We had episodes about BPM education on the show before, but this time we speak with someone who is from a different generation than your regular hosts.
And our guest Daniel Matka is building a “Process Academy” to bring process management knowledge to the next generation. And while doing this, he's building modern ways of structuring content that will speak to this audience.

Daniel was a product owner/project manager in the field of process automation at Robert Bosch GmbH. Today, mastering highly complex processes and automating networked business processes are at the center of my vision for a user-friendly workflow suite. This requires, among other things, creativity, which I demonstrate as the managing director of the music label Madstep even outside work hours.

One of Daniel's main goals is to share the knowledge and experiences he has gathered throughout his career with others and support them on their journey.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Daniel Matka returns to What’s Your Baseline? to discuss a bold idea: rethinking BPM education so it actually scales beyond workshops and slide decks. Coming from a mechanical engineering background at Bosch, Daniel explains how process automation projects grew from a two-person experiment into a 40-person automation team with real business impact.
• A key trigger for Process Academy was the challenge of educating 15,000 people, not just a handful of BPM experts, without relying on repetitive, trainer-dependent workshops.
• Daniel argues that traditional BPM training doesn’t scale: it’s expensive, inconsistent, and often depends more on the trainer’s skills than on a shared, reliable curriculum. One major pain point: “No one wants to teach BPM fundamentals 100 times.” Experts want to solve real problems, not repeat the same basics over and over.
• Inspired by Duolingo, Daniel and his co-founder Matus envisioned microlearning for BPM—small, daily learning units that fit into real workdays.
• Process Academy is built around skill trees, not linear courses, allowing learners to unlock capabilities step by step based on their role, maturity, and interests. The focus is on T-shaped skills: broad BPM fundamentals for everyone, with deeper specialization paths for modeling, automation, mining, or architecture.
• Daniel emphasizes that learning must be continuous, not event-based: five to ten minutes a day beats a two-day workshop once a year. Gamification isn’t about points—it’s about motivation and momentum, such as streaks, progress visibility, and clear skill progression.
• Process Academy is intentionally set up as a nonprofit to attract top BPM experts who contribute out of conviction, not just commercial interest. “Nonprofit doesn’t mean no money,” Daniel clarifies—it means no cashing out at the expense of the community or inflated license models.
  The long-term vision is a community-endorsed curriculum, where respected practitioners stand behind the content and skill definitions.
• Rather than chasing hypergrowth, Process Academy follows a long-term path, focusing on quality, credibility, and shared ownership by the BPM community.
• Daniel sums it up with a generational perspective: building something that still matters decades from now—not just the next funding round.

Daniel can be found on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmatka/.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

There has been a lot of consolidation in the process/architecture space in the last few years, mostly driven by PE firms. But why is that so, and why does it seem that there is no alternative to this business model?
Back in the day there were foundations behind the companies, or they were privately held, and the only thing (besides a few smaller players you might not even have heard of) that I see are some open-source projects in the automation space … mostly driven by the decision to go closed-source by Camunda.

One of these projects is SpiffWorks, and we invited the CEO of the company behind it, Dan Funk, to our little show. He is an expert in identifying organizational and technological patterns, using visualizations and written communication to build consensus around technical directions. Dan is committed to aligning technology initiatives with business objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and mentoring engineering talent.

Dan is also a thought leader and co-authored numerous publications as the technical lead for a web-based research application promoting healthier patterns of thinking using interpretation bias training. In addition to this, Dan is the co-founder of the Makerplace in Staunton, VA, where he established a makerspace offering low-cost access to state-of-the-art electronics tools, laser cutters, CNC machines, a pottery studio, and woodworking equipment.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Dan's background
• Open-source projects require community support to thrive—SpiffWorks aims to bridge the gap between business and technical teams; Python is chosen for its readability and ease of use in process automation.
• Building a sustainable open-source project involves finding a viable business model, and community engagement is crucial for the success of open-source initiatives.
• Open-source software is foundational to modern technology infrastructure.
• The future of process automation lies in making technology accessible to non-technical users.
• Effective communication is key to resolving conflicts between business and technical teams.
• The open-source model can be compared to a city with shared infrastructure. Support for open-source projects can (and should) come from larger companies benefiting from them.

