Is BPM still relevant? How will the process automation and improvement look like in the age of AI? Check out the answers in the latest post from the BPM Skills series.
This time I asked not only questions about BPM, but also the question about the impact of global megatrends on BPM to give you some broader context.
Check out the thought-provoking answers from 10+ BPM experts.
As always, you can either read everything or use the navigation below. Enjoy!
Wil van der Aalst
Tony Benedict
Scott Francis
Ian Gotts
Mathias Kirchmer
Mirko Kloppenburg
Harald Kühn
Madison Lundquist
Jan Mendling
Brian Reale
Pedro Robledo
Michael Rosemann
Michal Rosik
Serge Schiltz
Jim Sinur
Which BPM skills will be hot in 2025
Now, let’s dive into the answers.
Prof. Wil van der Aalst
Prof.dr.ir. Wil van der Aalst is a full professor at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Process and Data Science (PADS) group. He is also the Chief Scientist at Celonis, part-time affiliated with the Fraunhofer FIT, and a member of the Board of Governors of Tilburg University. He also has unpaid professorship positions at Queensland University of Technology (since 2003) and the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e). Currently, he is also a distinguished fellow of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Trento, deputy CEO of the Internet of Production (IoP) Cluster of Excellence, co-director of the RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence. His research interests include process mining, Petri nets, business process management, workflow automation, simulation, process modeling, and model-based analysis. Many of his papers are highly cited (he is one of the most-cited computer scientists in the world and has an H-index of 161 according to Google Scholar with over 121,000 citations), and his ideas have influenced researchers, software developers, and standardization committees working on process support. He previously served on the advisory boards of several organizations, including Fluxicon, Celonis, ProcessGold/UiPath, and aiConomix. Van der Aalst received honorary degrees from the Moscow Higher School of Economics (Prof. h.c.), Tsinghua University, and Hasselt University (Dr. h.c.). He is also an IFIP Fellow, IEEE Fellow, ACM Fellow, and an elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities, the Academy of Europe, and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. In 2018, he was awarded an Alexander-von-Humboldt Professorship.
WWW: http://www.vdaalst.com
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Twitter: @wvdaalst
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI are profoundly reshaping the landscape of business process management (BPM). Organizations need to rethink how they design, manage, and optimize their processes. Organizations face growing expectations to reduce carbon footprints and adopt sustainable practices. This requires redesigning processes to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Traditional process mining focuses on event logs linked to a single case (e.g., an order). Object-Centric Process Mining (OCPM), however, tracks multiple object types (e.g., orders, invoices, and shipments) and their interrelations, reflecting the complexity of modern business ecosystems. OCPM provides a more comprehensive view of interconnected processes, revealing hidden inefficiencies and dependencies. OCPM can be used to identify inefficiencies in end-to-end processes (e.g., redundant steps, excessive energy use) and suggests optimizations to cut emissions. Also, the IT infrastructure itself needs to be sustainable. Process mining tools can optimize IT workflows (e.g., data center operations), reducing energy consumption. By identifying high-energy usage processes, organizations can move less critical operations to greener time slots or regions. In one of my LinkedIn posts, I stated that Python consumes 75 times as much energy as C when performing the same tasks and is 71 times slower. The post was viewed 3.4 million times and generated over 1000 comments. My goal was (1) to create awareness that the choice of programming language has a huge impact on energy use and (2) that this is rarely a consideration when teaching a programming language. This hit an open nerve and illustrates that we typically do not think about this.
Next to environmental challenges, we need to address demographic challenges (like low birth rates in developed countries). With fewer younger workers, retaining knowledge becomes critical, and processes need to become more efficient. Process mining identifies time-intensive, repetitive tasks that can be automated using technologies like robotic process automation (RPA). This reduces dependency on a shrinking workforce. Process mining exposes unnecessary steps or approvals in workflows, enabling organizations to simplify overly bureaucratic processes. By automating bureaucratic processes, fewer workers are needed to manage routine administrative tasks, alleviating the strain caused by a smaller workforce.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
To create value in 2025, BPM (Business Process Management) practitioners must evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of a data-driven, rapidly transforming business environment. Data literacy and integrating data science with domain expertise remain important. Practitioners must be proficient in interpreting data, identifying patterns, and drawing actionable insights. This includes familiarity with statistical concepts, skills in cleaning and preparing data for analysis, and the ability to interpret results from analytics tools. A deep understanding of the organization’s industry (e.g., finance, healthcare, manufacturing) and its unique process requirements is key. For example, a BPM practitioner in healthcare must understand regulatory requirements like HIPAA and understand the challenges related to data management. Storytelling skills are needed to convey insights and recommendations from process analytics to stakeholders in an engaging and understandable way.
BPM practitioners should steer away from superficially using GenAI. The goal is not to produce text or PowerPoints but to improve processes and add value. Professions that are “text heavy” were considered to be above automation. However, generating beautiful sentences has become a commodity. ChatGPT knows nothing about an organization’s processes unless you supply it with data. GenAI works well with unstructured data. However, most business-relevant data are structured, and one needs clever computations instead of generating unfounded answers. This requires an attitude change.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
– W.M.P van der Aalst. Object-Centric Process Mining: Unraveling the Fabric of Real Processes. Mathematics, 11(12):2691, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/math11122691
– W.M.P. van der Aalst and J. Carmona, editors. Process Mining Handbook, volume 448 of Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08848-3
– W. M.P. van der Aalst, O. Hinz, C. Weinhardt: Sustainable Systems Engineering. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 65(1): 1-6 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-022-00784-6
– L. Barbieri, E. Madeira, K. Stroeh, W.M.P. van der Aalst: A natural language querying interface for process mining. J. Intell. Inf. Syst. 61(1): 113-142 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10844-022-00759-9
– LinkedIn post on the energy use of programming languages: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wvdaalst_sustainability-activity-7223303687266336768-0X0r
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Not much has changed here despite the uptake of GenAI. Traditional BPM, centering around yellow notes and hand-made process schemas, is no longer a good idea. It also does not make any sense to focus on advanced ML techniques when the biggest challenges are data management, unawareness of technologies that actually work (e.g., process mining), and organizational change.
Tony Benedict
Tony Benedict is a Partner with Omicron Partners, LLC, a strategy advisory firm. He is a senior level operations executive best known for transforming organizations, improving operational excellence and profitability. Most recently, he served as Interim Vice President of Operations for Rising Pharma, managing all phases of complex $200M post-merger integration of 2 acquired companies (36 CMOs, 2 3PLs) within expedited timeframe, while concurrently launching a state-of-the-art pharma distribution center. Consolidated 3 ERP systems into a single SAP instance within 6 months. Benedict previously worked at HonorHealth as Vice President, Procurement and Supply Chain where he was responsible for over $600M in spend management. One of his accomplishments was in the restructuring of the procurement and supply chain organizations post-merger within 12 months and consolidating two ERP systems within 18 months while implementing $60M in cost reduction initiatives. Previously, he was Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Supply Chain for Tenet, and Vice President, Supply Chain, Vanguard Health Systems at Abrazo Community Health Network in Arizona.
He is currently serving as President and Director, Board of Directors for the Association of Business Process Management Professionals International and is a co-author of the Business Process Management Common Body of Knowledge versions 2, 3 and the recently released version 4.
