BPM vs workflow automation vs orchestration: What’s the difference?
At a Glance
In 2025, organizations hear terms like BPM, workflow automation, and orchestration used interchangeably. But they aren’t the same. This blog explains the differences, strengths, and use cases of each. We’ll use comparisons, practical examples, and a decision framework to help you identify the right approach. Finally, we’ll highlight how Moxo combines BPM with orchestration for client-facing workflows.
BPM, workflow automation, and orchestration: What's the difference?
BPM has been around for decades, workflow automation became popular with SaaS adoption, and orchestration is a newer concept driven by AI and cross-system integration. With vendors using these terms inconsistently, decision-makers struggle to understand what their organization truly needs.
This article clarifies the definitions and shows how these approaches complement rather than compete with one another.
What is business process management (BPM)
Business process management (BPM) is a holistic, strategic discipline focused on managing and optimizing a company's end-to-end business processes. It's not just about a single task but the entire lifecycle of a process, covering entire business functions rather than isolated tasks. The aim is to align processes with organizational goals, improve efficiency, and ensure consistency.
Core aspects of BPM:
- Process design and mapping: Visually documenting every step, decision point, and stakeholder in a process.
- Execution: Implementing the designed process, often using specialized BPM software.
- Monitoring and analytics: Tracking performance with key metrics to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- Continuous optimization: Using data from monitoring to make ongoing improvements to the process.
What it comprises:
Rule-based actions: Setting up triggers that initiate automated tasks.
Task routing: Automatically sending information or requests to the correct person or system.
Notifications and reminders: Sending automated alerts to ensure tasks are completed on time.
Examples of BPM in action
Example 1: Consider a customer onboarding process. BPM would involve mapping the entire journey from the moment a lead becomes a customer to their full integration. This includes initial contact, contract signing, account setup, training, and the first support interaction. The goal of BPM is to make this entire journey as smooth, fast, and error-free as possible, continually refining it based on performance data and customer feedback.
Example 2: Within the larger BPM-managed customer onboarding process, workflow automation would handle specific tasks. For instance, once a customer signs a contract (the trigger), an automated workflow could:
- Send a welcome email.
- Create a user account for them in the system.
- Assign a task to a customer success manager to schedule a welcome call.
- Send a reminder to the manager if the call isn't scheduled within 24 hours.
Why BPM matters
In a competitive landscape, efficiency and adaptability are key to survival and growth. BPM matters because it provides a systematic way for organizations to achieve operational excellence. It helps businesses reduce costs by eliminating redundancies, improve customer satisfaction by delivering faster and more reliable services, and increase agility by making it easier to adapt processes to changing market demands. By creating a culture of continuous improvement, BPM ensures that a company remains competitive and efficient in the long run.
What is workflow automation
Workflow automation focuses on automating specific, repeatable tasks or a sequence of tasks within a larger process. Its primary goal is to reduce manual effort, minimize human error, and speed up individual steps. It is narrower in scope compared to broader process automation, targeting tactical, repetitive tasks or approval steps within a process.
Core aspects of workflow automation
- Tactical in scope: Targets specific, individual tasks rather than entire processes.
- Eliminates manual effort: Reduces the need for human intervention in repetitive tasks.
- Minimizes errors: Ensures consistency and accuracy through automation.
- No-code or low-code solutions: Accessible to business users without requiring technical expertise.
What it comprises
Rule-based actions: Setting up triggers that automatically initiate tasks within the workflow.
Task routing: Directing tasks, requests, or information to the appropriate person or system.
Notifications and reminders: Sending automated alerts to ensure tasks are completed on time.
Examples of workflow automation in action
HR Workflow: Automating vacation request approvals to eliminate back-and-forth emails between employees and managers.
Example: Within the larger BPM-managed customer onboarding process, workflow automation would handle specific tasks. For instance, once a customer signs a contract (the trigger), an automated workflow could:
- Send a welcome email.
- Create a user account for them in the system.
- Assign a task to a customer success manager to schedule a welcome call.
- Send a reminder to the manager if the call isn't scheduled within 24 hours.
Workflow automation digitizes and speeds up these individual steps, but it doesn't redesign the overall onboarding strategy on its own.
Why workflow automation matters
Workflow automation digitizes and speeds up individual steps within a process, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and accurately. However, it doesn’t redesign or manage the overall strategy of a process (such as customer onboarding)—that would fall under business process management (BPM). Instead, it works in harmony with BPM to streamline specific components of broader workflows.
What is orchestration
Orchestration is the coordination of multiple automated tasks, systems, and even human interventions to execute a single, coherent end-to-end process. Think of it as the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring all the different instruments (systems and tasks) play together harmoniously. It goes beyond simple automation by integrating people, systems, and AI agents into one seamless journey.
Orchestration is crucial when a process spans different departments, software systems (like a CRM, ERP, and a billing platform), and external partners.
Core aspects of orchestration
System integration: Connects multiple workflows and disparate applications into end-to-end journeys, often via APIs.
Process logic: Defines the complex logic of how different automated workflows interact with each other.
Human-in-the-Loop: Integrates humans, systems, and AI into one unified process, which is ideal for customer-facing or multi-departmental workflows.
