Business process innovation is on the minds of executives these days, and for good reason. In the 1990s, companies also had a focus on business processes. They used enterprise-wide networks to tear down walls between functional departments and reengineered their companies to remain competitive. Today, the universal connectivity of the Internet makes it possible to tear down walls between companies to reinvent entire value chains. The result? We are now witnessing a grand globalization of white collar work, outsourcing, offshoring and other new forms of extreme competition. Industry and national boundaries have become a blur. All is changed, and no industry is exempt. Pioneering companies have already disrupted incumbents and come from nowhere to dominate their industries. Their secret sauce? Business process management (BPM). This book brings together some of the best minds to explore the role and value of BPM, and what it portends. In its pages you will find the essential discussions and insights, straight from the thought leaders. In Search of BPM Excellence is for those who want to sustain the success of their businesses in the midst of the current sea of change. Is your company ready for extreme competition?

• Where do you go to gain insight into this thing called BPM?
• Why is business process management so important / how important is it?
• What should you be considering when making BPM Next Practice?
• How will you get there and make sure you get where you want to go?
• Who needs BPM, do I?

These are questions of greatest importance to business people and the Business Process Management Group has tracked down the leading thought leaders, analysts, methodologists and consultants in the field of business process management to get the answers. BPM sits at the heart of the Business Evolution we have now begun to experience -- and that will continue to be a primary economic driver over the next several decades. This book, In Search of BPM Excellence, is for those who want to sustain consistent, ongoing success, profit, and growth of their businesses in the midst of the current sea of change. This is the book for those in search of excellence.

Included in this book...
Peter Fingar: Operational Transformation: Get Ready for Extreme Competition Just what really lies at the heart of business process management? What is it beyond today and where can it take us? Peter Fingar describes the Operational Transformation opportunity that BPM can lead to as part of an evolved business practice, resulting in an organization inherently geared to sustaining competitive advantage.	Andrew Spanyi: Strategy and BPM Andrew Spanyi, Executive Coach with The Business Process Management Group, presents the case for Strategy and BPM, adapted from his book Business Process Management is a Team Sport – Play it to Win!	Terry Schurter: BPM Software - Why you Need it and how to Maximize its Value Terry Schurter, BPM Group Chief Analyst, turns a critical eye onto BPM software in presenting the rational behind the need for BPM software and the important (and often overlooked) critical points that must be considered to maximize the value of BPM software.
Dr. Pehong Chen: Process-Powered Self Service - The Next Source of Competitive Advantage Web-based, process-driven self service is recognized as the next source of competitive advantage. Agile process development is a business imperative complimentary to BPM. Dr. Chen illustrates the business benefits of process-driven Web self service with anecdotes and customer examples from experience as founder of a pioneering e-business enterprise.	Roger Burlton: BPM - From Common Sense to Common Practice Roger Burlton, President of Process Renewal Group, gives us a broad perspective on BPM as he discusses where BPM’s roots lie, how BPM has evolved, what BPM is really all about, the sweeping changes BPM will introduce and what companies must do to position themselves for success as the BPM movement continues to gain momentum.	Keith Harrison-Broninski: No Cheese is Made of Chalk Keith Harrison-Broninski presents human interaction as one of the important considerations in the evolution of business and as a further example of how the impact and application of business process management extends to all of the critical dimensions where opportunity awaits us for the creation of business improvement and competitive advantage.
Ronald Ross: Business Rules and Business Processes - Win-Win for the Business BPM software products rely heavily on them. Ronald Ross discusses the relationship of business rules (the know) and business processes (the flow) in BPM and the affect that business rules have on the creation, operation and maintenance of the agile and adaptive organization.	Jorge Coelho: BPM and Continuous Improvement Jorge Coelho of SisConsult, discusses the importance of BPM at the center of continuous improvement and the requirements of an effective strategy-oriented intervention methodology needed to support ongoing BPM.	Martyn Ould: Five Fables and Their Lessons Martyn Ould leads us through Five Fables in a provocative expose to uncover the true breadth and depth of this thing we call business process management. The perspectives presented in this chapter are sure to trigger some new insights in BPM, while bringing to light considerations of successful BPM that are often neglected.