9 ways business process management (BPM) is evolving

PEX Network’s key takeaways:

• New technologies, business needs, and customer demands are reshaping business process management (BPM).
• BPM is no longer just about modeling and optimizing workflows – it’s becoming smarter with automation and artificial intelligence (AI).
• The future of BPM is about creating intelligent, adaptive systems that can anticipate, respond, and transform in real-time.

BPM is evolving rapidly as organizations adapt to digital transformation, greater customer expectations, and technological advancements.

For a long time, BPM has been the engine room of process excellence. It can be described as both an organizational practice and a set of best practices that improve the way businesses operate.

At its core, BPM is responsible for ensuring the delivery of value to customers and stakeholders, extending beyond processes to enhance organizational and technological journeys. These can span departments, systems, and even external partners.

The BPM market is projected to grow to a staggering $70.93 billion by 2032, according to data from Fortune Business Insights. Whether you’re a small business aiming to streamline daily operations or a large enterprise managing complex workflows across departments, BPM provides the means to help organizations achieve competitive advantage through process excellence.

Join the PEX Network community

Don't miss any news, updates or insider tips from PEX Network by getting them delivered to your inbox. Sign up to our newsletter and join our community of experts. 

Learn More

9 ways BPM is evolving in 2026

A new age of autonomy and digital disruption is upon us. Emerging technology such as generative AI and agentic AI are redefining business operations and process management.

This introduces several important factors into the BPM sphere. It also opens the door to a new era of process optimization – one where BPM acts as the foundation of AI adoption and AI-enhanced process management.

BPM is the leading technology organizations use to support business transformation, cited by 53 percent of respondents, according to the PEX Report 2025/26. This is ahead of business intelligence and data analytics (52 percent), AI (48 percent) and digital transformation tools (44 percent).

1. Integration of intelligent technologies

BPM is no longer just about modeling and optimizing workflows – it’s becoming smarter with automation and AI. AI tools enable predictive analytics, automated decision-making, and continuous process improvement by detecting patterns, forecasting bottlenecks, and recommending optimizations.

Robotic process automation (RPA) bots handle repetitive, rule-based tasks, freeing human workers for more strategic work, while natural language processing (NLP) enables processes to interpret and act on unstructured text (e.g. emails, documents), improving workflow automation.

“BPM has advanced from simply recording workflows to encompass business process automation, AI integration, and real time data visibility,” says Cameron Kolb, founder of ExitPros. In turn, businesses are investing in more sophisticated and mature BPM systems, achieving much greater results.

2. AI accelerates BPM

AI will accelerate BPM in 2026, but only where organizations have built real process understanding, says Mirko Kloppenburg, BPM thought leader and host of the New Process Podcast.

“In ‘new process’ terms, it’s not about producing more documentation. It’s about creating shared clarity that helps people do better work: a common language, transparent handovers, explicit decision points, and ownership that’s visible in daily operations,” he explains. If processes aren’t understood end-to-end, including variants and exceptions, AI will mostly amplify confusion: faster output, same underlying mess.

“That’s why I see the shift toward building a process-driven organization. Processes become the operational backbone for guidance, automation, and continuous improvement, designed around human needs, not just system logic. Human-centric BPM provides the foundation through purpose, roles, communication flows, governance, and usable process knowledge.”

On that basis, AI can be applied to automate processes across maturity stages, from deterministic automation to generative AI-assisted automation to agent-based execution and orchestration, with increasing impact as clarity and governance improve.

3. Real-time analytics in BPM

BPM systems are increasingly using real-time data to discover, monitor, and optimize processes. “BPM is becoming more data-driven,” says Kyle Rankert, manager/owner at SmallBusinessMgr.com. Instead of relying on standard operating procedures (SOPs) that look good on paper, teams want to see how work really flows. “Where does it get stuck? Where do handoffs break down? That’s where process intelligence and simple metrics like cycle time and rework come in.”

For example:

• Process mining automatically maps out real processes based on event logs, identifying deviations and performance gaps.
• Real-time monitoring dashboards and alerts allow organizations to respond instantly to process issues.
• Predictive analytics use historical data to forecast outcomes and adjust processes proactively.

4. Rise of no-code/no-code platforms

Modern BPM tools are becoming more accessible through visual design and citizen development capabilities, largely enabled by the growth of low-code and no-code software. This democratization speeds up process innovation and reduces IT backlog.

• Low-code platforms: Allow business users (not just IT) to design, modify, and deploy workflows quickly.
• No-code options: Enable non-technical users to build simple processes without writing code.

“By choosing a low-code/no-code platform that supports user and automation governance, organizations can maintain control of their business processes and data while enabling developers who aren’t professional coders,” says Tim Fujita-Yuhas, VP of product management at Precisely. “This is a more cost-effective means of scaling automation adoption and advancing automation maturity within an organization than relying on outside consultants or staffing up specialized professional software coders.”

