Methodology

To effectively implement a program of Office Reengineer-ing in a business, results are achieved most quickly and people have the most fun when a step-wise methodology is used. The following paragraphs outline the tens steps to Office Reengineering that have proved to be the most successful.

Step 1—Preliminary Assessment

The objective of this step is to focus on the improvement opportunity and to learn about the company's needs. An outside professional spends two or three days reviewing business processes, interviewing managers, studying com­pany documents, and getting to know the people and personality of the company. The result of this step is tailored education and training activities that ensure the company's needs and opportunities for improvement are fully recognized.

Step 2—Education and Management Leadership

Senior management, operating management, supervisors, and employees must all have a common understanding of Office Reengineering. All must be able to recognize waste, identify cost adding activities, map processes, and operate in a mode of continuous improvement. This is best accom­plished through proper education of all personnel. With proper education, focus will be on what changes will be made, rather than on whether or not to change!

Leadership occurs by getting top management actively engaged in the process of implementing a proactive pro­gram of continuous improvement. Through this engage­ment, management develops the understanding, vision, and the commitment to authorize the required resources and spend the necessary time.

The appropriate education strategy that derives from the preliminary assessment must be fashioned as a combined effort between the company and the education source, and then delivered to the target audience.

Step 3—Project Organization and Objectives

Following the initial education, a management team is formed to guide the Office Reengineering program. This team is responsible for determining improvement objec­tives, directing all reengineering teams, allocating re­sources, establishing priorities, reviewing performance, monitoring major milestones, and providing recognition for results. A one-day session with this team closely follows the initial education to determine the role of the team and to set improvement objectives, and should be facilitated by an outside resource.

Step 4—Business Self-Assessment

Before a business introduces any element of Office Reengi­neering into its processes, it should begin by assessing its readiness through a rigorous assessment process. This formal assessment is designed for the people involved in the education to define current performance levels, areas of improvement opportunity, and areas of superior perfor­mance.

The primary purpose of the assessment is to define the current priorities that will have the most positive impact on the company and operational method — the priorities that will bring the quickest payback in improvement. The assessment is reviewed with the outside resource within one month of the initial education.

Step 5—Project Selection and Team Creation

The assessment process determines the appropriate first projects that will provide early success. Once the projects have been determined, the appropriate people are selected to form the teams to address the opportunity. Teams channel the brainpower of the people into a powerful problem solving tool. They also promote the basic change in mindset—watchfulness, assertiveness, commitment— that must take place for the Office Reengineering strategy to work.

Project selection should be verified for level of difficulty and opportunity to maximize the probability for success. If a "top management" type project is selected, staff the team with the right top managers that can deal with the level of
change prescribed. To staff a team with players that are out of their league is a major step to failure.

To be Continued