WWW: http://www.abpmp.org
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What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
AI will have a place in monitoring and auditing as guard rails for theft and counterfeiting. Sensor technologies will play a role to accomplish this especially in the bio-pharma and agriculture industries. AI will also play a role in compliance to regulations and reporting to government authorities.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
As much as I’d like to say generative AI, I will refrain from saying it because those tools are already here and take away a lot of the core work people used to perform like process modeling. Now you have low and no-code which will only get better. Business Process modeling will still be a foundational skill, however, in order for BPM professionals to move up the food chain, higher level skills sets will emerge as the evolution of the business process architect role takes on more strategic efforts in business transformation. This is an inflection point and tectonic shift requiring people to move into higher level skill sets to stay relevant in the job market. For example, strategic alignment and aligning operations to corporate strategy and goals is key to overcoming the 70% failure rate of digital/business transformations. In the past, too much effort (and money) was spent on aligning technology to operations with no connection to strategy. Some of the key competencies will be: Business Strategy, Operations, Enterprise performance Management, Enterprise Business Modeling and Management of Architecture & Performance. Each competency has a skill set associated with it along with maturity levels for each skill. For example, within Business strategy is systems thinking. Most people know the definition, however, putting it into practice within a department is very different than across an entire enterprise. Experience matters when it comes to proficiency. The skill has to develop over time and be rated according to a scale.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
ABPMP will be releasing an executive level guide to Business Architecture in the second quarter of 2025 which will outline the key competencies and skills within each necessary for business process architects to move up that food chain within corporate cultures. It is an executive skill set and point of view for leading digital/business transformations. Stay tuned.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Agile has moved past the hype and become more commonplace. It’s not a requirement for transformation as much as it is for software development which in itself has become less labor intensive with the introduction of generative AI.
Scott Francis
Scott Francis is CEO and Co-Founder of BP3, a BPM specialist firm focused on accelerating process innovation for customers. Scott and his team have grown BP3 into a Leader in Forrester’s Wave for BPM Services Providers, a top 10 Company in Fortune’s Great Places to Work, a top 10 company in Austin’s Fast 50, and to 120 employees worldwide. Scott is a speaker at conferences such as: bpmNEXT, BPMPortugal, and BPMCAMP, and is the primary author of BP3’s blog.
WWW: http://www.bp-3.com
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Twitter: @sfrancisatx
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Right now, most organizations are probably looking at an IT future that looks a bit like chaos. More data than ever is traveling into their servers in the cloud, more AI capabilities than ever are at the fingertips of their employees. And there is little discipline or organization to this chaos. While AI can derive meaning from your data, what data should it have access to? Who should have access to the AI tools with these insights? How do we get control over all of this?
If you try to solve these problems with access control lists and data security alone, you’re solving the problem in a really complex, and declarative way that makes it very difficult to see the forest for the trees.
Processes are the key organizing principle that can make order out of chaos here. Processes define who participates, and when. Processes define what actions are expected by these participants – and when. Processes define what information is needed, provided, altered, and created to support the process – and when, and by whom or by which systems. Processes can also be the mechanism for defining when and where AI plugs into your business operations. By having this organizing principle, you don’t have to wonder what rogue AI tools might be addressing your corporate data – the AI tools can be deployed in an organized fashion for specific needs and capabilities.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
Continue to be open minded to new technologies and capabilities – don’t get caught up on what AI “can’t do” – because AI is only another kind of automation – and potentially anything can be automated if we’re clever enough. That doesn’t mean that it is commercially viable to automate everything. I don’t think it is about the specific skills – building LLMs, or transformers, or whatever – it’s about how to use the tools that are being released. The process practitioner has the luxury of *applying* these technologies to our process work, rather than having to do fundamental work inside these techniques/technologies themselves.
Having the creativity, and process-oriented thinking skills, to put these together into solutions is where it is at.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
I think training your own LLM is already no longer relevant for the average BPM practitioner – if it ever was!
Ian Gotts
Ian is CEO and founder of Elements.cloud, tech advisor, investor, speaker and author. He has written 12 books on BPM, change management, and compliance, and can be found on the professional speaking circuit or in a plane!!!
Elements.cloud helps customers clean-up, document and build their app implementations, focused on Salesforce. But valid for any low code app platform.
WWW: https://iangotts.medium.com
WWW: elements.cloud
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Twitter: @iangotts
FINALLY, the BPM dream of “map process and it builds app” is realized with AI agents. And the cool thing is the process maps can be simple e.g. UPN making the multiple shapes supported by BPMN unnecessary.
The implications for app development is profound. As Microsoft CEO said in recent interview “with AI, the business logic is moving to agents”.
Also, in that interview he said he is revisiting LEAN because process reengineering is making a comeback.
Dr. Mathias Kirchmer
Dr. Kirchmer is an experienced practitioner and thought leader in the field of Business Process Management (BPM) and Digital Transformation. He is Managing Director of Scheer Americas, previously BPM-D US. He co-founded BPM-D, a consulting company focusing on performance improvements and appropriate digitalization by establishing and applying the discipline of BPM. Before he was Managing Director and Global Lead of BPM at Accenture, and CEO of the Americas and Japan of IDS Scheer, known for its process modelling software and process consulting.
Dr. Kirchmer has led numerous transformation and process improvement initiatives in various industries at clients around the world. He has published 11 books and over 150 articles. At the University of Pennsylvania and at Widener University he has served as affiliated faculty for over 20 years. He received a research and teaching fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
WWW: LI profile
WWW: http://bpm-d.com
Twitter: @mtki2006
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Business Process Management (BPM) equips organizations with the transparency needed to make fast, well-informed decisions and to implement resulting actions effectively. It enables rapid adaption, transforming strategy into people and technology-based execution at a pace with certainty. By leveraging BPM, you identify the impact of megatrends on your operations and how to act on the related opportunities and threats. BPM enables the value-driven use of digital technologies, including the various forms of AI, realizing their full potential.
As these megatrends drive continuously change, BPM has become a management discipline that addresses the ongoing transformation needs of an organization. It is the foundation for the “composable enterprise”—an agile, flexible, innovative and efficient company built on an appropriate organizational structure and software architecture. BPM prioritizes initiatives, drives standardization, optimization and innovation in business processes as well as establishes process governance to sustain the transformation journey.
The role of BPM becomes especially significant in enabling impactful enterprise-wide use of AI. The visibility it provides helps to identify where predictive AI adds best value, such as in maintenance processes, where generative AI is best suited, for example for tasks like generating design alternatives in engineering processes, and where agentic AI can autonomously execute processes, for instance, in simple procurement workflows. By guiding the AI transformation of the organization, BPM ensures that the resulting capabilities are seamlessly integrated in the end-to-end business processes and deliver best value.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
Successful BPM Practitioners focus on business impact and outcomes rather than emphasizing enabling methods and tools. They must understand both the business aspects of processes and the effects of digital technologies that support these processes. Technology-based process reference models can aid in this understanding, enabling BPM practitioners to align business and technology towards the overall goals of the organization.
The broad role of the BPM-Discipline requires solid process prioritization approaches, such as a process impact and maturity assessments, as well as the right combination of standardization, optimization, and innovation. Standardization in particular, is becoming increasingly critical for efficient digitalization and the journey towards the composable enterprise. A practical approach to appropriate standardization is an important skill. Continuous change also requires an agile process governance approach which incorporates appropriate roles and governance processes. BPM Practitioners define the governance model which fits to the specific organizational context.
