BPM360 Podcast

BPM360

The BPM360 Podcast

Conversations on process management, process intelligence, and the shift to agentic AI — with practitioners who do the work.

BPM360 Podcast — covering every angle
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The BPM360 podcast aims to enlighten, educate and entertain BPM professionals and other interested parties on the wonderful topic of Business Process Management. Co-hosts Russell Gomersall and Caspar Jans combine for more than 40 years of BPM experience in various roles, industries and regions and they share their views on BPM from every conceivable angle.

Season 1 of this podcast deals with the 4 key success criteria for successful implementations of the principles behind BPM (Business Process Management) and in 12 episodes, Russell and Caspar unpack it all.

Season 2 and onwards is a mix of guest interviews, short episodes and just Russell and Caspar having a conversation about business process management and all of its related topics. Think about process modeling, process mining, automation, orchestration and enterprise architecture.

In case of questions, or interested in a guest appearance, please send us an email on questions@bpm360podcast.com and we'll get in contact with you.

Ep. 83

The Stories We Tell: Why BPM Adoption Fails Without Addressing Identity and Meaning

In this special guest episode, Caspar and Russell welcome Jonathan David Lewis, president of McKee Wallwork, a brand strategy firm specializing in marketing operations and organizational identity. Jonathan brings a unique lens to BPM and change management: that process adoption failures aren't fundamentally about bad processes or inadequate tools, but about a mismatch between the identity and story of the change leaders and the identity and stories of the people expected to adopt them. He reveals that BPM professionals are typically attracted to the ideals of efficiency, streamlining, and control—yet the people they're trying to change are often driven by entirely different narratives rooted in fear, shame, scarcity, or wrongness. Understanding these competing stories is the critical first step to designing adoption strategies that actually work. Jonathan introduces his framework of four limiting mental models that drive human behavior: fear ("something bad will happen"), shame ("I'm not good enough"), scarcity ("there isn't enough"), and wrongness ("something is wrong with me or this situation"). These stories operate beneath conscious awareness and shape how people respond to new processes, technologies, and organizational changes. He emphasizes that most adoption initiatives fail because they address the logical problem (the process or system) while ignoring the psychological and narrative foundations of resistance. Jonathan argues that we need to stop trying to remove suffering through perks and flexibility; instead, leaders must bring meaning to the suffering by framing organizational work as a relational quest—giving teams a sense of adventure, a clear enemy to defeat, treasure to gain, and people worth fighting for. The conversation explores how modern workplaces have eroded the tribal feeling and sense of meaningful purpose that characterized earlier decades of employment, replaced by transactional, futureless, and suffering-oriented work environments. Russell shares poignant examples of burnout driven not by workload but by disrespect for the meaning and identity people brought to their projects. Jonathan concludes with a powerful reframe: instead of operating in a hyper-efficient, dehumanizing AI era, leaders should actively reconstruct the story of work as relational rather than transactional, future-oriented rather than futureless, and meaningful rather than suffering—creating the conditions where humans can thrive alongside technology. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Process adoption failures are fundamentally identity and story mismatches between change leaders and the people expected to adopt new processes. 2. Most BPM professionals are attracted to efficiency and control, but frontline workers are driven by deeper narratives rooted in fear, shame, scarcity, or wrongness that technology alone cannot address. 3. The four limiting mental models (fear, shame, scarcity, wrongness) operate beneath conscious awareness and shape how people resist or embrace organizational change initiatives. 4. Leaders attempting change should not remove suffering through perks and flexibility, but rather bring meaning to suffering by framing work as a relational quest with clear purpose and human value. 5. Rebuilding the story of work requires creating relational (not transactional), future-oriented (not futureless), and meaningful (not suffering) environments where humans can thrive, especially in the age of AI. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 82

Temporal and Seasonal Patterns: The Fourth Dimension of Process Context for AI

In this fourth episode of their context mini-series, Caspar and Russell examine temporal and seasonal patterns as critical dimensions of process context essential for AI decision-making. They begin with a powerful real-world example: the Evergreen container ship blocking the Suez Canal created a temporal disruption that reverberated through global supply chains—an event that AI systems without proper temporal context cannot account for or mitigate. The discussion establishes that "when" matters profoundly in process interpretation: the time of day, day of week, shift patterns, and seasonal cycles all influence how data should be understood and how processes should respond. Russell introduces the concept that temporal patterns operate at multiple granularities—from intraday variations between day and night shifts to seasonal cycles spanning months or years. The hosts explore how cultural and operational factors amplify these patterns; for example, sales behavior differs dramatically during holiday seasons, and production capacity decisions must account for predictable seasonal demand fluctuations. They debate whether these temporal and seasonal elements are essentially the same thing (both affecting process behavior over time) or distinct phenomena requiring separate treatment in context models. Caspar shares a compelling case study from supply chain forecasting where incorporating three years of historical data with seasonal pattern analysis improved forecast accuracy from 34% to 85%, enabling far more effective production planning. The hosts conclude that while recurring seasonal patterns are data-driven and mathematically manageable for AI systems, disruptive temporal events remain the harder challenge—balancing the ability to predict regular cycles with preparing for unprecedented disruptions is where context models prove their greatest value. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Temporal and seasonal patterns are distinct context dimensions: temporal refers to one-off disruptive events (like ship blockades), while seasonal reflects recurring cycles that repeat predictably across time periods. 2. "When" data occurs matters as much as "what" or "where": intraday timing, day-of-week effects, cultural calendars, and shift patterns all change how process behavior should be interpreted and managed. 3. Recurring seasonal patterns are easier for AI to manage through data analysis because they can be mathematically identified, validated against historical data, and converted into reliable predictive rules. 4. Disruptive temporal events remain AI's greatest challenge because they're non-recurring, unprecedented, and their ripple effects across business systems are difficult to predict or model in advance. 5. Accurate forecasting combines both dimensions: baseline seasonal patterns provide the foundation, while exception reporting from domain experts captures the disruptive temporal variations that pure data analysis cannot predict.

Ep. 81

The Now Layer: Real-Time State Meets Documented Context

In this third episode of their context mini-series, Caspar and Russell explore "the now"—the current state and condition dimension of context essential for real-time process intelligence and AI decision-making. They establish that understanding where a process currently exists requires bridging two seemingly separate elements: operational data showing what is actually happening (revealed through process mining), and documented processes showing what should happen according to design and policy. Russell introduces a critical challenge: raw operational data is just noise without context to interpret it—knowing inventory levels means nothing without understanding acceptable ranges, product-specific targets, and organizational policy constraints. The hosts explore how process mining captures the "now" operationally, revealing actual process paths over recent periods, but this alone cannot explain business constraints, road closures (policy changes), or alternative routes that haven't been traveled. They distinguish between stable contextual elements like strategic objectives and business models (valid over months or years) and volatile operational state (real-time), requiring different update frequencies and persistence timelines. Caspar emphasizes that AI needs all available information—from operating models through process landscapes to automation data—to contribute meaningfully to strategic targets. They conclude that process documentation, long overlooked in favor of operational metrics, is making a critical comeback as the essential framework for interpreting operational reality and providing AI with genuine context. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. The Now Requires Both Operational Data and Documented Context: Raw operational state (throughput times, inventory levels, process status) is meaningless without context to interpret it—you need both what's actually happening (process mining) and what should happen (documented processes and policies) to understand the real "now." 2. Process Mining Reveals Only Traveled Paths, Not All Options: Mining tools show which routes were taken and patterns over time, but they cannot explain policy changes (road closures), compliance constraints, or alternative pathways that organizational policy permits but hasn't been executed—documented processes provide this missing framework. 3. Context Has Multiple Validity Horizons Across Time: A strategic business model may be valid for years, annual targets for 12 months, quarterly adjustments for 3 months, and real-time operational state updates continuously—effective context architecture must accommodate these different refresh rates and validity timelines simultaneously. 4. Interpretation Rules Form the Bridge Between Data and Insight: Business rules, policies, and KPI targets are the frameworks that transform raw operational data into actionable intelligence—without these interpretation rules, data becomes noise and AI recommendations lose legitimacy and business value. 5. Process Documentation Is Essential Infrastructure for AI: The documented operating model, process landscape, system architecture, and policies have always existed but were overlooked for AI purposes; they're now recognized as critical context infrastructure that AI requires to move beyond hallucination and provide grounded, strategically aligned recommendations. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 80

The Why Layer: Beyond Data to Decision Logic and Business Guardrails

In this second episode of their context mini-series, Caspar and Russell dig deep into the "why layer"—the business logic and decision drivers that form the foundation of meaningful context. They begin by analyzing how major ERP and BPM vendors define context, discovering that most remain introverted, limiting context to data within their own systems rather than understanding the broader organizational landscape. Russell raises a critical distinction between "content" and "context," questioning whether they're the same thing or fundamentally different. The hosts establish that context is not simply data, but rather multiple types of content plus the crucial relationships and dependencies between them. They emphasize that the "why layer" encompasses the rules, compliance requirements, and constraints within which organizations must operate—the parameters that define what's actually possible and permissible. The conversation explores how understanding why decisions are made, rather than just what happened, is essential for both human decision-making and AI reasoning. They introduce the "Five Whys" methodology as a practical tool for uncovering genuine business logic beneath surface-level explanations. The hosts propose that an "overlord agent" orchestrating multiple systems needs the "why" as its ultimate decision-making context, though guardrails are necessary—the "why" cannot simply reduce to "make money" without considering compliance and organizational values. They conclude by proposing to revive the Balanced Scorecard as a model specifically designed to capture organizational "why" context. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Context Is More Than Data—It's Structure and Relationships: Vendors typically conflate context with their internal data, but true context requires understanding dependencies between different types of content plus the rules and constraints that govern decisions—raw data without this structure is just noise. 2. Distinguish Between Content and Context: Content is raw data and information; context is that content plus the relationships, rules, compliance parameters, and dependencies that make it meaningful and relevant to decision-making—AI and humans both need this structured context, not just content. 3. The Why Layer Is About Decision Logic, Not Just Compliance: Understanding why decisions are made goes beyond compliance rules and includes business policies, risk tolerances, organizational priorities, and strategic objectives—this decision logic is what enables proper interpretation of data and aligned AI reasoning. 4. Use the Five Whys to Uncover Authentic Business Logic: Most organizations struggle to articulate their actual decision-making rationale; applying the "Five Whys" methodology systematically reveals the true business drivers beneath surface-level explanations and builds genuine "why" context. 5. Why Needs Guardrails to Prevent Misalignment: An overlord AI agent making decisions based on organizational "why" context requires guardrails—a purely profit-maximizing why without compliance, ethical, and stakeholder considerations will produce decisions that harm the organization despite being logically aligned with stated objectives. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Defining Context in BPM: Six Dimensions to Enable AI and Intelligence

In this introductory episode to a new mini-series, Caspar and Russell tackle a concept everyone discusses but few truly understand: context and context models. They reveal that while organizations constantly invoke the need for "context," most stakeholders make vague assumptions about what context actually means without rigorous definition. The hosts outline their research-driven framework identifying six distinct dimensions of context essential to modern BPM: the "why layer" of business logic and decision drivers; state and conditions representing the current process status; temporal and seasonal patterns that vary across business cycles; stakeholder and role perspectives that differ by geography and function; performance baselines and anomaly contexts that define normal versus exceptional; and explainability and audit trails that prevent AI black boxes. The discussion explores implementation challenges beyond the technical, including organizational "ego"—the resistance from vendors and systems to share data in neutral platforms. Russell introduces the concept of a "context orchestrator" that governs how data across multiple enterprise systems relates to each other, without requiring centralized data warehouses. They emphasize that proper context architecture enables AI and intelligent decision-making but requires thinking beyond traditional approaches. The episode sets the stage for a 7-9 episode deep dive into each dimension and how organizations can practically build comprehensive context capabilities. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Context Has Six Distinct Dimensions: Proper context goes far beyond process models and includes the "why layer" (business logic and compliance), current state and conditions, temporal patterns, stakeholder perspectives, performance baselines, and explainability—each requires separate consideration and governance. 2. Process Management Alone Doesn't Provide Complete Context: The assumption that process management automatically provides sufficient context is incomplete; it's merely one component. Organizations need deliberate, multi-dimensional context architecture that spans business logic, performance data, and organizational perspectives. 3. Organizational "Ego" Is a Major Implementation Barrier: Consolidating context requires extracting data from multiple vendor platforms and systems, which triggers resistance from vendors protective of their data and organizations comfortable in siloed systems—overcoming this ego-driven resistance is as critical as solving technical integration challenges. 4. Context Orchestration Without Data Centralization Is Possible: Rather than copying everything into a new data warehouse like old BI approaches, modern architecture should establish a context governance layer that knows where data lives, how different systems' data relates, and enables referencing across platforms through APIs and connections. 5. Context Enables AI Without Restrictive Performance Requirements: For most organizations (outside high-frequency dealing rooms), context doesn't need to be instantaneously centralized; slightly slower reference-based access to distributed data sources is acceptable—this enables practical architecture that respects existing systems while enabling intelligent orchestration. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 78

Process Modeling Is Dead—Long Live the Process Model: Context and Orchestration in AI Era

In this episode, Caspar and Russell explore the fundamental transformation of process modeling's role in business and technology. They trace the evolution from the 1990s-2000s when process models were primarily project deliverables to today's paradigm where process models serve as essential working assets providing context for AI implementations. The discussion reveals how process mining rediscovered the critical importance of process models—not as decorative outputs, but as context providers that enable proper interpretation of data and intelligent decision-making. Russell emphasizes the shift from "working towards" a process model to "working with" process models throughout transformation journeys. They examine the philosophical evolution in vendor strategy, highlighting that the real competitive differentiation won't come from individual tools (modeling, mining, automation, workflow) but from orchestration philosophy—how vendors integrate these tools into a cohesive ecosystem. The conversation explores how AI systems require richer, more complete models than humans need, challenging the traditional approach of "simplifying for readability." They debate the necessity of agnostic AI layers that coordinate across multiple specialized AI tools rather than siloed point solutions. The hosts conclude that vendors demonstrating true understanding of orchestration, context modeling, and holistic ecosystem philosophy will define the next era of BPM and process intelligence, while others will fade in relevance. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Models Are Working Assets, Not Project Deliverables: The fundamental shift is from treating process models as the end goal of a BPM project to understanding them as continuously evolving working assets that provide context throughout transformation, mining, automation, and AI initiatives. 2. AI Requires Richer Models Than Humans Need: Process models must now serve machine interpretation for AI and mining, not just human understanding—this means models need to capture complete context, handle edge cases, and answer technical questions that traditional simplified business models could ignore. 3. Process Mining Revalidated the Importance of Models: Process mining initiatives forced organizations to recognize that accurate interpretation of process data requires quality process models as context—mining alone produces data, but models transform that data into actionable business insights and transformation guidance. 4. Orchestration Philosophy Determines Vendor Relevance: The competitive differentiation won't come from individual point solutions (modeling tools, mining tools, workflow automation) but from vendors that architect holistic ecosystems with agnostic AI coordination layers that orchestrate across specialized tools and maintain consistent context. 5. Central Context Models Enable Optimal Decisions Across the Value Chain: Organizations need a single unified context model with an agnostic orchestration layer on top, rather than multiple disconnected AI systems—this architecture enables coordinated optimization across the entire process ecosystem rather than local optimization within individual silos. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 77

Secure AI and Quantum Agents: Building Guardrails for the AI Autobahn

In this technical deep-dive episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Francis Allan Beechinor, a 20+ year AI and quantum computing expert and serial entrepreneur with multiple patents, who shares his unconventional journey from working in the "uncool" fields of governance, security, and compliance to becoming an inventor of cutting-edge secure AI and quantum computing solutions. Francis discusses his latest venture, EmergeGen, which focuses on creating Secure AI working in parallel with quantum computing and quantum agents—solutions designed for high-end, complex problems that require finesse rather than flashy marketing. The conversation reveals a critical insight often missed in AI hype: AI is still in its infancy in terms of real adoption, despite decades of cycles and recent data-driven breakthroughs. Through concrete examples like high-frequency trading, Francis demonstrates why deterministic, reliable decision-making matters more than sophisticated-sounding hallucinations. The hosts explore the fundamental tension between speed of adoption and safety guardrails, using the automotive metaphor of driving on the Autobahn—you can go fast, but you need airbags, seatbelts, and a reliable vehicle. Francis emphasizes that Small Language Models trained on domain-specific data provide safer, more trustworthy outputs than large language models prone to hallucinations. The episode concludes with discussion of making secure AI accessible to mid-sized companies and "hidden champions" rather than just large tech corporations, with a vision for open-source quantum agents enabling broader adoption. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. AI Is Still in Infancy Despite the Hype: Despite four AI winters and recent successes, AI adoption is still in its early stages—cultural acceptance of technology through smartphones and satellite infrastructure has enabled current adoption, but we're nowhere near mature deployment for mission-critical systems. 2. Hallucinations Make Large Language Models Unreliable for Critical Decisions: Standard LLMs with their tendency toward hallucinations and nuanced but incorrect outputs are fundamentally unsuitable for high-stakes decisions requiring deterministic yes/no binary outcomes—security, medical, financial, and operational use cases demand better alternatives. 3. Small Language Models and Domain-Specific Training Provide Safer AI: By training smaller language models on specific organizational data and domain knowledge (via "super ontology" structured knowledge), you eliminate hallucinations and ensure AI makes decisions based on actual facts rather than probabilistic guessing. 4. Security Infrastructure Must Match Adoption Speed: As companies move fast with AI implementation, security, governance, risk controls, and process guardrails must evolve completely—the responsibility lies with providers to highlight risks and build in safeguards, even when clients pressure for rapid deployment without proper infrastructure. 5. Secure AI Is Accessible Beyond Big Tech: Secure AI and quantum agent solutions are not limited to Google and mega-corporations—approaches like fixed-price consumption models and planned open-source quantum agents enable mid-sized companies and industry-specific "hidden champions" to access and build on enterprise-grade secure AI technology. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 76

AI-Driven Business Model Innovation: Can Traditional BPM Keep Up?

In this special guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Michel Kirsch, a 22-year-old final-year international business student at the University of Paderborn, whose fresh perspective on AI and business process management challenges conventional thinking. Michel discovered BPM through the BPM winter school and is currently researching AI-driven business model innovation for his bachelor thesis. The conversation centers on Michel's provocative thesis: that while AI is a powerful strategic resource, it's also becoming a commodity, and the real competitive advantage lies in how companies leverage AI through business model innovation—yet traditional BPM thinking may actually constrain this radical innovation. The discussion explores the fundamental difference between how startups approach business models from a greenfield perspective versus how established incumbents struggle with legacy structures and capabilities. Russell and Caspar examine the tension between BPM's traditional operational excellence focus and the need for radical business model rethinking in the AI era. They debate whether BPM should expand beyond process optimization to encompass broader operating models, enterprise architecture, and digital twins of entire companies. Michel introduces the concept of "nudging" as a transformation technique and raises the challenge of measuring exploration and innovation—metrics that don't fit traditional BPM's operational KPI frameworks. The episode concludes by questioning whether future business model innovation will require rethinking traditional BPM practices entirely. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. AI Is Strategic but Increasingly Commoditized: While AI represents enormous strategic potential, nearly universal access means competitive advantage no longer comes from having AI—it comes from how companies translate AI into new business models and value propositions through thoughtful innovation. 2. Traditional BPM Can Actually Limit Radical Innovation: Process-focused optimization works well for operational excellence but can constrain the kind of radical business model rethinking needed in the AI era—incumbents stuck optimizing existing processes may miss transformative opportunities that startups embrace with greenfield thinking. 3. Greenfield vs. Brownfield Determines Innovation Capacity: Startups can design business models from scratch for AI and innovation, while incumbents must navigate existing structures, capabilities, and constraints—the key question is: which legacy capabilities enable future value, and which become anchors that must be shed? 4. Expand the Frame Beyond Processes to Operating Models: A complete "digital twin" of the company requires more than just process documentation—it needs operating models, enterprise architecture, capability mapping, and strategic positioning to give AI something meaningful to optimize and reimagine. 5. Innovation Metrics Don't Fit Operational KPI Frameworks: Traditional BPM excels at measuring efficiency and compliance, but measuring exploration, experimentation, and innovation requires different metrics entirely—organizations need new frameworks to balance operational excellence metrics with innovation and capability development indicators. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Conscious Change Leadership: The Human Reality Behind Process Transformation

In this special guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Dr. Linda Ackerman Anderson—known as "Dr. Change"—a pioneering leader in organizational transformation with nearly five decades of experience in the field. Linda shares her remarkable journey from organizational development training through helping pioneer the "transformational change" field in the early 1980s, when practitioners recognized that a fundamentally different type of change was occurring in organizations. She discusses her work with massive organizations including Sun Petroleum Products and her development of the Conscious Change Leadership framework alongside her husband Dean Anderson, which goes beyond traditional change management to address the deeper human and cultural dimensions of transformation. The conversation centers on three critical conversations that must occur in any transformational change: content (business process design), people (their readiness, beliefs, and understanding), and process (the change methodology itself—how to move people through transformation). Linda emphasizes that change happens from the inside out, requiring people to emotionally, intellectually, and behaviorally embrace new ways of working, not just comply with directives. Through candid discussion, she explores how process transformations often reveal deeper organizational structure issues, and how turning project resistors into ambassadors through powerful questioning can unlock valuable insights. The episode provides practical wisdom on creating psychological safety and choice in transformation rather than mandate-driven compliance. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Three Conversations, Not One: Transformational change requires simultaneous attention to content (business process design), people (readiness, beliefs, skills, understanding), and process (the change methodology)—treating change as only a technical exercise while ignoring people and change methodology virtually guarantees failure. 2. Change Happens Inside-Out, Not Outside-In: Telling people what to do (external communication) is necessary but insufficient; genuine transformation requires creating experiences and safe spaces where people emotionally get it, intellectually understand it, and choose to do it rather than feel obligated—this is the difference between compliance and commitment. 3. Readiness Has Three Dimensions: Before designing change interventions, assess people's awareness (do they know change is coming?), knowledge (do they understand what's needed?), and mindset/beliefs (do they believe it's possible and beneficial?)—addressing all three dimensions determines whether people can actually embrace new processes. 4. Turn Resistors into Ambassadors Through Powerful Questions: Instead of marginalizing project opponents, recruit them by asking questions that shift their thinking—"What do you see that we don't see?" and "Why do you think this won't work? What's necessary that isn't in place?"—this offloads resistance energy and converts their expertise into valuable contributions. 5. Process Transformation Reveals Organizational Structure Issues: When stakeholders engage deeply with new business processes, structural inefficiencies often emerge (excessive signature levels, redundant layers, unclear authority)—rather than treating these as out-of-scope, view them as opportunities to redesign organization alongside processes for genuine transformation. In case you are interested in Dr. Linda's books, here are the links: Beyond Change Management: https://shorturl.at/kZlGY Change Leaders Roadmap: https://shorturl.at/Qt5nf If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 74

