It’s a hard road finding the perfect Business Process Management (BPM) software. Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all approach, which means that before you even consider Business Process Management vendors and pricing, you need to find out what problems you actually need to solve.
Once you've identified your business process problems, it's time to move on and compare the leading BPM systems. In this article, we compare three: Appian vs Pega vs Bizagi and the pros and cons associated with each one.
In the world of BPM, there is no ‘one size fits all' solution. That’s why it pays to do your research (or just read this article for a good idea on where to start.)
You can also look at some of our other BPM software comparison articles:
IBM Blueworks vs Microsoft Visio: Which is the best Business Process Management software?
Best Business Process Management (BPM) Software: A brief review
First of all, you should think about exactly what’s important to you when hunting for the kind of BPM software you can settle down and raise little process maps with. The kind of system that can anticipate your needs, even before you can. So… let’s list out some important factors to consider when going after ‘the one:’
- Objective: (It seems strange but most people never ask themselves the key questions of 'why am I doing this?' and 'what am I trying to achieve?')
- Price (not all solutions are created equal. The prices can range from free to 'it's so expensive we don't actually list the price on our site!')
- Your technical expertise (some solutions are not made with your average Joe in mind and are far too technical and systems focussed. Others are more user focussed)
- The structure of the solution (some solutions are flexible, others are not. Some will fit you like a glove, others will make you feel like you just swallowed a bottle of hot sauce).
Before you look at specific BPM suppliers it might pay to look at this article which looks at
Once you have an idea of what you should be considering when looking into a BPM system, then you can start looking for a company that can provide the solution. today we will look at three of these companies - Bizagi, Pega and Appian.
Bizagi
Benefits/Pros of Bizagi
If you’re looking for a quality BPMS, but your technical knowledge is limited to turning your toaster on in the morning, then Bizagi might be the BPM system you're looking for.
Bizagi offers you the ability to create flow-charts for free and the Bizagi Process Modeler (also free), is an intuitive little number that offers drag-and-drop simplicity while borrowing the Ribbon Toolbar and other features from Office, making it a safe bet for those already familiar and comfortable with the Office setup.
The one service that you will pay for is the Bizagi Engine, which powers and controls the business processes built in Bizagi Studio. You can download both the Modeler and the Studio straight from the Bizagi website.
They have designed their system with the non-techy businessman in mind, providing training, video tutorials and online forums to cover all bases from upskilling their customers to providing support.
Limitations/Cons of Bizagi
The downside to Bizagi is the very thing some might find so appealing - the simplicity. Some business owners might be after a more sophisticated BPM software and because of this, it may pay to make sure that Bizagi has all the functionality that you're after.
Pega
Benefits/Pros of Pega
Pega is one of the bigger boys at the BPM table and are recognised as a market leader. OK…so they aren’t as big as IBM and Oracle who are leviathans in comparison, so we’ll go ahead and place Pega at the medium sized table?
Pega offer an open platform that delivers enterprise-wide transformation deployments. One of the main benefits of the Pega 7 platform is its flexible nature, which enables you to build an enterprise platform that fits in with your company's needs – meaning that it’s easier to standardise your business processes across your organisation.
Pega is recognised by some analyst firms as being one of the most comprehensive and unified BPM platforms. It has the tools necessary to create flexible and easy-to-use solutions.
It also provides a technical architecture which brings together aspects of BPM and case management into one model. It is designed this way for faster development and deployment for businesses that require a Business Process Management system that can change rapidly with an organisation’s needs.
Their Build-for-Change technology is created for rapid deployment and enables tailoring of applications. Other features include:
- Visual App development
- Visibility across business silos
- Help with regulatory compliance
- Good CRM functionality and real-time analytics
- vertical industry application frameworks
Limitations/Cons of Pega
The downsides to Pega are that their CRM doesn’t offer billing and invoicing features and because their platform only uses a single model, it can be difficult to customise.
Appian
Benefits/Pros of Appian
The Appian BPM Suite is a code-free system that is presented as simple and easy to use.
Appian offers a single, natively-built, integrated suite that uses drag-and-drop functionality to build processes fast and store them for re-use.
Their forms interface design allows quick creation of task forms and dashboards and they cater for complex event processing where the customer is able to track, analyse and respond to business events.
Other features of the Appian BPM include:
- Social collaboration
- Dynamic reporting
- Predictive analytics
Appian has several consultancy packages tailored to the individual needs of the business. The process modelling feature of this BPM solution is intuitive and user-friendly.
Like Bizagi, Appian have a forum where they offer free solution templates and components. Their website is also clear, easy to navigate and informative for those who need a step-by-step introduction to the world of BPM.
Limitations/Cons of Appian
The downsides to the Appian BPM system are that it doesn’t provide much flexibility in printing and configuring reports, it also may not work properly on all browsers causing problems for some users and they don’t offer a 24/7 live phone support for users.
Image from: cloud2.co.uk
We hope that you found this article particularly helpful and would like to encourage you to continue comparing Business Process Management software in order to find the right fit for you.
Before you decide on any of these BMS providers, it's best to learn how to avoid the pitfalls of implementing a Business Management System, which you will find in this article:
Related articles:
Best Business Process Management Software: A brief review
Microsoft Visio and SharePoint vs. a purpose-built Business Process Management System
How much does BPM software cost?
Evaluating Business Process Management Systems: Meeting our customers