The BPM-Discipline is established through the “process of process management” (PoPM). BPM Practitioners manage the lifecycle of this key process. Leveraging modern tools, such as modelling and repository tools, mining or enterprise architecture applications, enables an effective PoPM. Additionally, AI is playing an increasingly important role for the PoPM. Generative AI capabilities, for instance, help with the analysis of as-is processes, generation of design alternatives for the future state, or to evaluate process mining data. BPM Practitioners ensure these digital tools are applied in ways that deliver outcomes to the organization.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
Specialized consulting and education organizations offer training and eLearning addressing those skills, such as Scheer with its academy and publications (www.scheer-americas.com). Industry organizations, like APQC (www.apqc.org), ABPMP (www.abpmp.org) or the BPM Institute (www.bpminstitute.org), provide related resources. Forward thinking universities and research organizations address related topics, for example the August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute for Digital Processes and Products (www.aws-institut.de), Widener University with its master program for Digital Transformation and Innovation (www.widener.edu) or the University of Pennsylvania (www.upenn.edu).
Here are some related readings that may help:
Scheer, A.-W.: The Composable Enterprise: Agile, Flexible and Innovative – A Gamechanger for Organizations, Digitalization and Business Software. 4th ed., New York, Berlin, e.a. 2023.
Kirchmer, M.: Process-led Digital Transformation – Mastering the Journey towards the Composable Enterprise. In: Shishkov B. (ed): Business Modeling and Software Design. BMSD 2024. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 523 (ISBN: 978-3-031-64072-8). Springer, 2024.
Wilson, H.J, Daugherty, P.R.: Generative AI – The Secret to Successful AI-driven Process Redesign. In: Harvard Business Review, January-February 2025.
Kirchmer, M.: High Performance through Business Process Management – Strategy Execution in a Digital World. 3rd ed., New York, Berlin, e.a. 2017.
Franz, P., Kirchmer, M.: Value-driven Business Process Management – The Value-Switch for Lasting Competitive Advantage. New York, 2012.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Basic principles of process management as reflected in concepts like Lean, Six Sigma or Kaizen remain true and useful. But to stay relevant and efficient they must be upgraded, leveraging modern digital process management tools.
Improvement approaches that do not address the alignment of business and information technology or do not leverage digital capabilities to enhance processes will no longer be successful. Nowadays, every transformation is related to some degree of digitalization.
Most BPM software vendors already offer AI capabilities in their tools. Those look promising but are still in an emerging state. This is an area to watch closely.
Mirko Kloppenburg
Hi, I’m Mirko. I’m 43 years old and I’m living in Hamburg, Germany, with my wife and our two daughters.
For 20+ years, I have been working in different process management positions at Lufthansa Group. But today, I’m transferring all my BPM experiences to other organizations to help them to inspire people for processes.
Therefore, I combine New Work and Process Management to form New Process and I founded NewProcessLab.com as a platform to share experiences and to rethink processes.
I focus on a human-centric transformation approach, experience design, and community building.
I’m also the host of the New Process Podcast where I’m sharing all my learnings from my journey to rethink processes.
For more information, please have a look at my LinkedIn profile.
WWW: NewProcessLab.com
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Twitter: @MirkoKBurg
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
For me, BPM is a structured management approach to turn any strategy into reality. This also works for responding to a changing environment, for example due to megatrends. BPM can help to take megatrends into account in processes and develop processes accordingly.
Of course, some megatrends also have an impact on BPM itself. We are already seeing many BPM tool vendors experimenting with the integration of AI into their tools. From my human-centric BPM perspective, however, not all of these experiments are really helpful. For example, I am not a fan of AI-generated processes at all, as there is a lack of employee acceptance. Nevertheless, AI-generated processes are of course nice for inspiration.
Regarding the megatrends mentioned as examples, I recently noticed in the evaluation of a survey on the topics that the New Process Community has on the agenda for 2025 that the topic of ESG has so far been completely underrepresented. Only 2% of survey participants want to implement ESG topics in processes in 2025. Certainly, a point which I will explore in more detail in the New Process Podcast in 2025.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
I currently see three stages on the path to a process-driven organization that need to be passed through to create an impact for the respective company:
1. Position for impact: BPM practitioners need to define the purpose of why they are applying BPM in the organization on an emotional level and they need to develop a BPM strategy accordingly. Based on this, the impact can be estimated and — even more important — demonstrated. Finally, all these insights should be used to design a BPM framework that contributes to bringing BPM purpose and strategy to life.
2. Implement a BPM framework: The implementation always starts with building up the process architecture and prioritizing processes. As soon as we know which processes to start with, the people have to be inspired for processes and modeling of processes can be done. Finally, BPM role owners such as Process Owners must be appointed.
3. Manage and improve processes: In the third stage, BPM roles must be enabled and guided to manage and improve their processes based on the BPM framework. Here, more advanced methods such as Process Mining, Process Automation and AI can be applied.
Unfortunately, stage 1 is often left out and organizations are solely focusing on the modeling of processes, ignoring the need for a reliable BPM framework. And after processes are modeled, there is no plan to get to the next level. To get beyond modeling. To really manage and improve processes.
I recommend that every BPM practitioner takes a critical look at where they stand today to identify gaps and close them in 2025. In addition, I encourage to also focus on continuously building a process culture by creating transparency, involving the people and creating experiences to get the people excited about processes.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
I have three recommendations to learn more about these topics — and beyond:
1. Listen to the following episodes of the New Process Podcast to learn more:
– State of New Process – https://www.newprocesslab.com/episode52– How to create a good Process Culture with Amelie Langenstein – https://www.newprocesslab.com/episode53
– Lufthansa’s leading approach to BPM – https://www.newprocesslab.com/episode58
2. I invite you to join New Process Pro to learn even more about the topics, find best practices, and explore tools and methods. New Process Pro is my community for BPM enthusiasts like you and me. And it is free: https://www.newprocesslab.com/pro
3. Beyond these topics, to never miss any important BPM content — like this outstanding collection by Zbigniew — again, take a look at BPM.today. BPM.today is an AI-assisted BPM news site that even e-mails you updates on the latest BPM blogs, podcasts, videos and more. Sign up for free at BPM.today
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
I think it depends on the purpose you pursue with BPM. Based on this, some skills are more relevant and others become obsolete.
Especially from my human-centric BPM perspective, I consider skills such as process mining, process automation and detailed process modeling with BPMN 2.0 to be rather unimportant and would always prioritize the skills that are necessary to build a process culture. It is essential to know how to rethink processes, focus on people, and get them excited about processes. This is what I’m fighting for. So, let’s join forces!
Harald Kühn
Dr. Harald Kühn is a member of the management board of the BOC AG. He is responsible for the product management and the related strategic aspects of BOC’s ADONIS and ADOIT product portfolio. Dr. Harald Kühn works in the areas of BPM, EA, their integration and the usage of innovative technologies in these domains.
He is an author of over 20 publications about various aspects of BPM.
WWW: boc-group.com
WWW: LI profile
Twitter: @BOC_Group
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
I expect the following key impacts:
1. Climate Change:
- Organizations face increasing regulatory, social, and operational pressures to adopt sustainable practices. BPM can assist by embedding sustainability metrics into process designs, optimizing resource usage, and integrating environmental impact assessments into their design and execution.
- Carbon accounting and CO2 estimation tools are being incorporated into BPM systems, helping organizations reduce their carbon footprint.
- On the other side, there are various geopolitical situations, where climate change is ignored or even denied. I see a risk that this produces a counter-trend and would make the described impact less important in the context of BPM.
2. Demographic Shifts:
- Aging populations and diverse workforce dynamics require flexible processes tailored to different workforce needs. BPM can enable adaptive workforce planning, cross-generational training, and inclusive customer journey designs.
