Roeland, I also found the BPMG “methodologies” to be non-cohesive, and the name “8 Omega” always made me laugh since it seemed to be some sort of 6 Sigma joke. I’m not convinced that BPMG could have become a leader for best practices, since there was, as you state, a lot of recycled material from other sources rather than a lot of original thought leadership.

Stu, like you, I enjoyed the local chapter meeting here in Toronto, although that had little to do with BPMG content and more to do with the speaker and the networking with other BPM professionals. I’m sure that we can find another outlet for this sort of session; I had approached the ABPMP last year about a Toronto chapter and they wanted to help get it started, but with BPMG also starting a chapter I didn’t think that we could support two so similar organizations here. However, if I can get a few others to help out, I might try to spearhead the local ABPMP again.

So if I am reading this right, a company in which Steve is a Director has removed the BPMG website from another company in which he was a director and shareholder. At the same time preventing members/customers of one of his companies from being able to access the services for which they have paid. Confused? Well I certainly I am. Hardly seems like the actions of someone with the interests of members, customers and shareholders at heart.

A recent newsletter from Steve Towers:
“The BPM community is in a state of hiatus currently. Many of us are suffering as a consequence.
Read my perspective in my Openletter at http://stevetowers.com/OpenLetter.html ”

If you go to that page…
(C) etc…

“Dear Colleague

As the major shareholder and founding member of what became the BPMG in 1992 and having single handedly, until 2003 worked in developing the community, I am doing everything within my power to ensure not only BPM Groups survival but its ongoing growth and success.

Here is a little background.
In 1992 I met with twelve colleagues representing companies in Europe and the United States to form ¨A forum for the exchange of information and advice to advance business performance through process management¨. Many of those original people are still my firm friends and some now head up global corporations. I will be forever grateful for the times we have shared.

Up until 2003 I fulfilled many roles for the community and we grew to over 9,000 members in more than 50 countries. I traveled extensively promoting our cause and visited over 40 countries, attended and talked at more than 100 conferences and had the very good fortune of making many friends in every culture on our planet.

I have occasionally been invited to collaborate on a number of books and in fact have written and contributed to more than seven including ¨An Executives Guide to BPR¨ (1994), ¨In Search of BPM Excellence: (2003), ¨The Real Time Enterprise¨, Thrive – How to Succeed in the Age of the Customer, ¨Extreme Competition¨, ¨Customer Expectation Management – Success without Exception¨. Of course there are others in the pipeline including ¨Rats on a Sinking Ship¨. The latter perhaps seems sadly more appropriate than I could ever have imagined when it was conceived last year!
Throughout the last 15 years I have worked with many of you to diligently push the cause of process management into every nook and cranny of our organizations. As a community we have achieved sometimes fantastic success and at other times provided a much needed wake up call to our colleagues and co-workers.

In 2003 having grown the BPMG to more than 9,000 members I was joined at the helm by David Lyneham-Brown and Stewart Ashton. Mr. Ashton is the man who has now assumed Executive control of the Group and you may have seen his ‘official’ note to the community last week.

I am saddened at the current troubles besetting the community and hope for all our sakes that the BPMG re-emerges with its original ethos intact. Be aware I am doing and will continue to do everything within my limited power to make it so.

To everyone I have shared and worked alongside – thank you. To those who have recently written and telephoned with personal support and offers of help I am humbled and very grateful. You helped to create a wonderful thing and I sincerely wish you the very best for a brighter future.

Kind Regards,

Steve Towers - BPMG founder ”

Hm. And then if you go to the website…

Welcome to Bennu Group LLC, the premier place to find the latest in thought leadership, training, workshops, conferences and resources related to all things process.

But why are you here?

You are here for a very simple reason. Due to delinquency of payment from the BPM Group to Bennu Group for services including operating the bpmg.org website you have been directed here where most of the core BPM Group staff have landed i.e. Terry Schurter, CIO; Alex Morse, Technical Director; Leah Morse, Chief Editor. Look for more on this particular subject soon

We believe in the overall mission that we have always understood in respect to the BPM Group and we know we understand that mission far better than anyone else (with the possible exception of Steve Towers (stevetowers.com)who is one of our Training Coaches). We are taking the “bit in our mouths” to continue as the world’s leading organization in the pursuit of BPM Excellence.

We hope you stick around to see what we are doing and what we have to offer on our site. Our mission is clear and our will unrelenting - we will lead the charge in making people’s lives simpler, easier and more successful.

We hope we can do the same for you.

Regards,

The Bennu Group

Please Note:

The Bennu Group IS NOT affiliated with the BPM Group in any form or manner. We understand that the BPM Group has numerous commitments to many of you and though we sincerely would like to help you in determining the status of these commitments the Bennu Group does not have any means to take action or determine the status of any BPM Group activity or commitment.

Queries regarding BPM Group commitments or other business-related concerns are recommended to be sent to Stewart Ashton at stewart.ashton@btopenworld. This (to the best of our limited knowledge) is the new primary point of contact for the BPM Group.

We know this is a trying time (it is very much so for us as well) but we are confident that we will all get through this to a better, brighter place. Those of us at the Bennu Group that were associated with the BPM Group in the past are deeply saddened by the current situation. We can only say that for those who may feel they may have incurred financial risk in respect to commitments with the BPM Group that we are in the same boat with you.

OUCH….
I thought the BPMG organization was ok. Fairly good articles and RSS feed.

True, the 8 Omega stuff didn’t really seem to work. Omega and CEM seemed a collection of loose gems, basically taken from various sources, such as Lean, BPR, etc.
But I do think that the BPM community needs organizations striving for BPM methods and best practices, and BPMG is (was?) a promising player…