1. Succeeding at Reengineering

2. 2 Despite the success stories many companies that begin reengineering don't succeed at it. As many as 50 percent to 70 percent of the organizations that undertake a reengineering effort do not achieve the dramatic results they intended What follows is a catalogue of the most common errors that lead companies to fail at reengineering. Avoid them, and you almost can't help but get it right:

3. 3 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Trying to fix a process instead of changing it Not focusing on business processes Ignoring everything except process redesign Neglecting people's values and beliefs

4. 4 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Being willing to settle for minor results Quitting too early Placing prior constraints on the definition of the problem and the scope of the reengineering effort

5. 5 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Allowing existing corporate cultures and management attitudes to prevent reengineering from getting started Trying to make reengineering happen from the bottom up Assigning someone who doesn't understand reengineering to lead the effort

6. 6 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Withholding on the resources devoted to reengineering Burying reengineering in the middle of the corporate agenda Dissipating energy across a great many reengineering projects

7. 7 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Attempting to reengineer when the CEO is two years from retirement Failing to distinguish reengineering from other business improvement programs Concentrating exclusively on design

8. 8 Succeeding at Reengineering Common errors that lead to reengineering failure Trying to make reengineering happen without making anybody unhappy Pulling back when people resist making reengineering changes Dragging the effort out