Beyond BPM and EA: Why System Science Is the Missing Foundation

In this special guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Petros Panagiotidis, a deeply experienced BPM and Enterprise Architecture practitioner from Greece with four decades of professional experience and a PhD in Systems Science. Petros shares his unconventional academic journey through Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Business Systems Analysis and Design, culminating in doctoral research on digital transformation and Industry 4.0. The discussion reveals Petros's counter-intuitive thesis: BPM and EA are fundamentally the same discipline, just using different terminology and marketing language. Through a systems science lens, he demonstrates how all the buzzwords around frameworks and methodologies—BPMN, TOGAF, and others—represent surface-level manifestations of deeper systemic principles. Petros introduces cybernetics and system dynamics as the foundational sciences that explain why processes exist and how they behave. He uses the elegant metaphor of water flowing through a river to describe how processes (the water) move through organizational architecture (the riverbed), making clear that process architecture provides stable structure while individual processes represent the flowing events. The conversation explores feedback loops—both negative (deviation correction toward targets) and positive (exponential amplification)—as the deep structure underlying all organizational systems. Petros emphasizes that understanding these foundational principles from systems science would transform how practitioners approach BPM and EA work, moving beyond tool-centric and marketing-driven thinking to genuine systemic understanding. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. BPM and EA Are Fundamentally One Discipline: What we call Business Process Management and Enterprise Architecture are essentially the same thing expressed in different dialects—the distinction exists primarily for marketing purposes around tools and methodologies, but the underlying systemic logic is identical. 2. System Science Provides the Foundation BPM Lacks: BPM and EA have a ceiling beyond which they cannot fully explain organizational behavior; system science (particularly cybernetics and system dynamics) reveals why processes and architectures exist and emerge the way they do at a deeper structural level. 3. Feedback Loops Are the Deep Structure: Two types of feedback loops—negative (correcting deviations from targets) and positive (amplifying deviations)—create the underlying structure from which all organizational processes and architectures emerge as visible manifestations; understanding these explains organizational behavior at a fundamental level. 4. Process Architecture vs. Process Events Are Interdependent: Process architecture provides stable structure and guardrails, while individual processes are the flowing events that move through this structure—like water finding its way through a riverbed; both are necessary and neither alone is sufficient. 5. Stafford Beer and System Dynamics Should Be Foundational Reading: Business schools and BPM practitioners should study Stafford Beer's work on organizational cybernetics and the viable systems model (five subsystems that enable organizational survival), plus system dynamics literature from the 1970s-80s—these foundational concepts should underpin all contemporary BPM and EA thinking rather than being overlooked in favor of current buzzwords. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 73

The Performance Analyst: From Data Dashboard Maker to Intelligence Detective

In this final episode of their BPM roles mini-series, Russell and Caspar examine the performance and KPI analyst role—also known as the process intelligence analyst—responsible for ongoing measurement of process performance, designing KPI frameworks, maintaining dashboards, and turning process data into actionable insights. The discussion reveals this role encompasses two distinct functions: the architectural design of performance indicator frameworks that align with organizational strategy, and the operational analysis of process data to understand root causes and effects. The hosts explore the critical distinction between KPIs (strategic, aggregated outcomes) and PPIs (process performance indicators that measure operational health), using examples like on-time-in-full delivery rates versus quality inspection lead times. Through detailed conversation, they examine how effective performance analysis requires understanding causal dependencies throughout end-to-end processes—recognizing that a bottleneck in one subprocess directly impacts strategic KPIs downstream. The episode emphasizes that this role sits at the intersection of data science and business context, requiring both technical capability to work with data and sufficient operational understanding to design meaningful indicators. They debate whether organizations actually staff this role adequately or whether the framework design responsibility simply doesn't exist in practice. The hosts conclude by positioning this as a "unicorn" role that combines process intelligence tools, root cause analysis skills, and the ability to facilitate dialogue between process owners about where to set indicators for aligned performance across the value chain. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Two Functions in One Role: The performance analyst must both design the architectural framework of performance indicators aligned to strategy (what should we measure and why) and perform operational analysis of process data (what's actually happening and what does it mean)—these are distinct skills packaged into one position. 2. PPIs Drive KPIs, Not the Other Way Around: Process performance indicators (PPIs) measure operational process health—like quality inspection lead time or credit check duration—while KPIs are strategic outcomes like on-time-in-full delivery; effective analysis connects how operational PPIs aggregate up to impact strategic KPIs. 3. Understand Causal Dependencies Across Processes: The core value lies in understanding how process elements affect each other throughout the end-to-end chain—a three-day delay in quality inspection directly causes late delivery to customers, connecting a seemingly minor operational metric to customer satisfaction. 4. Intelligence Means Root Cause Analysis, Not Just Reporting: Moving from dashboards to actionable insights requires detective work using process intelligence tools to prove points about variance, identify bottlenecks, and understand why processes perform as they do—not just displaying what happened. 5. Prevent Local Optimization at the Expense of End-to-End Performance: Without proper indicator framework design and end-to-end visibility, individual process steps optimize toward the wrong targets—everyone becomes reproducibly fast at the wrong thing, landing on the "left-hand side" of the bell curve when they should be elsewhere for overall chain performance. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that… 

Ep. 72

The BPM Technology Manager: From Tool Guardian to Integration Orchestrator

In this episode, @RussellGomersall and Caspar Jans examine the BPM technology and tooling manager role—a position that has evolved dramatically from its origins as a technical gatekeeper to today's integration-focused facilitator. They explore how this person manages the BPM platform ecosystem including process repositories, modeling tools, automation platforms, and process mining solutions while ensuring they remain fit for organizational purpose. The discussion reveals how the role's importance has shifted over time, from the days of on-premises systems requiring deep database schema knowledge and complex upgrades to today's cloud-based environments where new features appear automatically. The hosts debate whether one person typically owns all BPM tooling or if modeling, mining, and automation platforms are managed by different specialists in larger organizations. Through candid conversation, they examine the tension between becoming a product expert wedded to one vendor versus maintaining objectivity and vendor independence to serve the organization's needs. The episode explores critical character traits including technical adaptability, the ability to train users appropriately without overwhelming them with advanced features they'll never use, and understanding how BPM tools fit into the wider enterprise application ecosystem. They emphasize the importance of working collaboratively with BPM architects to extend methodology and integrate with other systems like risk management, quality management, and project management tools. This is essential listening for understanding how the BPM technology manager role has transformed from maintenance-focused to integration-oriented in the modern cloud era. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. The Role Has Evolved Dramatically: BPM technology managers have shifted from being on-premises system gatekeepers who controlled upgrades and configurations to cloud-era facilitators who focus on integration, user enablement, and ecosystem management—the old model of "you must come to me for everything" is history. 2. Vendor Independence Is Critical: The tooling landscape changes rapidly and this person must evaluate options objectively rather than becoming emotionally attached to a single vendor's roadmap—the job is serving organizational needs, not defending a particular product or becoming its evangelist. 3. Train for Actual Use Cases, Not Product Mastery: Like teaching household budgeting versus investment banking in Excel, BPM training should focus on what users actually need (typically 10-15% of tool capabilities) rather than overwhelming them with advanced features they'll never use—practical enablement trumps comprehensive product knowledge. 4. Integration Thinking Beyond BPM: Modern tooling managers must understand how BPM platforms connect with the wider enterprise ecosystem—JIRA for project management, document management systems for quality, process mining tools, risk and control systems—and facilitate smooth integration rather than treating BPM as an isolated island. 5. Partner with Architects for Evolution: The technology manager and BPM architects must work hand-in-hand to expand capabilities—architects need technical feasibility input for methodology extensions, while tooling experts need architectural context to propose automation, dashboards, and integrations that make ambitious use cases practically achievable. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 71

The Process Owner Part 2: Experience, Leadership, and Finding Your Sweet Spot

In this continuation of their process owner series, @RussellGomersall and Caspar deep into the experience requirements and organizational positioning needed for successful process ownership. They explore why this is fundamentally a senior role that requires solid operational management experience combined with cross-functional influence capability. The discussion tackles the challenge of finding the organizational "sweet spot"—identifying leaders who are senior enough to command respect and drive change but not so consumed by executive responsibilities that they cannot focus on process excellence. Through candid conversation, they examine how experience requirements vary by domain and whether someone needs to be promoted from within or can be brought in externally with relevant domain expertise. The hosts debate the balance between operational hands-on knowledge and strategic thinking, emphasizing that process owners must understand the work deeply while maintaining enough distance to drive improvements objectively. Russell shares a powerful anecdote about entering sales without traditional experience, illustrating how ambition, authenticity, and the right mindset can sometimes matter more than years of experience. The episode provides practical guidance on evaluating candidates for process ownership roles and recognizing that while experience is valuable, the combination of drive, empathy, openness to change, and leadership capability can enable someone to grow into the role successfully. This is essential listening for organizations nominating process owners and professionals considering whether they're ready for this challenging but rewarding responsibility. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Find the Organizational Sweet Spot: Process owners need to be senior enough to influence across boundaries and command respect, but not so senior (like managing directors or founders) that they're too consumed by executive duties to focus on operational process excellence. 2. Solid Operational Experience Is Non-Negotiable: Candidates must have deep hands-on understanding of how the process domain actually works—theory alone won't suffice for driving meaningful improvements and earning credibility with frontline teams who know when someone lacks real operational knowledge. 3. Domain Expertise Matters More Than BPM Expertise: Process owners don't need to be BPM methodology experts, but they must be comfortable with process data, governance concepts, and have legitimate domain expertise—someone with strong procurement standardization experience can be a great purchasing process owner even without formal BPM training. 4. Process Owners Are Change Leaders: This role requires the mindset, skills, and experience of a change leader—not just maintaining status quo but driving continuous improvement, adapting to market changes, communicating strategic direction, and serving as a role model for transformation. 5. Experience Plus Mindset Beats Experience Alone: While operational experience is important, the combination of drive, ambition, empathy, authenticity, and openness to learning can enable someone with less experience to succeed—stay true to yourself, bring what you uniquely offer, and grow into the role rather than waiting until you feel perfectly qualified. If you have suggestions or questions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe… we do appreciate that…

Ep. 70

The Psychology of Change: Why Beliefs Drive BPM Success More Than Process Maps

In this guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Thierry Muller, an IT veteran turned change management expert, for a deep conversation about the human side of transformation projects. Thierry shares his unconventional journey from failed SAP implementation to discovering his true calling in change management when tasked with changing DSM's corporate culture. The discussion explores why every project is fundamentally a change management project, even when organizations try to separate the two disciplines. Thierry reveals how understanding the psychology behind change—particularly the role of beliefs in driving behavior—transformed him from a technical project manager into an effective change leader. The conversation examines why traditional approaches focusing only on communication plans and training fail to create genuine adoption and commitment. Through candid examples, including a continuous improvement program where employees feared their ideas would be used against them, Thierry demonstrates how beliefs shape outcomes more powerfully than any process documentation. The hosts and guest debate the distinction between compliance and commitment, exploring how change managers must work at the belief level rather than just the behavior level. Thierry emphasizes that successful change requires understanding what people believe about the change, not just what they know about it. The episode provides practical insights on creating psychological safety, building trust, and shifting organizational beliefs to enable genuine transformation rather than superficial compliance. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Every Project Is a Change Project: You cannot separate project management from change management—any project that requires people to work differently is fundamentally about changing human behavior, beliefs, and culture, whether you acknowledge it explicitly or not. 2. Beliefs Drive Behavior More Than Knowledge: The brain doesn't distinguish between beliefs and truth—what people believe determines how they act, so successful change management requires working at the belief level, not just providing information or training on new processes. 3. Start with "Why Change Culture" Not "Make People Comply": When leadership frames transformation as "changing culture" rather than "making people do what we want," it creates the right foundation for genuine change management instead of forced compliance through top-down directives. 4. Compliance Without Commitment Fails: Getting people to follow new processes out of obligation (compliance) is fundamentally different from getting them to embrace changes because they believe it benefits them (commitment)—only the latter creates sustainable transformation. 5. Psychological Safety Enables Improvement: Continuous improvement programs fail when employees believe their ideas will be used against them (more work, job loss)—changing this belief to "improvements benefit me and my team" is essential, as demonstrated by Toyota's guarantee of promotion rather than termination. If you have questions or suggestions: please reach out on questions@bpm360podcast.com If you like our content, please subscribe, like and share.

Ep. 69

BPM AI Orchestration: Building the Next Generation of Process Management

In this guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Ahmad Daliri, a process management specialist working at NN in the Netherlands and author of multiple BPM books, for a conversation about the intersection of artificial intelligence and business process management. Ahmad shares his unconventional journey from mechanical engineering to falling in love with BPM after discovering the missing link between operational work and strategic objectives. The discussion explores Ahmad's current work on "BPM AI orchestration"—a concept focused on how AI can make process management more effective and accessible rather than just automating existing processes. The hosts examine the shift from traditional process modeling to AI-assisted approaches, including the emerging capability of converting voice conversations into process models. Ahmad introduces his framework of five layers for BPM AI orchestration: voice-to-BPM conversion, context understanding, rules and responsibility interpretation, intelligence and decision-making, and user interface design. The conversation highlights the critical importance of context and quality data in training enterprise AI agents to understand organizational boundaries and process standards. They debate the current maturity level of AI in BPM, acknowledging that while the technology shows promise, we're not yet ready for fully autonomous AI-driven process management. The episode concludes with insights on preparing for the paradigm shift in how process work will be conducted in the coming years. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. BPM AI Orchestration Is About Making BPM Easier: The goal isn't just automating processes with AI, but using AI to make process management itself more effective and accessible for process specialists—reducing manual work in modeling, analysis, and documentation. 2. Voice-to-Process Modeling Is Emerging: AI is enabling the conversion of natural language conversations with subject matter experts directly into process models, potentially transforming how process knowledge is captured from interviews and workshops into structured BPMN or other notations. 3. Context and Quality Data Are Critical: For enterprise AI to work effectively in BPM, it needs high-quality contextual data including documented processes, compliance frameworks, and operational standards—this organizational knowledge becomes the guardrails that keep AI aligned with requirements. 4. Five Layers of BPM AI Orchestration: Ahmad's framework includes voice-to-BPM conversion, context and knowledge understanding, rules and responsibility interpretation, intelligence and decision-making capabilities, and user interface design—all necessary for comprehensive AI integration in process management. 5. We're in Transition, Not There Yet: While AI shows significant promise for transforming BPM work, the technology isn't mature enough for 100% autonomous process management—the industry is currently in a paradigm shift that requires preparation and gradual adoption rather than immediate wholesale replacement. In case of questions: please reach out at questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) . If you like our content, please like, rate and subscribe. We appreciate that.

Ep. 68

The Process Owner Part 1: Accountability Without Authority Across Silos

In this episode, Russell and Caspar begin their deep dive into perhaps the most talked-about yet misunderstood role in BPM: the process owner. They immediately tackle the central paradox—being accountable for end-to-end process performance while lacking direct authority over the departments involved. The discussion clarifies a critical distinction: process owners are accountable for improving process performance through optimization and standardization, not for operational outcomes like sales numbers or market conditions. Through detailed exploration, they examine the difference between operational management (filling the sales pipeline) and process ownership (improving pipeline conversion rates through better processes and systems). The hosts distinguish between functional process owners who oversee specific domains like procurement or manufacturing, and end-to-end process owners who orchestrate cross-functional flows like order-to-cash or procure-to-pay. They debate optimal organizational structures, exploring whether end-to-end ownership should be a separate role or combined with functional ownership to avoid role proliferation. The conversation highlights the unique challenge of cross-functional influence—process owners must drive change across organizational boundaries without hierarchical power. This first part sets the foundation for understanding a role that many organizations struggle to implement effectively, with part two promised to cover required experience and enablement strategies. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Accountability for Process Performance, Not Business Outcomes: Process owners are accountable for improving process metrics (cycle time, quality, compliance) through optimization and standardization—not for operational results like sales numbers, which remain the responsibility of functional managers. 2. Influence Without Direct Authority: The defining challenge of process ownership is driving improvement across departmental silos without hierarchical control—success requires cross-functional influence, credibility, and the ability to facilitate change through persuasion rather than directive power. 3. Functional vs. End-to-End Ownership: Organizations need both functional process owners (procurement, manufacturing, sales) who own vertical domains and end-to-end process owners (order-to-cash, procure-to-pay) who orchestrate horizontal flows across multiple functions. 4. Avoid Role Proliferation Through Dual Assignment: Rather than creating separate positions for functional and end-to-end ownership, allocate end-to-end ownership to one of the functional owners within that flow—for example, the procurement process owner also owns procure-to-pay orchestration. 5. End-to-End Ownership Delivers the Real Value: While functional process ownership is common, the biggest benefits of process management come from establishing effective end-to-end ownership that breaks down silos and optimizes complete business flows from customer request to fulfillment. In case of questions or suggestions, please reach out to us via questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) If you enjoy our content, please like, rate and subscribe to our channel.

Ep. 67

The COE Lead: Strategic Patience and the Long Game of Process Excellence

In this episode, Russell and Caspar continue their BPM roles series by shifting focus from implementation to steady-state operations, examining the role of the COE (Center of Excellence) lead or head of process excellence. They explore how this role differs fundamentally from the BPM program manager, requiring a shift from project-focused execution to long-term organizational influence and credibility building. The discussion reveals the paradox at the heart of this role: building a COE that people actually come to for help rather than view as a compliance burden takes years of demonstrating value and earning trust. The hosts examine whether successful program managers can successfully transition to COE leadership, given the dramatically different mindset required—from short-term project delivery to strategic patience and sustained organizational change. Through candid conversation, they debate whether the COE lead role becomes dispensable once process management is fully embedded in organizational culture and career paths. The episode explores the critical importance of this role during disruption—when new technologies, market changes, or strategic shifts challenge established process management practices. They discuss how the COE lead must balance maintaining steady-state operations with preparing for and responding to transformative changes. This is valuable listening for anyone building or leading a process management function beyond the initial implementation phase. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Strategic Patience Over Project Speed: The COE lead requires fundamentally different character traits than a program manager—shifting from time-and-budget focused execution to years-long credibility building and organizational influence that creates lasting process discipline. 2. Building Trust Takes Years: Creating a Center of Excellence that people actually come to for help, rather than viewing as a compliance function, requires consistent demonstration of value, gravitas, and persistence—this cannot be rushed or mandated from above. 3. The Long Game Mindset: Unlike program managers focused on defined deliverables and timelines, COE leads must embrace uncertainty about long-term direction while maintaining momentum—similar to captaining a ship on a voyage with evolving destinations rather than completing a construction project. 4. Potentially Dispensable in Maturity: In truly mature organizations where process management is embedded in culture, career paths, onboarding, and daily operations, the dedicated COE lead role may become unnecessary—success means working yourself out of a centralized leadership position. 5. Essential During Disruption: The COE lead's most critical value emerges when disruption (new technology, market changes, strategic shifts) challenges established process management practices—they must regroup, reform, and provide direction when the house is burning and existing approaches no longer work. If you have questions or suggestions: find us at questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe, we do appreciate it!

Ep. 66

No Bullshit BPM: Walter Bril on Keeping Process Management Practical

In this special guest episode, Russell and Caspar welcome Walter Bril, co-creator of Universal Process Notation (UPN), for a candid conversation about making process management practical and useful rather than academically perfect. Walter shares his journey from UNIX administrator to process management thought leader, explaining how he became intrigued by the patterns and thinking behind business operations rather than just faster technology. The discussion centers on UPN's philosophy of simplicity—using fewer symbols and making process models more accessible to non-technical audiences while maintaining the ability to capture essential business logic. Walter challenges the notion that more complexity equals better modeling, advocating instead for "good enough" documentation that people actually use. The conversation explores the tension between BPMN's comprehensive but complex approach versus simpler notations that prioritize adoption and practical value. They examine how AI and automation are changing the documentation game—from generating initial models from unstructured information to enabling process analysts to shift from creation to validation. Walter emphasizes the importance of getting out of the "dark corner" by demonstrating business value rather than forcing process models down people's throats. The episode provides refreshing honesty about what works in real-world BPM implementations. This is essential listening for practitioners tired of academic approaches that don't translate to business results. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Keep It Practical, Not Academic: Don't pursue mathematically correct or theoretically perfect process models—focus on what businesses can actually use and benefit from, even if it's not as comprehensive or precise as academic standards would demand. 2. Automate Documentation Creation: The future of process modeling is shifting from manual creation to automated generation using process mining, configuration mining, and AI extraction from unstructured information—analysts should focus on validation and refinement rather than starting from scratch. 3. Simplicity Drives Adoption: Using fewer symbols and simpler notations (like UPN's approach) makes process models more accessible to business users and increases the likelihood they'll actually be used, which matters more than comprehensive technical detail. 4. Don't Force Processes Down People's Throats: Early in his career, Walter learned that telling people "you must look at these diagrams because processes are important" doesn't work—models must demonstrate clear business value to gain organic adoption and escape the "dark corner" of the organization. 5. Documentation Is Not Automation: Process models and notations serve primarily as communication and understanding tools, not as automation specifications—don't confuse the purpose of business process documentation with workflow automation or orchestration requirements. If you have questions or suggestions about our podcast, please shoot us a message at questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) If you enjoy our content, please like, rate, subscribe and follow us on LinkedIn, Spotify, SubStack or whatever rocks your boat. Enjoy this episode...

Ep. 65

The Process Mining Analyst: Detective Work Between Data and Reality

In this episode, Russell and Caspar conclude their implementation phase roles series by examining the process mining and analysis specialist—a role that sits at the intersection of data science and process expertise. They explore whether this role is truly necessary during BPM implementation or belongs more in the operational phase of process management. The discussion reveals a common organizational pattern: process mining initiatives often emerge from IT and data-driven teams while process documentation efforts originate from compliance and quality management, creating parallel but disconnected efforts. They examine the evolution from "process management" to "process intelligence" as mining and traditional BPM converge into integrated capabilities. Through a detailed war story, they illustrate the detective work required when data patterns don't match expectations—persistence in connecting data anomalies to real-world business practices and custom processes. The conversation highlights the critical skill of making sense of mining tool outputs by connecting data patterns to actual business operations and root causes. They debate the balance between quick wins from standard connectors versus deep custom analysis that requires SQL expertise and system knowledge. The episode emphasizes that while data doesn't lie, it requires human interpretation and dialogue with process owners to understand what it's truly revealing. This is essential listening for organizations trying to integrate process mining capabilities into their BPM programs effectively. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Mining and Management Often Start Separately: Process mining initiatives typically emerge from IT and data-driven teams while process documentation comes from compliance/quality groups—this parallel evolution creates missed opportunities for integration that mature organizations must address. 2. Think Mining Into Your BPM Organization Early: Even if you're not immediately implementing process mining, include this role in your BPM capability planning from the start—waiting until later risks creating siloed initiatives that don't connect to your broader process architecture. 3. Standard Connectors Enable Quick Wins: For common ERP systems like SAP, standard process mining connectors can deliver fast results without deep technical skills—this makes mining accessible during implementation for baseline understanding and validation of documented processes. 4. Deep Analysis Requires Detective Persistence: The core capability is connecting data patterns to business reality through dialogue with process owners—analysts must persist in understanding anomalies, even when explanations involve custom business logic or non-standard practices that aren't obvious in the data. 5. Data Shows Symptoms, Not Root Causes: Process mining reveals patterns and deviations, but humans must interpret what the data means—the specialist's value lies in translating mining outputs into actionable business insights by understanding both technical systems and operational context. If you have comments, topics to be discussed or questions, please email us at questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) if you like our content, please like and subscribe...

