Business Process Reengineering: Breakpoint Strategies for Market Dominance [Hardcover]

Henry J. Johansson (Author), Patrick McHugh (Author), A. John Pendlebury (Author), William A. Wheeler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0471938831 | ISBN-13: 978-0471938835 | Edition: 1

Business Process Reengineering BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance Business Process Reengineering shows you how to take the vital next step to attain market dominance and become a world leader
* A team of internationally recognized Coopers & Lybrand manufacturing consultants explain why they believe the business world needs to move beyond continuous improvement and TQM concepts to Business Process Reengineering (BPR).


* BPR involves a dramatic redesign of business processes, organization structures and use of technology, to achieve "breakthroughs" in business competitiveness.


* The book is based on the authors experience of extensive international work with leading corporations including AT&T, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), Allied-Signal, and Coca-Cola & Schweppes (CC&SB).


* Focusing on the effectiveness of BPR, the book shows how companies can streamline operations, and inevitably cut costs, on the way to creating process excellence in all key aspects of the organization.
Reengineering goes beyond continuous improvement "Continuous improvement is exactly the right idea if you are the world leader it is probably a disastrous idea if you are far behind in the world standard we need rapid, quantum-leap improvement. We cannot be satisfied to lay out a plan that will move us towards the existing world standard over some protracted period of time if we accept such a plan; we will never be the world leader." Paul O Neill, Chairman ALCOA

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Business Process Reengineering BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance Henry J. Johansson Patrick McHugh A. John Pendlebury William A. Wheeler III Dominance in the global marketplace is not the stuff of dreams. In today’s increasingly integrated international market it is an essential goal for corporate survival and success. At the end of an era of marketplace analysis, where strategic planners’ recommendations have driven budgets and R&D, and produced lifecycles, a host of process improvements have been undertaken; the 1980s saw Total Quality Management (TQM) and Just-In-Time (JIT) production almost universally adopted as the central tenets of process-oriented manufacturing philosophies. They are not enough. No matter how great an impact TQM and JIT production have made, they remain "inside the walls" and can only be the starting point for truly global business practice. To become dominant in today’s marketplace, companies must reinvent their operations; but how? In Business Process Reengineering: BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance, four internationally recognized experts from Coopers & Lybrand’s manufacturing consultancy explain how to go beyond the old way of thinking—beyond functional silos, cost cutting, even the simple notion of "teamwork"—to create a new core business process oriented company. A core business process is one that cuts across boundaries, functions and departments. By focusing on the effectiveness of core business processes, and "pulling" supporting processes and resources to those core business processes, companies can streamline operations and inevitably cut costs without making arbitrary head-count decisions. By "reading the market" to see which core business processes can produce results beyond what the market knows is possible, a company can find a BreakPoint, an opportunity that will cause a disproportionate reaction in the marketplace and pull the company into a leadership position.

From the Back Cover

Business Process Reengineering BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance Business Process Reengineering shows you how to take the vital next step to attain market dominance and become a world leader?

• A team of internationally recognized Coopers & Lybrand manufacturing consultants explain why they believe the business world needs to move beyond continuous improvement and TQM concepts to Business Process Reengineering (BPR).

• BPR involves a dramatic redesign of business processes, organization structures and use of technology, to achieve "breakthroughs" in business competitiveness.

• The book is based on the authors? experience of extensive international work with leading corporations?including AT&T, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), Allied-Signal, and Coca-Cola & Schweppes (CC&SB).

• Focusing on the effectiveness of BPR, the book shows how companies can streamline operations, and inevitably cut costs, on the way to creating process excellence in all key aspects of the organization.

Reengineering goes beyond continuous improvement? "Continuous improvement is exactly the right idea if you are the world leader ? it is probably a disastrous idea if you are far behind in the world standard ? we need rapid, quantum-leap improvement. We cannot be satisfied to lay out a plan that will move us towards the existing world standard over some protracted period of time ? if we accept such a plan; we will never be the world leader." Paul O?Neill, Chairman ALCOA

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471938831
• ISBN-13: 978-0471938835
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,113,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Book On Re-Engineering, February 28, 2000

By 

Leng Ho Keat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business Process Reengineering: Breakpoint Strategies for Market Dominance (Hardcover)

I am currently doing an assignment on business process re-engineering. Many of the texts I have read so far have been thick on the theories and the benefits of re-engineering. As such, it comes across as cheap propagnada.

This book was different. In the first chapter, unlike other texts, it did not simply insists that TQM and other continuous process improvements are of the past and are not good enough for today's business environment. It explains how TQM has its place, if you are already a market leader. However, if you are way below, then TQM will not allow you to reach the apex before you are out of business. Re-engineering is the way.

This immediately pave the way for the rest of the book. The authors are balanced in their views and do not simply advertise the merits of re-engineering. They also cautioned throughout the text on the difficulties and pitfalls of re-engineering. I found their arguments more convincing than most authors.

The examples throughout the book were taken from different industries and prove a source for ideas for any re-engineering effort. The authors came across as extremely experienced in their work.

I would have given it five stars except the last chapter on the human aspect of re-engineering was rather dissapointing. I had expected to learn more from the authors about the very difficult human resource issues in re-engineering. Like most texts, the book mentioned difficulties and dished out textbook solutions without real solutions.

Still, it was one of the best re-engineering texts I have read and I believe it will help me greatly in my assignment.

I also believe that it is extremely useful for any managers or CEOs who want to re-engineer their business. Hammer's classic on re-engineering is not enough. You need to read this book for the practical advice and guiding framework if you are to have any chance for success in re-engineering.