What is the definition of business process reengineering?

Business process reengineering (BPR) is defined as a radical redesign of business processes to achieve significant improvements in critical measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. The essence of BPR lies in its approach to fundamentally rethink how work is done to better support an organization's mission and reduce costs. This method involves stepping back and analyzing business processes through a fresh lens, often leading to the abandonment of outdated practices and the implementation of completely new methods that can enhance efficiency and effectiveness significantly.

By focusing on radical redesign rather than incremental improvement, BPR encourages organizations to seek transformative changes that can overhaul their operations, rather than merely adjusting existing processes. This approach is necessary in a competitive landscape where simple tweaks may not suffice to adapt to changing markets and customer demands. Hence, understanding this concept is crucial for effective change management and innovation practices within organizations.