Searching for Silver Bullets

A patient, sustained, and incremental approach to business process improvement yields results over time and mitigates the risk of push-back. If you see a silver bullet, pick it up. Just don’t make your process improvement strategy dependent on finding one.

Incrementalism

The field of business process management (BPM) emerged from Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM became widely adopted, first in Japan and then in the United States, in the 1970s and 1980s.

The key tenets of TQM include:

• Process orientation, with a focus on identifying and proving the key processes that contribute to quality and customer satisfaction
• Continuous improvement with all employees involved in identifying and implementing improvements to processes and products

Criticisms of TQM include:

• It’s too bureaucratic, over-emphasizes process, and focuses too narrowly on quality.
• Continuous improvement takes too much time to yield substantial results.

Big Game Hunting

Business process reengineering (BPR) was popularized in the 1990s in response to the perceived shortcomings of the incremental approach advocated by TQM. BPR advocates a complete overhaul of existing processes with the aim of making them more efficient, effective, and streamlined. BPR emphasizes leaps instead of steps.

While process reengineering can be effective in some cases, it has been criticized for being overly focused on finding “silver bullet” solutions.

While process reengineering can be effective in some cases, it has been criticized for being overly focused on finding “silver bullet” solutions. The concept of “silver bullet” solutions refers to the idea that there is a single solution that can solve all of an organization’s problems. In the context of process reengineering, this often means that organizations are searching for a radical, all-encompassing solution that can completely transform their processes in one fell swoop. While this approach can be attractive, it often ignores the complexity of organizational processes and the fact that change can be difficult to implement.

The Human Element

One of the main challenges of process reengineering is the issue of reactance. Reactance is a form of compensatory feedback that occurs when people feel that their autonomy or freedom is being threatened. In the context of process reengineering, this often means that employees may feel that their input is being ignored or that they are being asked to conform to rigid, inflexible processes. When this happens, employees may resist the changes being implemented, which can undermine the effectiveness of the reengineering initiative.

Organizations need to be mindful of the fact that the harder they push for change, the harder the system is likely to push back.

To address this challenge, organizations need to be mindful of the fact that the harder they push for change, the harder the system is likely to push back. While it may be tempting to try to implement radical changes all at once, this approach is often risky and can lead to resistance from employees.

The Power of Accumulations

A better approach may be to take a somewhat more incremental approach that allows for feedback and input from employees. This route may take longer, but it is more likely to be successful in the long run.

While incrementalism can be effective, it is important to acknowledge that it may take longer to see positive results.

While incrementalism can be effective, it is important to acknowledge that it may take longer to see positive results. The accumulation of small improvements may not be immediately apparent.

Despite these challenges, incrementalism has several advantages over a radical reengineering approach. It requires fewer resources and less planning, making it a more cost-effective and less risky approach. Over time, incremental process improvements can add up to significant gains in efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, by taking a more incremental approach, organizations can address the issue of reactance, which can help to ensure that changes are accepted and implemented successfully.

Winning the Lottery Isn’t an Investment Strategy

In the United States, somebody wins a lottery prize of at least $1 million dollars every four days. It’s just not likely to be you.

It’s also true that identifying, designing, and successfully implementing a radical process reengineering solution also happens. It’s just pretty rare and requires a far greater investment of money, effort, management attention, and social capital than buying a lottery ticket.

A patient, sustained, and incremental approach to business process improvement yields results over time and mitigates the risk of push-back.

The smart money makes regular deposits to a 401(k) and invests in a diversified securities portfolio. Likewise, a patient, sustained, and incremental approach to business process improvement yields results over time and mitigates the risk of push-back.

Commit to that strategy. In addition, keep your eyes open. If you see a lottery ticket (or silver bullet) on the sidewalk, pick it up.