Ep. 64

AI, Orchestration, and First Principles: Rethinking Work in the Age of Intelligence

In this special guest episode, the hosts welcome Jan Scheele, a serial entrepreneur, TEDx organizer, blockchain expert, and World Economic Forum digital leader, for a wide-ranging conversation about AI's impact on work and communication. Jan shares his journey from teenage coder to running multiple ventures across digital agencies, crypto startups, and speaker coaching, offering unique perspectives on staying productive while managing diverse commitments. The discussion explores how AI is rapidly transforming enterprise workflows, moving from simple content generation tools to sophisticated agents that can orchestrate complex business processes autonomously. Jan introduces the concept of becoming an "orchestrator" rather than a specialist—someone who can coordinate AI agents and tools rather than performing tasks manually. The hosts examine how traditional presentation and communication skills remain crucial even as AI handles more routine work, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human connection and storytelling. The conversation touches on practical AI implementation strategies, from using tools like ChatGPT and Claude for daily workflows to thinking about enterprise-wide deployment with proper guardrails. Jan advocates for first principles thinking—starting from zero-based assumptions rather than retrofitting AI into existing processes—drawing inspiration from mental models used by leaders like Elon Musk. The episode concludes with insights on adapting to rapid technological change while maintaining focus on what truly matters: execution, efficiency, and human-centered communication. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Become an Orchestrator, Not Just a Specialist: The future belongs to professionals who can coordinate and direct AI agents and tools rather than performing all tasks manually—companies are already hiring "AI orchestrators" instead of multiple specialists in fields like law, development, and marketing. 2. AI Agents Are the Next Frontier: We're moving beyond simple prompt-based AI tools to autonomous agents that can execute complex, multi-step business processes independently—early adoption of agentic workflows will create competitive advantages as the technology matures rapidly. 3. Human Communication Skills Matter More, Not Less: As AI handles routine tasks, the ability to tell compelling stories, present ideas persuasively, and create genuine human connections becomes increasingly valuable and differentiating—these uniquely human skills cannot be automated. 4. Apply First Principles Thinking to AI Integration: Instead of asking "where can we plug AI into existing processes," start from scratch using zero-based thinking to reimagine workflows entirely—this mental model approach yields more transformative results than incremental improvements. 5. Process Intelligence Provides AI Guardrails: In enterprise environments, your documented processes, compliance frameworks, and operational standards become the essential boundaries that keep AI aligned with organizational requirements—process management is fundamental to responsible AI deployment at scale. In case of questions or suggestions, please reach out to us on questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) If you like this content, please like and subscribe! Thank you...

Ep. 63

The Change Management Lead: Moving Masses Without the Budget

In this episode, Russell and Caspar explore one of the most critical yet under-resourced roles in BPM implementations: the change management lead. They examine why BPM fundamentally reshapes how people work and why this requires someone dedicated to the people side of transformation beyond generic communication plans. The discussion reveals the delicate balance between empathy and persuasive communication, understanding human resistance while translating it into actionable interventions. Through candid conversation, they explore why change management is often the first role to be cut when budgets are tight, despite being essential for success. The hosts debate whether change management is truly a distinct skill set or something project managers can handle alongside their other responsibilities. They examine the critical importance of timing—knowing when to launch communication initiatives, when it's too early, and when momentum will be lost if you wait. The conversation highlights how real change management goes beyond newsletters and training sessions to understanding the psychology of adoption and resistance. Listeners learn why creating FOMO (fear of missing out) is more effective than mandating compliance. The episode provides insight into the sweet spot of when to intensify change efforts during BPM implementations. This is honest discussion about a role everyone agrees is important but few organizations properly staff or fund. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Change Management Is About People, Not Just Communication: The role requires genuine empathy to understand human resistance and translate it into actionable interventions—not just generic newsletters, training sessions, and town halls that check boxes without driving adoption. 2. Timing Is Everything: Change managers must have the experience and feeling for the right moment to communicate—going out too early creates unanswered questions and confusion, while going too late loses momentum and makes people feel excluded from decisions. 3. The First Role Cut, The Last One Needed: Despite universal agreement that change management is critical, it's often the first role eliminated when budgets are tight, forcing project managers to handle it alongside other duties without the specialized psychology and influence skills required. 4. FOMO Drives Adoption: Creating fear of missing out is more effective than mandating compliance—people need to feel they're part of something valuable and exciting rather than being forced to adopt new processes through top-down directives. 5. Mass Movement Requires Resources: While empathy and communication skills are essential, successfully moving large groups of people also requires budget for sustained campaigns, events, recognition programs, and ongoing engagement—change at scale isn't free. Please like, subscribe or share and if you have questions or ideas for topics: questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 62

The Business Process Architect: Superman or Strategic Designer?

In this episode, the hosts dive deep into one of the most critical yet misunderstood roles in BPM: the business process architect. They explore the fundamental question of what this role actually is and does, examining the balance between systemic thinking and functional depth. The discussion reveals why organizations struggle to find people who can simultaneously see the helicopter view and understand technical details across multiple domains. Through practical examples, they debate where the architect's responsibility ends and the subject matter expert's begins, using the house-building analogy to illustrate the natural handoff points. The hosts examine why business process architects face far greater resistance than building architects despite similar levels of expertise and authority. They explore the organizational positioning of architects—whether they belong in a centralized Center of Excellence or distributed across business units. The conversation distinguishes between content expertise (owned by architects) and methodology definition (owned by methodology specialists). Listeners learn why most organizations need multiple process architects rather than one universal expert. The episode provides clarity on the relationship between architects, analysts, and experts in the process ecosystem. This is essential listening for anyone building or staffing a process management function. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Architects Need Depth AND Breadth: The business process architect must combine systemic helicopter-view thinking with functional precision, but expecting one person to cover multiple functional domains (finance, procurement, manufacturing) deeply is unrealistic—plan for multiple architects. 2. Level 3 Is the Handoff Point: Architects should own the process architecture (Level 1-2) and understand Level 3 process flows, but detailed process execution expertise should come from subject matter experts—architects design the framework, experts fill in the specifics. 3. Authority Without Credentials Is the Challenge: Unlike building architects who command automatic respect through professional licensing, business process architects must fight much harder to enforce standards and resolve conflicting demands across business units despite having comparable expertise. 4. Content vs. Methodology Ownership: Process architects own functional content (what goes into finance or procurement processes), while methodology owners define how modeling and documentation work—these are distinct roles that may be combined early but should separate as maturity grows. 5. Central Positioning Enables Scale: Ideally, process architects should sit in a centralized Center of Excellence or process services group rather than being embedded in individual business units, allowing them to serve the entire organization and maintain consistency across domains. If you have question or ideas for our podcast, please send them to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com) . If you want to book yourself as a guest on our show, please use this link: https://koalendar.com/e/bpm360-podcast If you want to interact with us, check us out on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bpm360podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true) or Substack (https://bpm360podcast.substack.com/)

Ep. 61

Stop Hiring 'BPM Experts': Why Your Role Definitions Are Killing Process Excellence

In this episode, the hosts challenge one of the most fundamental mistakes organizations make when building process capabilities: creating vague, catch-all BPM roles that set teams up for failure. They dissect how generic titles like "Process Manager" or "BPM Expert" obscure what people actually do and create confusion across the organization. The discussion reveals why role clarity isn't just an HR issue—it's directly tied to whether your process initiatives succeed or stall. Through real-world examples, they explore the spectrum of process roles from analysts to architects, demonstrating why each requires distinct skills and serves different purposes. The hosts emphasize that lumping everything under one umbrella role leads to mismatched expectations, poor hiring decisions, and frustrated employees. They examine how clear role definitions enable better collaboration, more effective capability building, and stronger career progression. The conversation provides practical guidance on distinguishing between process execution, improvement, design, and governance roles. Listeners learn why specificity in role design translates directly to performance and outcomes. The episode offers a framework for defining roles that actually reflect the work being done. This is a wake-up call for organizations that wonder why their BPM talent keeps underperforming or leaving. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Generic Titles Create Generic Results: Vague roles like "BPM Expert" or "Process Manager" obscure what people actually do, leading to mismatched expectations, poor hiring, and unclear accountability across the organization. 2. Distinguish the Four Core Functions: Separate process execution (running processes), process improvement (optimizing existing processes), process design (creating new processes), and process governance (setting standards)—each requires different skills and mindsets. 3. Match Skills to Specific Needs: A process analyst needs data analysis and problem-solving abilities, while a process architect requires systems thinking and design expertise—hiring for "BPM" without this distinction leads to capability gaps. 4. Role Clarity Drives Collaboration: When everyone understands who does what in the process ecosystem, handoffs become smoother, overlaps decrease, and cross-functional work becomes more effective. 5. Career Paths Need Specificity: Clear role definitions enable meaningful career progression and skill development; without them, BPM professionals lack direction and organizations struggle to retain top talent.

Ep. 60

The Iceberg Effect: Why Your Process Problems Are Just Symptoms

In this episode, the hosts dive deep into the critical mistake many organizations make: treating surface-level process issues without addressing the underlying root causes. They introduce the concept of the "iceberg effect" in process management, where visible problems are merely symptoms of deeper systemic issues lurking beneath the surface. The discussion explores how rushing to fix what's immediately obvious often leads to wasted effort, temporary solutions, and recurring problems. Through compelling examples, they demonstrate how what appears to be a process breakdown is often actually a technology limitation, organizational culture issue, or capability gap. The hosts emphasize the importance of taking time to properly diagnose before prescribing solutions, even when stakeholders are pressuring for quick fixes. They share practical techniques for uncovering root causes, including asking "why" multiple times and examining patterns across different process failures. The conversation highlights how addressing symptoms creates busy work while solving root causes delivers exponential value. Listeners learn why investment in proper analysis upfront saves significant time and resources downstream. The episode provides a framework for distinguishing between symptoms and causes in process improvement work. This is essential listening for anyone tired of fighting the same process fires repeatedly. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Look Below the Waterline: Like an iceberg, most process problems have visible symptoms above the surface, but the real issues—poor system integration, capability gaps, cultural resistance—lie hidden beneath and must be addressed for lasting solutions. 2. Resist the Quick Fix Pressure: When stakeholders demand immediate solutions, invest time in proper root cause analysis first; fixing symptoms creates recurring problems while solving root causes prevents future issues from emerging. 3. Ask "Why" Repeatedly: Use techniques like the "5 Whys" to drill down from surface symptoms to underlying causes—each answer should prompt another question until you reach the true source of the problem. 4. Pattern Recognition is Key: Look for similar issues occurring across different processes or departments; these patterns often reveal systemic root causes rather than isolated process failures. 5. Educate Stakeholders on True Costs: Help leadership understand that rushing to symptom-level fixes wastes more resources over time than investing upfront in root cause analysis—short-term speed often means long-term waste.

Ep. 59

From Firefighting to Flow: Why Your BPM Team Needs to Stop Being the Doers

In this episode, the hosts tackle one of the most common pitfalls in business process management: when BPM teams become permanent process operators instead of enablers of change. They explore how organizations often fall into the trap of having their BPM experts do the work rather than embedding process excellence into operational teams. The discussion reveals why this creates dependency, prevents scaling, and ultimately undermines the strategic value of process management. Through real-world examples, they illustrate how BPM should function as a catalyst for organizational capability building rather than a permanent fix-it squad. The hosts emphasize that true process maturity means teaching teams to fish rather than fishing for them indefinitely. They examine the delicate balance between providing initial support and knowing when to step back. The conversation highlights how governance, clear boundaries, and outcome ownership are essential to breaking the cycle of dependency. Listeners learn why saying "no" strategically can be more valuable than always saying "yes." The episode provides practical guidance on transitioning from doer to enabler and building sustainable process capabilities. Ultimately, this is a call to action for BPM professionals to reclaim their strategic role and drive lasting organizational change. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Break the Doer Dependency: BPM teams should enable and empower process owners rather than becoming permanent operators who do the work for them—otherwise you create unsustainable dependency and prevent true organizational capability building. 2. Define Clear Boundaries Early: Establish upfront what the BPM team will and won't do, including time-bound support arrangements, to avoid becoming the default solution for every process problem. 3. Focus on Capability Transfer: The goal is to build process management muscles within operational teams through training, coaching, and gradual handoffs—not to maintain control indefinitely. 4. Tie Support to Outcomes: When providing temporary assistance, link it to measurable outcomes and specific capability development milestones to ensure teams are progressing toward self-sufficiency. 5. Strategic "No" is Powerful: Learning to decline requests that would perpetuate dependency allows BPM teams to focus on higher-value strategic work and forces organizations to develop their own process competencies.

Ep. 58

Beyond the Boxes and Arrows: Why BPM Is More Than Just Drawing Processes

Summary In this engaging episode, Caspar and Russell sit down with BJ Biernatowski and Zbigniew Misiak, co-authors of "Practical Business Process Modeling and Analysis," to discuss the evolving role of BPM in digital transformation. The guests share their journey of writing a book that took two years and was initially double its final size, revealing just how vast the BPM domain truly is. They tackle the uncomfortable truth that selling BPM is "one of the most unthankful jobs in the world," as organizations often see process modeling as isolated from actual business value. The conversation explores how BPM must shift from creating static BPMN diagrams to providing dynamic insights about organizational dependencies and connections. A major focus emerges around AI's transformative impact: AI needs BPM as "guardrails" to prevent hallucinations and ensure reliable outputs, while BPM needs AI to make process knowledge more accessible and actionable. The guests emphasize that successful BPM isn't about perfect models—it's about connecting processes to enterprise architecture, applications, roles, risks, and regulations in a unified repository. They discuss how AI agents will fundamentally change process work beyond simple sequential automation, requiring new approaches to modeling complex, non-linear workflows. 5 Key Takeaways Value Over Visualization: Managers don't care about process models—they want results. BPM must focus on delivering measurable value (better communication, faster projects, fewer problems) rather than creating beautiful BPMN diagrams that only the modeler can read. AI Needs BPM as Guardrails: AI systems require process repositories to provide reliable, context-aware information and prevent hallucinations. BPM gives AI the boundaries, regulations, goals, and organizational context needed to make trustworthy decisions aligned with business strategy. The Repository Revolution: Modern BPM repositories must evolve beyond static process maps to become dynamic, real-time representations connecting processes, applications, roles, risks, regulations, and enterprise architecture—creating a unified knowledge graph accessible to both humans and AI. Beyond Sequential Thinking: Traditional process modeling focused on linear sequences (A→B→C→D) suitable for automation, but AI agents enable non-linear, case management approaches requiring new modeling paradigms like object-centric process management to handle organizational complexity. Convergence Is Coming: The artificial separation between BPM and Enterprise Architecture must end—both disciplines look at the same organization from different angles, and AI-powered tools can finally unite them into consolidated repositories that serve multiple use cases simultaneously. Book Practical Business Process Modeling and Analysis Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Business-Process-Modeling-Analysis/dp/1805126741 Packt: https://www.packtpub.com/en-us/product/practical-business-process-modeling-and-analysis-9781805126386 Additional links: BPM Skills cycle on BPMTips.com (http://BPMTips.com) : https://bpmtips.com/category/bpm-skills/

Ep. 57

Is BPM the scapegoat for AI failures?

"Is BPM the Scapegoat for AI Failures? A Critical Look at Process Management's Future" Summary In this candid episode, Caspar and Russell tackle the uncomfortable question: Is BPM destined to become the scapegoat for failing AI initiatives? They dive into Deloitte's Tech Trends 2026 report, which predicts that 40% of AI projects will be cancelled, and explore BPM's role in these failures. Russell questions whether there's a fundamental flaw in BPM methodology that prevents widespread adoption, while Caspar argues it's too early to blame a use case that's only 18 months old. The conversation takes an intriguing turn when they examine the tension between agile methodologies and process governance, with both hosts agreeing that organizations need structure at higher levels while allowing agility at granular levels. They discuss the challenge of integrating BPM into organizations already saturated with methodologies like Lean Six Sigma and Scrum. A key insight emerges: never appoint a perfectionist to lead your BPM project—generalists should be at the top with perfectionists handling the details. They also explore the complexity of defining process ownership, especially the critical role of end-to-end process owners, and debate whether BPM practitioners should adapt their standard role frameworks to fit existing organizational structures. The episode concludes with a promise to tackle the controversial topic of process taxonomy and SAP's influence on enterprise architecture in their next discussion. 5 Key Takeaways 1. The Scapegoat Risk: With 40% of AI initiatives predicted to fail by 2027, BPM risks becoming the fall guy despite the BPM-for-AI use case being only 18 months old—too early to judge its effectiveness. 2. Agility Needs Structure: Organizations should allow agile methodologies at granular levels (individual products or use cases) but maintain structured governance at higher levels to prevent chaos across 127+ development tribes. 3. Generalists Lead, Perfectionists Execute: Never appoint a perfectionist to lead BPM initiatives—put pragmatic generalists at the top and save perfectionists for detailed, lower-level work where precision matters. 4. Adapt to Existing Structures: Rather than imposing standard BPM roles on organizations already saturated with methodologies (Scrum, Lean Six Sigma), start with defining the end-to-end process owner and build around existing organizational capabilities. 5. Value Comes from Connections: The true value of BPM isn't in having models—it's in understanding the dependencies between enterprise artifacts (activities, roles, applications, risks) to prevent unintended consequences from changes.

Ep. 56

AI & Octopuses, a conversation with Stephen Wunker

Keywords AI, business processes, innovation, change management, organizational structure, data quality, Stephen Wunker, BPM, technology adoption, consulting Summary In this episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, hosts Caspar and Russell engage with Stephen Wunker, managing director of New Markets Advisors, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on business processes and organizational structures. They explore the importance of adapting to change, the role of innovation in large enterprises, and the necessity of critical thinking in the age of AI. Stephen shares insights from his extensive experience in consulting and his latest book, 'AI and the Octopus Organization,' emphasizing the need for organizations to rethink their processes and embrace AI as a tool for achieving business objectives. Takeaways AI is a revolutionary tool that requires rethinking business objectives. Organizations must adapt to change and embrace innovation. The octopus serves as a metaphor for adaptability in business. AI can enhance decision-making but requires human engagement. Data quality is crucial for effective AI implementation. Change management involves addressing emotional responses to disruption. Startups and large enterprises face different challenges in innovation. Experimentation is key to successful AI integration. Organizations should prioritize a few key business questions for transformation. Critical thinking is essential in the age of AI. Sound bites "AI is better than a human being." "You cannot tango on your own." "AI makes mediocre workers decent." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates 02:24 The Impact of AI on Business 03:34 Stephen Wunker's Background and Expertise 06:33 Innovation Processes in Large Enterprises 10:13 The Role of Structure in Startups 11:56 AI as an Organizational Enabler 17:39 Rethinking Business Models with AI 21:10 The Importance of Data Quality 23:48 Emotional Aspects of Change Management 30:30 Strategies for AI Integration 33:32 Distributed Intelligence in Organizations 36:29 The Future of AI and Human Collaboration 42:54 Final Thoughts and Dilemmas

Ep. 55

Three BPM trends for 2026

Keywords BPM, process management, AI, trends, 2026, strategic asset, agentic AI, BPM singularity, digital twin, orchestration Summary In this episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, hosts Caspar and Russell discuss the revival of process management as a strategic asset, the role of agentic AI in BPM, and the convergence of BPM with other disciplines, leading to what they term 'BPM Singularity'. They explore the trends shaping BPM for 2026, emphasizing the importance of AI in enhancing process management and the need for organizations to adopt a holistic approach to process and data management. Takeaways The podcast is entering its fifth season, highlighting its growth and milestones. There is an ambition to increase the frequency of podcast episodes this season. The revival of process management is seen as a strategic asset for organizations. AI is becoming a critical component in enhancing BPM capabilities. The concept of agentic AI is crucial for the future of BPM. BPM is gaining traction again due to the emergence of AI technologies. Organizations need to manage process variance effectively to optimize operations. The convergence of BPM with enterprise architecture and orchestration is essential for success. AI is driving the need for a holistic understanding of organizational processes. The podcast aims to explore the evolving landscape of BPM and AI throughout the season. Sound bites "AI is making these repositories accessible." "The process scope is expanding." "You cannot just think in your department." Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Season 5 03:39 Trends in BPM for 2026 14:15 AI's Role in BPM 23:30 The BPM Singularity 33:26 Closing Thoughts and Future Episodes

You Can Pretend to Care, But You Can’t Pretend to Show Up” – Tommie Jo Brode on Culture & HR

In this episode of the BPM360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell “cover another angle” of process entirely: the human one. While Russell checks in from Frankfurt between company meetups and Business Flows releases, the conversation quickly shifts from process content to a much deeper question: how does it actually feel to work inside an organization?  Their guest, Tommi Jo Brode – attorney, workplace culture expert, and consultant at Venice Solutions Group – brings a people-first lens to what many leaders still treat as “soft stuff.” She explains why most culture problems aren’t about salary or perks, but about respect, fairness, time with family, and whether people feel seen, heard, and included. “Little things” like how you react when someone asks for time off, or who gets invited to lunch, often sit behind big issues like turnover, complaints, and disengagement.  Together they unpack the gap between policy and practice, why people usually leave managers rather than companies, how HR can shift from “the department you fear” to a genuine people partner, and why leadership needs more unfiltered input from the front line. From “undercover boss” moments to practical habits for remote check-ins, Tommie shows that good culture is less about posters on the wall and more about showing up consistently as a human being.   5 Key Takeaways  1. Most culture problems aren’t about money. Turnover, complaints, and disengagement are usually rooted in respect, workload, fairness, and inclusion – not in base pay alone 2. Policy is what’s written; culture is what actually happens. A company may “allow” flexible time or easy time-off in policy, but if managers roll their eyes, guilt-trip, or quietly punish people for using it, the real rule is very different. 3. Employees experience the company through their manager. For most people, “the company” is their direct supervisor. If the manager is supportive and fair, the company feels good. If not, no amount of glossy mission statements will fix it. 4. HR should enable, not intimidate. HR can be a powerful ally by training managers in real conversations, listening skills, and prevention – instead of only appearing when something has gone wrong. 5. You build trust by showing up, consistently. Walking the floor, joining a night shift once, or scheduling regular 1:1 check-ins in remote teams sends a clear message: I see you, I’m interested, and how you’re doing matters — and that’s the foundation of sustainable performance and process excellence. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Four Kids, Zero Limits: Jesper Blomster on Process Chaos & Human Magic

