Ad hoc process Leave the e-mail out of it

For that reason, Ukelson suggested that organizations use human process management systems (HPMS), like ActionBase, to manage and monitor fluid processes. He explained that by way of plug-ins for Microsoft Outlook and Office, users can create a separate inbox for action e-mails "that look and feel like regular e-mail" but is manageable and trackable.

The system also leaves an audit trail thereby creating "a system of records of human processes going on within the organization." A typical HPMS deployment, he said, would be owned by operations or audit managers and supported by the IT department.

ActionBase marketing manager Dalit Siegmann said customers run the gamut of verticals, but the company has garnered a lot of interest from the energy industry where there is heavy emphasis on people compliance processes.

There exists an entire industry around management tools for human-centric processes with ActionBase being just one of many that offer the technology, said Craig Le Clair, principal analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.

Le Clair agreed that organizations shouldn't try to manage human-centric processes using a document-centric BPM. And, he said he's observed those that are making a clear distinction between structured and unstructured workflows by deploying a combination of BPMs and HPMSs.