The power of BPM

How business process management (BPM) can transform your business, according to AuraPortal’s Olivia Trilles.

CXO. In this world with fierce market competition, which is the best strategy to survive and prosper in your opinion?

OT. Undoubtedly, increase the capacity to quickly adapt to changes. Charles Darwin said that it is not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. This is also valid for enterprises. In that sense, modern Business Process Management (BPM) tools bring the possibility to work with processes tailored to user needs with the capacity of being modified continuously to adapt them to market and environmental changes. Companies lacking that capacity presumably will not survive long.

CXO. Is AuraPortal a tool that delivers that responsiveness to the companies?

OT. Yes. In fact, a BPM tool is not enough. It is very important that the processes can be updated quickly by business people immediately when the necessity arises, so AuraPortal BPMS is a pioneer in offering a system that builds and executes processes automatically without the need of any programming code. This approach is so appealing that corporations like PEMEX (Petroleos Mexicanos), Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Toyota, Yamaha, Arcelor Mittal, Electrobras, as well as government agencies and hundreds of companies of all sizes (not just corporations) in 22 countries have chosen AuraPortal BPMS to develop and execute their processes.

CXO. What makes AuraPortal BPMS different from other BPM offerings?

OT. The revolution that AuraPortal BPMS represents by ‘truly’ offering executable processes without programming is recognized by the research organization Gartner Inc. who has included it in the ‘Visionary’ section of its last Magic Quadrant. Gartner said AuraPortal BPMS ‘delivers an example of next generation BPMS’.

CXO. For our readers who may consider to acquire AuraPortal, how would you define it in a few words?

OT. AuraPortal is a 100 percent web-based tool that offers five applications in one system: Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) with Business Rules; CRM (Customer Relationship Management); intranet /extranet for communication and collaboration; document handling based on MS SharePoint with extra functionalities added; portals for ECM (Enterprise Content Management). All of this is in just one integrated package with seamless integration and SOA (service-orientated technology).

CXO. You have just mentioned CRM but combining BPM and CRM is unusual. Is AuraPortal housing CRM too?

OT. Yes, and perhaps this is one of the most dazzling forward steps in CRM technology. We strongly believe that our approach is the perfect solution for CRM. The traditional CRM applications are usually cumbersome, offering either a rigid system or a multitude of parameters for tailoring the system to the particular user needs – a task not accomplished in the vast majority of cases. The natural consequence is a deep user’s deception. However, if the CRM is built from scratch as an integrated body made of the exact processes that the company wants, then the CRM will match perfectly the expectations. This is evident, but unfortunately this solution was not available until now. To construct a powerful CRM with modelled processes has been a very difficult endeavor involving a lot of programming effort. But this problem is presently wiped out. Using AuraPortal BPMS you can, in a matter of days, or perhaps just hours, and without any programming knowledge, design any functionality related to marketing, sales, customer services and so on, and be able to build ‘brick by brick’ your own CRM, totally adjusted to your needs and resources. AuraPortal BPMS is a true ‘Enterprise Marketing Platform’ that allows for all that.

CXO. How is the global financial crisis affecting your company?

OT. It is not having any negative effect. The demand for AuraPortal BPMS keeps growing because its deployment is a secure way to save costs and improve sales – the most important terms in the economic equation, particularly in difficult situations. So, in time of crisis, AuraPortal BPMS is helping companies to strengthen and improve its market position with respect to their competitors.

Olivia Trilles , who started at AuraPortal in 2003, was appointed to VP in 2007, responsible for marketing and training. She has collaborated in some of the works published by Dr. Juan Trilles, mainly in matters related to BPM and Business Rules.