“BPM is dead.”  Really??  No, I don’t think so.  In fact, we’re seeing more innovation now in the technology of BPM than at any time in the past several years.  Big Data, real-time  sense and respond, predictive analytics, goal-driven and “adaptive” processes, social BPM, mobility….  The list goes on.  Wait, you say, that’s not really BPM.  But what you mean is they are missing from the current generation of BPM Suites.  That’s true, but not for long.  If these new elements in the technology landscape do what they promise, they had better be incorporated into the next generation of BPM technology.  And, of course, they will.  Gartner’s next BPM Magic Quadrant takes it for granted, requiring numerous new capabilities to achieve intelligent business operations, meaning processes driven by events, rules, and real-time analytics to sense and respond to the external environment.  The process logic is dynamic and adaptive, tailored to the demands of each instance at the moment… while retaining the ability to continuously track and monitor process performance and quality.  It’s not today’s BPM… it’s the next generation.

Now, we’ve all been to BPM conferences where we are told that “BPM is a management discipline, not a technology” and encouraged to “get executive sponsorship” and “look for quick wins.”  All true, but if you already know what BPM is, and have been putting it into practice, you’re not going to learn much about the next generation of BPM technology at those events.  Those conferences are aimed at those just getting started in BPM, but you need to be chest-deep already in today’s BPM to appreciate what’s coming next.  That means you are either an early-adopter end user, a BPM vendor, or an experienced BPM practitioner, analyst, or investor.  You care about the technology of BPM, and you want to look forward, not back.  The management discipline is essential, but you understand that going forward, these next-generation technology elements will represent the difference between process innovation and simple process automation.  If you fit that profile, bpmNEXT is for you.

Save the date: March 19-21, 2013.

bpmNEXT is a different kind of event.  It’s for BPM insiders, not for newbies.  It’s about the technology fueling the next generation of BPM… not just hearing about how cool it’s gonna be, but seeing it live, and engaging with the developer.  The presentations are short – 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes Q&A.  And the 20 minutes is mostly demo, not Powerpoint.  It’s like TED for BPM, but with plenty of lively interaction with the presenters.  We have space for about 20 presentations, which will be selected (I guess the term now is “curated”) based on submitted videos.  I expect we’ll have some of those videos on the website beginning this summer.  Submitters will link their presentations to one or more topics listed on the website.  We encourage you to comment and vote on the topics listed, and suggest your own.  This will help us “curate” the submissions.  At the end of the event, attendees will vote from their laptops and iPads on the coolest demo, Best in Show, and we’ll present a nice award to the winner.  Not to mention bragging rights over some awesome competition.

The other thing that makes bpmNEXT different is the venue, the Asilomar Conference Center on the Monterey peninsula, next door to Pebble Beach and just up the road from Big Sur.  Asilomar is not your typical conference hotel.  It’s more of a rustic retreat, perfect for the total-immersion “workshop” atmosphere of our event.  Your registration to bpmNEXT includes a room two nights and all meals from dinner on March 19 through lunch on March 21.  That’s right.  We’ll be eating and drinking together for two solid days.  The interaction will be intense, and the surroundings spectacular.  It will be an event to remember.

And that brings up the third aspect of bpmNEXT.  It’s a chance to begin to forge a community of those interested in shaping and promoting the next generation of BPM – sharing ideas, linking the pieces together, differentiating between the sizzle and the steak.  If you were at the original BPMI.org Think Tank in Miami, 2005, you remember we talked about it then, but it never happened.  Maybe bpmNEXT can help create that community.

More info on www.bpmnext.com.  Check it out!