Watch: Rethinking BPM for the AI-native era: Strategy, governance & execution

5. Cloud-native BPM solutions

Cloud adoption is transforming how BPM capabilities are delivered and consumed. Cloud platforms support elastic scaling for large or unpredictable workloads, while cloud BPM vendors can push frequent updates without downtime. Cloud BPM also easily connects with other SaaS tools and data sources.

“By removing the burden of complex IT deployments, cloud platforms allowed companies, especially small and mid-sized businesses, to adopt BPM and increasingly sophisticated process mining tools without the heavy upfront investment traditionally required,” says Vikas Seth, chief product officer at ARIS. 

Today, a significant portion of the BPM market (more than 60 to 70 percent) is cloud-based, driven by hyperscalers like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud,” Seth adds. “While some organizations still maintain on-premise solutions, the trend toward cloud-native BPM and process mining platforms continues to accelerate.”

6. BPM before technology adoption

Process improvement needs to come before any technology implementation, says Lauren Hisey, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt trainer and coach. “At the end of the day, it will be garbage in and out if the process has not been improved first. Before investing in technology, the processes need to be fixed first.”

The other thing that will start to take hold in 2026 is the role of simple technology before the advanced technology, Hisey adds. “Simple technology allows organizations to sustain transformation and deliver quick wins with massive transformations, yet the same old idea of change fatigue still holds. People on the frontlines want to see how things can improve now and not three years down the road. So simple technologies like digital dashboards, workflow automation to eliminate repetitive manual tasks, and data visualization with the digital dashboards can provide quick relief and be implemented in a shorter amount of time.”

7. Tool sprawl pushes BPM forward

Tool sprawl is also pushing BPM forward. “Small businesses are tired of stitching together a dozen apps. In 2026, there’s more demand for platforms that combine workflows, integrations, automation, and AI in one place, especially for lean teams without IT departments,” says Rankert. “Automation specifically is something I'm frequently recommending to clients, although adoption is slow with some of the ‘mom and pop’ shops out there.

Lean Six Sigma plays a huge role here, he adds. “When I work with small business owners and managers, we use Lean tools to decide what’s actually worth fixing first. BPM gives you the structure, but Lean Six Sigma gives you the discipline – define the problem, remove waste, standardize what works, and make improvements stick. This is relatively easy framework to implement with a small team, not quite as easy to hold that team accountable (but that's a discussion for another day).”

8. Employee and customer experience

BPM is evolving from internal efficiency to include experience-centric design:

• Human-centered workflows: Processes are reshaped to reduce friction for employees and improve productivity.
• Customer journey mapping: BPM aligns with customer touchpoints to deliver seamless experiences across channels.
• Omnichannel orchestration: Processes coordinate interactions across digital and physical channels.

Modern BPM is increasingly focused on integrating customer experience holistically, says Sidharth Ramsinghaney, director of corporate strategy at Twilio. “Breaking down silos between internal processes and customer journeys. It’s not just about efficiency, but about creating a seamless, friction-free experience that directly impacts revenue.”

9. Process governance and compliance automation

With rising regulatory demands, BPM tools are increasingly incorporating compliance and risk management. For example, BPM can support automated controls and auditing by enforcing policies and logging process actions for compliance reporting. It can also help with risk scoring through integrated risk assessments that prioritize remediation and optimize controls.

The most successful organizations are moving beyond traditional BPM by implementing intelligent governance, says Ramsinghaney. “Deploying adaptive frameworks that can negotiate conflicting process requirements, learn from resolution patterns, and dynamically optimize execution.”

The future of BPM

The future of BPM isn't about rigid workflows – it’s about creating intelligent, adaptive systems that can anticipate, respond, and transform in real-time, says Ramsinghaney. “The key differentiator? A holistic approach to process management that aligns people, technology, and strategic objectives.”

The career-defining challenge for today’s business leaders is to evolve from asking “did we deliver on time?” to “are we creating lasting business value?” It’s about moving from technology implementation to revenue acceleration, and from project completion to ongoing value creation.

“At the end of the day, BPM in 2026 is about practicality,” adds Rankert. “Tighter budgets mean processes have to pay for themselves. If a workflow reduces errors, speeds up cash flow, or saves a manager a few hours every week, it’s worth it. If it’s just documentation for documentation’s sake, it won’t last. That’s the direction I see BPM heading. Simpler, more measurable, and tightly connected to AI and continuous improvement.”

All Access: Future of BPM 2026

You asked, and we listened. Business process management (BPM) remains the cornerstone technology for driving organizational transformation, according to the survey results featured in the latest PEX Report. As we look toward 2026 and beyond, generative AI, agentic AI, and intelligent process orchestration are redefining how processes are designed, executed, and optimized. BPM is your key to adapting swiftly and effectively in this new era.

PEX Network is bringing together industry leaders, technology innovators, and thought leaders to answer your biggest questions and explore the advancements reshaping business today. And you're invited. Register for free to save your spot now! 

Register Now