- Processes need to address shifting consumer expectations, including personalization and accessibility.
- In industry countries aging populations lead to reduced workforces both in private as well as in public organizations, and therefore the optimization, digitization and automation of processes is a must to keep wealth creation in these countries.
3. Digital Technologies:
- The continued adoption of IoT, AI, and hyper-automation is transforming BPM. Processes are becoming more data-driven and interconnected, enabling real-time monitoring and decision-making.
- The integration of mobile and wearable devices with many types of digital services and business processes creates increasing requirements on security, data consistency and compliance, to be considered both in BPM initiatives as well as in process execution.
4. AI, GenAI and Agentic AI:
- AI and Generative AI amplify the potential of BPM, as seen in 2024. Specific advances in 2025 include refined predictive modeling, enhanced process optimization, and even more accessible AI-driven process automation.
- Process engines for rule-based process control play still an important role. For the next years I expect that they will be complemented with increased usage of Agentic AI for some more autonomous parts of processes.
- Process mining tools now incorporate AI-powered insights to uncover inefficiencies and generate actionable recommendations, fostering adaptability in dynamic environments.
And how can BPM help? BPM supports organizations in adapting to these megatrends by offering tools and techniques for continuous improvement and fostering a culture of process innovation & transformation. Process management and related governance procedures, create reliable information which is approved, validated and sometimes even audited. Especially in the context of using AI services, reliable information as input is one of the most important characteristics to get trustful results.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
1. Continuous Learning: As the work environment, used technologies, practices, methodologies etc. are continuously changing, the learning process must do so as well. Continuous learning involves the persistent broadening of knowledge and abilities. Within the realm of workplace professional development, it focuses on acquiring new competencies and insights, as well as reinforcing previously acquired skills and knowledge.
2. Practical Engagement with GenAI Tools: To successfully integrate GenAI into BPM, practitioners in 2025 must prioritize continuous learning. This includes formal training, up-to-date online courses, and participation in global industry events tailored to AI advancements. Hands-on experience remains vital – through pilot projects, close collaboration with technology teams, and practical applications such as designing contextualized prompts. Particular emphasis should be placed on addressing modern challenges like information security, data privacy, and the ethical use of company data in conjunction with public GenAI and/or Agentic AI services. Furthermore, staying actively connected with the BPM and AI communities is critical. Engaging in professional forums, participating in discussions on cutting-edge case studies, and networking with experts will ensure practitioners remain informed about the latest trends, tools, and best practices shaping the field in 2025.
3. Use of Conceptual Modelling: The intensified use of multi-perspective conceptual modeling continues, incorporating sustainability, customer journeys, digital ecosystems, and value streams into cohesive BPM methodologies. This is accompanied by using a mix of different design, analysis and data-science techniques.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
ChatBots:
I recommend the intensive use of ChatBots such as ChatGPT by OpenAI (https://chatgpt.com/), Gemini by Google (https://gemini.google.com/), Claude by Anthropic (https://www.anthropic.com/claude) or Perplexity AI (https://www.perplexity.ai/) for learning purposes. In many cases they provide an easy way to be used as an “interactice learning companion”.Books on Conceptual Modelling:
Domain-Specific Conceptual Modeling (Part 1): Concepts, Methods and Tools,
Domain-Specific Conceptual Modeling (Part 2): Concepts, Methods and ADOxx Tools,
Metamodeling: Applications and Trajectories to the FutureFree Conceptual Modelling Tools:
Library of various OMiLAB Modelling Tools, ADONIS Community Edition, ADOIT Community Edition, BOC Academy Programme
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Any knowledge and experiences gathered in the past will influence decisions for the future. Therefore, even if specific skills, techniques or technologies are not really relevant any more, they are important to evaluate, decide on and apply new upcoming approaches.
Madison Lundquist
As Principal Research Lead, Madison Lundquist develops and executes APQC’s research agenda for process and performance management and serves as subject matter expert. She interviews leading organizations on their practices, identifies key findings from the research projects, and shares the approaches and best practices organizations use to manage processes, improve organizational agility, and continuously improve.
WWW: apqc.org/expertise/process-performance-management
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What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
According to our research on priorities and challenges for process professionals, the top drivers of change for process management in 2025 are digital transformation initiatives, the growth of process automation options, and the pace of change in the business, along with the application of machine learning and AI in the business. While new tools, technology and automation can provide great efficiencies for organizations and the management of their processes, there is still a critical component to their success: strong process management.
A strong process management program can enable new technologies, tools, and more through:
1. Strategic alignment –Alignment of your process management activities and organizational strategic plans enables organizations to focus their process efforts on those most critical to achieving the long-term goals of the business.
2. Governance – Strong process governance is critical for effective technology implementation. For example, someone needs to be accountable for securing any sensitive data used by technology while keeping it accessible and ensuring its quality for key stakeholders. Common process management roles like process owner also enable organizations to assign responsibility for continually monitoring and improving processes.
3. Change management – New trends and technologies usually require employees to change in one way or another. It’s critical that organizations have a strong change management plan/program in place that keeps in mind how their employees receive information, the time it takes to process the upcoming change, and how to encourage the employees to make the necessary change through things like rewards and recognition.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
The top skills process management teams need to stay relevant in 2025 are change management, analytics and data visualization, problem solving, design thinking, and storytelling. Storytelling is a skill that historically has been more popular for knowledge management practitioners, however, according to our annual priorities survey in 2024, storytelling has started rising in popularity for the process practitioners. Stories are what we remember. They connect us to the emotion and remind us of our purpose. When organizations are presented with change and new ideas, storytelling can a be a great tool for the “BPM toolbox” to encourage the adoption and successful implementation of new tools and technologies.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
APQC has a robust Resource Library that includes content on core tenets for process management, along with our training courses and webinars that help process professionals learn the necessary skills to be successful in an ever-changing business environment.
- APQC’s Resource Library, which includes articles, case studies, and more:
- APQC’s Seven Tenets of Process Management
- APQC’s Drivers of Change Management Infographics on Engagement, Rewards and Recognition, and Communication
- APQC’s Training Courses; including online self-paced courses on topics like process analysis, process frameworks, and process management essentials.
- APQC’s Events Calendar
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Every year, we survey process professionals to understand the skills necessary for the upcoming year. According to our 2025 survey, the bottom three skills were software programming, training, and risk management. Instead, skills like change management, problem solving and data visualization are rising to the top. Process professionals need to have a more diverse set of skills allowing them to work with cross-functional teams, carry out change initiatives, and be able to both analyze data and create stories for their stakeholders on what the data is conveying.
Prof. Dr. Jan Mendling
Prof. Dr. Jan Mendling is the Einstein-Professor for Process Science with the Department of Computer Science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, adjunct professor at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, and Principal Investigator at the Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin. His research interests include various topics in the area of business process management and information systems. He is co-author of the textbooks Fundamentals of Business Process Management and Wirtschaftsinformatik. He has published more than 500 research papers and articles, among others in IEEE Transaction journals and MIS Quarterly. He is inaugural Co-Editor-in-Chief of Process Science and Co-Founder of Noreja, a tool vendor focusing on causal process mining.
