Business Process Engineering: A Review of Research Methods, Findings, and Issues

This article provides a review of research methods, findings, and issues related to Business Process Engineering (BPR). It discusses the concept of BPR, research methods and findings of the article, issues and problems highlighted by the authors, and how they are relevant to BPM.

Business Process Engineering

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Concept of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)..................................................................1
Content of article.........................................................................................................................2
Discussing research methods and findings of the article.............................................................3
Comment on issues and problems highlighted by the authors....................................................4
Discussing the conclusion and how they are relevant to BPM....................................................5
CONCLUSIONS.............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
List of figures
Figure 1: Process of BPR.................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
Business Process Engineering (BPR) is the study which refers to the business processes
to improve and smooth running of the business to attain the optimum efficiency in terms of
performance and cost (Weerakkody, Janssen and Dwivedi, 2011; Bevilacqua, Ciarapica and
Giacchetta, 2009). In this context, BPR is the set of inter-connected activities which are used to
achieve specific outcomes. The current report based on the review of an article; Simulation for
business process re-engineering: case study of a database management system which is carried
out by Zarei (2001) has been carried out with the support of other three researches; On Risk
Management with information flows in business Processes (Bai, Krishnan, Padman, and Wang,
2012), Qualitative risk level estimation of BPR efforts and effects (Venaik, 2015) and Log based
BPR using fuzzy web service discovery (Shafiq, Alhajj and Rokne, 2014). The comparison has
been done on the basis of research methods, identified issues and findings of the study with the
main article.
Concept of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)
Business Process Management (BPM) is a systematic approach of the operations
management which is used by team or businesses to improve the business process. In the BPM,
people emphasize on the use of various methods to amend and analyze the business processes
with the help of the design, model, analysis, optimization and automation etc. (Jeston, 2014).
Further, BPR has significant impact on the business because it is helpful to cut down the errors in
customer service as well as improve the quality of products (Scheer, Abolhassan, Jost and
Kirchmer, 2010). BPR has a major contribution to bring the organization at a stage of cost
efficiency because it is adopted to restructure the unproductive management stages, re-modeling
the processes and remove the dismissal or process (Abdolvand, Albadvi and Ferdowsi, 2008).
For instance, several companies such as Bell Atlantic, Ford motors and GTE etc. has adopted the
BPR during the period of 1990 to change the operations. The process of re-engineering was
helpful to make these companies competitive in comparison to competitors and has a major
contribution to cut-down the expenses which incur on the further processing (Tallyfy, 2018).
Moreover, BPR follows a particular process to apply the improvements in the business for
achievements of objectives.
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Figure 1:Process of BPR
(Source: Researcher’s own diagram)
Content of article
The main article is described by Zarei (2001) is based on the re-engineering of the
business process through use of simulation in the data base management system. The study
relates to the Iranian Information and Documentation Center (IRANDOC) that is changing its
data management process which is currently not performing at satisfactory level. Further, in the
same article, Zarei (2001) identified that mixture of Simulation and Delphi method would be a
better option to improve the data base management system. The use of methods based on the
objective of the study to re-engineer the entire process with the help of the Data Flow Diagram
(DFD) then set the objectives by using the Delphi method.
As per the article, a deep comparison was done between currently using and new
implemented simulation methods and found that there is a close relationship between real model
and simulation. At this juncture, it has been justified that implementation of new techniques was
representing the accuracy of the system. According to the study, the use of simulation was
benefited in the form of effective manpower planning as well as non-human resources.
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Define
outcomes
Define
current
situation
Recognize
gap
Select test
case
Develop
hypothesis
Implement
new process
Evaluate
performnace

