Picture this: An order comes in at 9 AM. By 10 AM, three teams — sales, inventory, and shipping — have touched it. By noon, a customer is on the phone because something has gone wrong. The order is stuck somewhere between systems.
Why? Because the shipping label carries the wrong address.
Sound familiar?
Processing orders, coordinating deliveries, keeping track of inventory, handling customers, finding the right suppliers, and managing your people — these are just a few of the moving parts inside any organisation. When even one of them falters, the entire operation stalls. The consequences range from lost revenue to frustrated customers and teams scrambling to contain the damage.
At the centre of these failures is often a breakdown in business process management (BPM), the operating framework that keeps work flowing smoothly.
the challenge facing modern operations
In the early digital era, businesses upgraded from paper files to software. Companies used multiple systems — an ERP for inventory, a CRM for sales, a ticketing tool for customer service — to record information, but they did not talk to one another. As teams tended to be local and processes were contained, the cracks in this setup did not feel catastrophic. Someone could usually step in, correct an issue, and keep things moving.
As digital operations scaled, organisations expanded across regions and time zones. Workflows stretched across distributed teams, partners, and specialised systems. A single order could pass through several platforms before reaching a customer. At the same time, expectations rose sharply. Meanwhile, customers of today want instant updates, personalised service, and zero errors.
BPM emerged as a way to make sense of this complexity. It provides a structured method to design, monitor, and optimise workflows end-to-end. Yet even the strongest BPM framework has limits when it relies heavily on people to spot issues, make decisions, and maintain consistency.
This is where artificial intelligence (AI) steps in — transforming BPM from a static system into a dynamic, adaptive, self-optimising engine.
what AI unlocks for BPM
AI transforms how organisations design, execute, and improve their processes. Its value shows up precisely where manual BPM struggles.
Making process design accessible: With AI, anyone can sketch a process using natural language. The system converts plain text into structured process diagrams, lowering the barrier to participation and improving accuracy.
Seeing problems before customers do: AI platforms analyse live data to detect delays, predict bottlenecks, and recommend improvements. Real-time visibility helps teams correct issues long before they turn into customer complaints. Some systems even build digital twins — virtual replicas of processes — to test changes safely.
Removing repetitive work: Through hyperautomation, AI coordinates and automates entire workflows, eliminating manual, repetitive tasks. Employees regain time to focus on strategic initiatives instead of administrative work.
Uncovering hidden inefficiencies: AI-driven process mining examines event logs to reveal how work truly moves through an organisation. It reveals bottlenecks, compliance gaps, and deviations that traditional analysis often misses.
Anticipating what's coming: Forecasting models powered by AI help organisations prepare for fluctuating demand, maintenance needs, and operational risks. Instead of reacting, teams can plan and respond proactively.
Making SOPs usable: Conversational interfaces allow employees to query standard operating procedures in natural language and receive precise, contextual answers. No manuals, no searching, and no friction.
Catching fraud earlier: Fraud solutions business process outsourcing (BPO) operations leverage AI to analyse vast datasets to identify suspicious patterns, anomalies, and emerging threats that help trigger early interventions.
Providing tailored services: AI analyses operational and customer data to tailor services at an individual level, improving satisfaction and loyalty while ensuring internal processes adapt to customer needs.
the business impact
AI-enhanced BPM is reshaping how organisations operate. A Deloitte survey found that 42% of respondents named process optimisation as AI’s most significant benefit, followed by external process improvement at 31%.
The impact shows up everywhere. Workflows that once took days now finish in hours with minimal intervention. Processes prone to human error stabilise dramatically when AI handles repetitive steps. Teams can redirect effort from routine tasks to innovation and long-term initiatives.
The gap between insight and action narrows. Issues are identified and resolved before they reach customers. Risk management shifts from reactive to preventative. Compliance becomes embedded in workflows rather than being imposed after the fact.
Customer experience improves as well. Response times drop. Services become more personalised. Order fulfillment grows more reliable.
The momentum is reflected in market trends. The global BPM market is projected to grow from USD 21.51 billion in 2025 to USD 70.93 billion by 2032 — a clear indicator of the expanding role AI-driven BPM will play in shaping operational excellence.
conclusion
Remember that 9 AM order that derailed by noon? With AI-powered BPM, here is how it plays out differently:
The order comes in. It is automatically validated. Inventory checks run automatically. The system routes fulfillment to the best location and corrects address issues before the label prints. By 10 AM, the customer receives a tracking link and by noon, the customer is posting a positive review.
No escalations. No last-minute chaos. No unhappy customers.
This is not a hypothesis. The technology exists. The results are proven. The only question is whether your organisation will lead the transformation or play catch-up. BPM is no longer just about keeping operations afloat. It is about building a system that learns, adapts, and transforms performance day after day.
The next order comes in at 9 AM. What happens by noon is up to you.
how can Infosys BPM help?
At Infosys BPM, we transform your raw process data into actionable insights, providing the intelligence needed for agile and customer-centric operations. Our comprehensive BPM Analytics services delivers real-time performance monitoring to pinpoint bottlenecks and uncover inefficiencies, alongside advanced predictive and prescriptive insights to anticipate risks, optimize for customer experience, and ensure regulatory compliance. Partner with us to make data-enriched decisions, driving continuous operational excellence and transforming your business processes into a strategic asset.