WWW: LI profile
WWW: Personal website
WWW: Noreja website
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
There are two forces. First, trends such like demographic change and climate change create pressure for organizations to adapt. Second, new technologies such as GenAI provide new tools to implement such a change faster. Bottom line is: The demand for BPM increases while its capabilities increase.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
I offered some BPM trainings this year where I met participants who had not yet played around with ChatGPT. This hit me by surprise. It is of utmost importance for organizations to continuously monitor which tools emerge and who they can help employees for speeding up their daily work.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
I am a big fan of what Michael Jordan said: “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” Such fundamental knowledge is available in books. When it comes to new AI-tools, you need to follow online resources. Technology magazines and LinkedIn are important to stay up to date.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
GenAI capabilities can pave us the way to self-documenting information systems and self-documenting business processes. BPM approaches that fully focus on manual documentation work are becoming less and less sustainable.
Brian Reale
Brian Reale is a serial entrepreneur. Brian founded a telecommunications company in 2000 called Unete Telecomunicaciones which provided, voice, data, and satellite services in Latin America. Brian sold Unete to a publicly traded US telecom company in 2000. Brian was also the co-founder of Spotless LLC, an entertainment technology company that developed projection mapping technology for major live entertainment industries.
Brian has been involved in the workflow and BPM industry since he co-founded ProcessMaker in 2000. ProcessMaker is a leading open source BPM suite. The ProcessMaker BPMS has been recognized with numerous awards and pushes the bounds of BPM with a fundamental belief that process management can be simple, elegant, and easy to use.
Brian graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 1993 and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in linguistics in Ecuador in 1994.
WWW: https://www.processmaker.com
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Twitter: @breale
Twitter: @processmaker
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Global megatrends like climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI significantly impact Business Process Management (BPM).
Impact of Megatrends on BPM:
- Climate Change:
- Supply Chain Disruptions: Extreme weather events disrupt supply chains. We are seeing it everyday. Just look at how the wildfires in LA are going to affect the US economy in 2025 – $250 Billion in losses. Supply chains and processes are going to need to make major changes to adjust to this. Think of all the materials and labor that now need to be sent to California.
- Regulatory Compliance: Regulation is changing constantly because of climate change and politics. Politics is probably the bigger driver, but it is reacting to climate change (or at least the news of climate change).
- Demographic Shifts:
- Aging Workforce: Aging populations are changing the way businesses think about their processes. Workers are disappearing from the workforce, and companies see AI agent workforces as a solution to these changes.
- Skill Shortages: Shifts in demographics can create skill gaps, requiring organizations to adapt processes to leverage available talent and potentially automate tasks.
- Diverse Workforce: Managing a diverse workforce requires inclusive processes that accommodate different needs, communication styles, and cultural backgrounds.
- Digital Technologies:
- Automation: Automation technologies like RPA and now Agentic AI are transforming processes. We are less than a few years away from AI being able to dynamically change its own processes on the fly to react to change. The idea of drawing a BPMN diagram will not exist by 2030.
- Data-Driven Decisions: AI depends on data. Whoever has it wins. Period.
- Customer Experience: Web 2.0 revolutionized customer experience. Apple capitalized on this. Now, all those beautiful interfaces will disappear. The interface won’t exist by 2030. Everything will be a command line controlled via voice and some text.
- AI:
- Process Automation: AI will change the face of process automation as it will everything else. As I said above, BPMN diagrams won’t exist by 2030. Or, another way to say it – they will exist on the fly. It is similar for reporting. Reporting suites will cease to exist. Reporting exists to anticipate the needs of decision makers so they can reduce the complexity of the information they are analyzing. AI does not need this intermediate step. It can process the pure data and decide on the next best action in a process, for example.
How BPM Can Help Organizations Adapt
- Agility and Flexibility: BPM enables organizations to design and execute flexible processes that can quickly adapt to change, such as supply chain disruptions or shifts in customer demand.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: BPM+AI can provide data-driven insights into process performance, allowing organizations to identify areas for improvement and make better decisions
- Automation and AI Integration: AI will kill BPM, but for the next few years it will help it work much better. Sound familiar? The same will happen to humanity unfortunately.
Key Skills for BPM Practitioners in 2025
- Foundational: Practitioners should still master process modeling (BPMN, DMN), analysis.
- Advanced: It is becoming more important to gain advanced skills in AI/ML to understand where and how to apply it.
- Essential Behaviors: As always, teams need strong abilities in collaboration, communication, problem-solving, innovation, and results-orientation.
What are the Key Attitudes practitioners need?
- Adaptability: Embrace change and new technologies. Get ready for a roller coaster ride!
- Resilience: Overcome challenges and learn from setbacks. Realize you are going to need to retrain yourself much much faster.
- Sense of Humor – If you can’t laugh – why do it?
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
I would recommend users start training on various Agentic AI platforms (Mindstudio, N8N, and many others). This way of thinking will greatly enhance BPM in the next couple of years. Although most of the BPM players (ProcessMaker included) have launched or are launching AI agents, it is useful to try them and build with them on the native AI agent platforms. Similarly, all the RPA platforms are building AI agent layers and even converting their entire business models to agentic AI models. However, I would recommend to start training on some of the native platforms. This technology will rather quickly merge with BPM, and then it will swallow BPM.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet?
Building connectors and scripts by hand is a skill that will die in the next 24 months. I would not waste time learning to do a lot of manual coding. Also, building forms will die off as well. It is important to get good at the big picture business analysis and not get lost in the technical weeds of BPM implementation.
Pedro Robledo
President and co-founder of the Spanish chapter of ABPMP International, Pedro Robledo stands out as a prominent figure with significant influence in Process Management, specializing in the BPM (Business Process Management) discipline. This influence is underscored by his substantial online following, boasting nearly 31,000 followers on LinkedIn. With over 23 years dedicated to advancing the knowledge of Business Process Management in Spain and Latin America, Pedro is a trailblazer in the field.
Currently serving as the Director of the Master’s Degree in BPM for Digital Transformation and the Director of the Master’s Degree in Strategic Process Management at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR), Pedro also imparts his expertise as a Professor of Innovation Management in UNIR’s MBA program. Focus now on the role of High-Performance AI Project Director in UNIR. Beyond academia, he acts as a BPM consultant, guiding organizations in their BPM initiatives, Digital Transformation endeavors, BPM maturity diagnosis, ROI calculations, supplier selection, and comprehensive training and advice on BPMN process modelling, CMMN and DMN decisions. His strategic guidance extends to offering roadmap advice for the progressive implementation of BPM and Enterprise Architecture.
As the Director of BPMteca, Pedro Robledo further contributes to the BPM landscape. A Computer Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Pedro has honed his skills through leadership roles in multinational software companies, including Borland International, Ask Group, Computer Associates, Progress Software, Teamware, and Oracle.
Pedro’s commitment to excellence is evident in his role as a jury member for the international WfMC Awards for Excellence in BPM and Workflow, a position he held from 2013 until the conclusion of WfMC. He shares his wealth of knowledge on BPM and Digital Transformation through his blog, “The White Paper on Process Management” (http://pedrorobledobpm.blogspot.com.es/), and regularly contributes insights to various blogs and magazines. Pedro Robledo’s multifaceted contributions make him a leading authority in BPM, shaping the discourse and practices within the industry.
WWW: pedrorobledobpm.blogspot.com.es
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What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Global megatrends are reshaping business landscapes, presenting both challenges and opportunities for organizations. These trends, which include digital transformation, sustainability, demographic shifts, deglobalization, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), are fundamentally altering how businesses operate, compete, and deliver value. Business Process Management (BPM) plays a pivotal role in helping organizations adapt to this rapidly changing reality.
