Breaking Through the Middle: How To Move from Level 2 to Level 3 on the BPM Maturity Model

A Quick Recap: Why So Many Firms Get ‘Stuck in the Middle’

In my previous article, Business Process Management: Why Most Professional Services Firms Are Still Stuck in the Middle, I discussed why many professional services firms become stranded between Levels 2 and 3 of the BPM maturity model. At this stage, organisations have repeatable processes, but fall short when it comes to standardisation, proper documentation, and continuous, proactive improvement.

How do you escape this “stuck in the middle” rut and progress to a more mature way of working?

In this article, I’ll set out a practical roadmap for moving up from Level 2 (“Repeatable”) to Level 3 (“Defined & Standardised”), tackle some of the most stubborn obstacles, such as time-based fees, and highlight how AI tools can be a real game-changer on your journey.

The Reality at Level 2: Repeatable, but Not Reliable

At Level 2, firms may have made a decent start: there are repeatable processes in place, and team members know roughly where to find instructions. However, there are still some big drawbacks. Processes are often:

• Processes are inconsistently followed
• Documentation is patchy or out of date
• Knowledge is often “tribal” (i.e., in someone’s head rather than written down)
• Improvements tend to be reactive, not planned
• Processes are siloed with limited ownership of end-to-end processes

Perhaps most critically, the incentives may not be aligned. I see this typically in professional services firms when profit is tied to billable hours. This means there is little external push for efficiency gains.

Why Make the Move to Level 3?

Reaching Level 3, where processes are standardised and properly documented, brings real, tangible benefits:

• Better client service through greater consistency
• Quicker onboarding of new staff
• Improved ability to scale (fewer bottlenecks and issues)
• The foundation for proactive, data-driven improvement

What’s holding firms back from taking this next important step? In my experience this comes down to three key factors; capacity, skills and complacency.

The Hidden BPM Obstacles: Capacity, Skills, and Complacency

Lack of Capacity: Teams are often stretched, with little time to dedicate to process review or documentation.

Skills Gap: Few have the background in process analysis or mapping that’s needed.

Complacency Driven by Time-Based Fees: When your financial model rewards “time spent”, being more efficient can seem counter-intuitive.

Discipline, not Just Methodology

You don’t need to slavishly follow any specific methodology like Six Sigma or Lean to progress. What really matters is discipline—using a simple, structured approach and sticking to it. The classic improvement cycle (regardless of label) remains:

Define: What is the process, what’s its aim, and who owns it?
Measure: How does it work currently? Where is the data?
Analyse: Where are the pain points and inefficiencies?
Improve: What could we do differently?
Control: How do we make improvements stick and monitor performance?

Practical Steps to Get Moving

Establish Process Ownership

Appoint a clear process owner for each key process—someone who’s responsible for keeping documentation up to date, ensuring the process is followed, and leading improvements.

Make Space for Process Work

Think big, start small, but act now!

• Pick one or two processes to start with, preferably ones with the biggest impact.
• Block out regular, non-billable time for process review.
• Use short, focused sessions rather than long meetings or workshops. Use ready-made templates or tools to make documentation simple.

Develop Documentation and Analytical Skills

• Offer basic training in process mapping and analysis.
• Partner less experienced team members with those who are more process-savvy.

Look Beyond Billable Hours

Shift the narrative so that efficiency becomes about:

• Delivering a better client experience
• Reducing mistakes and rework
• Protecting wellbeing by reducing overtime
• Creating capacity for more strategic or rewarding work

How AI Tools Can Accelerate Your BPM Journey

With the right AI tools, even small teams can quickly overcome challenges in documentation, analysis, and process improvement:

Automated Process Discovery & Mapping:
AI-driven platforms (like Celonis or Microsoft Process Advisor) can analyse workflow data and produce accurate process maps—no sticky notes required! This reveals hidden inefficiencies and helps standardise your documentation.

Intelligent Document Analysis:
AI can scan policies, contracts, and emails, extracting and organising process steps automatically, making process documentation far less intimidating.

Process Mining & Bottleneck Identification:
Process mining tools use AI to find delays, rework, or bottlenecks within your workflows—offering clear priorities for improvement.

Predictive Analytics:
AI can surface which projects or tasks are most likely to run into problems, allowing you to intervene before issues escalate.

Task Automation & Digital Assistants:
Automate repetitive steps (data entry, reminders, document routing), freeing up people to focus on analysis and decision-making.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Knowledge Sharing:
Tools using NLP can turn conversations or meeting notes into draft process documentation. AI-powered search makes it far easier to find and use existing processes.

Overcoming the Complacency Trap

Even in time-based fee environments, process improvement pays off, not just in efficiency, but in fewer errors, happier clients, less firefighting, and more time for rewarding work. If possible, pilot alternative fee models for standardised processes to demonstrate their true value.

Efficiency and standardisation don’t just reduce cost, they improve the client experience, reduce risk, and let your firm grow without chaos. 

Real-Life Example: Wealth Management Firm Implementing BPM Discipline

Challenge:
A boutique wealth management firm had a well-trodden client onboarding process, but kept running into delays, missed compliance steps, and inconsistent client experiences. Much of their knowledge was held by two senior client managers, and the process documentation was outdated.

Actions Taken:

1. Ownership:
   The COO became process owner and pulled together a small working group.
2. Define & Map:
   They used a conventional process mapping tool (Microsoft Visio) to document the process, both what it should be and the all the unofficial routes staff were taking!
3. Measure & Analyse:
   Analytical tools (which now include AI process mining), were used to pinpoint bottlenecks (e.g., hand-offs between compliance and account opening teams). Intelligent document analysis can be used to scan old onboarding checklists and client files to flag where critical steps were routinely missed.
4. Improve:
   Quick wins included introducing automated reminders and documentation prompts (using digital assistants, including Microsoft Copilot). All improvements were documented both in process maps and policy and procedure documents.
5. Control:
   The process owner set up a simple dashboard to monitor adherence and flag when out-of-date files needed review.

Results:

• 60% reduction in onboarding errors
• Staff onboarding time halved for new client executives
• Far greater confidence during compliance audits
• Freed-up capacity for senior managers to focus on building the business, not chasing paperwork

Moral of the story:
Even firms with little spare capacity or documentation expertise can level up using a disciplined method and a few well-chosen AI tools to lighten the load.

Conclusion: The First Step IN BPM is the Most Important

Moving from Level 2 to Level 3 in BPM maturity doesn’t require perfection, but it does need just a few small steps with consistency and the right tools.

Establish clear ownership, carve out time, develop core skills, and stick to a proven improvement cycle. AI tools are now more accessible than ever, helping you document, analyse, and enhance your processes with less effort.

Ready to make your move? Pick a process, get the right people around the table, and let discipline (and a little bit of AI) do the heavy lifting.

I can provide help with mentoring your internal team, providing tools and templates right up to creating a complete framework for successful process change in your organisation. Contact me for more details.

Paul Every
Assurify Consulting, Jersey