 In this special 10th episode of the BPM360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell connect with Swedish process leader Jesper Blomster — a self-taught digitalization expert, father of four, and the driving force behind major process intelligence initiatives in one of Sweden’s largest financial institutions. Jesper shares how he built a career not through formal degrees, but through curiosity, courage, and a deep commitment to solving real operational problems.  The conversation spans personal philosophy (“nothing is impossible”), culture in Nordic organizations, and why meaningful BPM always starts with people — not tools, not automation, not tech buzzwords. Jesper breaks down his approach to stakeholder engagement, ownership, and cross-level alignment, offering pragmatic insights from the trenches of operational change.  The trio also explores the limits of automation, why “optimizing five minutes” doesn’t move the needle, and how focusing on cash conversion cycles creates real business value. Jesper reflects on Scandinavia’s consensus-driven culture, how it shapes problem-solving, and why connecting people across strategic, tactical, and operational levels is the true engine of transformation.  The episode wraps with Jesper’s community project AUTOMATE, a global, open network where practitioners, academics, and leaders come together to learn, debate, and explore digitalization challenges collectively.  A rich, human-centric episode that embodies the spirit of BPM360: complex topics made understandable, meaningful, and connected to real people.  ⭐ Top 5 Takeaways  1) People first, technology second. Real BPM breakthroughs come from understanding frustrations, motivations, and human behaviour — not from pushing tools or automation. 2) “Impossible” is often just unexplored. Jesper’s mindset — shaped by “nothing is impossible” — shows that courage, curiosity, and reframing problems outperform formal structures. 3) Ownership beats enforcement. If you help teams look good, solve their pain points, and connect their work to strategic goals, they become advocates instead of resisters. 4) Automating five minutes is irrelevant — impact the big levers. Shaving off micro-tasks doesn’t transform a business. Improving cash conversion cycles or end-to-end flows does. 5) Culture determines transformation speed. Nordic consensus culture fosters debate, commitment, and alignment — creating an environment where change is not imposed, but co-created. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Strudel Beats to BPM Streets: Mirko Kloppenburg on Process Culture & Orchestration

 In this episode of the BPM360 Podcast, hosts Caspar and Russell kick off with autumn vibes, coding beats in strudel.cc, and the parallels between creative open-source communities and process-management ecosystems. The discussion leads into a special segment: a live, on-site interview with Mirko Kloppenburg, returning to the show directly from Celonis Celosphere.   Mirko shares his impressions from the event, including the atmosphere of reunion, the buzz around process orchestration, and insights from hosting his standing-room-only brain date on building a process-driven organization. Together, Caspar and Mirko dive into the realities of cultural change, the pitfalls of oversimplified BPM narratives, and the increasing convergence of process management, mining, and orchestration technologies — while staying skeptical about fully replacing specialized operational systems.  Back in the studio, Russell and Caspar reflect on Mirko’s perspectives: the time it takes to build true process culture, the challenges of best-of-breed vs. best-of-suite, and how organizations like Techniker Krankenkasse structure their internal BPM and automation functions for success. The episode ends with a shared conviction: process excellence is as much about people and culture as it is about software.  ⭐ Top 5 Takeaways 1) Culture eats BPM for breakfast. Building a process-driven organization takes time and relies far more on mindset, shared language, and process ownership than on tools alone. 2) Convergence doesn’t mean replacement. Even as process mining, modeling, and orchestration converge in platforms, core operational systems won’t simply disappear — API-driven integration remains key. 3) Simplicity attracts, complexity sustains. Like Strudel’s web version vs. its deeper coding layers, BPM needs both: fast wins to excite people and strong governance to keep things running. 4) Community matters as much as technology. Events like Celosphere succeed because they bring people together — cross-pollinating ideas, experiences, and practical lessons that pure tooling can’t deliver. 5) Best-of-breed vs. best-of-suite is still an open battle. Large organizations seek harmony across mining, architecture, BPM, and orchestration — but finding the right compromise often matters more than choosing one camp.   We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Decoupling the Enterprise: James Davies on User Experience, AI, and the Future of Orchestration

In this episode of the BPM360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell welcome James Davies — CEO of Kinetic Data — for a deep dive into the past, present, and future of enterprise workflow orchestration. James shares his unlikely origin story: from a teenage helpdesk agent diagnosing dial-up modems to leading a platform used across major government and Fortune-2000 organizations. The conversation explores why Kinetic Data deliberately avoids rigid BPM standards, how it decouples user experience from systems of record, and why freedom to change is becoming mission-critical as organizations try to escape the gravitational pull of mega-SaaS vendors. James explains how his team designs human-centric workflows, enables modular front-ends, and reduces dependency risks that lock enterprises into a single platform’s UX, pricing, or AI strategy. The trio dig into real examples — from US Army data clean-up to COVID laptop distribution at scale — illustrating how orchestration can stay lightweight without becoming another monolithic “monster system.” They also tackle citizen development, governance challenges, and the rise of AI agents inside enterprise processes. The episode closes with James’ outlook on the future: AI as a decoupled layer across the enterprise stack, easier integration, more low-code capability, and true citizen development grounded in guardrails rather than chaos. A rich, energetic session packed with honest insights on data, orchestration, AI, and the evolving role of BPM in large enterprises. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Decoupling the Enterprise: James Davies on User Experience, AI, and the Future of Orchestration

 In this episode of the BPM360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell welcome James Davies — CEO of Kinetic Data — for a deep dive into the past, present, and future of enterprise workflow orchestration.  James shares his unlikely origin story: from a teenage helpdesk agent diagnosing dial-up modems to leading a platform used across major government and Fortune-2000 organizations.  The conversation explores why Kinetic Data deliberately avoids rigid BPM standards, how it decouples user experience from systems of record, and why freedom to change is becoming mission-critical as organizations try to escape the gravitational pull of mega-SaaS vendors.  James explains how his team designs human-centric workflows, enables modular front-ends, and reduces dependency risks that lock enterprises into a single platform’s UX, pricing, or AI strategy.  The trio dig into real examples — from US Army data clean-up to COVID laptop distribution at scale — illustrating how orchestration can stay lightweight without becoming another monolithic “monster system.” They also tackle citizen development, governance challenges, and the rise of AI agents inside enterprise processes.   The episode closes with James’ outlook on the future: AI as a decoupled layer across the enterprise stack, easier integration, more low-code capability, and true citizen development grounded in guardrails rather than chaos.   A rich, energetic session packed with honest insights on data, orchestration, AI, and the evolving role of BPM in large enterprises.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 7

!!!! ServiceNow, Process Orchestration & The Next Chapter of BPM

In their 50th milestone episode, Caspar and Russell take a step back to reflect on the BPM 360 journey—50 episodes, 5,000 downloads, and countless insights into the evolving world of business process management. The hosts discuss recent market shifts, including ServiceNow’s acquisition of Apromore, and explore how major platforms like ServiceNow and SAP are reshaping their strategies toward end-to-end orchestration, process intelligence, and platform ecosystems. They also celebrate the growing BPM podcast community and hint at what’s next for BPM360 and beyond. 🔑 Five Key Takeaways: BPM 360 Turns 50: The podcast celebrates its 50th episode and over 5,000 downloads, reflecting on how the BPM landscape continues to evolve without losing steam. ServiceNow Goes Process Mining: The acquisition of Apromore signals ServiceNow’s ambition to move from service management into holistic process orchestration and intelligence. SAP’s Platform Play: SAP’s Clean Core and BTP approach focuses on creating an open, extensible platform ecosystem—contrasting ServiceNow’s vertical integration strategy. The Future Is Orchestration: True business value lies above the application layer—in orchestrating data, processes, and AI-driven agents across systems rather than within silos. BPM Community on the Rise: With new podcasts like Mining Your Business returning and initiatives like the BPM Alliance, the global process community is growing stronger and more connected than ever. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Ep. 50

ServiceNow, Process Orchestration & The Next Chapter of BPM

In their 50th milestone episode, Caspar and Russell take a step back to reflect on the BPM 360 journey—50 episodes, 5,000 downloads, and countless insights into the evolving world of business process management. The hosts discuss recent market shifts, including ServiceNow’s acquisition of Apromore, and explore how major platforms like ServiceNow and SAP are reshaping their strategies toward end-to-end orchestration, process intelligence, and platform ecosystems. They also celebrate the growing BPM podcast community and hint at what’s next for BPM360 and beyond.  🔑 Five Key Takeaways:  1. BPM 360 Turns 50: The podcast celebrates its 50th episode and over 5,000 downloads, reflecting on how the BPM landscape continues to evolve without losing steam. 2. ServiceNow Goes Process Mining: The acquisition of Apromore signals ServiceNow’s ambition to move from service management into holistic process orchestration and intelligence. 3. SAP’s Platform Play: SAP’s Clean Core and BTP approach focuses on creating an open, extensible platform ecosystem—contrasting ServiceNow’s vertical integration strategy. 4. The Future Is Orchestration: True business value lies above the application layer—in orchestrating data, processes, and AI-driven agents across systems rather than within silos. 5. BPM Community on the Rise: With new podcasts like Mining Your Business returning and initiatives like the BPM Alliance, the global process community is growing stronger and more connected than ever. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Legacy BPM to Digital Twins: Liam O’Neill on Evolving Process Management Beyond Compliance

In this lively episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell welcome Liam O’Neill, Managing Director of BPM-D, for an engaging conversation about how process management must evolve from compliance-driven legacy practices to orchestrated, data-driven business transformation. O’Neill shares lessons from a decade of BPM consulting across Europe, explains why many BPM teams get stuck in “quality management mode,” and envisions a future where orchestration, digital twins, and human-centric ownership reshape enterprise performance. 🔑 Five Key Takeaways: Legacy BPM’s Trap: Many organizations remain stuck in compliance and documentation loops—producing models for auditors rather than value for operations. Make BPM Business-Relevant: Process management must focus on clear business outcomes and user value; otherwise, it risks becoming a siloed architecture exercise. The Next Wave—Orchestration: True progress lies in connecting people, systems, and automations end-to-end through orchestration layers and digital twins that offer real-time insight. Ownership & Gamification: Embedding process ownership into job roles (and even incentives) drives accountability—while gamification can make BPM adoption fun and sustainable. Cultural Nuances Matter: Northern Europe leads in BPM maturity—more direct, data-driven, and innovation-friendly—while the UK and others still lean on Lean Six Sigma and QMS traditions but are catching up fast. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

From Legacy BPM to Digital Twins: Liam O’Neill on Evolving Process Management Beyond Compliance

 In this lively episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell welcome Liam O’Neill, Managing Director of BPM-D, for an engaging conversation about how process management must evolve from compliance-driven legacy practices to orchestrated, data-driven business transformation. O’Neill shares lessons from a decade of BPM consulting across Europe, explains why many BPM teams get stuck in “quality management mode,” and envisions a future where orchestration, digital twins, and human-centric ownership reshape enterprise performance.  🔑 Five Key Takeaways:  1. Legacy BPM’s Trap: Many organizations remain stuck in compliance and documentation loops—producing models for auditors rather than value for operations. 2. Make BPM Business-Relevant: Process management must focus on clear business outcomes and user value; otherwise, it risks becoming a siloed architecture exercise. 3. The Next Wave—Orchestration: True progress lies in connecting people, systems, and automations end-to-end through orchestration layers and digital twins that offer real-time insight. 4. Ownership & Gamification: Embedding process ownership into job roles (and even incentives) drives accountability—while gamification can make BPM adoption fun and sustainable. 5. Cultural Nuances Matter: Northern Europe leads in BPM maturity—more direct, data-driven, and innovation-friendly—while the UK and others still lean on Lean Six Sigma and QMS traditions but are catching up fast.   We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Legacy BPM to Digital Twins: Liam O’Neill on Evolving Process Management Beyond Compliance

 In this lively episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, Caspar and Russell welcome Liam O’Neill, Managing Director of BPM-D, for an engaging conversation about how process management must evolve from compliance-driven legacy practices to orchestrated, data-driven business transformation. O’Neill shares lessons from a decade of BPM consulting across Europe, explains why many BPM teams get stuck in “quality management mode,” and envisions a future where orchestration, digital twins, and human-centric ownership reshape enterprise performance.  🔑 Five Key Takeaways:  1. Legacy BPM’s Trap: Many organizations remain stuck in compliance and documentation loops—producing models for auditors rather than value for operations. 2. Make BPM Business-Relevant: Process management must focus on clear business outcomes and user value; otherwise, it risks becoming a siloed architecture exercise. 3. The Next Wave—Orchestration: True progress lies in connecting people, systems, and automations end-to-end through orchestration layers and digital twins that offer real-time insight. 4. Ownership & Gamification: Embedding process ownership into job roles (and even incentives) drives accountability—while gamification can make BPM adoption fun and sustainable. 5. Cultural Nuances Matter: Northern Europe leads in BPM maturity—more direct, data-driven, and innovation-friendly—while the UK and others still lean on Lean Six Sigma and QMS traditions but are catching up fast.   We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 5

From Process Pioneer to AI Navigator – Sven Schnägelberger on BPM’s Next Wave

WARNING: This episode is in German - Caspar again exposes his hidden language capabilities! :) In this engaging episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell sit down with BPM veteran Sven Schnägelberger, founder of BPM&O. Sven’s journey from freight forwarding clerk to IT leader to BPM pioneer is rich with insight. He reflects on how BPM moved from workflow automation to strategic process management, shares how he built one of the largest process-management communities in Germany, and reveals how he’s now embracing AI-driven agents to reshape how organizations work. Full of practical stories, bold predictions and forward-looking ideas, this episode is a must-listen for anyone shaping the next era of BPM. 🔑 5 Key Takeaways BPM is more than flowcharts – Successful process management lives in the minds of people and how they organise themselves, not just in diagrams. Three perspectives must converge – Strategy, process methods/automation and change management remain frequently separated, yet must be integrated for lasting impact. Communities drive sustained BPM success – Sven built a deep BPM community early on, proving that outside-in exchange and shared frameworks (e.g., the “Eden” maturity model) matter for progress. Automation isn’t the endpoint—Intelligence is – As Sven puts it, pure workflow engines are giving way to AI-based orchestration, knowledge graphs and context-rich automation for the 70% of work outside structured data. Tools change, mindset endures – While BPM tools evolve fast (e.g., AI integration, new platforms), the underlying question remains the same: how do we link organisation strategy to operational process design and execution? We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Ep. 5

Teaser

Coming soon to our channel: the episode with Sven Schnaegelberger, the founder of BPM&O. The full episode will drop during the weekend. Enjoy! Like and subscribe to learn more about business process management.

From Process Pioneer to AI Navigator – Sven Schnägelberger on BPM’s Next Wave

WARNING: This episode is in German - Caspar again exposes his hidden language capabilities! :)  In this engaging episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell sit down with BPM veteran Sven Schnägelberger, founder of BPM&O. Sven’s journey from freight forwarding clerk to IT leader to BPM pioneer is rich with insight. He reflects on how BPM moved from workflow automation to strategic process management, shares how he built one of the largest process-management communities in Germany, and reveals how he’s now embracing AI-driven agents to reshape how organizations work. Full of practical stories, bold predictions and forward-looking ideas, this episode is a must-listen for anyone shaping the next era of BPM.  🔑 5 Key Takeaways  1. BPM is more than flowcharts – Successful process management lives in the minds of people and how they organise themselves, not just in diagrams. 2. Three perspectives must converge – Strategy, process methods/automation and change management remain frequently separated, yet must be integrated for lasting impact. 3. Communities drive sustained BPM success – Sven built a deep BPM community early on, proving that outside-in exchange and shared frameworks (e.g., the “Eden” maturity model) matter for progress. 4. Automation isn’t the endpoint—Intelligence is – As Sven puts it, pure workflow engines are giving way to AI-based orchestration, knowledge graphs and context-rich automation for the 70% of work outside structured data. 5. Tools change, mindset endures – While BPM tools evolve fast (e.g., AI integration, new platforms), the underlying question remains the same: how do we link organisation strategy to operational process design and execution? We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 4

Processes, Purpose & Pragmatism: Holger Wüsthoff on Making BPM Real

Strap in, process nerds — this episode of the BPM360 Podcast with Holger Wüsthoff is a wild ride through the evolution of process work, from “they dragged me into SAP” stories to bold claims about process-driven AI. Caspar, Russell, and Holger spar over whether business must bend to systems or if systems should dance to business moves — and land squarely in the middle: pick your horse (process), then pick your saddle (system). Holger brings decades of global transformation scars and wisdom: culture doesn’t care how good your blueprint is, adoption kills more projects than tech ever will, and data is the “secret sauce” no one loves to talk about. He challenges us: tools and AI are exciting, but they’re useless unless grounded in reality. So yes, we cover “process first” philosophies, cloud vs custom tension, cross-cultural rollout tales, and even how printing-ink companies clue us into new process/AI frontiers. Laughs abound (especially when we mock how AI fails simple image raids), but beneath the levity lies serious truth: BPM without process intelligence is like a car with no steering wheel — cool engine, useless overall. Key Takeaways 1. Engineers sometimes get “drafted” into process roles Holger originally came from mechanical engineering and got pulled into process management through quality/ISO 9001 duties and an SAP implementation. Sometimes your path finds you. 2. Systems don’t drive business — processes (and choices) do Back in the day, the system was a “given” and business adapted to it. Holger argues we’re in a shift: pick your processes, and let the composable system support them—not dictate them. 3. Cloud and standardization demand balance In cloud-first/SaaS environments, customization is limited, so organizations need to harmonize processes, pick what’s essential and where differentiation really belongs. 4. Culture + adoption = the biggest hurdle In global rollouts (for example, India vs Spain) you see that mindset, timing, and local habits matter more than tech. Change is slow; having patience and adapting to culture makes or breaks success. 5. Data, not tools, is the real fuel for AI You can have the slickest AI or toolset, but if your data is incomplete, messy, or siloed, you won’t get far. Holger stresses that people + data is better than system hype. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Processes, Purpose & Pragmatism: Holger Wüsthoff on Making BPM Real

 Strap in, process nerds — this episode of the BPM360 Podcast with Holger Wüsthoff is a wild ride through the evolution of process work, from “they dragged me into SAP” stories to bold claims about process-driven AI. Caspar, Russell, and Holger spar over whether business must bend to systems or if systems should dance to business moves — and land squarely in the middle: pick your horse (process), then pick your saddle (system).  Holger brings decades of global transformation scars and wisdom: culture doesn’t care how good your blueprint is, adoption kills more projects than tech ever will, and data is the “secret sauce” no one loves to talk about. He challenges us: tools and AI are exciting, but they’re useless unless grounded in reality. So yes, we cover “process first” philosophies, cloud vs custom tension, cross-cultural rollout tales, and even how printing-ink companies clue us into new process/AI frontiers.  Laughs abound (especially when we mock how AI fails simple image raids), but beneath the levity lies serious truth: BPM without process intelligence is like a car with no steering wheel — cool engine, useless overall.  Key Takeaways 1. Engineers sometimes get “drafted” into process roles  Holger originally came from mechanical engineering and got pulled into process management through quality/ISO 9001 duties and an SAP implementation. Sometimes your path finds you. 2. Systems don’t drive business — processes (and choices) do Back in the day, the system was a “given” and business adapted to it. Holger argues we’re in a shift: pick your processes, and let the composable system support them—not dictate them. 3. Cloud and standardization demand balance In cloud-first/SaaS environments, customization is limited, so organizations need to harmonize processes, pick what’s essential and where differentiation really belongs. 4. Culture + adoption = the biggest hurdle In global rollouts (for example, India vs Spain) you see that mindset, timing, and local habits matter more than tech. Change is slow; having patience and adapting to culture makes or breaks success. 5. Data, not tools, is the real fuel for AI You can have the slickest AI or toolset, but if your data is incomplete, messy, or siloed, you won’t get far. Holger stresses that people + data ＞ system hype. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Process makes perfect: A spirited conversation with Prof Hajo Reijers

In this lively BPM360 episode, Caspar and Russell sit down with Prof. Hajo Reijers, whose career spans coding, consulting, and co-authoring the BPM field’s “bible.” The discussion is as energetic as it is insightful: from the quirks of workarounds in hospitals to the excitement of process hackathons, from redesign heuristics to the promise (and pitfalls) of AI in BPM. With plenty of laughs, real-world anecdotes, and a contagious enthusiasm for processes, this conversation shows why BPM is both a serious discipline and a source of endless curiosity and fun. 🔑 Key Takeaways Applied Nature of BPM – BPM is both an academic discipline and a practical craft; lasting impact comes from linking research with real organizational challenges. Process Redesign Heuristics – Simple, experience-based improvement patterns have become some of the most cited contributions in the field. Value of Practice–Academia Hybrids – Consulting experience and academic rigor together provide fertile ground for impactful BPM research and teaching. Rise of AI in BPM – Large language models and AI agents are rapidly lowering the barrier from theory to practice, opening new ways to validate, optimize, and document processes. Workarounds as a Research Frontier – Detecting and analyzing workarounds shows how different roles (doctors, nurses, admin staff) experience processes differently, highlighting the gap between “happy flow” models and reality. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Process Makes Perfect: A Spirited Conversation with Prof. Hajo Reijers

 In this lively BPM360 episode, Caspar and Russell sit down with Prof. Hajo Reijers, whose career spans coding, consulting, and co-authoring the BPM field’s “bible.” The discussion is as energetic as it is insightful: from the quirks of workarounds in hospitals to the excitement of process hackathons, from redesign heuristics to the promise (and pitfalls) of AI in BPM. With plenty of laughs, real-world anecdotes, and a contagious enthusiasm for processes, this conversation shows why BPM is both a serious discipline and a source of endless curiosity and fun.   🔑 Key Takeaways  1. Applied Nature of BPM – BPM is both an academic discipline and a practical craft; lasting impact comes from linking research with real organizational challenges. 2. Process Redesign Heuristics – Simple, experience-based improvement patterns have become some of the most cited contributions in the field. 3. Value of Practice–Academia Hybrids – Consulting experience and academic rigor together provide fertile ground for impactful BPM research and teaching. 4. Rise of AI in BPM – Large language models and AI agents are rapidly lowering the barrier from theory to practice, opening new ways to validate, optimize, and document processes. 5. Workarounds as a Research Frontier – Detecting and analyzing workarounds shows how different roles (doctors, nurses, admin staff) experience processes differently, highlighting the gap between “happy flow” models and reality. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 1

Starting fast or slow...