You can take a look at Spiff Works at https://spiff.works/ and reach out to Dan via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/funkdan/.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

To implement AI (and processes) correctly, you need good data. But what does that mean? Well, firstly it means that you can define your data product and to achieve that you need good data governance.

But are we now in a super-nerdy topic? No, this is what we all do in some form or another … but in different fidelities and maturities.

To shed some light on the topic of data governance, we invited Angelika Rinck for this episode. She started her career studying public administration and then served in the German federal police before switching to the regular industry (in the aerospace industry, and while that might not be enough, she studied economics in parallel).

Somehow she found her way into consulting and is working now in digitalization and IT projects. Her main focus here is product lifecycle management and data governance.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Angelika’s career journey: from e-commerce working student in Hamburg to aerospace, engineering, and ultimately major IT and data governance initiatives.
• Her first agile project—complete with a physical Kanban box—sparked her love for IT project management and structured delivery.
• A detour into underwater orienteering reveals surprising parallels to data work: precision, navigation, and making decisions in the dark.
• Defining data governance: the framework of rules, processes, and responsibilities that guide how organizations create, use, secure, and improve data.
• Why it matters: Governance drives clarity, accountability, and value creation—not just control or compliance.
• Understanding the difference between data governance (framework and value creation) and data management (the operational “doing”).
• A common failure pattern: organizations naming “business data stewards” without training, tooling, or understanding the expectations.
• Governance only works when decentralized experts feed real issues into a central team—not when policies are pushed top-down in isolation.
• Data products demystified: they’re the outcome of well-governed data—reusable, high-value information assets that improve processes, decisions, speed, or cost.
• Real examples: using historical field data instead of simulation data to accelerate engineering calculations or using decades of bird-flight video to predict weather with AI.
• Risks of bad data with AI: incorrect system guidance, support tickets exploding, contradictions between outdated documents, and misplaced trust in “the easy button.”
• Governance foundations: critical data identification, metadata transparency, ownership, RASCI clarification, and understanding who creates, changes, and consumes data.
• The messy reality: access rights often don’t match process needs—leading to shortcuts, bypasses, and unintended process redesign opportunities.
• Final takeaway: data governance isn’t bureaucracy—it's a structured path to value, clarity, and safer AI adoption, but it requires real effort, definitions, ownership, and cultural change.

You can reach Angelika on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-rinck-b93a7019b/.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

In this episode, we welcome Finnish enterprise architect and author Eetu Niemi to explore what it means to make enterprise architecture (EA) “lightweight”—practical, collaborative, and relevant in the real world. From frameworks to fiction writing, from ivory towers to coffee-fueled collaboration, this conversation dives into how to make EA actually work for organizations.

With over 16 years of experience in architecture consulting at CGI, Coala, and Accenture, Eetu has guided more than 45 private and public organizations in transforming their business and IT landscapes. He specializes in enterprise and solution architecture, helping organizations align technology with strategy, improve EA practices and tools, and strengthen information security.

