Week 12 - Process Redesign (3) and Implementation

Source/Reference:
1.  Al-mashari & Mohamed Zairi, "BPR implementation process: an analysis of key success and failure factors," Bpr Implementation Process. 

Subject: 
BPR Implementation Success Factors

Response:
In Lecture 12, the business process redesign implementation is discussed. There are various IT integration options for BPR, such as Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) and XML-based process integrration suites for e-business. In this article, I will focus on the success factors relating to change management systems and culture.

Change management involves all human- and social-related changes, and cultural adjustment techniques needed by management to facilitate the insertion of newly-designed processes and structures into working practice and
to deal effectively with resistance. Here are some important factors involved:

1. Revising reward and motivation systems
Since BPR may lead to a raise in a particular job and a elimination of another job, motivation system is required to altered. Incentive may be changed if the business processes have been re-engineered but the original reward system is still employed. For example, in a company, some redundant process is closed and the job nature of the workers is altered. It is unfair to give the same reward to the staff. Their morale will be reduced, contributing to the unsuccessful case of BPR.

2. Effective communication
Effective communication between stakeholders inside and outside the organisation is
necessary to implement the process redesign and to ensure patience and understanding of the structural and cultural changes needed as well as the organisation's competitive situation. It should take place regularly to ensure the redesign goal are attained.
3. EmpowermentTraditionally, decision making power is only limited to the upper level officers in a highly-centralized organization. It is difficult to develop accurate goals and motivate the workers. As such, decisions should be pushed down to lower levels. It establishes a culture in which staff at all levels feel more responsible and accountable.

4. Human involvementIn re-engineering, all people must be openly and actively involved and should be consulted at all stages on the process and its leaders. Therefore, errors and mistakes can be minimized; failure of IT implementation may be controlled immediately when something goes wrong in the middle.

5. Training and education
For a new business process, it is essential to develop new skills and techniques. It is also important to educate people in IT-related innovations for competitive advantage, the potential of IT. Business managers, line managers, IS managers, andin reshaping the business and the leadership of empowered organisations.
other staff in the front-line are the people who benefit the most.




6. Creating an effective culture for organizational change

Organisational culture influences the organisation's ability to adapt to change. The existing culture contains beliefs and values that may not be appropriate or useful in the re-engineered environment. Therefore, the organisation must understand and conform to the new values, management processes, and the communication styles that are created by the newly-redesigned processes. Moreover, trust and honesty among team members are required.