Redesign your organisation with Business Process Reengineering

Want a way to look at your business in order to improve the way it functions and make it more competitive? Well then look at the concept that Business Process Reengineering brings you. This article will explain what “Business Process Reengineering” is and how you can apply it to your company. If you business is in trouble, this approach could help it survive.

Business Process Reengineering – What is it?

Business Process Reengineering (let us call it BPR) is a well structured approach that delves in to the way you do business. It seriously studies, rethinks and looks to restructure the key areas in a business which will ultimately bring improved results to the key leaders in your organisation, your shareholders and ultimately the customer. BPR is a way in which you can transform the way in your company work. It is a way to reduce the time it takes to perform a function and at the same time reduce expenditure as a result of improved efficiency.

Clear Ownership

BPR looks at the work being carried out in a certain area. One of the key factors is for someone to take ownership of those processes. Look at each element within a process and seek to improve it by using various techniques such as brainstorming and other quality process techniques. The ultimate aim is to elevate effectiveness. It is important to engage staff at all levels so that information and ideas can be shared and over time they too will take their own ownership of the process and ensure that whatever is the final outcome of the BPR exercise, is successful.

The fear of Business Process Reengineering

Over the past few years some employees have become fearful of the BPR approach. The reason for this is that often they fear that the BPR process will identify process improvement opportunities that will result in them being made redundant. One must not assume that this will not happen. BPR is considered a radical approach to a business process unlike a methodology of “continuous improvement” which tends to evolve ideas and benefits over a period of time.

The Process

After you have engaged key personnel and having received sanction from senior management it is time to map the new process and start implementation. One common approach is to basically work from a “clean slate”. Stripping out all current ways of doing the process and thinking to yourself “well if I could start from scratch, how would I really like this process to work”. It is always a prudent approach the new approach in an experiment mode first, this is to ensure that results that are experienced meet the expectations of the process owner.

Management – Use diplomacy but be honest

It is key for management to be engaged in the BPR theories and understandings very quickly. They should ensure good communication within the organisation to quell any potential disruption that may occur when staff realise that radical changes may be on the horizon. The removal of non-value adding elements of a process could result in redundancies, this may not only affect staff moral and attitude towards keeping the business functioning to a professional level but it may also have an affect on the bottom line as redundancy payments may have to be paid unless the staff who can be released from their current duties can be deployed elsewhere to add more value adding services to the organisation.

Appoint someone within your organisation who can lead the overall BPR project. You need to have a good BPR tracking tool that management can look and review at any time. Management need to review on an ongoing process the BPR roll out taking into account the risks that may be incurred balanced by the business efficiency gains that can be acquired.

Conclusion

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) takes a radical approach to changing the way a company operates. It looks to take the process and build efficiency, take out waste and ultimately make the business more profitable. It will need strong management support and this must be cascaded down to every employee. Communication is a key factor as radical change can mean radical actions.

Nigel Penhearow was a Business Operations Director for a major blue chip company based in the UK. He now holds the position as Category Sales Director. He is a member of various Institutional bodies and has given various speeches in the UK and the USA on business analytics, key performance measurement and best business practice. More information can be found on his web site www.operations-director.com