Digitalization and AI’s Disruption
The acceleration of digitalization and the proliferation of AI technologies are driving innovation across industries. From the current state of Narrow AI (ANI) to potential advancements toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in the coming years and eventually Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) in the more distant future, AI is revolutionizing workflows, enabling automation, enhancing decision-making, and uncovering new business opportunities. BPM provides the structure to seamlessly integrate these technologies into core operations, ensuring processes are optimized for efficiency, scalability, and resilience. Through process mining, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation, BPM helps organizations unlock the full potential of AI while aligning it with strategic objectives.
Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility
The growing emphasis on sustainability, fueled by stricter regulations and increased consumer awareness, requires organizations to transition toward greener operations. BPM helps align business processes with environmental goals by reducing waste, optimizing resource use, and embedding principles of the circular economy into workflows. By leveraging BPM to implement sustainable practices, organizations can not only meet regulatory requirements but also strengthen their brand reputation and attract environmentally conscious customers.
Demographic Shifts and Workforce Dynamics
Demographic changes, such as aging populations in developed nations and a growing young workforce in emerging markets, are reshaping labor availability and consumer preferences. BPM enables organizations to adapt to these shifts by fostering agility in workforce management, designing customer-centric processes tailored to diverse market needs, and leveraging AI to address talent shortages through automation. Additionally, BPM supports organizations in building inclusive strategies that reflect the evolving demographics of their workforce and customer base.
Deglobalization and Trade Reconfiguration
Geopolitical tensions and protectionist policies are prompting businesses to rethink global supply chains and prioritize resilience over cost efficiency. BPM helps organizations navigate these complexities by reconfiguring supply chain processes, diversifying sourcing strategies, and strengthening operational agility. By incorporating BPM frameworks, companies can enhance their ability to respond to trade disruptions, minimize dependency on single suppliers, and ensure supply chain continuity.
Cybersecurity and Digital Safety
The growing reliance on digital technologies exposes businesses to increased cybersecurity risks. BPM plays a key role in mitigating these threats by embedding robust security protocols into processes, enabling real-time monitoring, and ensuring compliance with global data protection standards. With BPM, organizations can enhance their cyber-resilience, protecting sensitive data and maintaining stakeholder trust.
BPM’s Role in Adapting to Megatrends
BPM provides a comprehensive framework to help organizations thrive amidst these global megatrends. By fostering agility, resilience, and innovation, BPM empowers businesses to align their processes with emerging challenges and opportunities. Whether integrating AI, achieving sustainability goals, adapting to demographic shifts, or navigating geopolitical complexities, BPM serves as the backbone for strategic transformation. Organizations that leverage BPM effectively will be better equipped to lead in this dynamic and disruptive era.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
In 2025, BPM practitioners will need a blend of advanced skills, innovative techniques, and adaptive behaviors to create value in a rapidly evolving business environment dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation. The rise of AI agents and the incorporation of generative AI into BPM tools will redefine how processes are designed, monitored, and optimized. Practitioners must develop expertise in leveraging AI technologies to enhance efficiency, automate complex workflows, and derive actionable insights. Proficiency in interpreting outputs from AI-driven tools such as process mining platforms and predictive analytics will be essential for identifying opportunities for improvement and mitigating risks.
A strong foundation in data literacy will also be indispensable. BPM practitioners must navigate vast amounts of data to validate AI models, ensure accurate outcomes, and guide AI systems to align with organizational objectives. As enterprise applications become more integrated with AI-powered BPM solutions, practitioners will need to master these platforms, understanding how to optimize and customize them to align with evolving business needs.
Beyond technical skills, the ability to collaborate effectively with AI systems and agents will define successful BPM professionals. Practitioners must adopt an open and innovative mindset, viewing AI not as a replacement but as a powerful partner that amplifies their capabilities. This requires a continuous learning attitude, staying up to date with advancements in AI, automation, and process management methodologies.
Ethical considerations will take center stage as BPM practitioners lead AI-driven transformations. Ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in process design will be critical, particularly in areas that impact employees and customers. Practitioners must balance technological capabilities with a deep understanding of human needs, maintaining a customer-centric approach that prioritizes delivering value through personalized, efficient, and seamless processes.
Effective communication and leadership will remain crucial. Practitioners will need to engage cross-functional teams, articulate the benefits of AI-driven BPM initiatives, and address concerns from stakeholders. This will demand strong persuasion skills, empathy, and the ability to build trust across diverse groups within an organization. Moreover, expertise in change management will be vital to navigate resistance and foster adoption during transitions.
In a world characterized by constant disruption and innovation, agility and resilience will be essential attitudes. Practitioners must adapt quickly to shifting market dynamics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements, ensuring that processes remain relevant and effective. By combining technical mastery with human-centered leadership and a commitment to ethical and innovative practices, BPM practitioners can drive substantial value for their organizations in 2025 and beyond.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
To acquire the skills, techniques, and expertise necessary for effective BPM in 2025, there is an abundance of high-quality resources spanning books, courses, certifications, and practical training. These resources cater to the evolving landscape of BPM, particularly as AI technologies like autonomous agents and generative AI-enabled virtual assistants (VAs) become central to transforming organizational competitiveness.
To acquire foundational knowledge for BPM in 2025, it is essential to follow the works of renowned experts such as Michael Hammer, whose “Reengineering the Corporation” and Process and Enterprise Maturity Model (PEMM) remain central to process improvement. Geary Rummler and Alan Brache’s “Improving Performance” offers frameworks for aligning processes with organizational goals, while H. James Harrington’s “Business Process Improvement” emphasizes continuous improvement. Other key figures include Mathias Weske, author of “Business Process Management”, and John Jeston and Johan Nelis with “Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines”. Additionally, thought other leaders that they provide practical insights into adapting BPM for the digital age. These resources collectively lay the groundwork for BPM professionals to thrive in the evolving landscape of AI and automation. For those aiming to integrate AI into BPM workflows, resources like “Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI” by Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson are invaluable for understanding how AI enhances human and organizational performance.
Online learning platforms such as Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning remain essential for developing specialized skills.
Formal education tailored to BPM and digital transformation is also indispensable. Postgraduate programs, such as the Master’s Degree in Business Process Management for Digital Transformation or the Master’s Degree in Strategic Process Management at UNIR, provide holistic training across the BPM lifecycle, with a special focus on aligning business and technology, using Generativa AI in practice to empower BPM. These programs include coverage of BPMN/DMN standards, process mining, ROI analysis, and the implementation of AI-based tools. Certifications from international organizations like ABPMP International and OMG further enhance a professional’s credibility and adherence to global BPM standards.
As someone actively contributing to BPM education as the President of ABPMP Spain and the director of these UNIR programs, I emphasize the importance of learning-by-doing. My blog serves as a hub of resources for BPM practitioners, offering access to bibliographies, videos, articles, and event calendars to keep professionals updated on industry trends. In 2025 my blog also will address cutting-edge topics, including the transformative role of ANI, AGI, and ASI in BPM. My ongoing research into how autonomous agents, generative AI-enabled VAs, and other AI advancements can be applied to BPM ensures that I remain a trusted source for actionable insights into the future of BPM.
With over 30,800 LinkedIn followers, I am committed to sharing the latest breakthroughs, practical applications, and real-world case studies on how AI-driven BPM solutions enhance organizational competitiveness. By staying connected, practitioners gain exclusive access to curated insights that will shape their understanding of how BPM evolves in this AI-driven era.
