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Unit 8: Continuous Process Improvement

8.5.1 Steps to Re-engineer the Process Notes

Project phases required for successful BPR:

Phase 1: Begin Organisational Change

Activities

Assess the current state of the organisation
Explain the need for change
Illustrate the desired state
Create a communications campaign for change
The first step is to take a long, hard look at how the organisation operates. The focus of this
examination is on the operating procedures and the bottom-line results that are generated by
them. The purpose of performing the analysis described below is to determine whether dramatic
change by doing BPR is really necessary. It may be that only marginal change (the result of
Continuous Process Improvements, Total Quality Management, and other similar programs) is
needed – which would expose the change initiative and the organisation to much less risk.
Aspects of the business that need to be evaluated are: how things are currently done, what
changes may be occurring, and what new circumstances exist in our business environment.
Next, a look at how certain operating procedures within the organisation has caused or will
cause irreparable damage to the company’s livelihood. What is the source of the organisation’s
concern? Maybe the demands of the marketplace are shifting. Perhaps competitors have made
significant advancements in products and services. Regardless of the reasons, it should be clear
whether or not the organisation, in its current state, is able to meet the needs of the markets it
serves.
The consequences of inaction should be identified and well understood. In most cases, these
consequences are the loss of jobs by shutting down portions of the business, or perhaps the
entire business. Finally, the proper future direction of the organisation should be decided. The
future “vision” of how the business must operate will serve as a clear and concise guide with
measurable goals for employees to focus on.
If an organisation wishes to change the way it operates, it must turn to its people to make it
happen. People are the agents of change. Creating business plans and strategies are important,
but they are only tools to guide the actions of people.
In order for change to be embraced, everyone must understand where the organisation is today,
why the organisation needs to change, and where the organisation needs to be in order to
survive.

Phase 2: Build the Re-engineering Organisation

Activities

Establish a BPR organisational structure
Establish the roles for performing BPR

Choose the personnel who will re-engineer
An infrastructure must be established to support re-engineering efforts. Although this phase
consists of only a few tasks, it has a tremendous impact on the success of a BPR endeavour.

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