Business Process Redesign (BPR)

Business Process Redesign (BPR) is a strategic approach to improving an organization's efficiency and effectiveness by fundamentally rethinking and radically redesigning its business processes. The goal of BPR is to achieve dramatic improvements in critical performance measures, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. This often involves analyzing workflows, eliminating unnecessary steps, automating processes, and adopting new technologies.

Example

A manufacturing company might undergo BPR to streamline its production process by implementing automation, reducing the number of steps in the supply chain, and restructuring its workforce to improve productivity and reduce costs.

Key points

• BPR involves fundamentally rethinking and redesigning business processes.

• Aims for dramatic improvements in performance, such as cost reduction and quality enhancement.

• Often requires adopting new technologies and eliminating inefficient practices.

Quick Answers to Curious Questions

Why do companies undertake Business Process Redesign?

Companies undertake BPR to achieve significant improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and overall performance, often when incremental changes are not enough.

What are the key steps in BPR?

Key steps include identifying existing processes, analyzing and redesigning workflows, implementing new technologies, and restructuring operations.

How does BPR differ from process improvement?

While process improvement focuses on making incremental changes to existing processes, BPR involves a complete overhaul and rethinking of how business processes are structured.