Ultimately, combining formal education, international certifications, curated online courses, and insights from industry leaders ensures that BPM professionals are equipped to excel in 2025 and beyond. By leveraging these resources, practitioners can harness the full potential of generative AI and other advanced technologies to drive organizational success and innovation in a highly competitive landscape.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
As we move into 2025, some skills and practices in BPM that were once considered essential are becoming less relevant or are being overtaken by emerging technologies. For example, traditional manual process mapping techniques that do not integrate digital tools are increasingly outdated, as process automation, AI-driven analysis, and advanced process mining offer more efficient, scalable alternatives. Similarly, knowledge of outdated process management tools that lack integration with AI or robotic process automation (RPA) is becoming less practical. While process design and modeling remain critical, the reliance on manual, paper-based documentation is being replaced by digital, cloud-based BPM solutions that facilitate real-time collaboration and adaptive workflows. In addition, old-school change management practices that don’t account for rapid, AI-powered transformations or fail to incorporate agile methodologies are also losing relevance. Another area losing its practicality is the overemphasis on traditional job roles that focus solely on process optimization without considering the integration of AI, IoT, and digital transformation strategies. As AI and autonomous agents begin to take on more process management roles, manual intervention in process decision-making and analysis will continue to decrease. In essence, BPM professionals must pivot towards skills that focus on integrating AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making, while moving away from legacy practices that lack the scalability and adaptability needed in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven business environment.
Prof. Michael Rosemann
Dr Michael Rosemann is the Director of the Centre for Future Enterprise and a Professor for Information Systems at the Business School, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
Dr Rosemann’s main areas of research are corporate innovation, revenue resilience, process management and trust management. His work is focused on creating compelling future worlds with today’s possibilities that make current practices obsolete. As a researcher and advisor to board rooms and senior executives he is committed to advancing research-informed knowledge and confidence in order to appreciate the emerging design space and to create an increased ‘sense of ambition’ and innovation appetite.
Dr Rosemann is the author/editor of ten books, more than 350 refereed papers in outlets such as MIS Quarterly, European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Information Systems and Journal of the Association of Information Systems, Editorial Board member of ten international journals (incl. MISQ Executive) and co-inventor of US and European patents. His ‘Handbook of Business Process Management’ (with Prof. Jan vom Brocke, second edition) is a comprehensive consolidation of global BPM thought leaders. His publications have been translated into German, Russian, Portuguese and Mandarin. His latest book, ‘The New Learning Economy’ (with Martin Betts), has been published by Routledge in December 2022.
Michael provides advice related to performance, innovation, trust and process management to organisations and their executives from diverse industries including telco, banking, insurance, utility, retail, public sector, higher education, logistics and the film industry. He is also the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Southern Queensland.
WWW: https://www.qut.edu.au/research/michael-rosemann
WWW: http://www.michaelrosemann.com/
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Twitter: @ismiro
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
It is indeed important to think broader than a purely technology-driven (AI) outlook on the immediate future of BPM. The trends mentioned here have two impacts: (1) They create a new set of requirements (demand-side of BPM), and (2) they provide new process design options (supply-side of BPM).
In terms of requirements, we are seeing a tremendous extension of the traditional time-cost-quality ambition that has characterized BPM for the last century. Sustainability and its embedded call for carbon reductions is now a firm requirement for business processes demanding extensions to the way we model, measure and mine processes. Adequate enhancements of BPM can help organisations with external reporting and compliance requirements (e.g., ESG).
Demographic changes include the new work movement, inclusive processes, and a focus on total experience design, customers and employees, when managing business processes. This demands extensions of current design practices. For example, organisations need to make their processes accessible to diverse customer cohorts and find ways to better understand employees’ desired process experiences. Preference-based workload allocation is one way for how tomorrow’s processes could be adopted to these changes – the Like-It button finally finds its way into internal workflows.
The rise of advanced technologies increases the need for processes to be responsible meaning reliable, transparent, explainable, fair, private, secure, contestable and accountable. We will see companies that will explore these attributes as the next source of their competitive process advantage. A process might not be the most efficient or streamlined one but stands out because of its degree of responsibility.
In terms of new design options, emerging low-code, highly capable technologies powered by analytical and generative AI will make process personalisation scalable. As a result, the common reductionist focus on process simplification will be enriched with a call for process sophistication. Omnichannel, truly elegant, proactive processes previously unaffordable will become reality. This will most likely occur in those digital industries in which processes are now indeed straight-through, friction free, cloud/mobile-first real-time processes. Here, transactional excellence is becoming a hygiene factor and BPM professionals will be tasked to find the next competitive benefit of BPM.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
A continuously maintained AI-literacy will be a key demand for BPM practitioners who need to unlock the next level of productivity gains, especially in processes where difficult and dangerous processes can be replaced with robotic solutions.
Trained lean six sigma experts will need to boost their data literacy to roll-out the data-hungry tools and methods they are so well trained in, but for a long time could not deploy due to their affordability. This also includes a wider uptake of ABC-costing which will benefit from being fed by process mining solutions.
Both of these trends will elevate a further, so far under-developed literacy: ethics. In her BPM 2024 keynote, Prof Flavia Santoro referred to ethics-first, moral transparency and ethics-as-a-process. The more previously unthinkable process designs become possible (can do), the more we need ethics literacy to be able to answer should we?
And as we democratize the design but also the use of processes, we will see an increased demand for conversational literacy to make the best use of new process interfaces enabled by generative AI.
A significant behavioural change will change will be the request for curiosity. As the frequency of new technologies, regulations and demand shifts is increasing, previous deductive knowledge (e.g., process improvement techniques) and inductive knowledge (e.g., evidence as derived from mined logfiles) might no longer be sufficient. As a result, abductive approaches will become more important – creating hypotheses and then testing their validity. The idea of process prototyping, minimum viable processes and A/B-testing processes is still in its infancy. However, I assume it will be the next significant set of skill/tool/datasets that becomes important as possibilities will become as relevant as problems.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
The key drivers for change for BPM will come from outside the narrow BPM domain. This means, BPM professionals need to (1) learn beyond BPM and (2) become a translator back to their BPM domain. There are plenty of potential avenues here ranging from new business models and ESG to the various facets of AI and related large language models. Combining any of these with solid BPM capability will surely lead to a contemporary, high-demand profile.
A valuable, but under-explored resource are comparative, better global practices. It stands out that many organisations, and entire countries, start digital process transformations literally from scratch following established (as-is/to-be) lifecycle models as opposed to identifying and then adopting already existing digital process practices. This is in particular the case in the public sector where we observe common process requirements, but idiosyncratic BPM initiatives.
The International Conference on Business Process Management (Seville, Spain) in the first week of September will be the gathering of global experts in 2025. An event not to be missed for anyone who wants to shape future processes with next generation tools and techniques. This event is also a great place to understand the BPM-related offerings provided by universities worldwide ranging from dedicated BPM degrees to micro-credentials.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
The new skill requirements are largely additive and not a substitute. However, the 1.0 version of manual process design, labour-intensive lean six sigma, or manually training RPA engines will come to an end. In 2025, these approaches will be largely grounded in data using advanced BPM solutions.
At the beginning of the BPM hype curve, I see developments such as process model learning (large model sets autonomously capable of self-improvement) or reliable process model-to-video solutions in which process instructions are articulated in instructional videos tailored to its user base. We are also only at the beginning of truly contextual business processes where process change is triggered automatically by environmental changes.
Michal Rosik
Michal Rosik, Microsoft / Minit is a former CPO at Minit, a process intelligence leader acquired by Microsoft in 2022. Now holding a PM architect role at Microsoft, shaping the form of Power Automate Process Mining, an AI first, robust, hyper-automation solution. In his free time, he is a passionate trail runner.
