Common BPM implementation challenges and how to overcome them

One of the most common challenges in BPM implementation is a poor understanding of existing business processes, followed by a lack of proper documentation. Rushing into automating or optimizing workflows is potentially dangerous in the long term.

Without having a clear picture of how processes currently operate, processes are often simply digitized rather than improved. This ultimately leads to inefficient workflows, causing additional operational problems and wasted resources.

Poor process understanding causes misalignment between what is documented and what actually happens in real business operations. You should never build a BPM system based on assumptions because it leads to an unreliable system that cannot be accepted by end users.

Of course, there will be many times when not all functionalities are completely clear and understood in the same way by all parties involved, but it is important to address misunderstandings and take the necessary steps to clarify the required functionalities.

Here are a few suggestions on how to overcome misunderstandings.

First, you must ensure that key implementation team members are involved in workshops defining process workflows and business rules. Process owners, end-users, and relevant stakeholders will walk you through existing workflows. It is important to clarify any unclear parts of the process.

Process owners often forget to mention every important fact that can later lead to dissatisfaction with the implemented process. You can overcome this by using visual tools like flowcharts or BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) diagrams to clarify how each process currently works.

It is also important that implementation team members collaborate and coordinate during the whole implementation process. Encourage departments to work together during process analysis and planning. Bringing together different perspectives ensures a more complete and accurate view of how processes work across the organization.

One more useful tool is to set up regular check-ins and feedback sessions with end-users and stakeholders during implementation. In this way, users can share concerns, confusion, or issues they’re facing, and the implementation team can catch misunderstandings, inefficiencies, or technical problems early, before they escalate or become embedded in the system.

BPM solutions often need to be integrated with legacy systems, which can cause compatibility and data migration issues. Most organizations already rely on a complex mix of platforms for things like customer data, employee data, accounting, and more. A BPM solution that doesn’t integrate well with these existing systems can lead to inefficiencies rather than improvements.

Without proper integration, the same data may need to be entered manually in a few systems, increasing the risk of errors and duplication. This not only slows down processes but also undermines the core purpose of BPM – automation and optimization.

To overcome integration issues with existing systems during BPM implementation, you need to align strategic goals, technical capabilities, and user needs to ensure compatibility, scalability, and collaboration between different systems. Here are key strategies to address this challenge.

Before implementing a BPM solution, it is important to assess the current IT environment. Identify the systems that need to interact with the BPM platform, such as ERPs, CRMs, or databases, and evaluate their integration capabilities, including APIs, data formats, and security requirements. Understanding system capabilities will help you better estimate the time required to develop the integration components and ultimately integrate them into a live system.

Your technical experts should be part of the BPM planning process from the beginning. They can flag potential compatibility issues, suggest technical solutions, and help estimate the time and resources needed for integration work. Once the implementation project starts, they will already be prepared for the challenges ahead.

Testing integrations gradually during BPM implementation is crucial to ensure successful implementation of the integration, stability of the system, and user confidence, as an important part of the BPM implementation. Start with small steps and test integrations step by step, before implementing all parts or rolling them out. This will help you verify the connections, detect issues, and allow for smoother scaling later on.

One of the most common and impactful problems organizations face when implementing a BPM is resistance to change. Although BPM is designed to improve efficiency and transparency, it often requires employees to adjust their routines, learn new tools, or even completely change the way they work. These changes can lead to fear, skepticism, and discomfort.

Employees may worry that automation could replace their jobs or increase their workload during the transition. Others may fear they won’t be able to keep up with new technologies or that their input won’t be valued in the redesigned processes.

These emotional responses, if not addressed, can slow adoption and undermine the success of the entire BPM initiative. Communication is the key to managing this challenge. Managing resistance challenge consists of:

▶️ recognizing resistance,

▶️ understanding why there is a resistance,

▶️ and actively managing the resulting resistance.

Recognition: Acknowledge that resistance exists

The first step in managing resistance is simply recognizing it. It’s crucial that you recognize resistance not as an obstacle to being ignored, but as a signal that more communication, involvement, and support are needed. Acknowledging resistance shows that you are listening and that you care about employee perspectives, which can open the door to better understanding and trust.

Understanding: Identify the root causes

Once resistance is acknowledged, it’s important to understand where it’s coming from. Is it due to a lack of information, fear of the unknown, previous negative experiences with change, or concerns about workload? Taking time to explore these reasons will help you identify the real barriers to implementing change.

You can do this through surveys, one-on-one conversations or team workshops. Understanding the “why” behind resistance allows you to effectively adjust your communication, training, and support efforts.

Action: Address concerns with support and communication

After recognizing and understanding resistance, the next step is action. This means actively involving employees in the change process, adjusting workflows where necessary and communicating frequently about the purpose and benefits of the BPM system.

You can show, in multiple iterations, how new processes make work easier in order to gradually introduce employees to the new process and show them gradually all the benefits of the system. When employees see that their concerns lead to action, they feel respected and are more likely to engage in the change.

A significant problem associated with the implementation of BPM, which arises after the implementation itself, is insufficient monitoring and further optimization. Viewing BPM as a one-time project is wrong because business environments are dynamic. When focus is only on initial deployment, with the assumption that the job is finished once the BPM project goes live, more and more issues arise over time.

Here are some critical issues related to a lack of monitoring and missed opportunities for additional optimizations:

Outdated system

Business environments are constantly changing – new regulations, customer expectations, and technologies emerge. Without continuous improvement, the BPM system may no longer reflect how work is actually done. That’s why it’s important that you constantly monitor processes, recognize opportunities for optimization and take the necessary steps to initiate and implement process optimization.

Ignored inefficiencies

Ignored inefficiencies become a serious problem in the context of lack of monitoring and further optimization because they slowly degrade the performance and value of the system over time. When inefficiencies are not tracked or measured post-deployment, they can accumulate unnoticed and become a huge issue that is often expensive to solve.

So, it is important that you are aware of existing inefficiencies because then you can track them and start resolving them timely.

Reduced user engagement

At the end, the user may become disinterested in using the system. When users start feeling the system doesn’t evolve to meet their needs or reflect process changes, they may revert to manual workarounds or legacy methods. This decreases employee satisfaction, increases inconsistency, and reduces the credibility and usefulness of the BPM system.

The best case is that you prevent this scenario from happening, but if something like this happens, it is important that you react in time and try to prevent the complete abandonment of the implemented system by communicating and proposing the next steps.

Implementing a BPM system is a powerful step toward improving operational efficiency, transparency and agility, but it is often a challenging journey to implement efficient solutions. On this journey you will face different types of challenges. The most important thing is that you are aware of these challenges before starting the implementation in order to take the necessary steps to prevent their occurrence.

In the real process implementation, it is not possible to prevent all these challenges mentioned. Most implementations involve a large number of participants, each with their own perspective and vision, which is why the whole process is complex and requires engagement by all parties involved. Being aware of possible challenges increases the chance of successfully managing them when they arise. Each of the challenges mentioned is manageable with the right approach.

Successful BPM implementation is not just about deploying new tools; it’s about adjusting the way an organization functions and how processes are executed and monitored. These are big changes that require a change in the way each participant involved in the process works. That’s why it’s important to understand these challenges and raise awareness among teams of possible challenges and ways to manage them.

Are you preparing for your own BPM journey or are you already going through the challenges mentioned? Consider which of these areas needs the most attention in your implementation and take the first step toward creating smarter and more efficient BPM systems.