The BPR Boom: Why Every Enterprise is Rethinking the Way it Works (1990s)​

By the early 1990s, the business world was experiencing seismic shifts. Fierce global competition, explosive growth in personal computing, and the relentless rise of automation technologies forced companies to ask: Is the way we've always done things still the best way? That's where Business Process Reengineering (BPR) stepped in, promising radical gains by reimagining—not just automating—core business processes from the ground up.

In the midst of rapid globalization, relentless competition, and new technology reshaping organizations, the 1990s have seen a management revolution: Business Process Reengineering (BPR). No longer is incremental change enough. To achieve breakthrough improvements in cost, quality, service, and speed, companies are tearing up old processes and starting fresh.

By Dr. Hans Keller, Managing Director, HanseTech GmbH, 1993

In the spring of 1993, I had the privilege to spend several weeks in Japan, visiting leading companies such as Toyota, Sony, and Panasonic. As the managing director of HanseTech GmbH, I was eager to learn how Japanese firms have achieved their legendary efficiency and quality. What I discovered fundamentally changed my view of management.

The business world is abuzz with the promise—and controversy—surrounding Business Process Reengineering (BPR). As enterprises race to stay competitive in the 1990s, BPR has emerged as a bold approach to streamlining operations, slashing costs, and leveraging new technologies. What’s behind this wave of radical corporate transformation? And why are companies from Ford to Taco Bell embracing BPR?

Manufacturing in the 1980s is undergoing a seismic shift—and much of this momentum is thanks to the rise of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. These automated workhorses are more than a technological marvel; they're a catalyst for productivity, precision, and entirely new ways of doing business.

The 1980s are witnessing a technology-driven transformation in the way offices operate. As office automation (OA) technology gains momentum, businesses are increasingly adopting new tools—personal computers, electronic typewriters, copiers, and fax machines—to streamline workflows, reduce manual errors, and boost productivity. These innovations are not just changing daily operations but also redefining how organizations approach business process optimization.

In the past decade, the American office has undergone rapid and dramatic change. Traditional typewriters and piles of paperwork are being phased out—replaced by the hum and glow of electronic word processors. These innovations are more than just technological novelties: they are fundamentally changing how businesses create, store, and manage information.

By Richard Mills, Technology Correspondent, Technical Publishing Weekly, 1979

Last week, I attended the bustling halls of the National Computer Conference (NCC) 1979 in New York. As a journalist covering the world of technical publishing, I expected to see the usual array of minicomputers, storage tapes, and a few optimistic software vendors. Instead, I found myself witnessing what may well be the dawn of a new era: the corporate information system.

Business in the 1970s is riding a transformative wave: the rise of office automation. With technology like electronic calculators, typewriters, dictation machines, and early computer terminals entering the corporate landscape, organizations are rethinking how work gets done. This emerging trend is rapidly altering traditional business processes—and laying the groundwork for the information age.

The business world is abuzz with talk of automation. In the 1960s, forward-thinking companies are investing in new machines and computerized systems that promise to revolutionize office work. Powered by advances in mainframe computers, electronic data processing, and punch card technology, a new era of business process automation is underway.