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Business Process Management vs. Workflow Management
Two related but distinct disciplines govern how organizations structure their work. Business process management (BPM) operates at the technical-conceptual level: it analyses, designs, and optimizes processes in alignment with corporate strategy, addressing what gets done. Workflow management, by contrast, operates at the operational level: it specifies how each task is executed in detail — covering exact task sequences, routing rules, human roles, and the technology involved.
| Dimension | Business Process | Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Analysis and design of activities aligned with strategic goals | Specification of the technical execution of activities |
| Level | Technical-conceptual (linked to business strategy) | Operational (linked to supporting technology) |
| Level of detail | Summarized activities executed by one employee at one workplace in one step | Concretization of activities for human and technological resources |
| Core question | What? | How? |
A business process can be broken down into sub-processes, which consist of activities. Each activity in turn consists of one or more tasks — and it is at the task level that workflow management takes over. A practical example: the "leave application" business process describes which actors and approvals are involved; the corresponding workflow specifies the exact electronic form, digital signature procedure, routing conditions, and timing for every step. Process standards must therefore be established first — only then can a workflow be designed and embedded in an application system.