Picking the Perfect Process for Your Camunda POC

As we move forward in our POC blog series, the next topic we want to tackle is making sure that you pick the best process for your POC. There are some specific things that you will want to think about so that the process not only tests all the appropriate requirements, but also has the right visibility and impact in the organization.

We have outlined some of those criteria and considerations for you to help you in the endeavor.

If you need to catch up, please read our previous blogs in the POC Series:

• How to Run a Successful Camunda POC (announcing the series)
• Planning your Camunda Proof of Concept

Criteria and considerations

It is critical that the correct process is selected for your POC. This does not mean it has to test every single possible scenario that any process in your organization may encounter, but it needs to be the proper representation of critical processes within your company. It does need to test a variety of features and functions, but one functional test can target several integration, for example.

Here’s a list of things to think about when selecting that process. In some cases, you do not want to select a real process, but components or parts of an existing process so that you can test all the requirements but keep the process simple enough to be successful and understandable. Ideally, you can find a process that is currently being used for the POC.

• Complexity
  It is important to consider the complexity of the process you want to use for your POC. You do not want to select an overly complicated process, but you also want one that is complex enough to test and showcase the capabilities of the solution. If the process is too intricate, it can be overwhelming. As mentioned, you might want to create a process that tests various components of different processes to minimize complexity, but also be complex enough to showcase true process orchestration.
• Visibility
  The process that you decide to select for the POC has to have the right visibility within your organization. You cannot pick something that no one cares about automating or improving. If you select a visible process and demonstrate improvements with the POC, you gain enthusiasm and support from stakeholders for the selected BPM solution.
• Quick Win
  You want to make sure that the process picked is a quick win, meaning that it can show improvements in a short time which will help build confidence in the solution. You do not want to select a process that is a long-running process—like a month or several months. You will not be able to show the process from start to finish unless you “fake” the timeline which defeats the purpose of the POC showing improvements.
• Multi-department Involvement
  Make sure you pick a process that involves multiple departments or different functions within your company. It is important to show communication and collaboration between departments and how this works within Camunda. Some solutions have excellent collaboration capabilities and others do not have anything in this regard. If collaboration between the business and IT is also required, be sure to select or build a process that will show this level of communication as well.
• Existing Pain
  There is always at least one process that everyone knows is inefficient or causes pain within the organization. It might be one with a cumbersome user interface or one that requires far too long from start to finish. This, if it fits the other criteria, is a great way to show that Camunda can reap immediate benefits within your organization.
• Repetitiveness
  If you select a process that is used frequently and is repetitive, you can demonstrate the ability of the Camunda to handle routine tasks. This is very important because you can then show overall process improvements and efficiencies. For example, if you have a payment process or order process that happens often, this might be a good candidate for the POC. There might also be a process that is used by many processes within the organization. This might also prove to be a good candidate.
• Metrics are Measurable
  One of the most important parts of your POC is success. If you find a process that has measurable results, this will only help this effort. For example, are you trying to reduce processing time by some percentage? Do you want to improve performance at particular steps? You want to make sure that you select a process with measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) that allow you to quantify improvements made by the POC success. This provides tangible evidence of its impact.
• User Participation
  Let’s face it, much of the acceptance of a new system or technology can be sidetracked by unhappy users. You must keep users involved in the process as they often are the individuals who deal with the processes day after day. By gaining their acceptance during the POC, you can ensure that the solution meets not only their needs, but that they are excited about it.
• Availability
  When you select your process for the POC, you need to make sure that all required data, systems, and personnel are available while you are running your POC. This includes login accounts to other systems and access to databases. This is essential for analyzing the current state of the process and measuring improvements.
• Alignment
  Finally, you need to make sure that your selected process aligns with your organization’s strategic goals and priorities. Without this key component, you will not gain the support of leadership. By demonstrating the value of how process orchestration can help achieve strategic objectives, you help position your POC for success with the decision-makers within the organization.

The bottom line is that the best process for your proof of concept depends on your specific goals and your organization. However, by reviewing the factors provided, you can identify the right process that showcases the benefits that process orchestration can provide in both a practical and impactful way.

More on Camunda POCs

To get more information on executing a POC with Camunda, please review our documentation on POCs. We also offer POC workshops if you are looking for additional guidance. Reach out to our consulting team to discuss a POC workshop.

Don’t forget to catch up on the POC blog series:

• How to Run a Successful Camunda POC
• Planning your Camunda Proof of Concept

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