Abstract

As the number of business process reengineering (BPR) projects increase in industry, there seems to be a large potential to reduce cost and increase quality through the use of software tools. Currently, more than 50 BPR tools are available, but there has been little research to determine which features of BPR tools are important for BPR success and how important BPR tools are in BPR projects. Research in the related area of tools for computer-aided software engineering (CASE) shows that software tools are not always likely to improve productivity.To answer the questions raised above, we developed a model and tested it with a survey. As a first step, literature dealing with BPR procedures and BPR features was reviewed to elicit important features of BPR tools. Simultaneously literature regarding CASE tools failure was investigated to identify potential causes of failure of BPR tools. As a result, a framework of BPR tool features that can guide selection of BPR tools was developed. We also developed a BPR success model and a questionnaire to test the model. The questionnaire was distributed to BPR practitioners through electronic media.The analysis of data shows that process visualization and process analysis features are key features for the success of BPR tools which is termed as "BPR tools competence" in this research. Organizational factors such as user support and change of work are also important for a successful use of BPR tools. One interesting result is that change of work caused by BPR tools has a positive effect on BPR tools competence which is opposite to CASE tools. A significant relationship between BPR tools competence and effectiveness of BPR projects was observed, while no significant relationship was observed between BPR tools competence and efficiency of the projects. The result implies that BPR tools are different from CASE tools in many aspects, and what managers should expect from BPR tools is improved quality of project rather than productivity.

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