Enablers of Process Re-engineering

Process re-engineering has been described as the elixir for achieving dramatic improvements in production time and cost in the business environment. Its potential application to the construction industry is gradually being recognised. This paper briefly explains the concept of process re-engineering, suggesting that before a construction organisation attempt to process re-engineer, a thorough understanding of the organisation's objectives and goals, current practices, procedures and enablers of change are required. Typically, information technology is implemented as the key change enabler. This paper suggests that organisational, human resources and total quality management are other powerful enablers that are often overlooked. It is further suggested that the use of information technology as an enabler is rarely sufficient to bring about process change.