How to choose the right BPM tool: A maturity-centric decision framework with a case evaluation in the European market

Abstract

The enabling role of technology for effective business process management (BPM) is not being doubted. However, finding the right tool that suits a company's specific requirements is usually a challenging task. This paper presents a novel decision framework for the critical assessment of BPM tools which maps company requirements to different levels of BPM maturity and thus aims to be applicable in various organizational contexts. The framework includes emerging BPM features such as sophisticated process simulation capabilities and the support of common IT reference models and is complemented by a decision model which provides for complex preferences and uncertainty throughout the assessment process. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed artefact by the case of a tool selection at a major telecommunications company and a survey-based analysis of 19 BPM tool vendors in the European market.