The Elements of Business Process Change

Abstract

One of the tools used by governments to bring about organizational transformation is business process  change (BPC). The objective of BPC is to bring dramatic changes in the way organizations conduct their  business. Though the BPC concept seems to be conceptually appealing, it has been reported by many scholars that BPC comes short of its expectations. This study aimed at identifying and assessing the  factors that contribute for successful implementation of BPC projects in organizations of the developing  country context. The factors identified as important include the degree to which strategic business process changes are included in the BPC project, level and complexity of problems encountered; the  degree to which proposed BPC objectives are being identified and incorporated in these change project  plans and are actually derived; and the impact of BPC endeavors on business processes and on the organization. The study developed hypotheses about the BPC implementation process and the test results  were found to be consistent with the hypotheses. The result of the study revealed that  organizations give little attention to strategic processes critical to the very existence of the organization and employees’ empowerment recommended in the BPC literature. While implementing BPC, the most frequent problems seem to be very difficult to address such as communication barriers, the unforeseen magnitude of the BPC effort, and its interruption to operations. Based on findings of the study, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made for practitioners to focus on success factors such as top  management commitment. Well organized BPC project team and plans, focus on outcomes, sufficient resources and fund, well defined communications plan, team spirit and good working environment.

Keywords: Business Process Change, Success Factors, BPC Outcomes