Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Supporting the “soft” side of business process reengineering

Supporting the “soft” side of business process reengineering The contemporary business environment in which an organisation exists is becoming increasingly dynamic. The pressing need to improve the existing business processes in an organisation, results in the appearance of a new field called Business Process Reengineering (BPR). However, despite more and more innovative technological solutions for business processes, resistance to change continues to be the biggest BPR obstacle. According to many experts, this is the main reason why reengineering projects in many organisations fail. This paper investigates the “soft” side of BPR (i.e. its human aspects). More precisely, it focuses on ways information technology (IT), in particular group support systems (GSS), can support the soft side of BPR and reduce resistance to change. In this way, the paper introduces the third level of integration of IT and BPR, in addition to the two levels already described in the literature. The approach is illustrated by an example of a company that used GSS during its reengineering efforts. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Business Process Management Journal Emerald Publishing

Supporting the “soft” side of business process reengineering

Olivera Marjanovic
Business Process Management Journal , Volume 6 (1): 13 – Mar 1, 2000
Download PDF
11 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/supporting-the-soft-side-of-business-process-reengineering-OC2Yej0hpg
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 MCB UP Ltd. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1463-7154
DOI
10.1108/14637150010313339
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The contemporary business environment in which an organisation exists is becoming increasingly dynamic. The pressing need to improve the existing business processes in an organisation, results in the appearance of a new field called Business Process Reengineering (BPR). However, despite more and more innovative technological solutions for business processes, resistance to change continues to be the biggest BPR obstacle. According to many experts, this is the main reason why reengineering projects in many organisations fail. This paper investigates the “soft” side of BPR (i.e. its human aspects). More precisely, it focuses on ways information technology (IT), in particular group support systems (GSS), can support the soft side of BPR and reduce resistance to change. In this way, the paper introduces the third level of integration of IT and BPR, in addition to the two levels already described in the literature. The approach is illustrated by an example of a company that used GSS during its reengineering efforts.

Journal

Business Process Management Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Mar 1, 2000

Keywords: BPR; Information technology; Organizational change; Resistance

References

  • Changing People: Reasons Why People Resist
    Ash, E.; Quarry, P.
  • Missteps, miscues
    Coldwell, B.
  • Process Innovation
    Davenport, T.H.
  • Information technology enabled business process redesign: an integrated planning framework
    Gover, V.; Teng, J.T.C.; Fiedler, K.D.
  • Reengineering work: don’t automate, obliterate
    Hammer, M.
  • Reengineering
    Hammer, M.
  • Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution
    Hammer, M.; Champy, J.
  • The Reengineering Revolution
    Hammer, M.; Stanton, A.S.
  • Management Information Systems: New Approaches to Organisation and Technology
    Laudon, K.C.; Laudon, J.P.
  • Business process redesign: a framework for harmonizing people, information and technology
    Marchand, D.A.; Stanford, M.J.
  • When people work scared: understanding attitudes and gaining commitment in business process reengineering
    Melone, N.P.
  • Lessons from dozen years of group support systems research: a discussion of lab and field findings
    Nunamaker, J.F.; Briggs, R.O.; Mittleman, D.D.; Vogel, D.R.; Balthazard, P.A.
  • Assessment of the impact of BPR and information technology use on team communication: the case of ICL data
    Parnisto, J.
  • GroupSystems for Windows, Fundamental Skills
    Ventana Corporation