Fix bottlenecks before tackling business process automation

If there is one mantra of business operations, it is that nothing stands still. This means that business processes, which may have been valid on day one when they were first documented, evolve as soon as people start following them. Getting started on any intelligent business process initiatives requires an understanding of how business processes are currently run. Nelson Petracek, CTO at Tibco Software, says: "People have a tendency to find shortcuts if given the opportunity, or they may find creative ways of circumventing steps or tasks that are seen as unnecessary or as bottlenecks. Fraud and other undesirable activities may also influence process execution within or across organisations."