// competency

BPM & Process Automation

Low-code BPM, RPA, AI agents in workflow. Automation as an engineering discipline, not "buy a robot".

// about the practice

What it is and who needs it

The BPM practice covers design and automation of business processes through a combination of low-code platforms (Scriptum on UnityBase), RPA for legacy scenarios, AI agents for unstructured data processing. Covers approval, request handling, financial operations, HR flows.

In 2026 the key trend is AI agents inside workflow: not as a human replacement, but as a first-level processor that removes 60–70% of routine work.

You need this if

  • You have processes with 5+ approval steps, each step a separate email.
  • You spend >40 hours/week on manual processing of requests/applications.
  • Engineering teams complain about technical debt from custom integrations.
  • Regulator requires audit trail for approval processes.
  • Ready automation projects are delayed due to IT capacity.
// our position

Why we do this differently

01

AI project pilots usually go smoothly. Problems start in the second month of production, when the model first meets real-world noise.

Do not evaluate AI automation on pilot — evaluate on stable production phase after 3–6 months. Pilots are too clean to be true.

02

Low-code does not mean "no developers". It means "developers deliver 3x more in the same time".

Spreading low-code to business users without architecture guardrails creates shadow IT with zero documentation. The architect remains mandatory.

03

RPA is a temporary solution. If you RPA an API integration, in 2 years you have 200 bots breaking on every legacy update.

RPA pays off only when an API is unavailable and the legacy will be decommissioned in <2 years. Otherwise — invest in proper integration.

// honest filter

When you need this — and when you don't

It is more honest to say "you do not need this yet" than to sell an engagement that will not deliver ROI.

✓ Need it

  • Processes with 5+ manual steps and >100 instances/month
  • Regulatory audit trail requirements
  • IT team cannot handle backlog of custom requests
  • Infrastructure ready for low-code (database, authentication)

✗ Not yet

  • Processes that change quarterly — automation cannot keep up
  • Small business with <50 process instances/month
  • You want "an AI agent that does everything"
// process

How we run the engagement

01

Process discovery · 2–3 weeks

Interviews with process owners, mining actual flows from email/ticketing, identifying exceptions and shadow processes.

02

Architectural design · 2–3 weeks

Platform choice (Scriptum / Camunda / RPA), workflow design accounting for exceptions, ERP/CRM/ECM integration, governance.

03

Pilot on one process · 2–3 months

Usually we start with request handling or contract approval. Doomed-to-fail scenarios — high-frequency, high-stakes processes with unknown exceptions.

04

AI layer (optional) · 3–4 months

Adding AI agents for request classification, data extraction, routing. Only after the basic workflow is stable.

05

Continuous improvement · ongoing

Monthly process mining, identifying new bottlenecks, optimizing AI models for new request types.

Project lead: InBase (Scriptum, UnityBase) and Softengi (AI agents, RPA).
Brought in when needed: Softline (integration with government systems).

// anti-patterns

Typical mistakes we have seen projects fail on

Automating chaos

They automate the current process "as is", without optimization. Result — the same inefficient process executing faster. Chaos scales.

What we do instead: process redesign before automation. First we ask "is this step needed at all", then — how to automate it.

AI agent as architect replacement

They expect the AI agent to design the workflow itself. In production the agent makes decisions that break compliance. They blame AI, not design.

What we do instead: AI agent inside a workflow designed by an architect. Clear boundaries: what AI can decide, what escalates to human.

RPA instead of API

Instead of 2 weeks on API integration — 3 days on an RPA bot. A year later: 200 bots, each breaking on legacy updates, support team grows linearly with bot count.

What we do instead: RPA — only when (a) API is unavailable and (b) legacy will be decommissioned in <2 years. Otherwise — invest in proper integration.

// experience

Typical scenarios from our practice

No precise savings percentages — actual numbers depend on the client's starting point. Instead — concrete architectural decisions and organizational changes.

Government agency · request handling

Scriptum + AI classification of citizen requests

The agency processed 5000 requests/month manually, time from registration to response — 14 days. Scriptum for workflow + AI classification for routing. Time dropped to 3 days.

Tier-2 bank · KYC process

AI agent for first-line KYC verification

AI agent checks customer documents against 12 sources (government registries, sanctions lists, internal blacklists). Escalation to human — only for conflicts and borderline cases. 70% of applications processed without human.

Manufacturing holding · supply chain

BPM for procurement approval process

Previously — procurement approval from request to tender took 6 weeks. Scriptum with parallel approval tracks for different categories. Time dropped to 12 days.

// deep dives

Articles on this topic

Nine recent expert articles — from thematic overviews to specific architectural decisions.

// stack

Technologies we work with

Low-code BPM

Scriptum · UnityBase · Camunda · Bonita · Mendix · OutSystems

RPA

UiPath · Microsoft Power Automate · Automation Anywhere · Blue Prism · Robocorp

AI agents & LLM

OpenAI · Anthropic Claude · LangChain · LangGraph · Microsoft Copilot Studio · n8n

Process mining

Celonis · UiPath Process Mining · SAP Signavio · ARIS Process Mining

Integration

n8n · Make · Zapier · Apache Camel · MuleSoft

Standards

BPMN 2.0 · CMMN · DMN · ISO/IEC 27001 · GDPR

// frequently asked

Frequently asked questions

Scriptum, Camunda or UiPath — how to choose?

Scriptum — for custom low-code business applications, especially if you already use UnityBase. Camunda — for complex BPMN scenarios with a developer-first approach. UiPath — for RPA with legacy that lacks APIs. Projects often use a combination.

Will an AI agent replace a human in support?

In 2026 AI agents close first-line (typical queries, FAQ, routing) — 60–70% of requests. Second/third-line — still human, requires judgment and context. Complete human replacement — still marketing, not reality.

How long does BPM system implementation take?

Pilot on one process — 2–3 months. Platform for a mid-size organization — 6–12 months. AI layer on top of working BPM — additional 3–6 months.

What is process mining and is it needed?

Process mining — analysis of actual process flows from event logs across systems. Identifies shadow processes, deviations from intended workflow, bottlenecks. Pays off for organizations with >5 enterprise systems and complex processes.

How to measure automation ROI?

Three metrics: (1) time-to-completion (from request to completion); (2) error rate (errors per 1000 instances); (3) cost-per-instance (including infrastructure and licenses). ROI calculated 6+ months after production launch — not on pilot.

// other competencies

Related competencies

Real projects rarely fit in one competency. See which other areas we work in.

Tell us about a process you want to automate

30-minute discovery call with a BPM architect. We will see if it is worth it, where to start, how long it will actually take.

All contacts