IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs IBM WebSphere BPMS comparison

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. IBM WebSphere BPMS

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Ranking in Process Automation

21st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM WebSphere BPMS

Ranking in Process Automation

33rd

Average Rating

6.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM WebSphere BPMS is 0.1%, down from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

SYEDMUJTABA

Vice President - Digital Automation Services at Techvista Systems

Effectively handles parallel instances effectively

I find it quite straightforward, perhaps around 8.5 out of 10 in terms of ease. When we upgraded from the old version of IBM BPM to the new one within IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, we didn't encounter any major issues. There were some minor ones, but they were easy to overcome.The migration process was part of our deployment strategy. We had a plan to migrate two processes per week from on-premises to the cloud. The migration involved taking the instances and migrating them to the new environment. There is an inbuilt feature in IBM Cloud Pak for Automation that facilitates the migration process, although I personally haven't conducted it myself; it's managed by my team. Overall, the setup process was relatively smooth.

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Samuel Tsang

Senior Project Manager at Bank Of China(Hong Kong) Limited

Systematic role management and flexible integration improve efficiency, but low-code capabilities and setup complexity need addressing

The most valuable feature of IBM WebSphere BPMS ( /products/ibm-websphere-bpms-reviews ) is the systematic framework it provides for building different systems. The critical component is the authorization within the workflow assignment, which is an attractive aspect of this tool. It has helped us in systematic role management within the workflow. Additionally, it offers flexible integration capabilities facilitating front-end and back-end separation practices, allowing for technologies like Angular and Spring Boot ( /products/spring-boot-reviews ).

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"What this product allows us to do is to move from on-prem instances where we are running independent instances of FileNet, Datacap, and ODM. It allows us to leverage container-based resiliency and availability modeling so that we have some visibility across the CP4BA ecosystem. We're now migrating all of our data to be in the Cloud Object Storage, and we can now use some of the features of Azure in terms of how we store and retrieve content for our members and our providers."

"I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, are valuable when dealing with a large number of users, enabling tasks to be performed concurrently for efficient system operation. The SLA aspect is crucial for tracking and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Additionally, the cloud compatibility of IBM BAW allows for seamless migration from on-premises to the cloud. This version also includes a business rule management system for storing and managing business rules effectively."

"The UI capabilities of the solution are great. The speed of delivery is good."

"We like the feature in which we can trace back instances."

"The most valuable feature of IBM WebSphere BPMS is the systematic framework it provides for building different systems."

"This product is flexible in its ability to integrate processes and it can be extended and integrated with other software."

Cons

"I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. Additionally, in the next release, I would like to see improved compatibility with Angular, allowing for direct integration with front-end systems. It would be beneficial to have built-in GUI features based on Angular within the system, rather than developing separate applications externally. This, in turn, would provide a more seamless and enhanced front-end experience."

"One of the challenges we're having is finding vendors who have experience in developing on the cloud. We can find developers on the old platform, but it is leading-edge technology. So, we are having some challenges, and IBM is assisting us to find vendor partners. To be able to leverage all the capabilities of the new platform, we have to upgrade our existing ecosystem of FileNet applications. Upgrading to the new platform while trying to modernize is always challenging because it is like you have a moving target."

"Sometimes there are tasks that failed without any reason."

"There is a need for more capabilities in low-code and no-code development to increase efficiency and make implementation simpler."

"The user interface could be improved, and although integration opportunities are good, they could be improved further."

"The solution lacks acceptable stability."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pricing at around 9. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees, but IBM has multiple pricing models that make it expensive in its own way. Different plans are available, but overall, the experience suggests it is a costly solution."

"Its cost is almost the same or comparable to what we pay with FileNet, but I'm not sure what we pay a year. A good part of CP4BA is the CPU-based licensing model. When we're dealing with 50,000 dentists, for example, if we were to use Salesforce, we would be hit with the licensing of 50,000 dentists, whereas when we build out in CP4BA, it is just based on our CPU usage, not on individual licenses."

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Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, ar...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pr...

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. ...

What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere BPMS?

There is a need for more capabilities in low-code and no-code development to increase efficiency and make implementation simpler. The tool currently involves a complex setup requirement, and having...

What is your primary use case for IBM WebSphere BPMS?

We use IBM WebSphere BPMS ( /products/ibm-websphere-bpms-reviews ) internally in the bank for process automation and management. Our IT department self-builds different systems to serve various use...

What advice do you have for others considering IBM WebSphere BPMS?

I recommend IBM WebSphere BPMS for large enterprises concerned with total system management. It is not ideal for SMB due to its complexity and the need for significant IT resources. I rate it seven...

IBM BPM vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

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Product Reports

Process Automation

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IBM WebSphere BPMS

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Also Known As

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WebSphere BPMS

Overview

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers design, build, run, and automation services to rapidly scale your programs and fully execute and operationalize an automation strategy.

IBM

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IBM

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Schahin Group, Korean Credit Card Company, Versicherungskammer Bayern, Biogrid Australia

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. IBM WebSphere BPMS