Sneak preview on our first episode of season 4 (for the @BPM360Podcast ) where we go into starting fast or slow.

Whack-a-Mole, AI Pilots, and the Process Lens: Why 95% of AI Projects Fail

 In this episode, Caspar and Russell kick things off with Russell’s mole invasion at home (a perfect metaphor for stubborn BPM stakeholders who pop up where you least want them). From there, they dive deep into why so many AI pilots collapse before reaching scale, and how process management must act as the “guide rails” for AI to deliver real business value. Expect analogies from mountain bike races, a Dunning-Kruger reality check, and a candid discussion on why “there is no AI without PI.”   🔑 5 Most Interesting Takeaways  1. Moles = Stakeholders → Resistant people in BPM projects behave like moles: they vanish when you need them and resurface in the worst places. Don’t take it personally—understand their nature. 2. AI Pilots Often Fail → Up to 95% of AI pilots collapse because they chase hype, lack governance, and don’t connect to core business processes. 3. Process Intelligence Is Essential → “No AI without PI”: AI must be guided by process context (process mining + management) to be sustainable and compliant. 4. Agility Over Perfection → Unlike traditional IT rollouts, AI requires iterative testing and adaptation—the tech evolves too fast for one-off pilots. 5. Humans Still Matter → While AI can optimize structured, system-based steps (like purchase-to-pay), the “black spots” where human judgment rules remain the biggest opportunity—and risk. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 1

Short01

How old is the BPMN method actually. Russell and Caspar find out.

Ep. 1

Podcast S04E01 BPM & AI

Caspar and Russell are back behind the mics to launch Season 4 of the BPM 360 Podcast. After a summer of sun, paint brushes, and a bit of Raspberry Pi miswiring, the duo jump straight into how real-life lessons connect to the world of BPM. From DIY cellar ventilation gone wrong to reflections on process modeling conventions, they explore the balance between careful preparation and agile adaptation that every transformation journey requires. 🔑 Key Takeaways Human vs. AI & Automation: Russell shares a hands-on DIY story about automating his damp cellar with a Raspberry Pi — a reminder that being meticulous (and double-checking polarity!) matters in both tech tinkering and process management. Preparation vs. Speed: Caspar draws parallels between painting a house and BPM initiatives — either start fast and risk rework, or invest in conventions and structure early for long-term speed. BPM Then and Now: The hosts reflect on BPM’s evolution: from static compliance-driven process maps in the 90s to today’s dynamic, living models enriched by process mining and data. The Flexibility Paradox: Process management must balance clear methods and standards with adaptability to change — too much rigidity stifles agility, too little undermines quality. Looking Ahead: Season 4 promises inspiring guests (from academia, industry, and practice), deeper dives into EPC vs. BPMN, and the big question of whether modeling conventions are evolving into something more fluid and data-driven. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Ep. 1

Magic moment 01

Snippit from episode 1 of season 4 of the @BPM360Podcast on the existence of the BPMN format.

Season 4 Kickoff: From Soldering Mishaps to BPMN Turbulence – Balancing Structure and Agility in BPM

 Caspar and Russell are back behind the mics to launch Season 4 of the BPM 360 Podcast. After a summer of sun, paint brushes, and a bit of Raspberry Pi miswiring, the duo jump straight into how real-life lessons connect to the world of BPM. From DIY cellar ventilation gone wrong to reflections on process modeling conventions, they explore the balance between careful preparation and agile adaptation that every transformation journey requires.  🔑 Key Takeaways  • Human vs. AI & Automation: Russell shares a hands-on DIY story about automating his damp cellar with a Raspberry Pi — a reminder that being meticulous (and double-checking polarity!) matters in both tech tinkering and process management. • Preparation vs. Speed: Caspar draws parallels between painting a house and BPM initiatives — either start fast and risk rework, or invest in conventions and structure early for long-term speed. • BPM Then and Now: The hosts reflect on BPM’s evolution: from static compliance-driven process maps in the 90s to today’s dynamic, living models enriched by process mining and data. • The Flexibility Paradox: Process management must balance clear methods and standards with adaptability to change — too much rigidity stifles agility, too little undermines quality. • Looking Ahead: Season 4 promises inspiring guests (from academia, industry, and practice), deeper dives into EPC vs. BPMN, and the big question of whether modeling conventions are evolving into something more fluid and data-driven. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Pools to Pinkpop to Process Mining: Wrapping Up BPM360 Season 3 in Style

 In this sizzling summer finale of BPM360 – Covering Every Angle, Caspar and Russell take a reflective and witty journey through the highlights of Season 3. What began with pool-cleaning confessions and festival weather banter quickly turned into a deep dive into process thinking, change facilitation, and agentic AI.  🧩 Key Takeaways from Season 3:  • Human-Centric BPM with Mirko Kloppenburg: Empathy, trust, and process models as cultural drivers—on the road and in the boardroom. • Academic Legends: From the origin of process mining with Wil van der Aalst to enterprise architecture with Prof. Scheruhn, this season honoured the foundational thinkers. • Cut the Crap: Roland Woldt helped us slice through BPM noise with sharp insights on architecture and transformation habits. • Facilitating Change: Stefan Hauenschild and Gary Cox reminded us that no process survives without people—change starts with empathy and ends in action. • Underrated Truths: Iris Beerepoot brought attention to the “gray zone” of undocumented processes—especially in healthcare—while Russell and Caspar tackled agentic AI, Lego-based modelling metaphors, and why some process hierarchies just don’t make sense. • Community & Events: With reflections from the Automation Summit in Split and a peek behind the curtain of BPM conferences, the season underscored the value of authentic practitioner dialogue. 🎁 Bonus: A surprise giveaway of Roland Woldt’s signed book “Successful Architecture Implementation” – for those bold enough to shape the next season! 🔍 Call to Action Have ideas for Season 4? A dream guest? A fresh angle? Or a critique on whether we’re really covering every angle? Email us at: questions@bpm360podcast.com Or comment on our Season 3 finale post on LinkedIn – and win a signed copy of Roland’s book!   We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From BBQs to Black Boxes: Why AI Agents Might Be Your Next Process Colleague (or Frenemy)

 In this dynamic and thought-provoking episode, Casper and Russell take a detour from birthday barbecues into the brave new world of AI agents in process management. With their trademark mix of humour and depth, they explore how agentic AI is shifting the BPM landscape—from guided automation to autonomous orchestration. Drawing parallels between past tech trends (remember Excel chaos?) and current GenAI developments, they raise urgent questions about governance, context-awareness, and AI maturity. It’s not about adding another tool—it’s about evolving your entire process mindset.  5 Key Takeaways  1. 🎂 Barbecues and BPM Have Something in Common Just like hosting a great BBQ, meaningful process work involves effort without immediate return. It’s about doing things because they matter—not just for ROI, but for long-term value and connection. 2. 🤖 AI Agents Are Not Just Tools—They’re Actors Agents can perform, coordinate, and even delegate tasks. They aren’t static tools like Excel—they’re dynamic, learning entities that will actively participate in business processes. 3. 📊 Governance Is the New MVP Without structured ownership and context-aware governance, AI agents risk becoming the next generation of uncontrolled “Excel chaos.” Process governance must evolve to cover agent behaviour, risk, and compliance. 4. 🧠 Trainee Programs for AI Start AI agents off in a “guided” mode—suggesting actions, not executing them. Let them learn your company’s business context gradually. Think of it as onboarding an exceptionally smart (but unpredictable) intern. 5. 🧱 Build the Digital Memory for Agents AI agents need structured access to process context, history, and workarounds to make smart decisions. This means treating lessons learned, tribal knowledge, and exception handling as first-class data citizens.   We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Lego Bricks to Business Value: End-to-End Process Modeling Done Right

✅ Process Models Need Purpose Beyond the Modeler:  Caspar and Russell argue that too often, process modelers design for themselves—not the end users, system integrators, or future teams who will rely on the documentation. A model is only valuable if it’s understandable and actionable by others.  ✅ Granularity is Key—And Often Overlooked:  Process models must have consistent granularity across end-to-end processes. If one team dives deep while another stays high-level, the result is a mess of mismatched detail. Defining a common granularity is essential for readability and alignment.  ✅ Hierarchies: Flexible or Fixed?  Should you enforce a rigid number of levels, or let domains grow organically?  Russell prefers a fixed hierarchy for reporting and governance, while Caspar argues for dynamic hierarchies—adjusting the layers based on complexity and ownership. Both agree: too many layers create confusion; too few limit clarity.  ✅ End-to-End Workshops Unlock True Understanding:  A standout story: Russell shares how a customer’s bottom-up process design didn’t match the top-down end-to-end flow—until a workshop revealed gaps in handovers, compliance checks, and system integration. The lesson? Bring people together early and often.  ✅ Naming Conventions: Less Code, More Clarity:  Caspar warns against stuffing hierarchy codes into process names (“1.2.3.4 Create Sales Order”), favoring clear, descriptive titles that support search and comprehension. Codes belong in metadata, not front and center.  ✅ BPMN Models ≠ Process Hierarchies:  Russell reminds us: process hierarchies are structures, not actual processes. Don’t confuse categories like “Finance” with executable processes like “Create Invoice.” Keep hierarchies simple, processes precise.  ✅ Process Modelers: Less Ego, More Empathy:  In a tongue-in-cheek moment, Caspar quips: “Process modelers are selfish bastards. They need to think about others.” The real takeaway: Process modeling is a service, not an art project.  ✅ The Lego Analogy:  Caspar’s favorite metaphor: Process hierarchies are like Lego boxes—they organize bricks so everyone can build efficiently. Without structure, it’s just a chaotic pile.  ✅ Final Word:  Process models should serve multiple audiences: the integrators, the rollout teams, the end users, and future generations. Build with empathy, not just logic.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Process Management for Peace: What BPM Can Teach Us About Building a European Defence Force

✅ BPM Principles Apply to Global Challenges:  Caspar and Russell explore how core BPM concepts—like executive sponsorship, stakeholder management, process standardization, and governance—can guide the complex task of integrating 27 national defence systems into a unified European force.   ✅ Sponsorship is the Make-or-Break Factor:  Without a clear, strong executive sponsor at the top (think EU leaders or NATO chairs), no integration effort—be it in BPM or defence—can succeed. Alignment across diverse stakeholders is critical.  ✅ Start with the Big Picture:  Focus first on high-level domains—procurement, logistics, supply chain, and governance structures—before diving into the country-specific details. This “macro-first” approach mirrors how BPM projects tackle mergers and complex transformations.  ✅ Balance Autonomy and Alignment:  A key challenge in both BPM and political integrations: how much decision power are you willing to centralize, and what stays local? Caspar and Russell emphasize the importance of aligning on purpose while respecting diversity—whether it’s between business units or countries.   ✅ Communication is the Glue:  For any large-scale change—be it BPM initiatives or building a European defence—clear, consistent communication is essential to maintain buy-in and momentum, especially over long timeframes.  ✅ Logistics and Supply Chain are Core:  Defence success, much like process excellence, ultimately relies on a robust supply chain—the ability to get the right materials to the right place at the right time.  ✅ A Call for BPM Mindset at the Global Level:  Caspar and Russell wrap up with a playful reflection: maybe they should get a call from Brussels—because a BPM lens can provide valuable perspectives, even for geopolitical challenges.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Split Happens: Gin Tonics, Game of Thrones, and the Future of Automation

In this lively episode, Caspar and Russell take listeners behind the scenes of the Automation Summit 2025 in Split, Croatia, featuring an interview with event organizer Darko Jovisic. Against the scenic backdrop of Roman castles and well-stocked buffets, they explore the evolving nature of automation—from RPA to AI-driven orchestration. Key Takeaways: AI has taken center stage: Compared to 2024, almost every talk this year included AI, with a clear shift from generic RPA use cases to intelligent agent-based automation. Content over flash: The summit focuses on real customer stories, honest failure reports, and live demos—no over-polished vendor fluff. Process before automation: Kasper reminded the crowd that not everything needs to be automated—some issues require optimization or root cause resolution instead. Events as experiences: From guided tours through Game of Thrones locations to thoughtful touches like custom hotel towels, the summit goes beyond tech to create lasting impressions. Growing, but intentionally: Attendance nearly doubled since last year, but organizers aim to keep the event intimate and high-quality. Bonus Insight: Want better audience engagement? Present where Jon Snow once stood. 😄 This episode is a testament to thoughtful conference design, the maturing conversation around automation, and the power of asking “Do we really need to automate this?” We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Workarounds, Real-World Processes & Renovation Lessons – BPM Gets Personal with Iris Beerepoot

Top 5 Takeaways from the Episode: 1. Workarounds Reveal the Real Process Iris’s research shows that deviations from standard procedures—like nurses jotting notes on paper instead of using digital systems—aren’t mistakes, but signals. These workarounds often reflect system limitations, process flaws, or a drive to prioritize what truly matters: patient care. 2. What You See in Data Isn’t Always What Happened Event logs often record what’s entered, not what’s executed. In domains like healthcare or construction, there’s a clear disconnect between reality and system registration. This gap challenges the reliability of process mining and reinforces the need for human context. 3. Process Design Should Embrace Imperfection Traditional process methodologies often assume linearity and completeness. Iris proposes supplementing them with workaround analysis to reflect real-world complexity. Observing processes “in the wild” uncovers hidden inefficiencies, clever improvisations, and improvement opportunities. 4. Renovating a House = Living BPM Iris’s LinkedIn series drew clever parallels between home renovation and process management. From shifting plans and stakeholder coordination to “workarounds” by plumbers, she illustrates how BPM principles apply even in everyday life—complete with unpredictable dependencies and process entropy. 5. People, Teams & the Human Side of Mining In her latest paper, Iris explores how process mining can reveal team dynamics and human behavior—like preferences, inefficiencies, or even social loafing. But she also highlights the ethical balance: to mine responsibly, researchers must anonymize data while still drawing actionable insights about team structure and collaboration. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Split Happens: Gin Tonics, Game of Thrones, and the Future of Automation

In this lively episode, Caspar and Russell take listeners behind the scenes of the Automation Summit 2025 in Split, Croatia, featuring an interview with event organizer Darko Jovisic. Against the scenic backdrop of Roman castles and well-stocked buffets, they explore the evolving nature of automation—from RPA to AI-driven orchestration.  Key Takeaways:  • AI has taken center stage: Compared to 2024, almost every talk this year included AI, with a clear shift from generic RPA use cases to intelligent agent-based automation. • Content over flash: The summit focuses on real customer stories, honest failure reports, and live demos—no over-polished vendor fluff. • Process before automation: Kasper reminded the crowd that not everything needs to be automated—some issues require optimization or root cause resolution instead. • Events as experiences: From guided tours through Game of Thrones locations to thoughtful touches like custom hotel towels, the summit goes beyond tech to create lasting impressions. • Growing, but intentionally: Attendance nearly doubled since last year, but organizers aim to keep the event intimate and high-quality. Bonus Insight: Want better audience engagement? Present where Jon Snow once stood. 😄 This episode is a testament to thoughtful conference design, the maturing conversation around automation, and the power of asking “Do we really need to automate this?” We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Workarounds, Real-World Processes & Renovation Lessons – BPM Gets Personal with Iris Beerepoot

 Top 5 Takeaways from the Episode:  1. Workarounds Reveal the Real Process  Iris’s research shows that deviations from standard procedures—like nurses jotting notes on paper instead of using digital systems—aren’t mistakes, but signals. These workarounds often reflect system limitations, process flaws, or a drive to prioritize what truly matters: patient care.  2. What You See in Data Isn’t Always What Happened  Event logs often record what’s entered, not what’s executed. In domains like healthcare or construction, there’s a clear disconnect between reality and system registration. This gap challenges the reliability of process mining and reinforces the need for human context.  3. Process Design Should Embrace Imperfection  Traditional process methodologies often assume linearity and completeness. Iris proposes supplementing them with workaround analysis to reflect real-world complexity. Observing processes “in the wild” uncovers hidden inefficiencies, clever improvisations, and improvement opportunities.  4. Renovating a House = Living BPM  Iris’s LinkedIn series drew clever parallels between home renovation and process management. From shifting plans and stakeholder coordination to “workarounds” by plumbers, she illustrates how BPM principles apply even in everyday life—complete with unpredictable dependencies and process entropy.  5. People, Teams & the Human Side of Mining  In her latest paper, Iris explores how process mining can reveal team dynamics and human behavior—like preferences, inefficiencies, or even social loafing. But she also highlights the ethical balance: to mine responsibly, researchers must anonymize data while still drawing actionable insights about team structure and collaboration.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Mailbags to Master Black Belts: How Laziness, Purpose, and Cartoons Power Continuous Improve...

 Top 5 Takeaways from the Episode:  1. CI Is a People Game, Not Just a Process Game  Gary Cox’s book, Cultivating Champions of CI, emphasizes that sustainable continuous improvement (CI) isn’t about tools or theory—it’s about developing people, mindsets, and a culture that values thoughtful problem-solving over quick fixes.  2. The Four P’s of Meaningful Change  Beyond People, Process, and Purpose, Gary introduces a fourth essential “P”: Problem-solving. When processes break, people instinctively create workarounds. Organizations need to nurture transparency and curiosity to tackle root causes instead of patching symptoms.  3. Standardize to Improve, But Don’t Worship the Standard  Standardization creates a necessary baseline—but it’s only a snapshot in time. Businesses must continuously adjust that baseline to reflect evolving goals, technologies, and customer expectations. “Standard until better” is the motto.  4. Culture Beats Tools—Every Time  While Six Sigma tools and AI can accelerate analysis, real transformation only happens when leaders connect individual growth to business needs. Empowering people with purpose turns process improvement into a shared journey, not just a checklist.  5. Cartoons, Curiosity, and Career Growth  Gary’s creative side (his “Cox Box” cartoons) and his unconventional journey from letter carrier to national CI director show that playfulness and openness to opportunity can be powerful leadership tools—especially when helping others grow.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 7

Blueprints and Behaviors: How Change Facilitation Powers Real BPM (Stefan Hauenschild)

🔑 Key Takeaways: 1. Human-Centric BPM: Stefan Hauenschild emphasizes that the success of BPM initiatives lies not in the perfect process model, but in how well change is facilitated across all levels of the organization. 2. Change Is Not Managed—It’s Facilitated: Stefan critiques the term “change management” and advocates for “change facilitation,” highlighting the need to understand emotional responses to change using models like the Kübler-Ross curve and the marathon effect. 3. Project Setup = Early Change Work: The podcast explores how transformation already starts the moment a project is announced, impacting employees, managers, and stakeholders—well before the first process is redesigned. 4. SAP and the Reality of Work: The crew discusses how standard SAP implementation processes often ignore the messy, exception-driven reality of day-to-day work. Tools support only 30% of the real workload—the rest needs people-centered thinking. 5. From Methodology to Mindset: While BPM traditionally leans on frameworks and tools, Stefan calls for greater integration of soft skills, empathy, and stakeholder alignment into BPM practice. 6. Why BPM Needs a “Sugar Daddy”: Executive sponsorship isn’t just a checkbox—it’s critical for budget, visibility, and adoption. Finding that internal champion is half the battle. 7. Clean Slate or Crap Shift?: The trio debates whether BPM migrations should start fresh or import legacy data, agreeing that bad first impressions of a new system can kill adoption. 8. Tool-Driven ≠ People-Driven: The paradox of standardized software implementations is exposed—standard processes without standard responsibilities create chaos. This episode is a must-listen for BPM professionals, project managers, and change agents who want to make transformation stick—not just on paper, but where it counts: in people’s heads, hearts, and habits. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Blueprints and Behaviors: How Change Facilitation Powers Real BPM

 🔑 Key Takeaways:  1. Human-Centric BPM: Stefan Hauenschild emphasizes that the success of BPM initiatives lies not in the perfect process model, but in how well change is facilitated across all levels of the organization.  2. Change Is Not Managed—It’s Facilitated: Stefan critiques the term “change management” and advocates for “change facilitation,” highlighting the need to understand emotional responses to change using models like the Kübler-Ross curve and the marathon effect.  3. Project Setup = Early Change Work: The podcast explores how transformation already starts the moment a project is announced, impacting employees, managers, and stakeholders—well before the first process is redesigned.  4. SAP and the Reality of Work: The crew discusses how standard SAP implementation processes often ignore the messy, exception-driven reality of day-to-day work. Tools support only 30% of the real workload—the rest needs people-centered thinking.  5. From Methodology to Mindset: While BPM traditionally leans on frameworks and tools, Stefan calls for greater integration of soft skills, empathy, and stakeholder alignment into BPM practice.  6. Why BPM Needs a “Sugar Daddy”: Executive sponsorship isn’t just a checkbox—it’s critical for budget, visibility, and adoption. Finding that internal champion is half the battle.  7. Clean Slate or Crap Shift?: The trio debates whether BPM migrations should start fresh or import legacy data, agreeing that bad first impressions of a new system can kill adoption.  8. Tool-Driven ≠ People-Driven: The paradox of standardized software implementations is exposed—standard processes without standard responsibilities create chaos.  This episode is a must-listen for BPM professionals, project managers, and change agents who want to make transformation stick—not just on paper, but where it counts: in people’s heads, hearts, and habits.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 6

Cut the Crap: Building Better BPM Habits – A Deep Dive with Roland Woldt

🔑 Key Takeaways from the Episode: 1. Bad Habits & BPM: Russell kicks off with a personal story about bad habits and health goals – a metaphor for how organizations drift into process chaos. It’s not about the wrong tool or method but the erosion of good habits over time. 2. Guest Spotlight – Roland Woldt: Roland shares his journey from the German army to becoming a BPM thought leader and author. His new book “Successful Architecture Implementation” bridges theory and practice with a focus on content, governance, and adoption. 3. Practical BPM Advice: The trio explores how organizations often ignore adoption and governance when implementing architecture tools. Roland stresses the need for tangible strategies, stakeholder communication, and long-term enablement. 4. Process Ownership & End-to-End Thinking: A key discussion around the balance between functional decomposition and end-to-end processes. Alignment across departments is crucial to eliminate siloed thinking and improve real-world outcomes. 5. Architecture Is One Discipline: Roland argues that EA, BPM, process mining, and data management are all just different lenses on the same organizational architecture. The goal? Visibility, analysis, execution. 6. Tool Adoption ≠ Success: Buying a shiny new tool doesn’t guarantee results. Without strategic thinking, governance frameworks, and user adoption, tools gather dust. 7. Realistic Training & Support: A 3-day crash course won’t create a BPM organization. Adoption requires ongoing training, role development, and organizational maturity – it’s a journey, not a one-off. 🎁 Bonus: Roland is giving away early PDFs and signed copies of the book! The paperback drops March 24 – check out whatsyourbaseline.com/successful-architecture-implementation for extras, downloads, and pre-orders. Final Word: Buy the damn book. It’ll make you better. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Cut the Crap: Building Better BPM Habits – A Deep Dive with Roland Woldt

