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Addresses the implementation of business process re‐engineering (BPR) programmes in 33 public and private organisations wishing to improve performance. By reviewing the existing literature, the research presented here began by identifying ten dimensions along which BPR projects might be measured. This research then uses these dimensions to investigate two research questions. Uses factor analysis based on quantitative data to address these questions. The factor analysis identified three independent aspects of BPR implementation: strategy, process and cost. These terms were then used in labelling three characteristic approaches, strategic BPR, process‐focused BPR and cost‐focused BPR. To investigate causality we re‐visited seven of the original organisations which had been in the early stages of implementation. Preliminary results indicate that managers might avoid the naturalistic tendency towards slow or stalled BPR maturity by intervening in a strategic sense at an earlier stage of implementation, thus bringing an organisation to a mature BPR programme more quickly.

Introduces a number of concepts and frameworks developed during the
first phase of an EPSRC/CDP grant entitled "A Specification of a Business
Process Re‐engineering Methodology for Small and Medium Sized
Manufacturing Enterprises". A traditional, functionally oriented
organization is characterized by fragmentation and staged inventories of
work caused by a failure to integrate and synchronize activities. A
process focused organization aims to optimize performance across the
whole process. Outlines many of the key issues facing organizations
seeking to adopt a process orientation. Presents two frameworks for
analysis. The first identifies the major business processes in any
manufacturing company, the second seeks to classify types of business
process re‐engineering intervention. Concludes by discussing the major
issues currently facing those researching into business process
re‐engineering.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore and empirically investigate the characteristics and contingencies of service delivery system design.Design/methodology/approachInformed by the service strategy triad, a single embedded case study was designed to explore empirical data on four target markets, four service concepts, and on the design characteristics of the corresponding four service delivery systems. Data were collected in a market‐leading organisation in the business‐to‐business sector within the power industry. The service delivery systems comprise processes that sell electricity contracts and processes that bill against those contracts.FindingsFirst, the findings indicate what design characteristics are contingent upon the degree of customisation of the service concept. The authors show how this contingency has implications for the extents of employee skills, employee discretion, task routineness, automation, and for front office (FO)‐back office (BO) configurations. Second, the authors challenge the consensus that low customer‐contact processes are designed for the purpose of efficiency. Third, the findings contradict Metters and Vargas who state that it is not possible to have different FO‐BO configurations in a single organisation.Research limitations/implicationsWhile there are major interactions between the four service delivery systems supporting each individual service concept, this paper does not examine the trade‐offs between the various possible designs of these service delivery systems.Practical implicationsThe paper emphasises the importance of considering the complexity of the service offering, the customer relationship strategy, and of taking a process‐orientation to address service delivery system design.Originality/valueThis paper extends current understanding of service delivery system design characteristics and contingencies. The authors show how design characteristics are contingent on the service concept. Research propositions are formulated to emphasise this contingency. Additionally, we report findings which challenge existing FO‐BO design theory.

Presents the results of empirical research into issues faced by 25
companies undertaking business process re‐engineering (BPR) programmes.
The research team sought to understand the BPR phenomenon through visits
to 21 leading practitioners and four in‐depth case studies. The research
indicated that six key issues affect the way in which BPR programmes are
carried out, namely the nature of the change proposed (radical or
incremental), the performance measures applied during the programme, the
impact of information technology, the impact of human factors, the
presence or absence of a process architecture and the link between BPR
and strategy. The outcome of this research has implications for both
practitioners and researchers. Where practitioners are concerned, the
conventional, step‐by‐step BPR methodology should be amended to take
into account these six issues more fully. For researchers there is a
need for substantial research into good practice in BPR in each of the
six areas.