Management elements of organisational re-engineering

Abstract

This dissertation is an examination of the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) philosophy. The dissertation approach is to analyse the BPR philosophy through segmenting it into seven critical elements. These are elements that needs to be in place to ensure BPR success. Some of the critical elements are sub-components of BPR, while some others, such as the Balanced Scorecard and Project Management, are similar management philosophies that compliment the BPR approach. The seven elements examined are: 1. The identification of Economic Value Adding opportunities of Business Process Re¬engineering. 2. Aligning Business Process Re-engineering initiatives with organisational strategy by means of the Balanced Scorecard. 3. The utilisation of Best Practices and Benchmarks during the Business Process Re-engineering effort. 4. The utilization of Best Practices and Benchmarks during the Business Process Re-engineering effort. 5. Project Management techniques applicable to Business Process Re-engineering projects. 6. Implementation Drivers that helps ensure the success of Business Process Re-engineering. 7. Capturing of Business Process Re-engineering designs in Business Architectures. By no means are these the only elements involved in BPR, but it does form an essential structure for it. None of these elements are ground breaking new research subjects, although most of them are very topical in the business world at the turn of the millennium, and some are still going through growth pains in terms of practical validation. The scope of explanation for these BPR elements is kept at a practical and understandable level, with some deep drills into detail. The main objective of this dissertation is to offer a group of elements that can be used as a whole, or as selective tools during any type of Business Process Re-engineering effort. All these elements will be referenced against experiences from the industry in the form of an actual Business Process Re-engineering project that incorporated all these elements and results from their use. The dissertation deliverable is a usable composition of elements, or a BPR toolbox that can be used by Business Process Re-engineering practitioners as an aid in their efforts.