 🔑 Key Takeaways from the Episode:  1. Bad Habits & BPM: Russell kicks off with a personal story about bad habits and health goals – a metaphor for how organizations drift into process chaos. It’s not about the wrong tool or method but the erosion of good habits over time.  2. Guest Spotlight – Roland Woldt: Roland shares his journey from the German army to becoming a BPM thought leader and author. His new book “Successful Architecture Implementation” bridges theory and practice with a focus on content, governance, and adoption.  3. Practical BPM Advice: The trio explores how organizations often ignore adoption and governance when implementing architecture tools. Roland stresses the need for tangible strategies, stakeholder communication, and long-term enablement.  4. Process Ownership & End-to-End Thinking: A key discussion around the balance between functional decomposition and end-to-end processes. Alignment across departments is crucial to eliminate siloed thinking and improve real-world outcomes.  5. Architecture Is One Discipline: Roland argues that EA, BPM, process mining, and data management are all just different lenses on the same organizational architecture. The goal? Visibility, analysis, execution.  6. Tool Adoption ≠ Success: Buying a shiny new tool doesn’t guarantee results. Without strategic thinking, governance frameworks, and user adoption, tools gather dust.  7. Realistic Training & Support: A 3-day crash course won’t create a BPM organization. Adoption requires ongoing training, role development, and organizational maturity – it’s a journey, not a one-off.    🎁 Bonus: Roland is giving away early PDFs and signed copies of the book! The paperback drops March 24 – check out whatsyourbaseline.com/successful-architecture-implementation (https://whatsyourbaseline.com/successful-architecture-implementation) for extras, downloads, and pre-orders.    Final Word: Buy the damn book. It’ll make you better.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Keep Calm and Trust the Process – Why Disruption Without Understanding is Dangerous

🔎 What happens when you pull a critical piece out of a complex system without understanding the full impact? This episode goes beyond process management and draws parallels to global events, politics, and corporate decision-making. Caspar and Russell explore the unintended consequences of disruption, whether in governments, businesses, or process landscapes.   🚀 Key Takeaways:  1️⃣ Processes Exist for a Reason – Every business structure, process, and system evolved with a purpose. Blindly tearing them down can create chaos.  2️⃣ Disruption Isn’t Always Innovation – Whether in politics or business, change should be intentional and informed, not reckless and uninformed.  3️⃣ The Cost of Ignoring Context – Like amateur process mining, drawing conclusions without considering the full picture leads to poor decisions.  4️⃣ Hybrid Governance is Key – Organizations need a balance between centralization and local flexibility to remain stable yet adaptable.  5️⃣ Look Before You Leap – Whether restructuring a business or reshaping a nation, understanding the domino effect of your actions is crucial.   🔊 A thought-provoking, slightly political, but deeply relevant discussion for BPM professionals! Tune in, and remember: Keep calm and trust the process.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

The Process Hierarchy Dilemma – Functional vs. End-to-End Mapping

 Is your process hierarchy helping or hurting your organization? In this thought-provoking episode, Caspar and Russell go deep into one of the most debated BPM topics—structuring process repositories. With no guest this time, it’s back to the dynamic duo tackling a pet peeve of process architects worldwide: the messy mix of functional and end-to-end process hierarchies.  🚀 Key Takeaways:  1️⃣ The Great Divide – Functional decomposition structures are great for modelers, while end-to-end views are crucial for business users. Mixing them creates confusion.  2️⃣ Best Practices or Worst Practices? – Many companies blindly adopt frameworks (SAP, APQC) without understanding their flaws.  3️⃣ Ownership Matters – Who owns an end-to-end process? It’s not always the function that executes it but the one that controls it.  4️⃣ The Map is Not the Territory – Process maps should serve as navigation tools, not rigid representations of architecture.  5️⃣ Time to Rethink Organizations? – Should businesses be structured around their processes instead of outdated hierarchies? A future podcast topic in the making!  🔊 Tune in to hear the debate, the laughs, and a few lighthearted disagreements! And if you know an expert on organizational structures and process alignment, we want to hear from you!  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Bridging the BPM-EA Divide: Prof. Hans-Jürgen Scheruhn on Enterprise Architecture and more

In this episode of BPM360: Covering Every Angle, Caspar, Russell, and Prof. Hans-Jürgen Scheruhn take a deep dive into the intersection of business process management (BPM) and enterprise architecture (EA). Hans shares his academic journey, industry experiences, and his groundbreaking work on the Enterprise Online Guide (EOG)—a structured framework designed to harmonize business processes, IT landscapes, and enterprise architecture in a Google Maps-style navigation approach. Throughout the discussion, Hans highlights the disconnect between process and architecture disciplines, the challenges of aligning ERP systems like SAP with BPM, and the role of AI in structuring enterprise knowledge. 🔑 Key Discussion Topics & Takeaways 1️⃣ From Siemens to Academia: Hans’ Journey into BPM 2️⃣ BPM vs. Enterprise Architecture: A Misaligned Relationship 3️⃣ The EOG Framework: A Google Maps for Business Navigation 4️⃣ BPM Hierarchies & The Process-Application Connection 5️⃣ SAP, Cloud, and the Future of Process Management 6️⃣ AI & Enterprise Knowledge Management: The Next Frontier 🎯 Final Thought: The Need for Unified Process Intelligence Prof. Hans-Jürgen Scheruhn challenges traditional BPM and EA thinking, advocating for a process-driven, navigational approach to enterprise knowledge. By merging hierarchical clarity, AI-driven insights, and structured enterprise models, he envisions a future where BPM and EA finally operate as one cohesive discipline. 🚀 Key Takeaway: The future of process management isn’t just automation—it’s creating a structured, AI-augmented, navigable enterprise model where BPM, EA, and IT work in harmony. Outro with Music We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Process Mining Pioneer Wil van der Aalst on the Future of BPM: Object-Centric Models, AI Synergy,...

In this episode of BPM360: Covering Every Angle, Caspar, Russell, and Prof. Wil van der Aalst engage in a deep dive into the evolution of business process management (BPM), process mining, and the intersection of data and processes. From Wil’s early academic journey to his groundbreaking work in object-centric process mining, this conversation explores the challenges, misconceptions, and future trends in BPM and AI-driven process intelligence.   🔑 Key Discussion Topics & Takeaways  1️⃣ From Academia to Industry: Wil’s Journey to Process Mining  2️⃣ The Data vs. Process Debate: Breaking the Silos  3️⃣ The Flaws of BPMN & Traditional Workflow Modeling  • BPMN and Process Modeling Are Oversimplifications  • Why Workflow Management Systems Failed 4️⃣ Object-Centric Process Mining: The Next Evolution  • The Problem with Case-Centric BPM • Object-Centric Models Solve This Limitation 5️⃣ Process Mining’s Future: AI, Dynamic Process Views & Business Intelligence  • Static Models vs. Dynamic Views • AI + Process Mining = The Next Leap • Hybrid Intelligence – The Future of Workflows 6️⃣ The Real Roadblocks to Process Automation & AI-Driven BPM  • The Over-Reliance on Standardization • The 80/20 Rule in BPM Why Self-Driving Organizations Are Still a Dream:  • Unlike AI in self-driving cars, organizations lack extensive, structured training data, making full automation difficult.  • AI can’t replace human-driven process adaptation—at least not yet.   🎯 Final Thought: The Paradigm Shift in BPM  Wil van der Aalst challenges long-standing assumptions in BPM, advocating for a move beyond static process models to dynamic, data-driven process intelligence. His insights pave the way for object-centric, AI-augmented process mining as the next frontier in BPM.  🚀 Key Takeaway:  The future of BPM isn’t about defining processes first—it’s about uncovering how work truly happens and adapting processes dynamically based on real-world data. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 2

BPM: From Process to People – A Human-Centric Perspective with Mirko Kloppenburg

In this engaging episode of BPM360 Covering Every Angle, Caspar and Russell sit down with Mirko Kloppenburg, a renowned advocate for human-centric process management and the host of his own BPM-related podcast. The conversation dives deep into the human side of BPM, exploring how understanding emotions, fostering transparency, and inspiring collaboration can transform process management. Mirko shares his personal journey into BPM, starting with an internship at Lufthansa Cargo, and reveals how pivotal moments in his career shaped his people-first approach to processes. From discussing the importance of involving employees in process initiatives to reflecting on the challenges of creating sustainable BPM cultures, this episode offers actionable insights and heartfelt anecdotes for both BPM veterans and newcomers. Key Takeaways: 1.The Importance of Human-Centric BPM: •BPM’s success is not just about tools and methodologies but also about how processes affect and engage people. •Measuring process success by employee acceptance and satisfaction can lead to better outcomes. 2.Starting with Purpose: •Always define the “why” behind BPM initiatives. A clear and emotionally resonant purpose inspires people to contribute and adopt processes. 3.Involving Employees: •Transparent communication and active involvement of employees in workshops and process discussions are critical for fostering trust and ownership. 4.Challenges in Cultural Shift: •People often avoid discussing emotions in corporate settings, but addressing how employees feel about processes can uncover valuable insights. •Encouraging dialogue in a safe space can lead to meaningful changes and improved collaboration. 5.Role of Process Owners and Architects: •Process owners must understand their accountability and act as champions for their processes. •Process architects, often overlooked, are the unsung heroes of BPM, bridging technical and human aspects. 6.Process Mining and Real-World Context: •Process mining tools are powerful, but the real value lies in pairing data with the contextual knowledge of process experts. •Not every deviation is a problem; understanding the reasons behind them is crucial. 7.Building a Process-Driven Organization Takes Time: •Achieving BPM maturity often takes decades and requires consistent investment in people, tools, and culture. •Organizations that embed BPM deeply into their DNA make it resilient to disruptions. 8.The Role of Recognition: •Highlighting the contributions of process experts and owners fosters a sense of value and encourages further engagement. 9.Corporate Amnesia and BPM Sustainability: •BPM initiatives are sensitive to disruptions, such as leadership changes, and require constant reinforcement to maintain momentum. 10.The Future of BPM: •Transparency, trust, and collaboration are pivotal for BPM’s evolution. As organizations continue their BPM journeys, focusing on the human element will be key to long-term success. This episode underscores the necessity of balancing technical precision with emotional intelligence in BPM. Mirko Kloppenburg’s insights and passion for human-centric process management leave listeners inspired to rethink their approach to BPM, making it as much about people as it is about processes. Outro with Music We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

BPM: From Process to People – A Human-Centric Perspective with Mirko Kloppenburg

In this engaging episode of BPM360 Covering Every Angle, Caspar and Russell sit down with Mirko Kloppenburg, a renowned advocate for human-centric process management and the host of his own BPM-related podcast. The conversation dives deep into the human side of BPM, exploring how understanding emotions, fostering transparency, and inspiring collaboration can transform process management. Mirko shares his personal journey into BPM, starting with an internship at Lufthansa Cargo, and reveals how pivotal moments in his career shaped his people-first approach to processes. From discussing the importance of involving employees in process initiatives to reflecting on the challenges of creating sustainable BPM cultures, this episode offers actionable insights and heartfelt anecdotes for both BPM veterans and newcomers. Key Takeaways: 1.The Importance of Human-Centric BPM: •BPM’s success is not just about tools and methodologies but also about how processes affect and engage people. •Measuring process success by employee acceptance and satisfaction can lead to better outcomes. 2.Starting with Purpose: •Always define the “why” behind BPM initiatives. A clear and emotionally resonant purpose inspires people to contribute and adopt processes. 3.Involving Employees: •Transparent communication and active involvement of employees in workshops and process discussions are critical for fostering trust and ownership. 4.Challenges in Cultural Shift: •People often avoid discussing emotions in corporate settings, but addressing how employees feel about processes can uncover valuable insights. •Encouraging dialogue in a safe space can lead to meaningful changes and improved collaboration. 5.Role of Process Owners and Architects: •Process owners must understand their accountability and act as champions for their processes. •Process architects, often overlooked, are the unsung heroes of BPM, bridging technical and human aspects. 6.Process Mining and Real-World Context: •Process mining tools are powerful, but the real value lies in pairing data with the contextual knowledge of process experts. •Not every deviation is a problem; understanding the reasons behind them is crucial. 7.Building a Process-Driven Organization Takes Time: •Achieving BPM maturity often takes decades and requires consistent investment in people, tools, and culture. •Organizations that embed BPM deeply into their DNA make it resilient to disruptions. 8.The Role of Recognition: •Highlighting the contributions of process experts and owners fosters a sense of value and encourages further engagement. 9.Corporate Amnesia and BPM Sustainability: •BPM initiatives are sensitive to disruptions, such as leadership changes, and require constant reinforcement to maintain momentum. 10.The Future of BPM: •Transparency, trust, and collaboration are pivotal for BPM’s evolution. As organizations continue their BPM journeys, focusing on the human element will be key to long-term success. This episode underscores the necessity of balancing technical precision with emotional intelligence in BPM. Mirko Kloppenburg’s insights and passion for human-centric process management leave listeners inspired to rethink their approach to BPM, making it as much about people as it is about processes. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

’s 2025 Kickoff: Predictions, Plans, and Process Perspectives!

In this special New Year’s episode of BPM360 Covering Every Angle, hosts Caspar and Russell broadcast from a festive Christmas market in Cologne, setting a vibrant scene for their 2025 kickoff. Key Takeaways: 1.2025 BPM Trends: •AI-Driven Process Modeling: Anticipation of AI tools transforming informal process documentation into structured models, enhancing efficiency. •Process Intelligence Integration: Continued convergence of process management and mining, leading to comprehensive process intelligence solutions. •Shift to Object-Centric Modeling: Emergence of object-centric approaches, focusing on entities like sales orders and invoices, offering a holistic organizational view. 2.Podcast Plans for 2025: •Academic Insights: Interviews with esteemed professors, including Professor Scheer, to delve into advanced BPM concepts. •Event Coverage: On-site sessions from industry events, providing real-time insights and engaging discussions. •Practitioner Stories: Conversations with BPM professionals sharing their experiences and best practices. •Middle East Series: A dedicated series exploring BPM developments and unique use cases in the Middle East, in collaboration with regional experts. The hosts extend an invitation to listeners to participate in upcoming episodes, encouraging engagement and the sharing of BPM experiences. Tune in to stay ahead in the BPM world and join us on this exciting journey through 2025! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Last Cast for 2024 - A recap of highlights

In this short last Episode for 2024 Caspar and Russell meet up at the Xmas market in Cologne and talk about many of the  highlights covered in the podcast. It has been a eventful year from a BPM perspective. Thanks go out to all our guests for their contribution and to our listeners. Have a great start into the New Year and stay tuned for more BPM360 casts next year. Yours Caspar and Russell We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Process Management: From Chaos to Clarity – With a Dash of BPM 360°

In this engaging episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, the hosts Russell and Casper welcome Sohail Rezeq, a seasoned expert in business process management (BPM), to explore the evolving role of BPM as a bridge between IT and business operations. Sohail shares his journey from engineering to BPM, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities of aligning technology with business needs. The discussion covers the critical importance of governance, stakeholder engagement, and the interplay between process management and digital transformation, especially in the context of the Middle East.  This conversation highlights how BPM fosters innovation, reduces operational gaps, and lays the foundation for successful AI and digital initiatives. Sohail emphasizes the iterative and evolving nature of BPM and calls for a shift from mere documentation to a holistic governance approach that empowers organizations to thrive in a data-driven world. Key Takeaways:  1.The Evolution of BPM:  •BPM has transformed from being a documentation tool to a strategic enabler for businesses, bridging the gap between IT and operations.  •Effective BPM reduces the time and effort needed to align stakeholders on key processes.  2.Governance and Stakeholder Engagement:  •Governance is essential to ensure BPM initiatives deliver measurable benefits.  •Strong sponsorship and stakeholder buy-in are vital for BPM success.  3.The Balance Between Automation and Simplicity:  •Over-automation often leads to complexity. Striking a balance is key to optimizing processes without overwhelming stakeholders.  4.BPM as a Foundation for Digital Transformation:  •Clear and well-documented processes are essential for leveraging AI and achieving effective digital transformation.  •Process governance ensures data continuity and quality, critical for AI applications.  5.Cultural and Regional Nuances:  •In the Middle East, the focus on technology adoption is high, but governance and process ownership remain areas for growth.  •Success in BPM requires tailoring methodologies to regional and organizational cultures.  6.The Value of Iteration:  •BPM is an ongoing, iterative process that requires continuous refinement to stay relevant and effective.  •Knowledge captured through BPM builds a repository of organizational wisdom over time.  7.Process Mining and Real-Time Insights:  •Process mining is an emerging tool to provide actionable insights and real-time improvements.  •The immediacy and accuracy of process data play a critical role in decision-making.  8.Leadership’s Role:  •Top-level commitment is essential for embedding BPM into organizational culture.  •Leaders must see BPM as a vehicle to achieve their strategic goals, not just a technical initiative.  We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Bedrooms to Boardrooms: Mining BPM Gold with Apolix

In this engaging episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell journey to Rotterdam to meet Alex and Lucia from Apolix, a rising star in the BPM world. From a bedroom startup to a thriving international consultancy, Alex and Lucia share Apolix’s inspiring story, their process mining expertise, and their innovative leap into process modelling. Key takeaways include: 1. Start Somewhere, Learn Everywhere: Alex’s top advice for companies embarking on a process intelligence journey is to avoid overthinking—just dive in. Small, iterative steps coupled with reflection lead to real progress. 2. The Marriage of Mining and Modelling: Lucia highlights the growing synergy between process mining and BPM, emphasizing how mining’s insights can enrich modelling for a 360-degree view of organizational processes. 3. Lessons in Resilience: Apolix’s rise during the pandemic illustrates the value of adaptability and perseverance. From free projects to global growth, their journey demonstrates that constraints breed creativity. 4. The Role of Evangelists and Ambassadors: Successful BPM initiatives require champions at every level, from global process owners to local ambassadors who bridge strategy and execution. 5. Process Intelligence is Here to Stay: The team discusses how process mining has shifted from a novel concept to a necessity. Its ability to quickly uncover inefficiencies makes it indispensable in today’s dynamic business environment. With humour, insights, and actionable advice, this episode captures the vibrant spirit of Apolix while delivering invaluable lessons for process professionals everywhere. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 6

From Clowns to Commanders: A BPM Circus with 'What's Your Baseline

Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2335421/open_sms) In a lively crossover episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell team up with Roland and JM from What's Your Baseline to deliver a whirlwind of anecdotes, insights, and debates on the evolution of process management. From performing arts to military strategy, the guests reveal how their diverse backgrounds converge on one shared passion—BPM. Key takeaways include: 1. Processes Are Everywhere: Whether navigating an airport or visualizing supply chain flows, the panel agrees that process thinking provides clarity and structure to an otherwise chaotic world. 2. BPM Battles: Tool vs. Method: JM and Roland passionately argue for methods over tools in process management, with the consensus that a shared methodology fosters better communication and collaboration. 3. Ownership Matters: Given the choice between process owners or experts, the panel leans toward ownership, emphasizing the critical role of accountability and strategic alignment in driving transformation. 4. Process Mining vs. Documentation: While process mining offers immediate insights and action points, BPM documentation provides the strategic foundation for long-term change. Both approaches have their merits, depending on organizational maturity and goals. 5. The Hybrid Model Wins: Centralized governance paired with decentralized execution strikes the right balance for fostering innovation while maintaining standards. This episode showcases the humour, wisdom, and occasional chaos of BPM veterans as they debate, challenge each other, and reflect on a century of combined experience. With laughter, puns, and deep dives into BPM theory, it’s a masterclass in making the complex accessible—and entertaining. 4o Outro with Music We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 5

From Kerry to Carrying Change: AI, Process Magic, and the Zeller Effect

Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2335421/open_sms) In this engaging episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell are joined by Oliver Zeller and Kerry Brown at the bustling Celospehere24 in Munich. They discuss the evolution of process management, highlighting how AI and process intelligence are reshaping transformation journeys. With analogies galore—from junk mail to Google Maps for businesses—they explore the significance of creating a common language between IT and the business, the impact of AI in providing context to processes, and how democratizing access to process knowledge empowers entire organizations. Tune in for insights on how Celonis is guiding enterprises to smarter, more productive futures! Key Takeaways: 1. Common Language is Crucial: Establishing a shared language between IT and business teams is essential for effective communication and collaboration in large-scale transformations. Process intelligence provides the necessary context to bridge these gaps and align objectives. 2. AI Needs Context: AI can be powerful for process management, but without the right context, it falls short. Providing structured process data ensures AI solutions are accurate and reliable, enhancing decision-making and efficiency across the organization. 3. Empowering Users through Democratization: Celonis is moving towards democratizing process information, making it accessible and actionable for everyone—not just specialists. This empowers employees to make informed decisions and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. 4. Process Navigation for Daily Tasks: Inspired by Google Maps, the vision is to develop AI-driven process assistants that guide employees through their daily business activities, offering real-time advice and automation opportunities to boost productivity and effectiveness. 5. Transformation as a Journey: Major transformations are long-term and require strategic planning and constant adaptation. By visualizing and managing change over time, organizations can reduce inefficiencies and improve outcomes. Celonis aims to provide tools that make this journey smoother, with smaller, consistent changes rather than large, disruptive shifts. Outro with Music We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Clowns to Commanders: A BPM Circus with 'What's Your Baseline

In a lively crossover episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell team up with Roland and JM from What's Your Baseline to deliver a whirlwind of anecdotes, insights, and debates on the evolution of process management. From performing arts to military strategy, the guests reveal how their diverse backgrounds converge on one shared passion—BPM. Key takeaways include: 1. Processes Are Everywhere: Whether navigating an airport or visualizing supply chain flows, the panel agrees that process thinking provides clarity and structure to an otherwise chaotic world. 2. BPM Battles: Tool vs. Method: JM and Roland passionately argue for methods over tools in process management, with the consensus that a shared methodology fosters better communication and collaboration. 3. Ownership Matters: Given the choice between process owners or experts, the panel leans toward ownership, emphasizing the critical role of accountability and strategic alignment in driving transformation. 4. Process Mining vs. Documentation: While process mining offers immediate insights and action points, BPM documentation provides the strategic foundation for long-term change. Both approaches have their merits, depending on organizational maturity and goals. 5. The Hybrid Model Wins: Centralized governance paired with decentralized execution strikes the right balance for fostering innovation while maintaining standards. This episode showcases the humour, wisdom, and occasional chaos of BPM veterans as they debate, challenge each other, and reflect on a century of combined experience. With laughter, puns, and deep dives into BPM theory, it’s a masterclass in making the complex accessible—and entertaining. 4o We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

