What are the key obstacles to successful business process re-engineering? This paper presents empirical research into the issues faced by 25 companies undergoing business process re-engineering (BPR) programs. Through visits to leading practitioners and in-depth case studies, the research identifies six key issues that affect the way BPR programs are carried out. Focusing on **business** and **management**, these issues include the nature of the proposed change, the performance measures applied, the impact of information technology, the impact of human factors, the presence of a process architecture, and the link between BPR and strategy. The research team sought to understand the BPR phenomenon through visits to 21 leading practitioners and four in‐depth case studies. Where practitioners are concerned, the conventional, step‐by‐step BPR methodology should be amended to take into account these six issues more fully. The study's findings offer valuable insights for practitioners seeking to improve their BPR efforts and for researchers interested in exploring best practices in organizational change management. For researchers there is a need for substantial research into good practice in BPR in each of the six areas.
This paper, published in the _International Journal of Operations & Production Management_, aligns with the journal's focus on exploring operational strategies and management practices within organizations. By examining the issues in BPR, the study contributes to the journal's core themes in operations management and organizational effectiveness.