What is business process reengineering?
BPR, popularised by Michael Hammer and James Champy in the 1990s, is the radical redesign of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in cost, quality, speed and service. Unlike Kaizen, it doesn't refine the old process — it replaces it.
The BPR steps
- Choose a core process with big impact (e.g. order-to-cash).
- Set ambitious goals (e.g. 50% faster, 30% cheaper).
- Understand the current process — but don't get attached to it.
- Design the new process around the customer and current technology.
- Pilot the new design.
- Roll out with training, systems and new roles.
- Measure and refine.
BPR vs continuous improvement
| BPR | Kaizen / continuous improvement | |
|---|---|---|
| Change | Radical | Incremental |
| Starting point | Clean sheet | Existing process |
| Risk | High | Low |
| Speed of results | Big jumps | Steady gains |
Why BPR projects fail
- Underestimating the people and change side.
- Automating a bad process instead of redesigning it.
- No leadership sponsorship.
How DOOfy helps
BPR works best when the redesigned process runs on connected data. DOOfy provides an intelligence layer above your existing systems, so a reengineered process can rely on live information and policy-controlled automation without replacing everything at once.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BPR and BPM?
BPR is a one-time radical redesign; Business Process Management (BPM) is the ongoing discipline of managing and improving processes.
Is BPR the same as digital transformation?
They overlap. Digital transformation often includes reengineering processes around new technology, but also covers culture, products and business models.