Implementing process re-engineering: challenges and opportunities

Summary form only given as follows. The paper's objectives revolve around implementing a business process re-engineering (BPR) project in a first tier automotive supplier in the United Kingdom. The paper details the basic fundamentals and techniques of BPR with an actual case study included that was carried out in 1996. The case study includes a brief methodology and details the actual process of tender and manufacture lead-time before re-engineering. This identifies that the original process consisted of 14 main stages compared to 3 stages for the new re-engineered process. The paper describes the case study by outlining both processes before and after re-engineering; this is done by a stage by stage process. Results of the case study are included, highlighting the savings per order and per annum for the company from using the new re-engineered process. Finally the main part of the paper finishes off with a section on challenges and opportunities of implementing BPR. This centred on resistance and reluctance to change, trade union support, gaining management confidence and self-position protection. The paper then concludes under a number of bullet points with it tailing off detailing that most companies see BPR as a method of shaving a few seconds from the manufacturing process; this should not be the case as it is stated that there are huge amounts of nonvalue added activity throughout the process chain.