Moreover, the intention of simulation model was to identify the required number of equipment to
ensure the acceptable performance.
Discussing research methods and findings of the articles
In the main article of Zarei (2001) uses questionnaire method to collect the data from the
relevant respondents and stakeholders with the related study. Primary-questionnaire and
secondary-literature method has been used for the purpose of the study regarding management of
data. With the help of the collected data, discussions have been done with group respondents to
shed the light upon the views which are expressed by the others. In this regard, Bryman and Bell
(2015) asserted that questionnaire is the cost-effective method which is mostly used to gather the
quantitative data. Further, the results would be derived in a quick manner as well as includes all
the aspects of the topic. However, McDaniel and Gates (2013) argued that questionnaire is not
appropriate in all kinds of the study because it creates differences in understanding of the
question and mis-interpretation of the concept. On the contrary, Zarei (2001) argued that
questionnaire is the effective method to know about the perception of the respondents because
they give the relevant answer as per the guidelines. Thus, it indicates that questionnaire is the
appropriate approach to collect the data because it is cost-effective and give the light on the
views.
On the other hand, in the study of Bai, Krishnan, Padman, and Wang (2012), primary-
survey and secondary-literature method has been used to gather the data from the respondents.
The study was related to problems of data errors in the information flows which is associated
with business process. Further, the study focuses on the application of the topological structure
to control the resource allocation and mitigate the risk of the data management in process.
However, the study of Venaik (2015) is based on the change management in the IT organizations
by applying the BPR techniques and assess the ratio of success/failure of BPR in respective
industry. In this study, both qualitative and qualitative techniques are adopted to collect the data
from the respective respondents. In qualitative study, structured questionnaire has been used
whereas in quantitative research SPSS was applied. Further, primary and secondary research also
conducted to analyze the mail account of respondents as well as telephonic feedback. At this
juncture, several studies stated that in-depth study is possible in qualitative study because the
respondents provide their consent regarding situation whereas it is limited to small size of sample
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and relates to the subjective nature of the research (Zarei, 2001; Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls and
Ormston, 2013). However, Brannen (2017) argued that quantitative research used the statistical
tools to derive the authentic outcomes of the study; nonetheless, it does not shed a light on entire
complexity of the perception of the study. Further, in the study of Venaik (2015) it has been
found that qualitative estimations of the risk are more responsible than quantitative of BPR. In
this context, the qualitative results indicate that top level management was not ready to accept
the changes in the business process due to high level of risk estimations. It shows that qualitative
and quantitative both are suitable as per the nature of the study so that possible results can be
acquired from the statistical tools and qualitative aspects.
The study carried out by Shafiq, Alhajj and Rokne (2014) is related to log-based business
process engineering with the application of fuzzy web service which is useful to matching the
web criteria as per the need. It highlights service consumers to specify business requirements in a
fuzzy manner. In the study, primary and secondary both sources are used to collect the data from
related participants. Primary data retrieved from observations and secondary data collected by
experimental method and literature review of the study. At this juncture, with the help of the
experimental method, it has been found that the use of fuzzy method in web services is beneficial
in achieving the objectives of matchmaking the techniques for the computerized performance for
discovery through BPR. In this regard, Campbell and Stanley (2015) asserted that experimental
research provides authentic as well as desired results and more specific to the research problem.
However, LoBiondo, Haber, Berry and Yost (2013); Zarei (2001) argued that experimental study
strongly offer the causes of the research but cannot specify the reason that why the issue has
occurred. Therefore, it reveals that use of experimental method is effective for the study Shafiq,
Alhajj and Rokne (2014) because it is associated with quantitative measures to know about the
re-engineering in web-based services for consumer attraction.
Comment on issues and problems highlighted by the authors
On the basis of main article, Zarei (2001) stated that the current system was not effective
to manage the data of IRANDOC because of the system complexity. To resolve the issue of
complexity, a system was re-engineered by applying the simulation in the data base
management. In this regard, it has been identified that application of simulation model is
difficult; however, Arnold and Yildiz (2015) argued that simulation is a systematic quantitative
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technique to maintain and analyze the specified data base. Similarly, both staff as well as
equipment collectively reduce the problem of excessive records and maintenance of the
documents. On the other hand, the study of Bai, Krishnan, Padman, and Wang (2012) asserted
that current system was dealing with problems that inadequate flow of information and data
errors in the management, so, to reduce these problems a new system of risk management-based
on business process has been designed. At this juncture, the risk management requires the proper
programming to held the data but use of this system leads to convex programming problem.
Further, it has been found that there were mathematical formulation issues in the flow of
information. On the other hand, the study of Venaik (2015) mentioned that implementation of
BPR in IT sector faced the several issues such as management of human resources at the time of
implementation, difficult to maintain the effective relationship between top management and
employees in installation of the BPR. Moreover, it has been identified that managers do not want
to apply the changes because of fear of losing commands over the projects. However, various
studies argued that change can be easily implemented in the organization with the help of the
BPR by creating collaboration among employees and management (Chang, 2016; Zarei, 2001).
Thus, the use of the BPR has both aspects like positive/negative because people do not
completely ready to accept the re-engineering in the business and wants to work with the existing
time-consuming approaches.
Discussing the conclusion and how they are relevant to BPM
The study of Zarei (2001) asserted that the study was carried to asses the benefits of
implementation of the simulation and Delphi method. In the study, it has been concluded that re-
engineering of business process like simulation process was enable the interactions and
complexities of the model in the IRANDOC. Further, the Delphi method was adopted to deal
with the current issues of the staff and explore the opportunities for improvements. However,
Bai, Krishnan, Padman, and Wang (2012) concluded that application of the risk management is
helpful to reduce the data errors in the organization because it uses the optimum allocation of the
resources with the help of prime control allocation strategies for business process. Further, the
process is directly related with BPR because it emphasizes on redesign risk-reduction process as
well as evaluation of the employee’s performance. The process is based on the number of data
errors generated by the system. On the contrary, Venaik (2015) adequately concluded that the
remodeling of the business process is qualitatively effective because it reduces the risk level of
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the business operations with radical changes through BPR efforts. At this juncture, LUCA
(2014); Zarei (2001) argued that the application of the BPR in the organizations also offers the
quantitative estimations of the potential risk level that can be minimized with the help of the
committing resources to BPR. Nonetheless, there was unavailability of quantitative tool with
respect to BPR for the assessment of risk in this study. At this juncture, Shafiq, Alhajj and Rokne
(2014) concluded that the uses of fuzzy web services in the organizations are helpful in relaxing
the matching criteria of the web services and allow the service consumers to recommend the
requirements of the business in a fuzzy way. In this regard, it is fruitful for the organizations to
find the effective web services for the business process.
CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of discussion, it has been concluded that the application of the BPR is
fruitful for the business to achieve the success, innovations and growth. Further, all the research
papers used the different methods to collect the data from the relevant respondents like
experimental, qualitative, quantitative along with primary and secondary research for the
implementation of BPR. Moreover, on the basis of main article, it has also been concluded that
the use of effective simulation approach is helpful to identify the difference between real and
simulation. In the discussion of the BPR, it has been recognized that people are not ready to
accept the changes in the business process due to afraid of overtaking the authorities, projects
and designation. However, in absence of BPR, there may be ineffective flow of information.
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REFERENCES
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Scheer, A.W., Abolhassan, F., Jost, W. and Kirchmer, M., 2010. Business process change
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