A published author and recognized thought leader, he wrote the first EA book in Finnish and two bestsellers on IT consulting and frequently shares insights through blogs, newsletters, and speaking engagements. Holding a PhD in enterprise architecture benefit realization and an MSc (Econ.), his cross-industry work spans finance, telecom, manufacturing, and the public sector—delivering results in EA modeling, governance, and tool implementation with platforms such as BiZZdesign, Ardoq, and Sparx EA.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Eetu’s background — Author, architect, and advocate for democratizing enterprise architecture so it’s accessible beyond the ivory tower.
• Rethinking EA’s relevance — Success comes when EA shifts from being “nice diagrams” to being indispensable guidance that helps organizations plan, adapt, and reduce risk.
• Defining “lightweight EA” — It’s all about communication and cooperation, using models as tools for dialogue, not as ends in themselves.
• Avoiding EA’s common traps — Filling every box in a framework or modeling everything down to cables and servers misses the point. EA should focus on solving real business problems.
• Where to draw the line — Model at the logical level (applications, processes, data) — not every internal detail. EA is the layer above IT and process modeling, not a replacement for them.
• Kickstarting EA right — Start small, plan with stakeholders, and document goals and methods early. Collaboration beats over-engineering every time.
• Who to talk to first — Don’t wait for the C-suite; start where you have access, build trust, and work your way upward.
• Quick wins matter — Focus on tangible outcomes like system maps for upcoming projects — those early wins open doors and earn invitations “to the next party.”
• Light tools for light EA — Begin with approachable modeling tools instead of overcomplicated platforms. Save the big systems for when you truly need them.
• Governance without the grind — Keep EA blueprints current but concise. A handful of well-maintained diagrams is better than hundreds of forgotten files.
• Collaboration is key — EA succeeds through engagement: creating models with people, validating them with people, and helping those people make better decisions.
• Selling the value — Show how EA helps others succeed — whether that’s IT planning, compliance, or transformation — and you’ll overcome “I have no time for this” resistance.
• EA + AI = opportunity — Complexity is growing, not shrinking. AI can help classify, visualize, and assist — but architects still provide the judgment and storytelling.
• Making EA stick — Keep the practice alive through persistence and visibility. Even when budgets tighten, lightweight EA thrives by staying practical, connected, and useful.

You can reach Eetu on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eetuniemiphd/

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

Welcome to a very special episode of What’s Your Baseline? — where we demystify enterprise architecture and business process management. In this milestone 100th episode, we are joined by fellow BPM podcasters from Prozess Philosophen and BPM360 to celebrate, reflect, and talk about the wild ride of creating content in this niche space.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Milestone celebration — 100 full-length episodes! A look back at the journey and what's ahead.
• Origin stories — How each podcast got started: from Munich restaurants to airport lounges, and "anonymous alcoholics for BPM enthusiasts."
• The evolution of podcasting — From rough first episodes to polished productions (or intentionally unpolished ones).
• Video vs. audio debate — The pros, cons, and time costs of adding video to podcasts; why some stick to one-take recording.
• Editing realities — 10 minutes vs. 8 hours: wildly different approaches to post-production and what works for each team.
• Authenticity over AI polish — Why staying real and soulful matters in an era of AI-generated, hyper-polished content.
• Community-driven content — Listener feedback shapes episodes; the power of niche audiences and recurring themes.
• Lessons learned — Top advice for aspiring podcasters: just start, don't overthink, make guests comfortable, and embrace imperfection.
• Underrated vs. Overrated — Change management (underrated), AI hype (overrated), process models (underrated), BPMN notation alone (overrated).
• The future of BPM podcasting — Where the medium is headed, from knowledge lexicons to safe spaces for authentic discussion.
• Listener challenge — What content do you consume? How do you consume it? What resonates with you and why?
• Gratitude and reflections — A heartfelt thank you to the audience, guests, and the BPM community for four years of support.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

Last week we took a deep(-er) look at what BPMN is today and pointed out the scope, difficulties, and misconceptions in the current specification.

But what are ideas for improvements?

I am glad that you asked, because this episode is exactly about this (with a slight twist to the business side of things). In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Today’s topic: What should BPMN 3.0 look like? Spoiler—it's more than just dots and arrows.
• The hosts unpack the missing hierarchy in BPMN—why we need clear distinctions between high-level, process, and task models. Roland argues for flexibility and “N levels of process”—from value chains down to sub-processes.
• J-M pushes for decision levels—models as tools for making decisions, not just communication artifacts.
• Call activities: misused, misunderstood, and overcomplicated. The guys agree—most analysts don’t touch them right.
• A deep dive into lanes and pools—why they’re conceptually fine but practically messy. (Stop naming your pool after your process, people!)
• Both want organizational elements as first-class citizens—RACI, org roles, and system links built right into the spec.
• Execution vs. documentation: the eternal BPMN dilemma. Should the spec drive engines, or help humans? (Hint: both.)
• J-M dreams of BPMN models training AI agents. Roland gets heartburn just thinking about it.
• “Lanes need intelligence.” The duo agree that automation, RPA, and AI will force clarity in BPMN sooner rather than later.
• Roland throws shade at the spec’s quality control—gateways aren’t decisions, folks! Read the fine print.
• The conversation drifts into data, risks, and controls—areas where BPMN could learn a lot from EPC and real-world practice.
• We are discussing other objects: “page connectors” (process interfaces), groups, milestones, etc.
• Closing thoughts: BPMN 3.0 should unify the best of documentation and execution, EPC’s expressiveness, and OMG’s rigor—with a bit more consistency, please.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

