We use the product for workflow management and automation. It is integrated into different systems like RPA.
BPM Application Developer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
A low-code product for workflow management
Pros and Cons
- "We have automated processes with IBM BPM and DocuSign. Its valuable features include low-code, timer, etc. It makes it simple to implement the products. We generate reports using the solution."
- "We had hoped that the product would provide us with plug-ins like Salesforce. Its development environment needs to improve. We expect to see elastic features like containerization. We don't just need an on-prem virtual machine."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
We have automated processes with IBM BPM and DocuSign. Its valuable features include low-code, timer, etc. It makes it simple to implement the products. We generate reports using the solution.
What needs improvement?
We had hoped that the product would provide us with plug-ins like Salesforce. Its development environment needs to improve. We expect to see elastic features like containerization. We don't just need an on-prem virtual machine.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for 12 years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability seven to eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. IBM BPM has more than 1000 users in my company.
How are customer service and support?
The tool's support is fast.
How was the initial setup?
IBM BPM's deployment is not complex; I rate it a six out of ten. It takes a day to complete. One admin helps to maintain the product. Our server count is between 25 and 30.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior BPM Manager at Inspire
With good integration capabilities and flexible deployment, the tool also provides stability
Pros and Cons
- "Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
- "UI is an area with a shortcoming that needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
The most valuable feature of the solution is IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation and how it's integrated with case management and the RPA and all these things with flexible deployment.
What needs improvement?
UI is an area with a shortcoming that needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM BPM for six and a half to seven years. We're currently working on a migration project from IBM BPM Version 8.5.7 to IBM BPM Version 21.0.3. My current company is a platinum partner for IBM.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
In my current environment, the solution has more than 500 users.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a seven or eight out of ten. Sometimes IBM support takes a long time to respond or responds wrongly on some issues, and there is some fixed practice at their end because of which they take some time to come. Hence, I lean more toward seven.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
I rate the setup a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy. If you are using the UI to do the installation or setup, the rating would be nine. But if you're using shell commands on AIX or Linux, I think it should be almost two or three since I did the shell commands for the services. It also included some server performance tuning and stuff, like, database connections for BPM databases and all such things. It's not easy.
Since I am working in the banking industry, the tool is deployed on-premises.
The deployment takes around two days since there is a need to prepare a development environment.
One person can do deployment with help from a database person. Some database scripts should be deployed on Oracle or Db2.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the pricing a ten. It is an expensive product compared to other tools.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated options like Appian, OpenText AppWorks, and Pega. However, I prefer IBM BPM over other solutions owing to its level of integration and the already existing adapters, and how it is easy to create your files to be connected with IBM BPM.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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IBM BPM
August 2025

Learn what your peers think about IBM BPM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
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Enterprise Digital Solution Architect at Mashreq
Good automation, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Automation is the most valuable feature of IBM BPM."
- "The solution can improve integration with SAP, CRM, and Salesforce, which is not capital-intensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to manage our business process.
What is most valuable?
Automation is the most valuable feature of IBM BPM. The AI helps tightly integrate the solution. We don't have other solutions with that kind of architecture, where we can click a few integrations and have a process orchestration framework.
What needs improvement?
The solution can improve integration with SAP, CRM, and Salesforce, which is not capital-intensive. We are currently working well with static solutions.
