Automated support for business process re-engineering: a case study at IBM

A three-month pilot project to model and reengineer one of IBM's business units using enterprise analyzer, a methodology and supporting group software tools for modeling and analyzing business processes, is described. The methodology combines collaborative model building with creative problem reframing to enable multilevel, cross-functional business teams to examine and redesign business processes quickly. The tools developed for this project extend the capabilities of existing technology to help groups build complex representations of their organization. The results of this pilot project suggest that the methodology and supporting tools can be effectively applied to reengineer business processes, but also suggest the need for improvement.<>