Lecture 7 BPR Methodologies

What is methodology?

In fact, methodology is a set of guidelines that provide an analyst a way or method to solve the specific problems.

So, BPR methodologies are the set of methods that separate the differences between business activities and organizational strategy, current and desired productivity of organizational resources.

As you know, BPR cannot occur if it is without a unstructured manner. If we want a BPR to be successful, targets, budgets, tools, etc. should be assigned and organized clearly.

In a large BPR project, we can separate different part to show the BPR clearly. They are design, implementation, and maintenance. There are a variety of descriptions of how BPR can be systematically carried out in practice and what the phases of a BPR project are.

After reading different articles and papers, I find that most of them conclude that there are 5 phases in a BPR project, as we can see that on the left hand side.

Phase 1, it is stated that a BPR project begins with some sort of trigger, such as performance problem and pressure from a supply chain partner. It can also be driven primarily by an executive vision of how a particular aspect of the company should be. The discussion will be taken place at this phase and the proposals will eventually be made.

Phase2, BPR mobilization occurs by selecting a project leader and forming a core BPR team. The processes to be redesigned are selected and a preliminary assessment of IT infrastructure around those processes is made. A BPR plan and budget is proposed.

Phase 3, In this phase the business process is redesigned and performance comparisons are made, sometimes through benchmarking with other companies. The process design is also readied for implementation.

Phase 4, The implementation and organizational transformation stage is the toughest phase to execute. It includes designing the IS and modifying the IT infrastructure. Is also involves introducing and instituting the new process with its accompanying organizational design changes, training people and possibly re-skilling them and dealing with the political and human problems that occur whenever a large organizational change is made.

Phase 5, Ideally BPR is not a one-shot effort and the process needs to be monitored on a continuous basis so that the process can be maintained and modified when conditions require.



The Participants in a BPR project

There are a variety of participants in a BPR project as shown in above picture. At the heart of a BPR project is a core BPR team that mesy manage the project and coordinate the differnet participants. The team includes a project leader.

Any BPR project needs executive sponsors who are often champions fo rthe project. Also, there is anouther important set of particiants is the process owners. They need someone who has responsibility and accountability for a business process. It is pointless to reengineer a business process if the process owners are not involoved and engaged in the project