BPMN—”the” standard for process modeling and also the foundation for process automation using BPMS tools—is currently in its version 2.02, and that version was published in early 2014.
Since then? Crickets.

So, why haven't we seen an update of the standard? That is a big question and since we had such a blast talking about this topic we went wayyyyy overboard time-wise so that we are splitting the episode into two (well, Episodes 99 and 99 1/2) ;-)

Part 2 will be published in a week from now, on next Monday.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Today’s topic: the complaint episode — what’s wrong with BPMN 2.0 and why we need a BPMN 3.0.
• A quick refresher: what BPMN is, where it came from, and why it became the lingua franca of process modeling.
• The promise of BPMN — a vendor-neutral, universal standard that was supposed to be “the last one you’d ever need.”
• The architecture perspective: balancing human understanding with machine execution — and why that balance got lost.
• A trip through history — from BPMN 1.0 (2004) to BPMN 2.0 (2011) and the last official update way back in 2013.
• The big question: why has BPMN stagnated for 12 years despite widespread use and clear pain points?
• Misconceptions and limitations — why BPMN isn’t truly hierarchical and struggles with multi-level process design.
• The missing pieces: business context, data models, organizational links, and real-world process hierarchies.
• AI and automation — how BPMN 2.0 fails to address adaptive, probabilistic, or dynamic process behavior.
• Tool vendors’ workarounds — how they “extended” BPMN to make it usable for analysts and automation implementers.
• The call to action: OMG, it’s time to evolve the standard — let’s build a BPMN 3.0 for the next generation.
• Listener question: how do you use BPMN 2.0? What frustrates you — and how have you worked around it?

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

There is a thing that I have not seen managed well in today's organizations: business rules. Typically, they are an “afterthought” in implementations (because you have to feed the business rules engine and control the process flow).

But how many organizations rationalize the underlying business rules on a larger scale? When was the last time the magic “above $50 and below $50” rule was looked at? Remember $50 in 1979 is $222 today. And how do we check business rules and compliance when we don't even know what AI agents even do in detail?

Today we are speaking with Tony Phillips, an experienced consultant, business architect, and business systems analyst with a focus on improving business efficiency and effectiveness. He covers strategy planning, capability modeling, process reengineering, systems analysis and design, data modeling, business rules engineering, and project management.
Tony's experience, skills, and versatility allow him to excel as an architect, analyst, designer, mentor, trainer, and methodology implementer. He has a track record of providing critical services to and maintaining excellent relations with a wide range of clients, including government and financial services companies worldwide.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Defining Business Rules: Tony defines a business rule as a simple “if/then” statement that determines an output based on an input. He argues that business rules are a critical part of the “why” column in the Zachman framework and that they change more frequently than processes.
• Rules in Action: The hosts and guest discuss how business rules often change, using examples from the insurance and mortgage industries where the process remains the same, but the rules for approval constantly evolve.
• Separating Rules from Process: The discussion highlights the importance of managing business rules separately from processes and data. Tony notes that rules can apply to various aspects, including data types, data entities, and the relationships between them.
• DMN and Process Flow: The conversation touches on the Decision Model and Notation (DMN), a standard that connects an external rules table to a decision task within a BPMN diagram. This approach helps avoid complex, unwieldy decision trees.
• The Challenge of Complexity: The hosts and Tony discuss the complexity of modeling decisions, noting that a single, massive spreadsheet is typically not the most effective approach. Instead, they suggest using smaller, more focused decision tables that feed into one another.
• Governance and Maintenance: The podcast raises the critical question of who governs and manages business rules. Ideally, rules should be stored in a central, reusable repository where changes can be made and updated everywhere.
• False Positives vs. False Negatives: Tony explains the difference between false positives (a rule approves something it shouldn't have) and false negatives (a rule rejects something that should have been approved). He notes that false negatives are particularly difficult to spot and often require a manual audit or comparison to old methods.
• Business Rules and AI: The conversation transitions to the role of business rules in the age of AI. Tony proposes that business rules act as algorithmic “yes/no” decisions, whereas AI is more goal-oriented and based on probabilities.
• AI's Guardrails: The hosts and Tony agree that business rules are essential “guardrails” for AI, ensuring that AI's outcome-oriented behavior doesn't lead to unintended negative consequences. They also emphasize the need for human oversight and governance of AI-driven processes.

