Business Process Reengineering: The Role of Organizational Enablers and the Imact of Information Technology

Abstract

This study examines organizational factors that affect the implementation of business process reengineering (BPR) when applying two specific information technologies (i.e., Electronic Data Interchange and/or Internet technology). This research uses a survey methodology to gather information about how organizational enablers and information technology affect BPR implementation. By determining the factors that affect BPR implementation, these factors can be managed in the best interest of customers, employees, and organizations. From the nine hypotheses tested in this study, six factors were found to be positively associated with successful implementation of BPR. These factors are top management supports, change management, centralization of decision making, formalization of procedure,organizational culture, and customer involvement. No significant relationship was found between employee resistance and integration of jobs with successful implementation of BPR. In this research, we found that the lack of resources is negatively associated with successful implementation of BPR. We also found that different information technologies such as those examined in this chapter—EDI and Internet—provide different capabilities and can be useful in different ways and for different purposes. The findings of this research can help practitioners to better understand the role of critical success and failure factors in BPR as well as the impact of different information technologies on BPR. By determining the factors that affect BPR implementation, these factors can be managed in the best interest of customers, employees, and organizations.