Strange times we live in—strange indeed! The COVID-19 global pandemic is turning the world upside down. Everyone's trying to adapt, readying themselves for harder times (which for some reason includes buying a ridiculous amount of toilet paper). Many of us are working from home for the time being. To be honest, it's not that bad! With the fantastic technologies that exist today (cough—Novacura Flow—cough), we're handling it just fine.
In the midst of all this, I wanted to shed light on something very exciting. The Digital Project Manager (DPM) recently published an article comparing and evaluating the top BPMs on the market. Of course, our Flow platform was among them. Great!
Let's make a quick run-through of the most interesting bits of this article.
In addition to providing an excellent explanation of the value of a BPM, the author presents a list of evaluation criteria. The two top items on this list are the quality of the user interface (UI) and usability. Except for applauding these evaluation points from personal preferences (I am a UX designer after all), I think this shows how people approach software today. We have a new lowest standard for UX. If companies cannot meet these expectations, they're out!
In the beginning of the article, the author mentions "workflow management software", explaining that it’s something “any company that has considered BPM tools should also look at”. They present a link to a list of their top picks. Funny enough, our platform isn't mentioned on that page. I think it's a pity since it hides one of the Flow platform's biggest strengths: it can do both! You can manage your business processes as well as your workflows.
I think this is an essential evaluation point for all BPMs. Why treat your business processes and workflows differently? Aren't they so integrated that they are more or less the same? The Flow platform even provides business intelligence tools through our Portal solution. It's a complete package.
It's assuring to see that the Flow platform ticks most of the boxes regarding functionality. There's indeed a lot you can do with our platform! The only real downside the author brings to the table is the user experience. The UI and ease-of-use "leaves much to be desired."
That's where it hurt. It hurts, but at the same time assures me that we're on the right track. Novacura is a company with the brain of a "real process improver" and the heart of a UX designer. We're now following our UX-heart with new vigor! We’ve recently added two more UX designers to the team, and it feels great.
I'll end this post by quoting myself:
“The winds of UX change are blowing at Novacura. I’m excited. I hope you are too!"
