UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2019/2020
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/ APPLIED COMPUTING
BBIT 309/BAC: BUSINESS PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING
FULL TIME/PART TIME/DISTANCE LEARNING
DATE: AUGUST, 2019 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE
a) Define TQM and relate it to BPR. [4 Marks]
b) Describe the four major reengineering goals [8 Marks]
c) Briefly explain four factors that contribute to the success of the BPR effort. [4 Marks]
d) Traditionally, U.S organizations have looked to past performance and to historically close
competitors to gauge how they are doing and to set performance objectives. However, in a
global economy with continuously improving competitors, these insular and backward looking practices are increasingly inadequate. Benchmarking turns the focus outward
toward the “best in class”. Discuss the benefits of benchmarking. [8 Marks]
e) According to many in the BPR field, reengineering should focus on processes and not be
limited to thinking about the organizations, after all organizations are only as effective as
their processes, discuss. [6 Marks]
QUESTION TWO
a) BPR is often used by companies on the brink of disaster to cut costs and return to
profitability. The danger is that during this process the company may slash its capacity for
future growth. Discuss
[4 Marks]
b) Outline the three basic principles that provide the foundation for service organizations
seeking to reengineer:
[4 Marks]
c) Although information technology plays a central role in reengineering, “the IS
organization in many companies is unable to deliver.” Discuss [6 Marks]
d) Why must BPR be accompanied by strategic planning, which must address leveraging IT
as a competitive tool? [6 Marks]
QUESTION THREE
a) Discuss the performance indicators of a business process. [6 Marks]
b) A consolidated methodology was developed to provide a structured approach and to
facilitate understanding of BPR. List and describe the five processes in the methodology
[8 Marks]
c) Discuss the enabling role IT in the reengineering process. [6 Marks]
QUESTION FOUR
a) Describe “partnering” as it relates to BPR. Why is it described as a “middle ground”
between outsourcing and “pure” BPR? [6 Marks]
b) Discuss each of the various cooperative strategies and their relationships. [9 Marks]
c) Explain the architectural characteristics of a business process. [5 Marks]
QUESTION FIVE
a) In today’s changing environments, organizational design must take into account the fact
that business processes are incomplete by nature and that they should be managed in such
a way that they do not restrain human intervention. Discuss [6 Marks]
b) In order to restructure and improve processes in all functional areas in a corporation,
three alternative approaches are always suggested. List and describe the approaches
[6 Marks]
c) The biggest benefit of synergy effects in a global business can only be obtained when all
different (sub) systems within the business are viewed as a system. Use systems
dynamics and BPR to explain this concept. [8 Marks]
