You might think that processes are unimportant or that they are a minor part of business operations. This is far from true. Companies need processes in every aspect of their operations to maintain efficiency and the highest probability of success. Evolving processes is not an easy task and requires detailed knowledge of the company's operations, behaviors, and products. Sinha and Srinivas (2020) provide an insight on how to apply the business process reengineering (BPR) in their article, Case Study: Solutions in Practice.Read the case study and answer the following in a 1–2 page response:
Select a business of your choice to which you want to apply the BPR concept.
Apply the five-step process mentioned in the Sinha article to the process that you want to change in the company.
Provide concluding remarks about evaluating your application of the BPR.
Use two sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source slide at least one time within your assignment. For help with research, writing, and citation, access the library or review library guides.
Sample Solution
Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is a management approach that seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization's business processes by analyzing and redesigning them. BPR is a radical approach to change, and it often involves rethinking the way an organization does business.
The Five-Step BPR Process
The five-step BPR process is:
Full Answer Section
- Define the current process. The first step is to define the current process in detail. This includes identifying the inputs, outputs, and steps involved in the process.
- Identify the problems with the current process. The second step is to identify the problems with the current process. This includes identifying the areas where the process is inefficient, ineffective, or outdated.
- Design the new process. The third step is to design the new process. This involves brainstorming new ways to improve the process and then selecting the best solution.
- Implement the new process. The fourth step is to implement the new process. This includes training employees on the new process and making any necessary changes to the organization's systems and procedures.
- Monitor and evaluate the new process. The fifth step is to monitor and evaluate the new process. This includes collecting data on the performance of the new process and making any necessary adjustments.
Applying BPR to a Business
Let's say I want to apply BPR to the customer service process at a company. The first step would be to define the current process. This would involve identifying the steps involved in the customer service process, such as answering phone calls, responding to emails, and resolving customer complaints.
The second step would be to identify the problems with the current process. This might include long wait times, unresponsive employees, and a lack of transparency.
The third step would be to design the new process. This might involve implementing a new call center system, providing employees with more training, and creating a customer portal where customers can track their orders and resolve their own problems.
The fourth step would be to implement the new process. This would involve training employees on the new process and making any necessary changes to the company's systems and procedures.
The fifth step would be to monitor and evaluate the new process. This would involve collecting data on the performance of the new process and making any necessary adjustments.
Conclusion
BPR can be a powerful tool for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a business. However, it is important to note that BPR is a radical approach to change, and it should not be undertaken lightly. It is also important to involve employees in the BPR process to ensure that they are committed to the changes.
Sources
- Sinha, R., & Srinivas, S. (2020). Case study: Solutions in practice. Business Process Management Journal, 26(1), 218-232.
- Davenport, T. H. (1993). Process innovation: Reengineering work through information technology. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Evaluating the Application of BPR
The effectiveness of BPR can be evaluated by measuring the changes in the efficiency and effectiveness of the business processes that were redesigned. This can be done by collecting data on the time, cost, and quality of the processes before and after BPR was implemented.
In addition, the satisfaction of customers and employees with the new processes can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of BPR. If customers and employees are satisfied with the new processes, then it is likely that BPR has been successful.
Overall, BPR is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a business. However, it is important to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of BPR before making any major changes to the business.