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WWW: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-automate
Twitter: @rosik
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
I see the fundamental role of process management in being a safe harbor for any organization in a rapidly changing world.
Years ago, BPM came and established order in the fuzziness of organizational ecosystems, helping them to cope with rapid changes. Today, technology in form of copilots and agents returns with even more fuzziness, unpredictability and non-determinism, and organizations feel the FoMO pressure.
This rings the same bell.
Today, fuzziness is not a bug, but an expected, even wanted feature. And even though process management is also not the same “good old BPM”, it’s role is even more important – to manage the non-determinism, control the unpredictable and give it a shape and form which will become a trusted partner in the enterprise.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
Even though the technological progress seems to be unstoppable, what did not change much, is what we still need to do to keep the pace.
Change the way we think and perceive the world/environment around us.
In short – what was top of mind last year:
[click for the answer from 2024 here]
stays and we just add building trust in newest tech (GenAI, Agents) to it.Talking to enterprise customers initiated multiple discussions on determinism, predictability, reliability, replicability of outcome. What is our role in this?
Well, it seems it is not the tech itself, that is not reliable per se. It is how we use it, where and when we use it and how we combine it with traditional techniques to achieve the necessary level of trust that customers need, to rely on the outcomes.
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
For gaining theoretical knowledge on relevant topics, start with platforms like Udemy, edX, Coursera. One of the most recent tips is an update on the Process Mining in Action course, dealing with Object Centric Process Mining, that is crisp out of oven at edX:
https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-science/rwth-aachen-university-bai-process-miningFor practical skills, just search on Medium and follow relevant authors:
https://medium.comAnd I highly recommend following trends and news outside of the narrow BPM field, in other scientific areas, as this broadens the context, motivates innovation and initiates imagination and inspiration.
Business processes do not live in vacuum.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
Both object centricity and agentic universe(s) make traditional process modelling techniques less accurate and more outdated. A bigger update in this area would soon be needed to accommodate to the new world view.
In other words, BPMN, DMN and CMMN can describe less and less of the business process reality we all live in.
Serge Schiltz
Serge Schiltz is CEO and founder of processCentric GmbH, a European consulting and training firm focused on business process management. With his extensive practical experience as a senior consultant working with clients on their BPM challenges in different industries, he has been able to build a solid reputation over the past decades. Author, trainer, university lecturer and conference speaker in English, German and French. Member of OMG’s DMN Task Force and contributor to the OMG Certified Expert in BPM (OCEB) examination. He is also a Regional Director Europe for ABPMP.
WWW: https://www.processcentric.ch/en
WWW: LI profile
What is the impact of global megatrends such as climate change, demographic shifts, digital technologies, and AI on BPM, and how can process management help organizations adapt to this new reality?
Even more than in the last few years, I see AI as the key game changer. Digital technologies collect more and more data that we as humans don’t have the capacity to analyze any more. The increasing scarcity of skilled personnel adds to this and requires us to find intelligent ways of extracting valuable information from the mountains of data that we are being flooded with. AI systems offer the possibility to automate business processes that so far, we thought require human skills. This opens possibilities for delivering better service faster and at a lower cost to customers, despite the lack of skilled human resources, which is getting worse by the day.
However, I see that many colleagues have a too narrow view of how to build AI systems. There is a tendency to just throw a complex prompt at a Large Language Model (LLM), which often leads to mediocre results. You must understand your data, remove the noise, merge it with other data, present and/or visualize the results … In other words, you need to design a process for collecting, massaging, merging, processing, and presenting data. Will AI systems replace business processes? No, they are a perfect match and complement each other.
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
As a BPM practitioner, you must familiarize with AI technology, master it and identify ways of using it to enhance and automate business processes. This may not be obvious at the beginning, but think of it as just another tool or approach that will allow you to improve your business processes. It is not a panacea, but there are really cool tools around!
What are the best resources to learn those skills? (e.g. books, articles, courses)
Of course, there is a lot of literature and training on AI. Some are helpful, many very superficial. What you need to get is a deep understanding and hands-on experience. Currently, my preferred source are the training modules of Diogo Alves de Resende, a real expert in business analytics and data science.
Jim Sinur
Jim Sinur is an independent thought leader in applying smart Digital Business Platforms (DBP), Customer Experience/Journeys (CJM), Business Process Management (BPM), AI, Automation (RPA), Low-code and Decision Management at the edge for enhanced business outcomes. His research and areas of personal experience focus on intelligent business processes, business modeling, real-time data feedback with heterogeneous data types, business process management technologies, smart process collaboration for knowledge workers, process intelligence/optimization, AI applied to business policy/rule management, IoT and leveraging business applications in processes. Jim was a contributor to Forbes in AI. Jim is also one of the authors of BPM: The Next Wave. His latest book is Digital Transformation. Innovate or Die Slowly. Jim is also working on a new book with others entitled “Winning at Digital Transformation with Process Modelling” Jim’s personal blog is approaching one million hits to date. Jim is also a well know digital and traditional artist. His recent adventures include songwriting. He is revisualizing his art and marketing his music with generative AI.
WWW: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/people/jimsinur/
WWW: http://www.james-sinur.com/
WWW: http://jimsinur.blogspot.com
WWW: LI profile
Twitter: @JimSinur
What are the skills, techniques, behaviors, and attitudes that can help BPM practitioners create value for their organizations in 2025?
There are a number of skills that BPM folks could pick up as there are many in the middle of digital evolution assisted by AI, but my top seven would be the following:
1) Journey Mapping for Customers, Employees and Partners including touchpoint analysis and persona creation that crosses internal functional stovepipes. Outside-in Thinking.2) Embedded Advanced Analytic and Visualization Capabilities. Process plus big, fast and dark process/data mining is growing to be more important. Decision Models will become more important as they integrate with process models. Strategic and situational modeling can be helpful in guiding agents and processes.
3) Agentic AI, Adaptive, Smart and Goal Driven Processes (often in Case Management and also Explicit Rule enabled) guided by guardrails and by process/data mining with real time feedback. Concentrating on Agents inside and outside a process or process snippets. Snippets and RPA bots are often candidates for converting into agents. Get ready for specialty agents such as broker agents.4) AI Productivity Focused looking for opportunities to add automation or more smarts like Generative AI. Machine learning, Deep Learning and 17 other AI technology tributaries. See the 20 AI tributaries by clicking here. https://jimsinur.blogspot.com/2023/11/ai-tributaries-types-for-2024.htm
5) Cognitive Collaboration for Knowledge Intense Processes or Cases. AI Assistance for process resources is on the move right now. Leveraging learning AI software and Agents for knowledge building and simulating potential outcomes.
6) Signal and Pattern Detection at the edge (often needed for agility, IoT and business strategy). IoT integration is a new emerging theme. This can be taken to the level of digital twins and by merging control on the edge with central control.
7) Business Professional Process creation, adaptation, and optimization by leveraging lite BPM/workflow, Process/Data Mining utilizing Low code and generative AI.
Which skills are no longer relevant or not practically applicable yet (hype)?
While there are no skills that one should drop, there are several that are considered common and receding. My top three would be the following:
1) Central Control Only approaches with siloed skill sets. More lateral thinking is and collaborative control is needed today.2) Water Fall Only project methods are taking a second seat to incremental development leveraging Generative AI, RPA and rapid experimentation. We are living in an emergent world with emergent responses required.
3) Large blocks of dumb frozen code are giving way to smart and instrumented components, micro services and late binding rules guided by constraints. Turn dumb code into adaptive agents where possible.