When I began my BPMS Report series a few years back -- actually the predecessor reports, called the Manager's Guide to BPM Software -- my thought was that all that BPMS buyers needed to make a rational choice was a walkthrough of process design using the tools, presented in a standard format and terminology. Those reports were 100 pages long, and I soon discovered that few people wanted that long a walk. My current BPMS Report series reports on BPMInstitute.org are 30-40 pages long. That seems to be a much more acceptable length, but after the comparative ratings report came out in April, some vendors told me that nobody wants to read 30-40 pages, either. Buyers just look at the scores.
I suppose such lazy BPMS buyers do exist, but that's a ridiculous way to "evaluate" software. You still need a way to see exactly what a BPMS does and how it does it. I still like the walkthrough approach, but vendors are reluctant to publish their own online. Products that make solutions quick and easy to build have no better way to demonstrate that than an online walkthrough. That's why it's great that BEA's Jesper Joergensen has published the full lab walkthroughs on AquaLogic BPM 6.1 from the recent BEA Participate event. They're pdf's, not ideal for viewing online but handy for downloading and printing out.
I would love to have a space on BPMS Watch where vendors could post such walkthroughs (or links to walkthroughs hosted on their own sites). Flash video, Powerpoint, PDF... it doesn't matter. Vendors, contact me if this appeals to you. BPMS buyers, don't be lazy. Check out Jesper's contribution to marketing through buyer education.