Decision-Making at a Glance
This article provides a high-level view of how decisions are made across BPM initiatives. It clarifies decision ownership, approval authority, and BPM’s role in supporting informed, well-documented outcomes.
Decision Framework
Decisions within BPM initiatives follow a consistent framework to ensure accountability, transparency, and alignment with institutional priorities. Decisions are informed by discovery, analysis, and documented recommendations before approval.
- Decisions are made at the appropriate ownership level
- Impacts, risks, and dependencies are documented
- Approvals align with policy, compliance, and governance structures
Common Decision Types
| Decision Type |
Description |
| Process Design Decisions |
Determining how a process should operate in the future state. |
| Governance & Control Decisions |
Defining roles, approvals, checkpoints, and accountability. |
| Policy or Compliance Decisions |
Ensuring alignment with institutional, regulatory, or audit requirements. |
| Prioritization Decisions |
Determining if and when work proceeds based on impact, effort, and capacity. |
Approval Authority
| Decision Area |
Approval Owner |
| Process recommendations |
Functional owners / campus leadership |
| Policy or compliance changes |
Central governance or executive leadership |
| System configuration |
Designated system owners (e.g., WSS) |
BPM’s Role in Decision-Making
BPM enables sound decision-making but does not replace functional or executive authority.
- Facilitates discovery and analysis
- Documents options, impacts, and recommendations
- Ensures decisions align with standards and governance
- Tracks decisions through the project lifecycle
Escalation Path
When decisions cannot be resolved at the working level, BPM coordinates escalation to the appropriate leadership or governance body. Escalation is based on risk, impact, timing, or policy considerations.