Many organizations recognize the need to improve their business processes and the benefits that result from process automation. Similar to the rise in the dependence upon and criticality of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems shown in the 2016 AIIM Industry Watch Report titled 'Information Management – State of the Industry 2016', fifty-five percent of respondents to this survey say Business Process Management (BPM) is significant (38%) or imperative (17%) for their business.

Research shows that it is quite clear that many business leaders understand now more than ever before, that information and process form an integrated component of business operations as a whole. There is a growing realization that when something is changed in the way information is managed, it inherently impacts the associated business processes and the way people work and interact with that information. Likewise, when process is changed, it will impact worker interactions with each other and with business information. The simple truth is that content without process goes nowhere and process without content serves no purpose.

Given this growing sense of importance and need for BPM, attention turns to how well BPM is truly understood by the users and business leaders, how amenable organizations are to change their ways of working, and the focus they have on solving business problems through process improvement and automation. There is also a commitment that should be made to continuously improve business processes as an ongoing effort, rather than approach it as a singular project. Ongoing improvement should be an embedded part of the business culture with periodic assessments to identify additional areas for improvement and automation as a follow-up to project completion.

In this comprehensive report, we look at the perceptions of BPM, business drivers, technology infrastructure, benefits, technical requirements, and purchase and spend plans of responding organizations. Each section presents our findings along with the analyst's views. The report concludes with a summation and recommendations organizations can apply to their business, based on the survey findings.