One Step Beyond

Craig Schiff takes his BPM software experience into the consulting business

Craig Schiff has long, hard-earned experience in the business performance management (BPM) software industry, and the resume to prove it: Schiff was a founder of both IMRS/Hyperion Software (now Hyperion Solutions Corp.) and OutlookSoft Inc., where he served as CEO until recently. So what does Schiff think today about the industry he helped create?

"All the BPM software vendors out there are using the same buzzwords, and clients can't tell one from another. They don't know where to begin, they're going to spend a lot of money, and the potential for failure is high."

In that confusion, Schiff sees opportunity. In early 2002, noting the availability of BPM implementation talent as well as intensifying interest across the business world, he left OutlookSoft to found BPM Partners Inc. (www.bpmpartners.com), a Stamford, Conn.-based consulting organization focusing exclusively on end-to-end BPM software implementation. Schiff summarizes, "All the elements were there: the opportunity, the exploding space, the client needs, and the talent to make it work."

Those client needs became clear during his years on the vendor side of the business. Because BPM implementations are so inherently complex — reaching near-ERP levels, he says — the greatest challenge isn't necessarily technology functionality. "What really makes BPM projects successful is strong project management," Schiff explains. "BPM goes beyond installing software. You need to think about your business, what metrics are going to make your company great, and what you're going to do when you get that data back. That's the level of consulting and project management that a BPM implementation needs, which most other software implementations do not."

Unfortunately, in Schiff's experience, vendor consultants — although well-trained in their particular's solution's syntax — aren't necessarily strong project managers. In fact, for vendors, "the customer isn't always the first priority."

BPM Partners is careful to observe strict vendor neutrality. The firm eschews traditional vendor partnerships and the finder's fees that go along with them; rather, Schiff asks vendors he recommends to apply that fee toward a software discount for the client.

Schiff is adamant that "BPM's benefits are real. But it's not just about the software." Unless the need for strong project management is appreciated, the implementation will likely fail — and unlike with most software, "everyone's going to know about it."

— Justin Kestelyn

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