From Kerry to Carrying Change: AI, Process Magic, and the Zeller Effect

In this engaging episode of BPM360, hosts Caspar and Russell are joined by Oliver Zeller and Kerry Brown at the bustling Celospehere24 in Munich. They discuss the evolution of process management, highlighting how AI and process intelligence are reshaping transformation journeys. With analogies galore—from junk mail to Google Maps for businesses—they explore the significance of creating a common language between IT and the business, the impact of AI in providing context to processes, and how democratizing access to process knowledge empowers entire organizations. Tune in for insights on how Celonis is guiding enterprises to smarter, more productive futures! Key Takeaways: 1. Common Language is Crucial: Establishing a shared language between IT and business teams is essential for effective communication and collaboration in large-scale transformations. Process intelligence provides the necessary context to bridge these gaps and align objectives. 2. AI Needs Context: AI can be powerful for process management, but without the right context, it falls short. Providing structured process data ensures AI solutions are accurate and reliable, enhancing decision-making and efficiency across the organization. 3. Empowering Users through Democratization: Celonis is moving towards democratizing process information, making it accessible and actionable for everyone—not just specialists. This empowers employees to make informed decisions and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. 4. Process Navigation for Daily Tasks: Inspired by Google Maps, the vision is to develop AI-driven process assistants that guide employees through their daily business activities, offering real-time advice and automation opportunities to boost productivity and effectiveness. 5. Transformation as a Journey: Major transformations are long-term and require strategic planning and constant adaptation. By visualizing and managing change over time, organizations can reduce inefficiencies and improve outcomes. Celonis aims to provide tools that make this journey smoother, with smaller, consistent changes rather than large, disruptive shifts. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Unlocking BPM Evolution: A Round of Insights with Mark McGregor on BPM & EA Market Trends

In this engaging episode, Caspar and Russell delve deep into the evolution of BPM and EA with special guest Mark McGregor, an industry veteran known for his expertise in business process management and enterprise architecture. Mark shares insights from his long career and offers an overview of where the BPM and EA spaces stand today. Alongside humorous anecdotes and compelling analogies, he sheds light on key dynamics shaping the industry, the evolving role of tools, and what companies truly need from vendors. Key Takeaways 1. The Vital Role of Process Management: Mark emphasized that process management remains central to organizational success, regardless of technological advancements. He argued that BPM will always play a critical role, even as AI and process mining tools evolve. 2. Execution vs. Operationalization: The conversation highlighted a critical distinction between process execution and strategy operationalization. While execution often involves tool automation, operationalization integrates strategy into daily activities, fostering alignment from top-level planning down to work instructions. 3. Clarity Needed from Vendors: Mark stressed that vendors should focus on clear, honest positioning. Instead of claiming to do everything better than competitors, vendors would benefit from articulating their unique strengths and areas where they excel, building trust with clients. 4. Critical Capabilities over Magic Quadrants: While Magic Quadrants are popular, Mark urged companies to focus on Critical Capabilities reports, which assess individual products’ strengths against specific use cases, rather than merely positioning vendors. 5. Unified Repositories as the Future: A common theme was the need for a centralized, versatile repository system. Mark believes future market leaders will be those who can separate modeling from the repository while offering a unified access layer, addressing BPM, EA, and portfolio management needs without overwhelming end-users. This episode serves as an invaluable session for those interested in understanding BPM and EA’s current market and future direction. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Unpacking the Future of BPM with Marc Vietor: AI, Process Mining, and Global Trends in Business T...

In this episode of "BPM360 - Covering Every Angle," hosts Caspar and Russell sit down with Marc Vietor, a seasoned expert in business process management (BPM), to discuss the evolution of BPM in a rapidly transforming digital landscape. Marc shares his journey from consulting to product management, emphasizing the strategic role of ARIS in driving end-to-end business transformation. Key topics include: 1. Process Mining and AI Integration: Marc highlights the role of process mining in enriching BPM and the importance of AI as a technology enabler for business transformation. 2. Global Trends and Market Differences: The conversation touches on regional variations in BPM adoption, from the fast-paced SaaS-driven approach in the Americas to the design-led focus in Europe and Australia. 3. Mergers and Strategic Positioning: They explore the impact of mergers in the enterprise architecture space, emphasizing the integration of ARIS and Alphabet for a unified process management solution. 4. BPM Democratization and Future Vision: Marc envisions a future where BPM is more accessible and autonomous, evolving towards a user-friendly, democratized approach that integrates seamlessly into daily workflows. 5. Challenges in Integration and Flexibility: The discussion also dives into the complexity of integrating BPM with existing systems, the need for flexible solutions, and ARIS’s approach to balancing high-end capabilities with simple, scalable solutions. Marc shares his excitement about bringing BPM closer to the masses, aiming to make process management intuitive and hands-free, akin to the evolution of autonomous driving. This episode provides valuable insights into the direction of BPM technology and its role in shaping business operations worldwide. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 3

Interview with Marc Vietor

Russell and Caspar have an interesting conversation with ARIS' General Manager Marc Vietor on BPM, EA and much more.

Ep. 2

An interview with Corinna Frank from Phoenix Contact: passion driven BPM

Russell and Caspar have a passionate conversation on BPM with BPM Superwoman Corinna Frank, who's leading the BPM space at Phoenix Contact.

Passion-Driven Perseverance: Corinna Frank’s Journey in BPM Transformation at Phoenix Contact

In this episode of "BPM360 - Covering Every Angle," hosts Caspar and Russell are joined by Corinna Frank, dubbed the "BPM Superwoman," to discuss her two-decade journey in business process management (BPM) at Phoenix. Corinna shares her insights into how BPM has evolved from basic process documentation to a strategic initiative that drives global transformation across the company. Key topics include: 1. Evolution from ISO Certification to BPM: Corinna reflects on her start in process management, transitioning from ISO documentation to a comprehensive BPM approach, emphasizing transparency, control, and continuous improvement. 2. Global BPM Strategy and Governance: The discussion delves into the challenges of rolling out a global BPM initiative, highlighting the importance of finding the right local champions and adapting processes to fit diverse cultural and market needs. 3. Building a Federated Process Community: Corinna explains the development of a global BPM community at Phoenix, balancing centralized process standards with local flexibility to empower teams worldwide. 4. Leadership and Sponsorship in BPM: She underscores the crucial role of strong executive sponsorship and stakeholder engagement in ensuring BPM initiatives gain traction and drive meaningful change. 5. Passion and Perseverance in Process Management: Emphasizing her personal dedication to BPM, Corinna shares her belief that true success in process management comes from passion-driven perseverance and a commitment to creating real value for the organization. The episode wraps up with a discussion on the future of BPM at Phoenix and Corinna’s vision of integrating process mining, analysis, and optimization into a seamless lifecycle that supports continuous improvement and innovation. Her journey is a testament to the power of persistence and the human element in driving process excellence. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Closing the Loop: Elevating BPM Through Strategic Leadership and Cultural Integration

In the final episode of the first Podcast Season Caspar and Russell conclude on the BPM Success Framework and give an outlook on the next season: 1. Closing Discussion on BPM Framework: The episode focuses on concluding their discussions about the BPM (Business Process Management) framework, covering its eight components and their relevance to BPM success. 2. Overview of the Eight BPM Components: The hosts review the eight components of the BPM framework: executive sponsorship, stakeholder involvement, governance (ownership and procedures), tools and methodologies, and human affairs (communication and organization). 3. Significance of Executive Sponsorship: The hosts emphasize that executive sponsorship is crucial for BPM success, likening it to the driver of a car; without it, BPM efforts may stall, especially during the uphill struggle of implementation. 4. Importance of Ownership and Organization: Ownership and organization are discussed as critical for translating BPM vision into reality. They bridge the gap between strategic goals and operational execution, making them essential for BPM success. 5. Role of Methodology and Tools: While methodology and tools are seen as foundational, the hosts argue that they are not the most critical success factors. The success of BPM depends more on effective use rather than the specific methodologies or tools chosen. 6. Challenges with Procedures: Procedures are acknowledged as important but not the most critical component. They support BPM efforts but are seen as less impactful compared to factors like ownership and executive sponsorship. 7. Human Factors and Communication: Communication is identified as a key factor in BPM success, serving as the medium through which changes are implemented and sustained. The human aspect of BPM, including how people engage with the process, is highlighted as vital. 8. Stakeholder Involvement: The hosts discuss how stakeholders play a role in pushing BPM forward, especially in the absence of strong executive sponsorship. However, they also note that without proper incentives, stakeholders may lose interest over time. 9. Cultural Integration of BPM: Integrating BPM into the company culture is seen as the ultimate goal for long-term success. When BPM becomes ingrained in the culture, it can survive changes in leadership and other challenges. 10. Future Direction of the Podcast: The episode concludes with an announcement that the podcast will shift towards more dynamic discussions with guest experts and will focus on real-time issues in BPM, moving away from the theoretical groundwork laid in previous episodes. This episode serves as a reflective summary of their BPM discussions, stressing the importance of leadership, ownership, and communication in the successful implementation of BPM initiatives. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Kicking Off Season 2 with Michael Schank: Unveiling the Blueprint for Digital Transformation Success

In the first episode of BPM360's second season, hosts Caspar and Russell welcome Michael Schank, the esteemed author of Digital Transformation Success, to discuss his journey, insights, and the critical elements of effective digital transformation. Here are the 10 key takeaways: 1. Process Inventory as the Foundation: Schank emphasizes the importance of creating a comprehensive process inventory to serve as the backbone of any digital transformation effort, ensuring alignment and reducing chaos. 2. The Role of Business Architecture: Understanding that business capabilities must connect to processes is essential; processes are where the abstract becomes tangible and actionable. 3. Balancing Business and IT: Successful transformation requires a balance between business needs and IT capabilities, highlighting the value of professionals who bridge the gap between these domains. 4. Common Language for Alignment: Establishing a process hierarchy creates a common language across the organization, crucial for aligning risk management, IT, and other business functions. 5. The Importance of Capability Models: While capability models are abstract, they must be tied to actual processes to be effective, allowing for better cross-functional analysis and standardization. 6. Ownership and Governance: Clear ownership and governance structures are vital, with processes needing to be aligned with organizational hierarchy to ensure accountability and accuracy. 7. Dealing with Resistance: Schank addresses the common pushback on the perceived effort of building a process inventory, arguing that the upfront investment is far less costly than the chaos of poorly managed transformations. 8. The Power of Integrated Management Systems: Future BPM efforts should aim to create integrated systems that not only optimize processes but also connect all organizational knowledge into a cohesive digital twin. 9. Digital Twins and AI: Schank introduces the concept of digital twins powered by AI, which can offer real-time insights and predictive capabilities by mapping out all business processes and their interconnections. 10. Practical Tools and Applications: While Schank avoids endorsing specific tools, he emphasizes the need for object-centric BPM platforms that can manage the complexity of modern enterprises, ensuring scalability and integration. This episode sets the stage for a season focused on deeper, more practical insights into BPM, starting with the invaluable lessons from Michael Schank's experiences and his comprehensive approach to digital transformation. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Balancing People and Processes: Mastering Organization and Communication in BPM

In this episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, hosts Caspar and Russell discuss: • Challenges in managing human resources within BPM initiatives. • Importance of placing the right experts in appropriate roles. • Impact of effective knowledge management on organizational efficiency. • Pitfalls of implementing technology before establishing processes. • Significance of communicating BPM goals at all organizational levels. • Role and benefits of centers of excellence in BPM. • Strategies for preventing burnout and ensuring continuous development. • Engaging human resources to support BPM initiatives. • Embedding BPM into organizational culture through clear communication. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 10

Celebrating Episode 10 and Diving into Human Affairs

In their 10th episode, Caspar and Russell celebrate their podcast milestone by delving into the critical human aspects of BPM. They emphasize the importance of effective communication, the need to engage the entire organization, and how BPM can reinforce company culture. The episode sets the stage for future discussions on organizational strategies and practical tips for successful BPM implementation. 1. Importance of Human Affairs in BPM: • The episode focuses on the "human affairs" quadrant of their BPM framework, highlighting the significance of considering the human element in BPM projects. • They discuss how BPM initiatives can fail if they underestimate the importance of engaging with and communicating to the people involved. 2. Communication as a Key Component: • Effective communication is vital for the success of BPM projects. This includes regular updates and involvement of the broader organization to prevent isolation and ensure alignment. • Caspar shares a common scenario where BPM teams work in isolation and lose organizational engagement, stressing the need for continuous and transparent communication. 3. Two Audiences for BPM: • Russell points out that there are two primary audiences for BPM: the experts who create and maintain the processes and the entire organization that consumes and executes these processes. • The need for clear, contextually relevant communication to make the documentation accessible and useful for everyone is emphasized. 4. Documentation vs. Modelling: • Caspar and Russell debate the terminology of "documentation" vs. "modelling." Caspar prefers "documentation" as it encompasses the model and all related information, while Russell argues for "modelling" as it indicates a more dynamic, analytical approach. • Both agree on the necessity of providing context and making the process information actionable and understandable. 5. BPM as a Cultural Element: • BPM is not just about process efficiency; it's also a means to embed and reflect company culture and values. • The process framework can help align the organization's strategic goals with everyday operations, ensuring that cultural values are integrated into business processes. 6. Challenges and Practical Tips: • Caspar and Russell discuss practical challenges in BPM, such as ensuring that process changes are effectively communicated and understood across the organization. • They highlight the importance of setting up a regular communication rhythm to keep the organization informed and engaged with the BPM initiatives. 7. Future Discussions: • The hosts plan to continue exploring the human affairs aspect of BPM in future episodes, specifically focusing on organizational aspects and more practical communication strategies. • They tease upcoming topics, including the integration of AI in BPM and the intersection of business and IT architecture. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Barbecue Blues and BPM Insights: Unveiling the Synergy of Process Mining and Modeling

 In this episode Caspar and Russell effectively highlight the importance of integrating process mining and modelling to optimize organizational processes and strategic alignment. Future episodes promise to delve deeper into these topics and bring in expert voices to enrich the conversation. 1. Weather Woes and Barbecue Blues: • Caspar and Russell kick off with a casual chat about the weather in Germany and the Netherlands, emphasizing how it impacts outdoor activities like barbecuing. • The conversation underscores cultural differences in spontaneity and planning social activities, contrasting German and Spanish approaches. 2. Process Mining and Modeling Synergy: • The core topic revolves around the synergy between process mining and process modeling in business process management (BPM). • Caspar proposes that combining process mining and modeling creates a synergistic effect, where the integrated approach offers greater value than each method alone. 3. Understanding Process Value and Documentation: • Russell highlights that although process mining focuses on a smaller percentage of processes, it often covers core processes that generate significant revenue. • There's an emphasis on the need to document the remaining processes to maintain a comprehensive overview of an organization’s operations. 4. Strategic and Operational Alignment: • BPM aligns an organization from strategy to operational processes, ensuring that every process contributes to the overall goals and strategy. • Proper documentation is crucial to this alignment, helping identify roles, responsibilities, and interdependencies among processes. 5. Challenges in BPM Adoption: • Despite the clear benefits, many organizations struggle to integrate process mining with traditional BPM due to varying implementation speeds and complexities. • There's a need for frameworks that can quickly adapt and integrate both approaches without getting bogged down in detailed debates on methodologies. 6. Future Directions and Innovations: • Caspar and Russell discuss the potential future of BPM, including the integration of AI and the concept of creating a "digital twin" of an organization. • They explore the idea of documenting interactions between objects within processes rather than just individual processes, aligning more closely with object-centric process mining. 7. Upcoming Topics and Guests: • The hosts tease future episodes focusing on AI in BPM, integrated management systems, and the relationship between business and IT architecture. • They plan to invite guests, starting with Michael Shank, to discuss relevant BPM literature and theories. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Mastering Business Process Management: Unveiling the Secrets of the Center of Excellence

1. Focus on Center of Excellence (COE): • The discussion primarily revolved around the concept of the Center of Excellence. Caspar and Russell explained that a COE is a group dedicated to ensuring that the right information is provided to the right people at the right time. 2. Framework Transition: • They transitioned from the previous episode’s discussion on government segments and procedures to delve deeper into BPM (Business Process Management) and its relevance in structuring dialogues between stakeholders. 3. Methodology and Tools: • The hosts explored the methodologies and tools associated with BPM, highlighting the importance of having a structured approach and the right tools to manage processes efficiently. 4. Meta-Model and Taxonomy: • Caspar and Russell stressed the need for a clear meta-model and taxonomy to define processes, roles, artefacts, and their relationships. This ensures consistency and clarity across different departments. 5. Granularity and Documentation: • The discussion underscored the need to balance between high-level overviews and detailed documentation. They pointed out the necessity of breaking down processes into manageable activities for better understanding and implementation. 6. End-to-End Scenarios: • They emphasized the importance of considering end-to-end scenarios in process management. Understanding the complete sequence of activities from input to output is crucial for effective process modelling. 7. Challenges and Best Practices: • The hosts addressed common challenges in process documentation, such as maintaining consistency across different functions and the need for a unified understanding of activities. 8. Iterative Approach: • An iterative approach was advocated for refining process models. This involves continuous dialogue and adjustment to ensure that the models remain relevant and accurate. 9. Integration of AI: • They discussed the potential of integrating AI, especially in using documented data for training AI models. This integration can significantly enhance process management by providing deep insights and intelligent filtering of data. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Center of Excellence: Driving Consistency and Innovation in Business Process Management

The episode emphasizes the critical role of CoEs, the necessity of a consistent methodology, and the evolving landscape of BPM with the integration of AI. 1. Center of Excellence (CoE) Framework: • Importance: CoE ensures that relevant information is provided to the right people at the right time within an organization. • Structure: Can vary significantly, but fundamentally involves a dedicated team managing process excellence and methodology. 2. Methodology and Tools: • Methodology: Emphasized as essential for ensuring consistent language and understanding across the organization. Involves defining processes, taxonomy, and creating a shared repository. • Tools: Discussed broadly without delving into specific tools, highlighting their role in enabling process management and consistency. 3. Process Definitions and Granularity: • Definitions: The necessity of clear and agreed-upon definitions for processes and activities within an organization. • Granularity: The level of detail required in process documentation, ensuring it is understandable and useful across different departments. 4. Taxonomy and Metamodel: • Taxonomy: Defines artefacts like processes, risks, and controls, and their relationships. • Metamodel: Acts as a baseline for maintaining consistency and control over process documentation. 5. Iterative Approach: • Importance: Encouraged an iterative approach to process documentation and methodology, facilitating ongoing dialogue and understanding between business and IT. 6. Challenges and Best Practices: • Consistency: Ensuring consistent process modelling across functions to avoid discrepancies. • Documentation: Balancing detailed documentation with readability and usability for business users. 7. Future of BPM with AI: • AI Integration: Potential for AI to leverage comprehensive process repositories for enhanced business insights and efficiency. • Contextualized Repositories: The importance of maintaining interconnections and relations within process documentation to fully exploit AI capabilities. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 6

Procedures in Business Process Management

In this episode of the BPM360 podcast, Russel and Caspar dive into the topic of procedures that are needed or desired when setting up and operating a business process management center of excellence, or in short a BPM CoE.

Streamlining Success: Navigating the Complexities of Process Management

In the sixth episode of the BPM 360 Podcast, hosts Caspar and Russell delve into the topic of "Procedures" within the broader context of governance in business process management. This episode expands on the discussions from previous episodes about ownership and shifts towards the procedural aspects that ensure effective process management across organizations. Key Topics Discussed: Introduction to Procedures: The conversation starts by defining procedures as crucial elements that keep processes up-to-date and responsive to changes, such as staff turnovers or new legislation. Process Approval Process: Russell emphasizes the initial challenge most organizations face with setting up and navigating the process approval procedures, especially as they establish their BPM initiatives. Operational vs. Management Perspective on Procedures: There is a distinction made between how operational staff versus management perceive and handle procedures. Operational teams are often more familiar with documenting and following procedures than management teams, who might not have management processes well-documented. Complexity in Procedure Management: The dialogue explores the complexity involved in managing procedures, especially when multiple stakeholders and varying levels of process management maturity are involved. Integration of Procedures Across Departments: They discuss the need for integrated management systems that can handle multiple aspects of an organization’s procedures but acknowledge the challenges and potential overheads associated with overly complex systems. Agility vs. Control in Procedures: A significant part of the discussion is dedicated to finding the balance between maintaining procedural control and ensuring organizational agility, especially in responding to changes. Real-World Examples of Procedural Challenges: Using examples from their professional experiences, both hosts discuss real-world challenges and solutions in managing procedures, including the importance of impact analysis and the need for streamlined change management processes. Observations and Insights: The episode effectively highlights the critical role that well-defined and efficiently managed procedures play in the governance of business processes. It sheds light on the necessity of having a cohesive approach to process documentation and approval, which are essential for operational success and strategic flexibility in rapidly changing business environments. The discussion underscores the importance of adaptability and continuous improvement in procedure management, which are key to sustaining process efficiency and compliance across various organizational domains. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Beyond Boundaries: Mastering End-to-End Ownership in Business Processes

The fifth episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosted by Caspar and Russell, delves deeper into the complexities of ownership within business process management. The discussion extends the conversation from the functional to the holistic integration of end-to-end process management.

Beyond Boundaries: Mastering End-to-End Ownership in Business Processes

The fifth episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosted by Caspar and Russell, delves deeper into the complexities of ownership within business process management. The discussion extends the conversation from the functional to the holistic integration of end-to-end process management. Key Topics Discussed: Extended Ownership Discussion: The hosts revisit the topic of ownership, emphasizing its importance in the broader scope of process management rather than just focusing on depth. They discuss how ownership influences both the management of change and the operational outcomes of processes. Domain-Specific Ownership Challenges: Caspar and Russell explore how different departments like production, procurement, and compliance each face unique challenges and often develop their functional ownership without a cohesive strategy across the organization. End-to-End Ownership: A significant portion of the conversation is dedicated to establishing end-to-end ownership, which involves enhancing communication and process integration across various departments to optimize overall functionality. Global and Local Integration: They highlight the need for aligning process optimization and standardization not only at a local level but also on a global scale, which poses additional challenges and requires a thoughtful approach to managing complexity. Methodology and Tool Ownership: Discussion about the disparity in methods and tools used across departments, underlining the lack of unified ownership for methodologies, which could be addressed through a center of excellence. Real-World Examples: Russell uses his experience in supply chain management to illustrate the practical challenges and implications of end-to-end ownership, particularly how misalignments between business strategy and process execution can lead to inefficiencies. Process Ownership Across Domains: They debate the placement of ownership for cross-domain processes like Procure2Pay, discussing how different industries might approach the assignment of end-to-end process ownership depending on their operational focus and organizational structure. Observations and Insights: This episode highlights the necessity of bridging the gaps between different functional areas through integrated process ownership. The hosts advocate for a strategic alignment that transcends departmental boundaries, ensuring that end-to-end processes are managed effectively to support organizational goals. This comprehensive approach to ownership is crucial for overcoming the siloed nature of many large organizations and achieving a seamless operational flow. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 4

YT final

This episode of the BPM360 podcast deals with the concept of governance around business process management. What is it, what are the implications of it and how can you implement it.