Tony can be found on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonynphillips/.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

Process Mining—a technology and technique that Gartner just called “early mainstream” in one of their last reports.

But many people still don’t know exactly how to approach this thing. They listen to the vendors talking about technical integrations and all the fancy features, which—to be honest—can be pretty overwhelming for someone who is just looking at it.

That is why Roland wrote his second book about “Successful Process Mining Projects,” which will be released in a bit more than a week from now on Sep. 15. It is full of real-life experiences and advice for the newbie who tries to make sense of all the new terms and possibilities.

To introduce you to the content and approach, we recorded an episode talking about the book while J-M tried to be the tough investigative journalist that he wants to become—spoiler alert, there were still some softball questions 😉

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Roland’s second book, “Successful Process Mining Projects,” is a follow-up to his first, “Successful Architecture Implementation.” It focuses on the measurement and analysis phase of the process and solution lifecycle.
• The book was written to address the need for guidance in process mining, as Roland observed that many large organizations have dabbled in the technology without widespread adoption or success.
• It aims to serve a wider audience, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and provides a neutral, experience-based perspective on the topic.
• Roland presents a six-step process for successful process mining projects, which he recommends doing in short, five-week iterations to build momentum and demonstrate value quickly.
• The six steps are: 1) Develop a strategy, 2) Extract data, 3) Create a data model, 4) Create a reference model, 5) Perform the analysis, and 6) Define process improvements.
• The book uses a fictitious case study about a medical device company called “Heartbeat” to demonstrate how to apply these steps in a real-world scenario.
• A key aspect of the process is the “aha moment” when a client sees their discovered process for the first time, which can reveal surprising truths and lead to an emotional reaction.
• Included with the book are free resources, such as all the graphics from the book, a checklist to guide projects, and the data and project files from the case study.
• These freebies are intended to act as an “accelerator” for readers, helping them get started with their projects.

The book will be available on many marketplaces (Amazon, Apple, Google, etc.) but is also available in our webshop at whatsyourbaseline.gumroad.com.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.

We are hundreds of years into thinking about how we do work (insert your philosopher of choice here: Smith, Marx, Plato, etc.), but I get the impression that the most common style is “muddling through.”

But why is that? Why has the concept of an Integrated Management System (IMS) not taken hold in many organizations? Is it too complicated? Too much effort? Not worth it?
Even though I doubt that anyone will deny the benefits of an organized, integrated, and streamlined way of producing your product and value for your customers, it requires a certain amount of maturity to stand up an IMS.

Vassiliki built her experience through numerous operational excellence projects that she has led or participated in. Her strongest competencies include identifying opportunities, specifying and managing customized optimization initiatives within large organizations, usually including specialized process analysis to raise BPM awareness, proposing digitization interventions, and applying change scenarios.

She has invested in building her expertise in enterprise architecture methodologies and practices, facilitating process performance-based optimization, optimal systems & data strategy implementation, and compliance with GRC frameworks & practices.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Vassiliki's background
• What is an Integrated Management System (IMS)?
• Benefits of an IMS for an organization
• Who needs to be involved?
• IMS in the era of AI
• Key topics of an IMS explored
• Real-world project examples (telco and banking)
• Success factors when implementing and operating an IMS

Vassiliki can be reached via LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilikispentzou1/.

Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.