We looked into the digital framework and decided to email all my thoughts to IBM. I asked what the capability was and if they had a feature-suggesting process that could be deployed in-house, mainly through out-of-the-box features. We discussed the possibility of integrating one other key feature and the ability to notify users and do centralized tooling. This would improve the performance perspective for the end user.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. IBM BPM is more stable from a Gartner class perspective, as Gartner members have done an assessment and determined that IBM BPM is the leader, and the discovery phases and run that we come up with in the IBM process orchestration tool make it the best solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We conducted performance testing and benchmarking of the solution. We implemented the solution as far as it is scalable and tailored to customer requirements. Currently, the system is handling one million transactions without any downtime.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is excellent. We have different levels of support depending on where we log in. Critical issues must be resolved within 24 hours, medium issues within 36 hours, and low-priority issues within 48 hours. IBM will now globalize its support staff to provide us with assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used the Pega BPM. Pega BPM had a built-in feature that was for the process, but it was not scalable and had performance issues. Therefore, we followed industry best practices and took out that layer, and built a customization process orchestration tool. IBM BPM is the more valuable solution because of its support of Blue-Green deployments, which will be highly beneficial as it allows for installation without downtime.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex, but once we have a mature framework in place, it has been working well. When deployed properly and as expected, customers are happy to use the solution. However, there is still a lot of configuration and installation taking time. IBM BPM provides a cloud-fast model, where it is possible to integrate automation of the process and where manual interaction is only necessary if automation is not available. We have implemented an ultimate installation that includes both capabilities, but some features were not enabled in the process access station. For example, I could not open KFC documents, they all uploaded, and saved the data, but could not do a profile page without manual interaction. IBM is still working on a permanent solution for this.
The deployment time depends on the requirements, which can be critical, low, or medium-high. If the requirements are critical, it will take six to eight months. For medium requirements, it will take five months, and for low requirements, it will take only one month. Eight people were part of the deployment team.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
IBM BPM is expensive, so most large companies opt for IBM based on their licensing options. They have user-level and server-level access and can choose to renew their license in either an Opex or CapEx model. We have an annual license.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
I recommend IBM BPM. The solution is very good at repairing itself and I am very pleased to work with it. I have also validated other BPMs, but IBM BPM is the best due to the features it provides when operating with a lot of digital frameworks through BPM process automation.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
ICT Advisor at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Has easy-to-use business process dashboard with clean and intuitive interface
Pros and Cons
- "For me, the most important feature is the easy-to-use business process dashboard. It's simple to orchestrate business processes, and the interface is clean and intuitive. Once your workflow is designed on paper, it's easy for the business process manager to implement and follow it. Another IBM product that was good in the past is the IBM Case Manager. I haven't used it for three or four years, so I'm unsure if it's still available, but it was quite effective."
- "One downside is that changing intermediate steps after you've finalized your flow can be challenging. Also, the integration with identity management could be easier. It would be helpful to have role-based access functions, allowing for specific custom models associated with certain streamlines in the IBM dashboard. Also, a simpler way to integrate some notation with other middleware platforms would be beneficial."
What is our primary use case?
I'm an independent consultant. Most of my work involves designing and compiling RFPs for IT public sector projects or working as a solution architect for RFPs. This is my primary job, but I also freelance and work with two companies.
What is most valuable?
For me, the most important feature is the easy-to-use business process dashboard. It's simple to orchestrate business processes, and the interface is clean and intuitive. Once your workflow is designed on paper, it's easy for the business process manager to implement and follow it. Another IBM product that was good in the past is the IBM Case Manager. I haven't used it for three or four years, so I'm unsure if it's still available, but it was quite effective.
What needs improvement?
One downside is that changing intermediate steps after you've finalized your flow can be challenging. Also, the integration with identity management could be easier. It would be helpful to have role-based access functions, allowing for specific custom models associated with certain streamlines in the IBM dashboard. Also, a simpler way to integrate some notation with other middleware platforms would be beneficial.
Most support tickets can't be handled at the first level and must be escalated to the second level, which takes time. The first-level support should be more knowledgeable and able to provide immediate answers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate IBM BPM's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution's scalability a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
IBM doesn't offer local support in Greece. We rely on global support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
One of the things IBM lacks is the ease of setup. It's not very straightforward and can be confusing, especially when you need to upgrade. I would rate it a four on a scale from one to ten, where ten is very easy, and one is very difficult.
What was our ROI?
The tool improves processes by 30 percent.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution might be expensive, but I can't give you a precise number. In the market here, I've seen two main products for BPM: IBM BPM and Camunda. Camunda is very popular and open-source, so there's no direct comparison.
What other advice do I have?
IBM BPM is suitable for companies that have at least 500 users. Be specific about your requirements and the business problems you're trying to solve. Framing the problem will help determine if IBM BPM fits your needs. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Once you've accurately described your business problem, you can tell if IBM BPM or any other product is the right fit, especially with the help of an experienced architect or solution designer.
