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Business Process Redesign (BPR)
What it is
Also known as Business Process Reengineering, BPR is a
radical redesign of an existing process for the purpose of achieving major
improvements in performance and/or cost effectiveness.
What results can I expect?
When properly implemented, BPR will result in major
improvements in:
- Lead time (time from start of process to completion)
- Work reduction
- Increased throughput (capacity to handle more work)
- Improved quality / reduced rework
- Improved customer satisfaction
How do I know if it will help me?
If your are satisfied with the performance or cost
effectiveness of your current process, BPR may be approach to use. Examples
might be:
- Process has a high defect or rework rate
- Process no longer works satisfactorily
- Process must handle more volume or functions than it can handle
- Process takes too long or is too costly
How does it work?
BPR takes a detailed look at each of the steps needed to
perform the process, utilizing the expertise of the people actually doing the
work. By mapping out the process, a few "value added" steps are identified,
which absolutely essential to accomplish the work. A new process is then
designed, focusing on performing the "value added" steps while eliminating as
many of the other steps.
Pitfalls
If done wrong, BPR will not only fail to achieve the needed
results, but can cripple the organization. Some of the common mistakes
include:
- Failure to include people doing the process
- Redesign driven too hard by people who don't do the work (such as Information Technology)
- Failure to adequately test the new process before "going live"
- Redesign for the purpose of eliminating people
The EurekaResults.com difference
Our approach to BPR melds some of the best western thinking
with the powerful lean approaches found in the
Toyota Production
System. This approach is available in a one week
Kaizen Breakthrough
Event format.
Examples
Web Links
Business Process Reengineering (various links)
Directory of Process Modeling and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Resources
Books
Process Mapping : How to Reengineer Your Business Processes by V. Daniel Hunt, Daniel V. Hunt
Best Practices in Reengineering: What Works and What Doesn't in the Reengineering Process by David K. Carr, Henry J. Johansson
Beyond Reengineering : How the Process-Centered Organization Is Changing Our Work and Our Lives by Michael Hammer