2. Is there a common understanding of BPM among European organisations?
Our case studies reveal that for many organisations BPM has emerged out of an initial experience of BPR (e.g. Nortel, BT) and such improvement programmes have focused particularly on operational processes. In some instances this has had a significant bearing on the shape of BPM strategies. However, for some organisations BPR is not a part of their BPM approach:"We're not looking at business transformation, we're a very healthy company and the answer is to stay healthy and to continue the growth, reduce some of the waste and provide a better service."
Other interesting features identified during our research included the willingness of organisations to pursue structural redesign as part of BPM (although this was by no means common to all); the extent to which BPM was integrated with strategic planning processes and change management programmes; the use of networks and matrix structures as a dimension of BPM; and initiatives to tackle the cultural issues associated with process management.
Perhaps the most revealing definition of BPM we have come across is encapsulated by Rank Xerox's approach to its business processes:"Business processes are designed to be customer-driven, cross-functional and value-based. They create knowledge, eliminate waste and abandon unprodu