Revolutionizing Business Process Management with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the Modern Era

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the convergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Business Process Management (BPM) has emerged as a topic of significant interest and discourse. The burgeoning potential of GenAI presents a realm of possibilities that is reshaping conventional paradigms. Let’s explore the symbiotic relationship between GenAI and BPM, including their confluence, capabilities, and the implications for modern enterprises.

Navigating the GenAI landscape

In recent times, the proliferation of discussions pertaining to GenAI underscores its transformative potential. From OpenAI’s ChatGPT to Google Bard and Midjourney’s image-generating AI, these platforms embody the creative capabilities of this emerging technology, captivating the imagination of business leaders and enthusiasts alike. Industry stakeholders have recognized its allure, leading to its integration into business applications, a strategic maneuver to cater to user needs while capitalizing on market trends.

Convergence of GenAI and BPM

Central to the discourse is the integration of GenAI into the realm of BPM. BPM involves the identification, optimization, and orchestration of processes within and across organizational boundaries. As businesses contemplate the incorporation of GenAI, a pertinent query arises: Can it contribute to Business Transformation and BPM?

Decoding GenAI

GenAI constitutes a subset of the broader AI landscape. At its core, GenAI relies on Large Language Models (LLMs) that harness extensive datasets encompassing diverse textual content. These models employ probabilistic relationships within data sets to generate coherent textual responses. GenAI’s interactivity involves formulating prompts, which can be spoken or written, to which the AI responds with textual or graphic outputs.

Leveraging GenAI in BPM

GenAI’s potential extends to a myriad of use cases within BPM. Its proficiency in content generation, such as drafting articles, summaries, and analyses, makes it an enticing tool for augmenting human-generated content. Noteworthy business process areas include Marketing & Sales, Operations, IT/Engineering, Risk and Legal, HR, and Utility/Employee Optimization. As businesses examine the synergy between GenAI and BPM, specific considerations come to the forefront:

• Defining the scope: Understanding the precise capabilities of GenAI and discerning its alignment with BPM processes forms the cornerstone of strategic implementation.
• Value addition: Identifying the domains where GenAI augments BPM software and vice versa is pivotal. This synergy should translate into measurable value addition for the organization.
• Understand the capabilities: A recent article from McKinsey predicts expected value creation in the areas listed above. Key purposes are drafting, summarizing, complementing, optimizing content (e.g., articles, code, documents, images), and supporting chat-like conversations between people—for instance employees or customers—and machines with a knowledge base in the background.

Areas of interest for business process use-cases

When we explore the various applications of ARIS’s BPM solution, we can draw several conclusions that lead to a wide array of potential future functionalities. These functionalities act as a supportive tool for BPM users who are engaged in specific tasks.

Exploring the potential

The intersection of GenAI and BPM opens up exciting possibilities. One particularly promising avenue involves generating content related to processes. From creating conversational user interfaces to drafting, summarizing, and optimizing content, GenAI can significantly expedite content creation, thereby boosting overall operational efficiency.

Within the ARIS team, we have previously developed some AI-based features. Examples include AI-based translation for BPA content, such as process architecture handbooks, and the AI-based Root Cause Miner for analyzing performance indicators in Process Mining.

During our 2023 International User Group (IUG) event in Budapest, Hungary, we validated the use of GenAI in the context of ARIS with our customers. We presented two experimental prototypes that aimed to demonstrate the value that could be harnessed in the realm of BPM.

A key BPM task: Efficient process drafting

Prototype 1 showcased the ease of integrating content generated by popular GenAI services. This content could then be fine-tuned by an expert according to their needs. While this use-case isn’t magic, its value is substantial. After all, not every domain expert possesses natural writing skills for content meant to be disseminated across the whole organization. Many people strive for perfection but end up not completing the task. Having a machine generate a draft that is “good enough to start with” proves to be a productivity boost that everyone can appreciate.

Prototype 2 took this idea a step further. Imagine if someone, even a non-domain expert like me, could ask ARIS to draft a process with minimal input? What if written documents like Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) could be handed over to GenAI which could then create a well-documented process map (like BPMN or EPC) as a result. Requesting GenAI to create a process as a .bpmn file, which can be imported into ARIS, already yields impressive results. This points to a future where GenAI could expedite content creation significantly.

Looking ahead

As the narrative unfolds, the symbiotic relationship between GenAI and BPM is poised to reshape the business landscape. However, amidst the intrigue, a word of caution resonates. The allure of GenAI should not overshadow the fact that its efficacy lies in partnership with domain expertise. While GenAI can expedite processes and generate content, the human touch remains pivotal in refining and validating outcomes.

In conclusion, the convergence of GenAI and BPM ushers in an era of unprecedented innovation. Organizations that tread this path with prudence, leveraging the unique strengths of both domains, are poised for a new era of efficiency, creativity, and strategic excellence.