End-to-End Visibility: Provides a unified view of a process that runs across multiple systems.
Example of orchestration in action
Let's look at customer onboarding. Orchestration coordinates the entire sequence from start to finish.
When a sales representative marks a deal as "won" in the CRM (System 1), orchestration kicks in to:
- Trigger the workflow to create a new user account (System 2).
- Simultaneously, send customer data to the billing platform (System 3) to generate the first invoice.
- Notify the learning management system (System 4) to grant the customer access to training materials once the account is created.
Orchestration ensures that all these separate systems and their automated tasks work together seamlessly to create a single, unified onboarding experience for the customer.
Why orchestration matters
In today's interconnected business environment, processes rarely operate within a single system or department. Orchestration ensures that workflows spanning multiple tools, teams, and partners are synchronized, efficient, and error-free. It eliminates silos, reduces manual intervention, and creates a seamless experience for both internal teams and customers. By automating complex, multi-step processes, orchestration saves time, improves accuracy, and enhances overall productivity. Most importantly, it ensures that your organization can scale operations without sacrificing quality or efficiency.
Comparison table: BPM vs workflow automation vs orchestration
When to use each approach
Use BPM
When your primary need is governance, compliance, and strategic standardization across departments. Ideal for regulated industries like banking or insurance, BPM is valuable when there are long lifecycle processes that require strict audit trails, version control, and change management.
Example: Setting up organization-wide risk controls or document lifecycle management.
Moxo supports BPM lifecycle stages—design, execution, monitoring, and optimization—while reducing the typical implementation burden with low-code workflows and compliance-first design.
Use Workflow Automation
When you want to save time on manual, repetitive tasks like approvals, reminders, or basic form submissions. These are usually internal tasks that don’t need deep integration or external collaboration.
Example: Approving travel requests, leave forms, or simple invoice routing.
While traditional automation stops here, Moxo embeds these actions inside smart workflows that clients or vendors can access via Magic Links, eliminating login friction and improving task completion.
Use Orchestration
When your process involves multiple teams, systems, and external stakeholders—for example, onboarding clients, vendors, or partners, and routing documents through approvals, e-signatures, and compliance checks. Orchestration adds context, visibility, and control to complex journeys.
Onboarding a consulting client through secure intake, task automation, e-signatures, and real-time collaboration.
Moxo enables end-to-end orchestration with client portals, document collection, real-time messaging, and enterprise-grade integrations. It blends human decision-making with AI (coming soon), reducing delays and elevating the client experience.
Combining all three approaches for maximum impact
Enterprises don’t have to choose just one. The most agile organizations combine:
- BPM for structure and governance
- Workflow Automation for quick wins
- Orchestration to deliver seamless client journeys across tools and teams
Moxo brings these together in a single platform—so you’re not stitching together file-sharing tools, project trackers, and siloed CRMs.
Want to see how Moxo powers all three layers? Book a demo or explore Moxo's product suite to design smarter, client-centric workflows.
How Moxo fits into the picture
Moxo is more than a BPM or workflow automation tool. It’s a modern orchestration platform that integrates the structure of BPM, the efficiency of workflow automation, and the agility of end-to-end orchestration—especially where client experience matters most.
- BPM Alignment: Moxo supports prebuilt workflows for regulated industries like financial services, consulting, and healthcare, embedding audit trails and SLAs by default.
- Workflow Automation: With document collection, Moxo automates approvals, reminders, and data capture—turning repetitive back-and-forth into hands-free flows.
- Client-Oriented Orchestration: Moxo combines branded client portals, task routing, secure chat, and e-signatures into one seamless experience—no toggling across tools.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: With SOC 2/SOC 3 compliance, AES‑256 encryption, role-based access, and detailed audit logs, Moxo ensures workflows are secure and audit-ready.
Decision framework table
Choose what’s right for you
BPM gives structure. Workflow automation boosts speed. But orchestration brings it all together—especially when client experiences, compliance, and cross-functional processes collide.
That’s where Moxo stands out.
It’s not just about modeling or automating a process. It’s about executing it end-to-end, with secure portals, automated steps, real-time visibility, and measurable ROI.
Book a demo to see how Moxo orchestrates your business processes—from intake to approval—with clarity, control, and client-first design.
FAQs
Is orchestration just advanced workflow automation?
Not quite. Workflow automation handles task-level triggers like reminders or approvals. Orchestration, which Moxo specializes in, coordinates full workflows across teams, clients, and tools—ensuring tasks don’t just get done, but done in sync.
Can BPM and orchestration work together?
Yes. BPM provides structure and governance. Moxo brings that structure to life with configurable workflows, client portals, and cross-team execution—all in one secure hub.
Why is orchestration important in 2025?
Because processes no longer live in silos. Teams use multiple tools, clients expect visibility, and regulations demand auditability. Moxo helps enterprises connect it all—without custom code or disjointed apps.
Does Moxo support workflow automation as well as orchestration?
Absolutely. With document collection, e-signatures, automated approvals, and real-time status updates, Moxo powers automation within larger orchestrated journeys.
Which industries benefit most from orchestration?
Any business with external-facing workflows gains from orchestration. That includes consulting, financial services, legal, healthcare, and accounting—all of which Moxo supports with tailored solutions.
