How do you manage the risks during a BPR project?

In the head of the people you are talking too, everything is changing, work with an easily understood model, even if from another industry or use case. Communicate the difference in scope from this model and the benefits you could achieve, and those that are not relevant. We all know that an organisation has a strategic direction, but it is not always understood in the way the board understands it, map the model, scope and benefits to the strategy. The process is not just about communicating it is creating a context within which you communicate. Now you have a common context, whilst you are communicating push the timescale and that it is going to happen, get the push back, find the lack of what was heard, rather than what was said.

Why we are doing BPR is clearly the first question we should ask. Why it is required ?Whether it has significant impact ? Is this need mandated by changes around us or its for improving cost quality speed etc. ? These are questions which probably set up the tone of objectives and importance of BPR. Untill we address these fundamental questions there are always chances of stakeholder allignment, cost overruns, irrelvant or failed attempts. You cant have a BPR project without visualising the end results. Time dimension is also very critical factor to make the efforts on BPR as the re-engineering should be in allignment with future requirements. Short term changes generally end up wasting resources. Thanks

Defining the battery limits of the scope, will ensure the convergence of project outcomes to that of Continuous improvement roadmap initiatives. Also, a house of quality or a requirement traceability matrix employing MOSCOW would help on alignment with client expectations.

Consider the level of adoption that is minimally necessary for the change. Is the change permanent, or is it an interim solution till a longer-term solution is viable? Are we looking to create compliance or are we looking to ingrain the change into the organizational culture? The answers to these questions impact the design of the BPR project, resource requirements, and communications mechanisms at a minimum.

With agile development, there are possibilities for the initial scope and objectives to be modified however to mitigate risk always communicate the changes and possible risk to stakeholders

It is important to identify all the stakeholders. We need to be very thorough with this. Sometimes we get to know about the impacted stakeholder/downstream process much later in the project . This can completely change the trajectory. Also, reviewing the proposed design to seek early feedback is very important to avoid surprises later on.

A typical risk management matrix will include risks, descriptions, probability, impact, and mitigation strategies. Teams should review all of these elements on a periodic basis.

Never confuse BPR, with either operations excellence, or operations research these are the perfect tools for this type of use case. It is highly unlikely that a BPR project will leave anything untouched. And using a minimal viable product, and then switching to one of the two above is the better option.

As Steve Job said in one of his interviews - A great idea would never turn out to be what it was envisaged when put to execution. There would be thousands of insights as we walk the path. The best way to learn and minimise the mistakes is to run pilots basis reenigneered scenerios. Pilot tests ask many questions and in quest to address them we get to know and visualise many new challenges. Also, the world around us keep on changing and some of the assumptions relevant today may not stay tomorrow. As we scale and transition to newer realieties we continiously need to be cognizant of changing dimensions around us. Some of the constraint may not stay relevant, new windows of improvement may emerge, with oppoortunity to do better.

Considering Business Continuity Management (BCM) in the context of a whole new tech-dependent enterprise is crucial. With the increasing reliance on technology in modern businesses, effective BCM becomes even more vital. It involves identifying potential risks, developing contingency plans, and ensuring seamless operations in case of disruptions, such as cyberattacks, system failures, or natural disasters. For a tech-dependent enterprise, BCM must be closely integrated with IT and cybersecurity strategies to safeguard critical assets and maintain business resilience. By proactively addressing potential threats, the organization can minimize downtime, protect its reputation, and ensure uninterrupted services to customers.

BPR often involves significant changes to processes, technology, or even organizational structure. Consider the following: If your organization has undergone recent or frequent changes, be extra mindful of employee capacity for additional disruption. Phase your BPR project if needed. Ensure the new processes align with your company's overall culture and values. Misalignment can lead to resistance and adoption issues. Assess the complexities of integrating new processes with existing systems to avoid unexpected surprises in terms of cost, timeline, or data migration.