Inefficiencies and mismanagement tend to grow in any organization unless actively addressed. This reality makes business process reengineering (BPR) not just a necessity but a critical element of success. Whether or not it’s explicitly part of your IT management role, integrating BPR into your strategy is essential to aligning your projects with organizational goals.

Why BPR Should Be on Your IT Agenda

Some might argue that process engineering isn’t within the typical scope of an IT manager’s responsibilities. However, if you embrace the BTOPP (Business, Technology, Organization, People, Process) model, you’ll quickly realize that BPR is crucial to the success of your IT projects. Everything in an organization is interconnected, and understanding how these dimensions interact is key to driving successful change.

Business process reengineering involves a fundamental rethink of how work gets done within an organization. It’s more than just tweaking a few steps here and there — it’s about reimagining processes to achieve significant improvements in critical performance measures like cost, quality, service, and speed.

Common Pitfalls in BPR

One of the most common mistakes in BPR is asking the wrong question: “Why should we reexamine our processes?” when the real question should be, “How can we improve our business processes?” Another frequent error is expecting the same people who created the existing processes to reengineer them. This is akin to asking someone to critique their own work objectively — unlikely to yield innovative results.

Additionally, assigning untrained individuals to analyze and design BPR initiatives is a recipe for failure. Even more damaging is excluding key employees from the reengineering process by relying solely on external consultants, which can lead to resentment and rejection of the new processes.

Another mistake is focusing BPR efforts on minor or irrelevant issues rather than core organizational processes. Failing to test new or revised processes and underestimating the risks associated with changes to BTOPP dimensions can also lead to chaos and unsuccessful BPR projects.

These missteps often result in proposals that are impractical due to a lack of consideration for changes in business, technology, organization, or people. Inefficient processes are improved at the expense of core processes, leading to low-impact BPR projects that undermine the entire concept of business reengineering.

How to Get BPR Right

When executed correctly, BPR can align projects with the organization’s strategy, ensuring that changes deliver real value. To achieve this, follow these key steps:

1. Align BPR with Organizational Strategy: Ensure that BPR projects are in harmony with the organization’s strategic direction. This alignment is critical for gaining executive support and ensuring long-term success.
2. Manage BPR Projects Effectively: Utilize the management techniques discussed in earlier chapters, such as those in Chapter 9 on effective organizational oversight, to keep BPR projects on track.
3. Consider All BTOPP Dimensions: Successful BPR projects take into account all BTOPP dimensions. You can better manage the risks and ensure successful implementation by understanding how changes will impact business, technology, organization, people, and processes.
4. Create High-Impact Changes: Effective BPR should focus on making high-level changes that eliminate numerous low-level processes, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.

Practical Tips for IT Managers

As an IT manager, you may not be a BPR expert, but you should understand its principles and be able to guide your team through the process. Here are some practical tips:

• Educate Yourself: Familiarize yourself with BPR methodologies, including process modeling and analysis techniques. This knowledge will help you engage in meaningful discussions with consultants and stakeholders.
• Clearly Define the Project: Before starting, ensure that the purpose of the BPR project is well-defined. Identify key issues, expected outcomes, deliverables, timelines, participants, and resources.
• Document Everything: Make sure the BPR proposal is fully documented and that all aspects of the program are considered. This includes securing approval from the investment committee and ensuring that the project is staged and managed under the organization’s governance framework.
• Understand BTOPP: Make sure your team fully grasps the BTOPP concept. You can’t reengineer business processes without considering the impact on all these dimensions.
• Follow a Logical Lifecycle: Approach BPR similarly to an IT project lifecycle — analyze, design, review, test, and implement — step by step.
• Balance Internal and External Resources: Decide carefully whether to use consultants, internal staff, or a combination of both. Use the guidelines from Chapter 15 to manage this balance effectively.
• Involve Employees Realistically: Don’t expect employees to handle BPR tasks on top of their regular duties. Involve them in the process, but be realistic about their capacity.
• Start with High-Level Processes: Focus on top-level processes first. If you can stabilize these, you can eliminate many lower-level processes with minimal effort.
• Don’t Get Stuck on Exceptions: Stick to standards and avoid letting rare exceptions derail your BPR project.
• Involve All Stakeholders: If BPR impacts other business areas, vendors, or suppliers, involve them in the project as early as possible.

Conclusion

Business process reengineering is a complex but essential endeavor for organizations aiming to stay competitive. While the literature is full of both success stories and cautionary tales, the key to successful BPR lies in careful planning, considering all BTOPP dimensions, and aligning the initiative with the organization’s strategic goals. Remember, the first focus of any BPR project should be on the business executives who will ultimately determine its success.

Checklist for BPR Success

1. Is the BPR proposal satisfactory and well-documented?
2. Have all BTOPP dimensions been considered?
3. Has the investment committee set appropriate investment thresholds for the BPR initiative?
4. Are roles, deliverables, and responsibilities clearly defined?
5. Are employees aware of the program’s objectives?
6. Have legal and employment issues been considered?
7. Has the proposed process been evaluated?
8. Do you need additional research, or can you replicate competitor or supplier processes?
9. Have all details, such as forms, work hours, and IT systems, been included in the BPR process?
10. Are customers informed about the program?