Question

Reengineering is a clean-slate approach to improving systems, with particular attention paid to the interactions between functional departments. For Caterpillar’s diesel engine manufacturing process, one of the most time-consuming and costly activities was the creation of engine drawings for customers. Customers needed timely access to drawings so that they could ensure fit with vehicles. Caterpillar undertook a substantial reengineering effort to completely overhaul that process with a goal of time reduction and cost reduction, while at the same time meeting customer needs. Describe the five steps of Caterpillar’s reengineering process.

Answer 1

The five steps of Caterpillars reengineering process are Process Selection, Process Mapping, Process Improvement, Process Verification, and Process Implementation. The reengineering process starts with Process Selection. This is when the Caterpillar’s Management Review Team looks to implement beneficial processes to the company. This is when they chose it implement the new drawing process. They then went down the hierarchy of the company to choose the drawing team. The drawing team was then asked to spend 40 hours learning about reengineering methodology. After the training was complete this brought them to the second step of the reengineering process, which is Process Mapping. During this step the team started mapping and flow-charting the entire drawing process according to employee needs. Then using the information they gathered, they mapped out the process and began to iron out the inefficiencies. Next is the third step, Process Improvement. This is when the team members learn about problem solving skills such as breaking down problems into microelements so they become more manageable and easier to overcome. The next step is Process Verification, this is when the drawing team analyzes recommendations for potential problems, and makes contingency plans to combat these implementation problems that must be approved by the Management Review Team. This leads to the final step, Process Implementation. During this step the team implements the remedy and monitors the results. The list of adjustments is made until the list of recommendations are approved and followed through.