BPM, business process management, is about as broad a term as one can get to describe a methodology.  The Wikipedia defines BPM as a broad methodology or discipline for managing the value-added processes of a business.  The concepts of measurement and continuous improvement are central tenants of BPM.  Workflow is an equally broad term that is often associated with BPM, but the difference between the two is dramatic.

Many software applications manage workflows but are wizards and not BPM solutions.   A BPM workflow engine abstracts the logic for transitioning from one workflow task to another into a configurable, rule-driven software component. The configurability of the workflow engine most distinguishes workflow software from wizard software. Workflow engines can be programmed to execute almost any business process; workflow wizards execute a single, pre-programmed, possibly configurable business process. New workflows or new versions of workflows can be loaded into a workflow engine in minutes; wizards require reprogramming to implement significant changes to workflows. A workflow engine can execute multiple different workflows simultaneously; a wizard executes only a single workflow.

Most workflow software applications are wizard based.  They have been developed to manage a well defined business process and they often incorporate functions that are very specific to the business vertical they were designed for.  When starting from scratch, the programmer can create a workflow wizard in a fraction of the time required to develop a BPM system.  Few developers understand BPM systems and workflow engines and so that learning curve often prevents them from considering the use of BPM to solve their immediate need to manage a workflow. Fortunately, the learning curve is being shortened by the arrival of configurable BPM driven services.  BizFlo from CHALEX corp offers a workflow engine in the cloud and full set of REST APIs that allow software developers to call the engine from their application and create BPM orchestrated workflow applications in a relatively little time.  Other companies a re bringing workflow engines to the cloud and providing developer tool kits to facilitate rapid application development.  This is important because of the velocity of change in the market place and the need for agility in an organization is critical.  The ability to adjust to changing conditions and change a workflow in a few minutes rather than months is a significant competitive advantage.