Business process re-engineering vs process improvement: what is the difference?

How process improvement consulting firms tell the two approaches apart

People often use "process improvement" and "business process re-engineering" as if they were the same thing. They are related, and they are not interchangeable. Mixing them up leads to the wrong project: a full redesign when a few fixes would do, or a string of small fixes on a process that needs rebuilding.

Good process improvement consulting firms work out which one you need before they recommend anything.

What process improvement means

Process improvement starts with the process you have and makes it work better. A consultant identifies operational inefficiencies and bottlenecks, then puts practical solutions in place to reduce waste and improve workflow across departments. The overall shape of the process stays the same. The friction goes.

What business process re-engineering means

Business process re-engineering (BPR) starts from a different question: if we were designing this process today, how would we build it? It challenges the design itself, including who does what, in which order and with which tools. The result is a new process, not a tuned old one. Our article on business process re-engineering services in Africa covers this in more detail.

How to tell which one you need

Look at the symptoms. Process improvement usually fits when:

• the process is sound, but work gets stuck at certain points
• errors and rework appear in the same places
• results vary between people or shifts
• departments wait on each other for approvals or information

Re-engineering usually fits when the whole process no longer suits the business, for example when the company has outgrown it or the way customers buy has changed.

Why most businesses should start with improvement

Improvement is quicker, cheaper and less disruptive. Staff keep working the way they know, with fewer obstacles. It also teaches you a great deal about your own processes. Sometimes that reveals that the problem is deeper than you thought, and that is the moment to consider redesign. Cost matters to smaller firms, which is why we wrote about affordable management consulting in Africa.

When re-engineering is worth it

Consider a redesign when repeated fixes have not held, when growth has made a once reasonable process unmanageable, or when a change in technology, regulation or strategy means the old design no longer fits. It is a bigger commitment, so it needs clear goals, involvement from the people who use the process and a plan for training them on the new way of working.

What happens after either approach

Both routes end the same way. The new or improved process has to be written down and taught. That is where SOP development comes in, so the change becomes the standard and not a memory. It also feeds into ISO management systems, where continual improvement is a built in requirement. For a wider view on keeping gains, see consistency in growth.

What to ask a consultant

Ask how they will diagnose the problem before choosing an approach. Ask whether they will involve your staff. Ask what your team will be able to do on its own afterwards. ISL builds capability into every project, and you can read more about us.