Every few years it seems that a new paradigm or other solution to revolutionize the interaction between IT and business objectives comes on the scene that typically falls well short of the overly-hyped expectations. Recently, however, I believe with the concept of Business Process Management we’re headed in the right direction with the focus on actually aligning the IT infrastructure and systems with respect to achieving specific results.

To clarify this it’s necessary to fully appreciate that the various components, i.e. a powerful server on a high performance network with other necessary factors, don’t equate to a complete business system that achieves a specific result. It’s the necessary but not sufficient starting point.

When the same system is coupled with specific software that is well designed to consider the actual work habits, traditions and related factors of the way a company achieves specific results, and such software and hardware streamline this process by removing “busy work” and redundant data input it moves towards a process management solution that delivers real savings and a meaningful ROI.

Over the next year or so I’ll be writing a number of articles on how businesses in the range of 10-70 users can use existing infrastructure to begin implementing business process management techniques. The basic approach is by reconsidering how they are currently using these systems and then by implementing modest changes a business can test for improved efficiency and profitability.