I rate the overall product a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Unit Head System Implementor at Allied Bank Limited
Time proven, excellent bundle services, with good pricing
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features come in the bundle, the design process, creating services, creating BPDs, creating coaches, and UI/UX."
- "I would like to see the front-end support improved because it should be fully integrated and supported."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is moving documents electronically from desk to desk.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features come in the bundle, the design process, creating services, creating BPDs, creating coaches, and UI/UX.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the user-friendliness improved and the training become free of cost for the solution. I would like to see the front-end support improved because it should be fully integrated and supported.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM BPM for the past three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The current system is definitely stable and the database compatibility is very reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are over three thousand five hundred users currently implementing IBM BPM and therefore the scalability is excellent.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is always good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is definitely complex compared to other market comparatives.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is good but could be a little lower.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate IBM BPM an eight on a scale of one to ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Vice President at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Comes with strong workflow function but needs to become cloud-native
Pros and Cons
- "IBM BPM should become cloud-native. It should also add a cloud deployment feature."
- "The tool's workflow function is very strong."
What is our primary use case?
We use IBM BPM for banking transactions.
What is most valuable?
The tool's workflow function is very strong.
What needs improvement?
IBM BPM should become cloud-native. It should also add a cloud deployment feature.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate IBM BPM's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool's scalability an eight out of ten. My company has 1000 users.
How are customer service and support?
IBM BPM's support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is complex.
What about the implementation team?
Integrators helped us with deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the tool's pricing a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Self employed ECM BPM Senior Consultant - Project Manager at Gacosi
Out-of-the-box, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The designer feature, compared to other solutions is easy to use."
- "The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for business management.
The solution can be deployed both on-prem and cloud.
What is most valuable?
The solution is a module and we can interface with consent and document management which is important.
The designer feature, compared to other solutions is easy to use.
The solution is an out-of-the-box solution.
What needs improvement?
The cost of the solution has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give the stability an eight out of ten. The solution works especially well with Linux.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I give the scalability an eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup depends on if the solution is deployed on the cloud or on-prem. The cloud version is easy because we just have to deploy the containers. The on-prem setup requires a lot of work before we can even begin because we need to masterpiece all the layers from the operations system to the database, and the middleware at the front and back end. I give the initial setup an eight out of ten. The deployment takes a full business day.
An experienced person can do the complete deployment on their own however we usually use three people, one for the beginning, middle, and end.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I give the pricing an eight out of ten. The solution is a bit expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
IBM BPM is a good solution but we should always look at our business requirements. The solution is intended for medium and large businesses, so it is not recommended for small businesses.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
Stable solution, setup is straightforward and helps to automate business processes
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has helped us automate business processes."
- "IBM BPM is stable, but sometimes there are issues with the server."
What is our primary use case?
It is an on-premises solution that helped us automate business processes like onboarding customers, loan management, loan approval, and leave approval.
What is most valuable?
The features allow you to connect, and things work seamlessly. The coding and the maps are also valuable. I feel good about the features, and its beauty is that anybody can design it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
IBM BPM is stable, but sometimes there are issues with the server. I am unsure if the issue is due to the VAS server or the BPM, but there was some instability when we went through a few of the final enrollments.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We could not proceed with any scalability due to some business decisions.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted IBM Technical Support for IBM BPM. I have only engaged with support through forums and the blocks.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. However, the debugging was not straightforward.
Deployment was also quick and not complicated. I was not part of the deployment team, but I believe we used an integrator for deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of licensing, we have to make it free for the developers so more people can install and use it. It is important to make at least licensing free to try in the cloud, not just for IBM BPM but for any of the IBM products.
This can help companies start to push through solutions and proposals. For example, licensing could be free, providing developers something to try in the cloud. Because there are regular audits in all companies when you install, some companies may see this as harmful. Therefore, a provision to try it free on the cloud can increase the number of skilled PA developers.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Now with more improvements BAW is released. Also it is interesting to observe that BAW is becoming more agile.