Ownership Unpacked: Navigating Governance and Accountability in Process Management

In this Episode, Caspar and Russell dig into the depths of Governance and Accountability   Key Topics Discussed: Concept of Ownership: Ownership in the context of governance is about who controls various parts of the process landscape. The discussion opens by defining ownership simply as controlling aspects of a process, with nuances and subtleties involved. Distribution of Ownership: The podcast emphasizes that ownership should not be concentrated but distributed among various stakeholders. This distribution is crucial for successful governance and process management. Accountability vs. Responsibility: A distinction is made between accountability (ultimate responsibility where the buck stops) and responsibility (day-to-day management of tasks which can be delegated). Ownership primarily pertains to accountability. Process Ownership: The conversation delves into practical aspects of process ownership, using procurement as an example. The Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) at DSM is cited as being accountable for procurement processes at a strategic level, whereas operational execution is managed by individual purchasing managers at plant levels. Operative and Strategic Roles: The talk distinguishes between strategic oversight and operative execution, noting that strategic process owners might not handle daily operations but ensure processes are optimized for those who do. Role of Process Owners as Leaders: Process owners are viewed as leaders who set examples and lead by example, crucial for cultivating a culture of compliance and excellence within an organization. Challenges of Process Ownership: Establishing clear lines of accountability in process ownership, especially in complex organizations with global operations, is highlighted as a challenge. The need for different leadership styles in process ownership is discussed, suggesting the necessity for both assertive and diplomatic approaches depending on the process type. Observations and Insights: The discussion reflects on the role of process owners in fostering organizational efficiency and accountability, touching on both the philosophical and practical aspects of governance and ownership. The nuanced debate about the different aspects of ownership, such as accountability, responsibility, and strategic vs. operational roles, offers a comprehensive insight into effective process management. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 3

podcast S01E03 Stakeholder management

In this episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosts Russell and Caspar discuss how to navigate through the different Perspectives and Culture Challenges in Stakeholder Management in Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. They highlight the following key points: 1. Introduction to Stakeholder Engagement: Moving from the executive sponsor focus to understanding the broader spectrum of stakeholders crucial for BPM projects. 2. Identification of Stakeholder Groups: Exploring various stakeholder groups such as subject matter experts, process managers, quality management, compliance, risk management, project managers, and IT. 3. Challenges in Identifying Stakeholders: Highlighting the difficulty in identifying stakeholders, especially when new to the organization, and the importance of clear allocation and engagement. 4. Use Cases and Services: Emphasizing the importance of defining use cases and services provided by BPM and identifying the departments and individuals who will interact closely. 5. Aligning Risk and Process Management: Discussing how risk managers understand organizational risks and processes but often face challenges aligning their perceptions with BPM platforms. 6. Stakeholder Mapping Exercise: Advocating for a stakeholder mapping exercise to understand attitudes towards BPM and their influence on decision-making, essential for effective stakeholder engagement. 7. Continuous Stakeholder Management: Stressing the need for ongoing stakeholder management as a journey rather than a one-off exercise, considering changes in personnel, attitudes, and organizational dynamics. 8. Cultural Aspects in Stakeholder Engagement: Sharing experiences of cultural challenges in implementing BPM, such as technical proficiency barriers and generational differences, affecting stakeholder involvement. 9. Strategies for Stakeholder Conversion: Proposing strategies to convert project opponents into ambassadors, leveraging their expertise and influence to drive project success. 10. Identifying Influential Stakeholders: Emphasizing the importance of identifying influential stakeholders respected for their experience and exposure, and integrating them into the BPM initiative for credibility and success. 11. Community Building and Continuous Support: Highlighting the significance of building critical mass, maintaining continuous stakeholder support, and storytelling to communicate the journey and sustain engagement. 12. Inviting Audience Participation: Encouraging listeners to share questions, anecdotes, and feedback for future episodes, signaling a commitment to addressing community interests and concerns. Outro with Music We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 2

podcast S01E02 Sponsorship

In this episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosts Russell and Caspar delve into the importance of executive sponsorship in the success of Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. They highlight the following key points: The Importance of Positivity: Emphasizing the necessity to spread positivity around BPM while being pragmatic and solution-oriented, avoiding overused marketing phrases. Challenges in BPM: Acknowledging the challenges and frustrations commonly experienced by practitioners in the BPM field. Community Support: Underlining the value of community and the collective experiences of individuals facing similar challenges in BPM adoption. Executive Sponsorship: Stressing the crucial role of executive sponsors in providing budget, mandate, and support for BPM initiatives to scale across organizations. Starting Small: Discussing the feasibility of starting BPM initiatives on a small scale and gradually expanding. Aligning BPM with Strategic Initiatives: Highlighting the strategy of aligning BPM efforts with the organization's strategic initiatives to gain executive buy-in and support. The Role of Executive Sponsors: Expounding on the multiple roles of executive sponsors, including ensuring alignment at the executive level, functioning as escalation points for issues, and supporting the head of BPM or global process owner. Process Ownership and Governance: Discussing the establishment of process ownership and the significance of having a process governance board chaired by the executive sponsor. Organizational Culture and Change: Touching on the necessity of changing company culture and maturing organizational capabilities to embrace BPM. Strategic Alignment and Value Communication: Advising on the importance of communicating the strategic value of BPM initiatives in relation to the organization's strategic goals and pain points. Real-world Application and Pain Points: Recommending the identification of specific organizational pain points that BPM can address to demonstrate its value and impact. Building BPM Capabilities: Mentioning the incremental approach to building BPM capabilities within an organization and the significance of tailoring the approach to the sponsor's experience with BPM. Executive Sponsor as a Partner: Viewing the executive sponsor not just as a financial supporter but as a strategic partner who can offer invaluable advice and guidance for the BPM initiative. Behavioral Role Modeling: The best executive sponsors practice what they preach, serving as powerful examples for the organization to follow. Overall, the podcast emphasizes the complexity of implementing BPM, the critical role of executive sponsorship in overcoming these challenges, and the strategic alignment of BPM initiatives with the organization's broader goals. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

Stakeholder Management in BPM: Navigating Perspectives and Cultural Challenges

In this episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosts Russell and Caspar discuss how to navigate through the different Perspectives and Culture Challenges in Stakeholder Management in Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. They highlight the following key points: 1.  Introduction to Stakeholder Engagement: Moving from the executive sponsor focus to understanding the broader spectrum of stakeholders crucial for BPM projects. 2. Identification of Stakeholder Groups: Exploring various stakeholder groups such as subject matter experts, process managers, quality management, compliance, risk management, project managers, and IT. 3. Challenges in Identifying Stakeholders: Highlighting the difficulty in identifying stakeholders, especially when new to the organization, and the importance of clear allocation and engagement. 4. Use Cases and Services: Emphasizing the importance of defining use cases and services provided by BPM and identifying the departments and individuals who will interact closely. 5. Aligning Risk and Process Management: Discussing how risk managers understand organizational risks and processes but often face challenges aligning their perceptions with BPM platforms. 6. Stakeholder Mapping Exercise: Advocating for a stakeholder mapping exercise to understand attitudes towards BPM and their influence on decision-making, essential for effective stakeholder engagement. 7. Continuous Stakeholder Management: Stressing the need for ongoing stakeholder management as a journey rather than a one-off exercise, considering changes in personnel, attitudes, and organizational dynamics. 8. Cultural Aspects in Stakeholder Engagement: Sharing experiences of cultural challenges in implementing BPM, such as technical proficiency barriers and generational differences, affecting stakeholder involvement. 9. Strategies for Stakeholder Conversion: Proposing strategies to convert project opponents into ambassadors, leveraging their expertise and influence to drive project success. 10. Identifying Influential Stakeholders: Emphasizing the importance of identifying influential stakeholders respected for their experience and exposure, and integrating them into the BPM initiative for credibility and success. 11. Community Building and Continuous Support: Highlighting the significance of building critical mass, maintaining continuous stakeholder support, and storytelling to communicate the journey and sustain engagement. 12. Inviting Audience Participation: Encouraging listeners to share questions, anecdotes, and feedback for future episodes, signaling a commitment to addressing community interests and concerns. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 2

podcast - S01E02 Sponsorship

In this episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosts Russell and Caspar delve into the importance of executive sponsorship in the success of Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. They highlight the following key points: The Importance of Positivity: Emphasizing the necessity to spread positivity around BPM while being pragmatic and solution-oriented, avoiding overused marketing phrases. Challenges in BPM: Acknowledging the challenges and frustrations commonly experienced by practitioners in the BPM field. Community Support: Underlining the value of community and the collective experiences of individuals facing similar challenges in BPM adoption. Executive Sponsorship: Stressing the crucial role of executive sponsors in providing budget, mandate, and support for BPM initiatives to scale across organizations. Starting Small: Discussing the feasibility of starting BPM initiatives on a small scale and gradually expanding. Aligning BPM with Strategic Initiatives: Highlighting the strategy of aligning BPM efforts with the organization's strategic initiatives to gain executive buy-in and support. The Role of Executive Sponsors: Expounding on the multiple roles of executive sponsors, including ensuring alignment at the executive level, functioning as escalation points for issues, and supporting the head of BPM or global process owner. Process Ownership and Governance: Discussing the establishment of process ownership and the significance of having a process governance board chaired by the executive sponsor. Organizational Culture and Change: Touching on the necessity of changing company culture and maturing organizational capabilities to embrace BPM. Strategic Alignment and Value Communication: Advising on the importance of communicating the strategic value of BPM initiatives in relation to the organization's strategic goals and pain points. Real-world Application and Pain Points: Recommending the identification of specific organizational pain points that BPM can address to demonstrate its value and impact. Building BPM Capabilities: Mentioning the incremental approach to building BPM capabilities within an organization and the significance of tailoring the approach to the sponsor's experience with BPM. Executive Sponsor as a Partner: Viewing the executive sponsor not just as a financial supporter but as a strategic partner who can offer invaluable advice and guidance for the BPM initiative. Behavioral Role Modeling: The best executive sponsors practice what they preach, serving as powerful examples for the organization to follow. Overall, the podcast emphasizes the complexity of implementing BPM, the critical role of executive sponsorship in overcoming these challenges, and the strategic alignment of BPM initiatives with the organization's broader goals. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com

BPM - Sponsorship

In this episode of the BPM 360 podcast, hosts Russell and Caspar delve into the importance of executive sponsorship in the success of Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. They highlight the following key points: 1. The Importance of Positivity: Emphasizing the necessity to spread positivity around BPM while being pragmatic and solution-oriented, avoiding overused marketing phrases. 2. Challenges in BPM: Acknowledging the challenges and frustrations commonly experienced by practitioners in the BPM field. 3. Community Support: Underlining the value of community and the collective experiences of individuals facing similar challenges in BPM adoption. 4. Executive Sponsorship: Stressing the crucial role of executive sponsors in providing budget, mandate, and support for BPM initiatives to scale across organizations. 5. Starting Small: Discussing the feasibility of starting BPM initiatives on a small scale and gradually expanding. 6. Aligning BPM with Strategic Initiatives: Highlighting the strategy of aligning BPM efforts with the organization's strategic initiatives to gain executive buy-in and support. 7. The Role of Executive Sponsors: Expounding on the multiple roles of executive sponsors, including ensuring alignment at the executive level, functioning as escalation points for issues, and supporting the head of BPM or global process owner. 8. Process Ownership and Governance: Discussing the establishment of process ownership and the significance of having a process governance board chaired by the executive sponsor. 9. Organizational Culture and Change: Touching on the necessity of changing company culture and maturing organizational capabilities to embrace BPM. 10. Strategic Alignment and Value Communication: Advising on the importance of communicating the strategic value of BPM initiatives in relation to the organization's strategic goals and pain points. 11. Real-world Application and Pain Points: Recommending the identification of specific organizational pain points that BPM can address to demonstrate its value and impact. 12. Building BPM Capabilities: Mentioning the incremental approach to building BPM capabilities within an organization and the significance of tailoring the approach to the sponsor's experience with BPM. 13. Executive Sponsor as a Partner: Viewing the executive sponsor not just as a financial supporter but as a strategic partner who can offer invaluable advice and guidance for the BPM initiative. 14. Behavioral Role Modeling: The best executive sponsors practice what they preach, serving as powerful examples for the organization to follow. Overall, the podcast emphasizes the complexity of implementing BPM, the critical role of executive sponsorship in overcoming these challenges, and the strategic alignment of BPM initiatives with the organization's broader goals. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Teaser - BPM360 Podcast

Coming soon, to your local podcast dealer!

Teaser - BPM360 Podcast

Announcement of the BPM360 Podcast

Podcast Introduction - What is about, Who is it for? Discussion on Key Success Factors

The Podcast is all about Business Process Management (BPM). We, That's Casper Jans and Russell Gomersall, want to cover every angle of this topic we are so passionate about. In this first episode, we take on a high level view on the key success factors:  • Sponsorship • Sponsor • Stakeholders • Governance  • Ownership • Procedures • Center of Excellence • Methods • Tools • Human Affaires • Organization • Communication In the following episodes we will be diving deeper into each of the categories. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts & clips

Ep. 82

Short on episode 82: Temporal and seasonal influences for the context model.

Short sample from episode 82 of the @BPM360Podcast where Russell and Caspar discuss the influences of temporal and seasonal data on the content of a context model. Enjoy!

short on the ARIS roadshow 2026 in Frankfurt

Russell reports live from the ARIS Roadshow in Frankfurt, where the vendor is publicly repositioning its process repository from a process documentation tool to a context provider that enables AI agents to deliver business outcomes. The roadshow messaging centers on how comprehensive organizational models—spanning processes, enterprise architecture, and balanced scorecards—create the "digital twin" of a company that AI systems require. Russell observes that ARIS is articulating exactly what Caspar and Russell have been theorizing in their context mini-series: different types of information (why, now, temporal, stakeholder) must be combined to create the context that AI needs to operate effectively and compliantly. A critical shift is emerging across the vendor and customer ecosystem: process models are no longer the end goal of BPM initiatives but rather delivery mechanisms for contextual information that powers AI and drives genuine business transformation. Russell notes that this represents a fundamental reorientation away from traditional BPM's focus on tool features and user capabilities toward outcome-based thinking where value is measured by business impact, not by model creation or certification. The conversation highlights the acceleration of market dynamics and the need for rapid feedback loops between vendors, partners, and customers to navigate the AI transformation successfully. Russell emphasizes that customers, vendors, and consulting partners now must engage in deeper discussions about which context dimensions matter most for their specific use cases and how to operationalize context across platforms and tools—these conversations are just beginning but represent the real work ahead. 5 Key Takeaways: 1. Process repositories are being repositioned from process documentation systems to context layers that fuel AI decision-making and business outcomes. 2. Process models are transitioning from deliverables to delivery mechanisms—the goal is no longer the model itself but what the model enables AI and humans to accomplish. 3. Complete organizational models spanning processes, enterprise architecture, and balanced scorecards create the "digital twin" context that AI agents require to operate compliantly and effectively. 4. Business outcome and transformation impact are now heavily stressed by vendors and customers, displacing the traditional BPM focus on tool features and process modeling skills. 5. Vendors, customers, and partners must engage in dialogue about context dimensions and operationalization rather than assuming tools automatically provide the context AI needs.

Ep. 80

Short Episode 80 The Why Layer

Short sample of our 80th episode where Russell and Caspar discuss the limitations of AI and human influence.

Ep. 78

Short on BPM360 podcast episode 78: Process modeling is dead, long live the process model #podcast

Short fragment from episode 78 of the @BPM360Podcast .

Ep. 77

Short - AI, BPM and Business Model Innovation

A short on AI's impact on business model innovation for the @BPM360Podcast with student Jan Michel Kirsch

Ep. 75

Short: the human dimension

Dr Linda Ackerman Anderson talking briefly about the human dimension in change management and how this is overlooked frequently.

Short - replacing tools or culture

A short video of our latest @BPM360Podcast episode where Caspar asks the question: what is easiest to replace: the people, the processes or the tools...

Ep. 70

Short: "Deliver value, not just projects

Episode 70 is here... here's a sample preview.... Stay tuned if you want to learn more about change management and it's impact on Business Process Management.

Ep. 50

ServiceNow and process mining: a BPM360 podcast 50th episode short

In this short Russell lays out his ideas about the expansion of ServiceNow's recently added process mining capabilities.

Shorts - Frankfurt Fires Up: SAP, Signavio, and LeanIX Unite!

In this episode, we catch up with Russell live from Frankfurt at the SAP Signavio and LeanIX event, where the buzz is all about business transformation. Russell gives a sneak peek into partner day highlights, including insights from a fireside chat with Signavio and LeanIX founders. The overarching theme? SAP's vision for a unified, cloud-centric transformation journey that bridges BPM and IT architecture. We also get a preview of Russell's own AI and BPM presentation, which he’s fine-tuned to perfection for a small but hopefully captivated audience. Stay tuned as we promise a deeper dive into keynotes and more updates! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts - SAP Summit Day 2: Nudges, Building Blocks, and Scope Anxiety

Reporting live from the bustling SAP Signavio and LeanIX summit in Frankfurt, Russell shares highlights from an eventful second day. He details the keynote, featuring Nestlé’s creative use of WalkMe technology to guide employees seamlessly and encourage safe innovation through their internal “Nestlé GPT.” Russell also covers Deloitte's impressive showcase, where they used clever Minecraft-themed visuals to illustrate their revamped model company approach, emphasizing transformation as a series of strategic building blocks. However, not everything impressed, as Accenture’s abstract presentation lacked tangible takeaways. Finally, Russell tackles the ever-relevant “scope anxiety” question: Is SAP thinking beyond its own ecosystem? Stay tuned for more insights as the summit unfolds! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts - AI Meets PI: Day One at Celosphere

In this lively recap from Celosphere in Munich, Caspar and Russell dive into their key takeaways from day one, centering on the intersection of artificial intelligence and process intelligence (PI). With a buzzing focus on AI applications in BPM, they highlight an overarching theme: “There’s no AI without PI.” They reflect on the need for AI to leverage real, validated process data to enhance decision-making and drive impactful change. The day’s discussions also stressed the importance of sponsorship and value alignment as critical success factors for organizations aiming to make meaningful improvements through digital transformation. Key Highlights: 1. AI’s Growing Role in BPM: Day one sessions revealed numerous real-world AI applications in BPM, underscoring how AI can help organizations understand and improve processes. 2. The Power of PI (Process Intelligence): Process intelligence emerged as a foundational element for successful AI. Caspar noted that “there is no AI without PI,” as accurate, validated data underpins AI's effectiveness in enhancing processes. 3. Value Alignment and Sponsorship: Keynote sessions emphasized the need for alignment on value definitions across departments and strong executive sponsorship to drive sustainable change. 4. Unified Digital Twin Vision: To achieve holistic process insights, a unified “digital twin” was proposed, linking process intelligence, enterprise architecture, and other disciplines under a shared data model. 5. Bridging the Silos: The event also highlighted the importance of breaking down organizational silos, uniting enterprise architects, process miners, and business process managers under a single strategic vision. Stay tuned for a full episode we recorded on the Celosphere with the special guests Oliver Zeller and Kerry Brown. We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Ep. 4

Short #4 Consolidation in BPM/EA land

In this episode of the BPM360 podcast, hosts Dr Russell Gomersall and Caspar Jans look into the ongoing consolidation movements that are taking place in the BPM & EA universe. They discuss reasons and consequences and talk about Italian food in the process. Enjoy!

Shorts - Big Moves in BPM & EA! | Special Invite to Marc Vietor

In this short but impactful episode, Caspar and Russell dive deep into enterprise architecture, BPM, and the exciting triple merger that has the industry buzzing. Plus, we drop a special shout-out and an official invite to none other than Marc Vietor, General Manager of ARIS! Marc, we’d love to have you join us to unpack where ARIS is headed and your vision for the future. Ready for this, Marc? Let’s make it happen! Listen in, everyone, and stay tuned for more on the evolving world of BPM! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts - BizDesign’s Big Merger

Who’s the Mysterious Third Player in the BPM Power Trio? In this BPM360 short, Caspar and Russell dive into the exciting news of BizDesign and MEGA’s merger, shaking up the enterprise architecture and BPM world. But there's more! A third key player in the business transformation market is set to join the merger, adding even more intrigue. The duo speculates on who this mystery partner could be, from process powerhouses like ARIS to rising stars like Avolution. Join the discussion and share your thoughts on the BPM market's evolving landscape. Is it consolidation time or a race for extended capabilities? We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts - Cracking the Code : BPM Insights Straight from Krakow – Caspar’s Conference Takeaways

In this BPM360 podcast short, Caspar and Russell dive into Caspar's recent experience at the BPM Conference in Krakow. They discuss intriguing keynote talks, including one that delved into diversity's impact on software engineering, and Caspar's enlightening interviews with global BPM experts. From BPM research gaps to practical challenges in applying new methodologies, they highlight the critical takeaways from the event while offering a glimpse into the lively academic discussions, quirky conference moments, and future podcast surprises! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)

Shorts - Live from Krakow: Caspar Uncovers the Cutting Edge of BPM at the Annual Conference

In this podcast short, Caspar reports directly from the BPM conference in Krakow, Poland, giving listeners a front-row seat to the latest trends and discussions in Business Process Management (BPM). With over 300 participants, the event brings together top academics and industry leaders to explore groundbreaking topics, including ethics in BPM and the emerging field of object-centric process mining. Caspar shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities presented in the keynotes and sessions, highlighting the deep dive into how BPM can shape company culture and ethical decision-making. He also teases upcoming interviews with BPM experts from Indonesia and Budapest, promising more in-depth coverage in future episodes. Don't miss Caspar's engaging and insightful take on this pivotal industry event! We hope you enjoy our BPM Podcast. Subscribe and stay tuned for more. Please send us your comments and questions to questions@bpm360podcast.com (mailto:questions@bpm360podcast.com)