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Smart Process Applications vs. tailored
"Why would we need a Smart Process Application when we have a business application tailored 100% to our needs?"
We have clients who for years, even decades, have developed their core business applications to match very specific business needs. They have done so because they recognized that in certain areas IT provides them with a differentiating competitive edge.
Build-in document management
Typically they have already incorporated Next document management technology into these solutions, adding advanced capabilities with only a minor investment. And more importantly with the promise of low future maintenance costs.
Smart Process Applications
When we suggest adding a Smart Process Application to take care of a process that is not covered by their business applications (e.g. approving invoices, reimbursing expenses, managing contracts etc.) the response is overly positive. A standard product, with a high level of process support, highly adaptable to future needs, and fitting seamlessly into the current IT landscape goes down well with most IT managers.
Ready for change
Exactly the same reasoning could lead to the conclusion that at least parts of their tailored business application might be candidates for replacing with todays Smart Process Applications. Even if the business application is tailored 100% to your current needs, chances are that your needs will change in the future. In many industries, this rate of change is even increasing.
You may very well have the perfect application workflow for your current dunning procedure, your current claims processing, or your current stocked item maintenance process. But what happens when the world changes?
Ready for opportunities
Tailored applications have the advantage of fitting 100%, but often with less build-in flexibility. At least less flexibility to cope with the unforeseen changes. A modern Smart Process Application is build with this single purpose – being ready for the unforeseen. When a new opportunity or requirement arises – adding overseas dunning staff, providing new reporting of case worker utilization, or securing that everyone is notified when a stocked item is being replaced – you basically have three options:
- Invest time and money in developing the additional functionality, and at the same time increase your future maintenance burden.
- Develop “out of systems” procedures to circumvent the shortcomings, using mail, Word, Excel, Access or Post Its.
- Don’t do anything. Let the opportunity pass you by. Or ignore the risk you are supposed to mitigate.
Just keeping the lights on?
In a recent Forrester Research survey of IT leaders at more than 3,700 companies, respondents estimated that they spend an average 72% of the money in their budgets on such keep-the-lights-on functions as replacing or expanding capacity and supporting ongoing operations and maintenance, while only 28% of the money goes toward new projects.
Only 28% of the money goes toward new projects.
Smart Process Applications are surely not the sliver bullet to solve this, but definitely worth looking into. Even for some of those core business processes, where a high level of process support is a must. Remember that Smart Process Applications are not an alternative. It’s a supplement.
And the answer?
The answer to the question: “Why would we need Smart Process Applications when we have a business application tailored 100% to our needs?”
More for less.
Because you get more flexibility, more development, more agility, and less cost.
Because Smart Process Applications free up resources - especially in the future.
Resources that will help you cope with competition.
Coming up
In my next blog post I’ll address the opposite challenge. “Why would we need Smart Process Applications when we have Excel and Outlook?”
