Development of a Process Model for Business Process Reengineering Projects with Application for a Reference Process

Continental AG is one of the leading automotive companies in Germany. Continental AG started as a leading tire manufacturer and developed into a provider of advanced and intelligent technologies with more than 170,000 employees in over 46 countries around the globe. In the area of Strategy & Planning for Central Electronic Plants (CEP) a number of projects for design and improvement of processes are currently processed. As a possible tool for future revision of processes, the concept of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is analyzed and tested in a first project for its suitability for the use in the Continental AG.

The project aims to develop a process model for BPR projects which is as universal as possible, but at the same time applicable to a specific context to support BPR projects at Continental AG. Additionally, the process model has to be applicable as a guideline for the implementation of further BPR projects.

It’s negligible if the identified process model is transferred, modified or combined with similar models from other research areas. To meet the requirements of BPR, the reference model should allow taking into account the necessary practical conditions (i.e. bottom-up approach) as well as the necessary innovativeness (i.e. top-down approach). Furthermore, a specified reference process has to be re-planned and assessed during the evaluation phase with the aid of the identified process model.