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Updated 26. June 2023 in
Learning

Why BPMN is outdated and ShiftX made a BPMN alternative

Every organization should have a process mapping tool for documenting, visualizing, and communicating business processes. We think that you deserve something easier and better than tools built on the BPMN standard.

How does your business actually work? Who is involved where? And who is responsible for what? The answer is often spread across numerous documents, tools, and the know-how of different people. It might live in a two-year-old strategy document, a slide deck from last year, or in the mind of a colleague that is currently on vacation.

If this sounds familiar to you, then you are probably lacking a usable and accessible “single source of truth” on how your business operates.

Traditional tools

The need to communicate business processes is nothing new and is something leaders do on a daily basis. Often in a textual form or using simple diagramming tools.

High barrier for Collaboration and involvement

Visualizing business processes, on the other hand, is usually left for trained specialists working with customer journeys, compliance, or enterprise architecture. There are a lot of tools built for these specialists, Microsoft Visio among others. Most of them are built around BPMN, Business Process Model, and Notation – a graphical and computer-readable notation for describing business processes. This makes for a high barrier of entry, and is often the reason why many company fails to be process driven.

Training Required

Due to its complexity, BPMN often requires extensive training to use effectively. This training can be costly in terms of both time and money. Without proper training, there can be misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the symbols and notations used. It leaves all the people without training excluded from understanding.

Difficult to Maintain

BPMN diagrams can become very large and complex, making them difficult to maintain and keep updated. BPMN is quite comprehensive and as a result, it can become overly complex. Many of the elements and symbols in BPMN might not be needed in many use cases. This complexity can be a barrier for beginners or people who are not accustomed to process mapping.

A user-friendly alternative – for inclusion

We strongly believe there is a smarter and more efficient way to go about this. A way to unify the need for visualization with the need for communication. A way for all people in the company to work together in a unified style that encourages transparency and collaboration across departments.

With ShiftX, you can build a tool that requires no training to get started and that gets better as more people join in building a visual and ever-improving representation of how your business works.

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