How do you manage the risks and uncertainties of BPR in a dynamic environment?

1 Align BPR with strategy and culture

One of the most important steps in BPR is to align the new processes with the organization's strategic goals and vision. This will ensure that the BPR project supports the value proposition and competitive advantage of the organization, and does not conflict with its mission and values. Moreover, you need to consider the impact of BPR on the organizational culture, which is the shared beliefs, norms, and behaviors of the employees. A drastic change in processes may cause resistance, confusion, and demotivation among the staff, unless they are involved, informed, and empowered throughout the BPR project.

2 Analyze the current and future states

Before you can redesign the processes, you need to understand the current state of the organization, including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You also need to identify the key stakeholders, customers, and suppliers of the processes, and their needs and expectations. Then, you need to envision the future state of the organization, and how the new processes will deliver value to the stakeholders, customers, and suppliers. You can use tools such as process mapping, benchmarking, gap analysis, and scenario planning to analyze the current and future states, and to identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement.

3 Design and test the new processes

Once you have a clear vision of the future state, you can design the new processes that will achieve it. You need to apply the principles of BPR, such as simplifying, eliminating, automating, and integrating the activities, tasks, and roles involved in the processes. You also need to define the performance indicators, metrics, and targets that will measure the outcomes and impacts of the new processes. However, before you implement the new processes, you need to test them in a pilot or prototype mode, and collect feedback from the stakeholders, customers, and suppliers. This will help you validate the feasibility, functionality, and acceptability of the new processes, and to identify and resolve any issues or risks.

4 Implement and monitor the new processes

After you have tested and refined the new processes, you can implement them in the organization. This requires a careful planning and execution of the change management activities, such as communication, training, coaching, and support. You need to ensure that the employees are aware, prepared, and committed to the new processes, and that they have the necessary skills, tools, and resources to perform them. You also need to monitor and evaluate the performance and results of the new processes, and to compare them with the baseline and targets. You can use tools such as dashboards, reports, surveys, and audits to track and analyze the data and feedback, and to identify and address any deviations or problems.

5 Learn and improve the new processes

The final step in BPR is to learn from the experience and outcomes of the project, and to improve the new processes continuously. You need to review and reflect on the lessons learned, best practices, and challenges encountered during the BPR project, and to share them with the organization and the stakeholders. You also need to foster a culture of learning and improvement in the organization, and to encourage the employees to suggest and implement ideas for enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility of the new processes. You can use tools such as feedback loops, kaizen events, and quality circles to facilitate the learning and improvement process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?