A process for successfully implementing BPR projects

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the business process reengineering (BPR) implementation process adopted by organisations grounded in the actual project-level realities. The findings are used to propose a BPR implementation process that can be adopted by organisations to effectively reengineer their processes. Design/methodology/approach A thorough literature review was used to first develop a conceptual BPR implementation process comprising three key phases and five steps. Then, four case studies were conducted in organisations that have successfully undertaken BPR projects to explore the actual project-level implementation processes. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with respondents who have been actively involved in the different steps of the BPR implementation processes to collect data within the selected organisations. Findings Altogether 30 activities which are to be carried out throughout the BPR implementation process were identified. Findings disclosed that the minor differences in the activities being performed throughout the BPR implementation process are due to the lack of homogenous characteristics, i.e. type of the process reengineered, form of reengineering and approach for implementing BPR projects. Originality/value This paper puts forward a comprehensive view on the BPR implementation process including the key phases, steps and the sequence of activities to be followed. In doing so, the paper addresses a clear gap in literature that calls for a comprehensive model to assist during the BPR implementation to achieve the desired results.