now.
I S B P M the O N L Y way to get these things done?
→ N o. it’s disruptive, requires new ways of working.
A re ther reasonable alter
e natives to B P M ?
→ N ot really. the alternatives ar cumber
e some, clumsy.
D oes it wor I s it proven?
k?
→ yes. B ut not many people know how to do it.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftware A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 24
e

25. S o ho dos bpm re the tipping po
w e ach int?
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 25
e e

26. The L aw o the F e :
f w me
av ns
cultivate exper and M ake sur they’r available and helpful!
ts, e e
o P rocess modelers - the business is processes.
o process measurers - kpi’s, c&E , andon “wonks”.
o S ervice-orchestrators - assembling solutions quickly.
o T ool-M ongers - so no one gets hung up.
o L ean-A gile managers - the quick path to capability.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 26
e e

27. The L aw o the F e :
f w co cto
nne rs
conscript the connector H ave them networ
s. king and socializing!
o U tilize all the informal channels…
o S elect the key C ommunities of importance.
o F unctions or departments
o K ey P roduct lines
o I nvolve the most R espected, most-admired people.
o F ind people who know what customers want.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 27
e e

28. The L aw o the F e :
f w S ale e
smn
W ho’s selling B P m for you?
O nce you connect to the r people and communities, someone must per
ight suade them
of bP M ’s superior ity.
o T ranslate the message of the technologists and innovators into something the
r of us under
est stand.
o D eliver passionate messages consistently.
→ L evel: create simple stories - omit distracting details.
→ S harpen: focus on what creates deeper meaning.
→ A ssimilate: set it into a frame of reference.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 28
e e

29. The stickine facto
ss r
m bpm abso te irre
ake lu ly sistible - so pe ple ju hav to hav it!
o st e e
o C onnect emotionally - apply the K ano M odel.
o M ake it M emorable - give it a better name!
o M ake it F ashionable – modeling is sexy!
o A doptable - M ake it easy to do and to have.
o E quate it with success - personal success & advancement
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 29
e e

30. The po e o co x
wr f nte t
A pplying B PM in the right situ n and co x is far mre im rtant than
atio nte t o po
its fundamntal fe re and traits.
e atu s
o D on’t try to do it everywhere - J ust I n key places.
o A lways equate B P M with success and happiness.
o A pply B P M in high-profile, highly-visible domains.
o U se B P M to positively affect your customers.
o G enerate compelling, measurable business value.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 30
e e

31. A n e m isn’t the sam as m e change
pide ic e anag d .
→ you’re setting conditions and igniting a flash point.
→ You’re infecting your audience in a small but critical way.
→ You’re focused on highly localized movements and energies.
→ T he setting and context is as important as the people.
→ the timing of events is key to creating momentum.
→ You’re rooting an idea into the culture - including artifacts
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 31
e e

32. ho are yo go to pu B PM o e the to
w u ing sh vr p?
L aw of the few: W ho will dr adoption.
ive
M avens - the E xperts, helper advisors, translator
s, s.
C onnectors - the networkers, communicators.
S alesmen – to level, shar and assimilate the messages.
pen
S tickiness F actor how you’ll make B P M I rr
: esistible.
M emorable, undeniable, sexy, fashionable, adoptable.
P ower of C ontext: the way to M ake it local and incremental.
key events, places, wins - with effective timing and impacts.
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 32
e e

33. S e yo o the o r side
e u n the !
N ovember 201 1 | S oftwar A G - G et T her F aster | S lide 33
e e