What Is Agile Business Process Management?

Business process management refers to the activities an organization undertakes to control their various processes. This can include the building, monitoring, analyzing, optimizing, and automating of business processes. For example, a human resources department would have a standardized onboarding process for new hires and an offboarding process for outgoing employees. The overall goal of business process management is to save time and make workflows more efficient using structured, repeatable processes.

Traditional vs. Agile business process management

Agile business process management is a little different. Traditional business process management caters to pre-planned and predictable situations, but there is more uncertainty in Agile. Because Agile teams move quickly and deliverables can change at the drop of a hat, their business processes must be able to keep up. As CIO.com put it, “a company can only be as flexible, efficient, and agile as the interaction of its business processes allow.”

While Agile business process management does rely on repeatable actions, these are refined regularly within short cycles known as Agile iterations. The Agile approach means teams can react instantly to unforeseen circumstances and update processes in real-time.

Example of Agile business process management

An example of Agile business process management could be a Scrum software development team that has been hired to build a new website for a client’s business. During the development stage, the client may change their mind and request a new set of features. The Scrum development team will have to adjust their processes quickly, restructure their sprint plans, and potentially assign a new team member to handle the extra workload.

What is Agile business process mapping?

To kickstart their business process management, organizations will often use a technique called business process mapping. Here, a team will list all the steps involved in a particular process from start to finish. They will outline the required tasks, the timeline for completion, and the various roles and responsibilities involved. This information will be highlighted in a visually effective way, usually with a map, chart, or diagram.

In Agile business process mapping, teams focus on user stories. They will conduct story mapping, which outlines the steps taken throughout the customer journey. The priority is to improve the experience for the end-user rather than the organization itself. However, it is complementary to business process mapping as it adds a sense of workflow structure and increases visibility.

If you are new to Agile business process management, you should explore a software solution to help you get started. An all-in-one project management platform such as Wrike can help you manage your Agile business process mapping and boost workflow efficiency in your organization. Try it free for two weeks.

Alex Zhezherau

Alex is Wrike’s Product Director, with over 10 years of expertise in product management and business development. Known for his hands-on approach and strategic vision, he is well versed in various project management methodologies — including Agile, Scrum, and Kanban — and how Wrike’s features complement them. Alex is passionate about entrepreneurship and turning complex challenges into opportunities.

What Is Agile Business Process Management?