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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Topic No: 1
Force Field Analysis
Background:
Sociologist Kurt Lewin developed a 'force field
analysis' model (1951) which describes any current
level of performance or being as a state of equilibrium
between the driving forces that encourage upward
movement and the restraining forces that discourage
it. Essentially this means that a current equilibrium
exists because the forces acting for change areKurt Lewin (Psychologist)
balanced by the forces acting against change.
Force Field Analysis:
Force Field Analysis is a useful technique for looking at all the forces for
and against a plan. It helps you to weigh the importance of these factors
and decide whether a plan is worth implementing. Where you have
decided to carry out a plan, Force Field Analysis helps you identify
changes that you could make to improve it.
Force Field Analysis is a useful technique for looking at all the forces for
and against a decision. In effect, it is a specialized method of weighing
pros and cons. By carrying out the analysis you can plan to strengthen the
forces supporting a decision, and reduce the impact of opposition to it. [1]
When to use it:
The driving forces are (usually) positive, reasonable, logical, conscious
and economic. The restraining forces are (usually) negative, emotional,
illogical, unconscious and social/psychological. Both sets of forces are
very real and need to be taken into account when dealing with change, or
managing change, or reacting to change.
Use it to understand the forces for and against an idea. Use it to explore
how people may oppose or support an idea.
Quick

Logical

Long
Psycholog
ical

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Individual

Group

How to use it:

Draw the outline diagram

Draw a line down the middle of the page and put the idea or situation to
be considered above the top of the line. Write 'for' and 'against' either
side of the line.

Plot opposing forces

Seek forces for and against the idea or situation, writing these on the
appropriate side of the line. Show the significance of these forces with an
arrow, where the length indicates the size of the force.
You can use logical or creative methods to identify these forces, as
appropriate to the situation. If the situation is understood, then logic is
appropriate. However, many uses of the force-field is in considering
future possibilities, in which case a creative approach is most effective.

Draw conclusions

Study the diagram, considering the forces identified there and asks
questions such as:
What is the overall force, for and against?
How can you tip the balance?
How can you neutralize forces against?
How can you increase the 'for' forces? [2]
Example No:1
A team at a steel mil is seeking to save money. They come up with a
consolidation idea, but know that it may be opposed, so they use ForceField Analysis to explore reasons why the idea will or will not be
supported.

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

How it works:
Sometimes there are not clear and simple reasons why an idea is useful or
otherwise - the pros and cons are more uncertain and possibly distant
forces.
'Force' is a metaphor that everyone viscerally understands. Length of
arrow is already used in mathematics for vectors that indicate the size of
a force.

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Describe your plan or proposal for change in the middle. List all forces for
change in one column, and all forces against change in another column.
Assign a score to each force, from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong).

For example, imagine that you are a manager deciding whether to install
new manufacturing equipment in your factory. You might draw up a force
field analysis like the one in Figure 1:
Once you have carried out an analysis, you can decide whether your
project is viable. In the example above, you might initially question
whether it is worth going ahead with the plan. Where you have already
decided to carry out a project, Force Field Analysis can help you to work
out how to improve its probability of success. Here you have two choices:
To reduce the strength of the forces opposing a project.
To increase the forces pushing a project.

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Often the most elegant solution is the first: just trying to force change
through may cause its own problems. People can be uncooperative if
change is forced on them. If you had to implement the project in the
example above, the analysis might suggest a number of changes to the
initial plan:
By training staff (increase cost by 1) you could eliminate fear of
technology (reduce fear by 2).
It would be useful to show staff that change is necessary for
business survival (new force in favor, +2).
Staff could be shown that new machines would introduce variety
and interest to their jobs (new force, +1).
You could raise wages to reflect new productivity (cost +1, loss of
overtime -2)
Slightly different machines with filters to eliminate pollution could
be installed (environmental impact -1).
These changes would swing the balance from 11:10 (against the
plan), to 8:13 (in favor of the plan).

Example No:2
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
adapted force field analysis, adding an extra element of the organisations
control over a situation. For example, in an attempt to improve success in
afforestation and reforestation programmes, the agency in question might
list all the driving forces and restraining forces. It then rates each force by
its importance and by the degree of control it exerts over that force. The
totals are then calculated and a table developed (Table 2).
This means that for each force, the higher the total of importance and
control, the more impact the agency should have in trying to address that
force. In addition, if the agency can find some forces that explain others,
the effectiveness of its actions will be greater. For example, suppose that
improved operational planning can reduce losses to fires and grazing as
well as poor procedures for hiring and paying field workers.

Because it has these cross-impacts, in this example, the agency decided

to give special attention to operational planning. Table 2: Force field
analysis for success in afforestation and reforestation programmes. [3]
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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Topic No: 2
Business Process Re-Engineering

What is Business Process Reengineering?

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Business Process Reengineering involves the radical redesign of core

business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity,
cycle times and quality. In Business Process Reengineering, companies
start with a blank sheet of paper and rethink existing processes to deliver
more value to the customer.

Need for Re-Engineering, When and Why?

Each organization must determine itself when it is appropriate for them to
reengineer. Reengineering should be done only if it can help in achieving
an enhanced strategic position. Some strategic indicators that require
reengineering include
Realization that competitors will have advantage in cost, speed,
flexibility, quality or service New vision or strategy: a need to build
operational capabilities.
Need to re-evaluate strategic options, enter new market or redefine
products/services.
Core
operating
processes
are
based
on
outdated
assumptions/technologies.
Strategic business objectives seem unreasonable.
Change in market place in the form of following:

Loss of market share

New basis of competition/new competitors
New regulations
Shorter product life cycles
New technologies in play.

So, if the company is at the cutting edge of an industry that has just
undergone major changes reengineering might not be appropriate.
However, if the organisation operates with old models instead of new
technologies and approaches used by others, reengineering may be
urgently needed. Even if technical performance is adequate, other
improvements may be needed such as training, organizational change,
leadership development etc. In such circumstances also reengineering is
required. [4]

Trends of Business- Process Engineering

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Field Force Analysis and Business-Process ReEngineering

Information Technology (IT) Field

During the last two decades, companies invested more and more in IT
technologies to acquire competitive advantage and improve their
performance and position in the market. IT is intractably connected with
business process reengineering (BPR) initiatives, as it contributes greatly
to the successful implementation of BPR. But how can companies ensure
that their investments in IT will reap beneficial results? IT has developed a
poor reputation among organizations over the past 20 years. Executives of
large companies claim that the reason for its reputation is that usually IT
fails to deliver value for money. This reputation has deep roots in the
management practices and strategies of the organizations.

Usually, organizations that proceed to Business Process reengineering and

use IT to implement new processes and functions aim to overcome
existing operational problems or barriers to growth and expansion. BPR
enables companies to achieve the maximum stated goals and prevent
deterioration of performance in the future to keep their advantages and
momentum in the market.
How to implement BPR?
The best way to map and improve the organization's procedures is to take
a top down approach, and not undertake a project in isolation. That
means:
Starting with mission statements that define the purpose of the
organization and describe what sets it apart from others in its sector or
industry.

Producing vision statements which define where the organization is

going, to provide a clear picture of the desired future position.

Build these into a clear business strategy thereby deriving the

project objectives.

Defining behaviours that will enable the organization to achieve its'

aims.

Producing key performance measures to track progress.

Relating efficiency improvements to the culture of the organization

Identifying initiatives that will improve performance

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Who is involved in Re-Engineering?

For reengineering to be successful, people from different levels in the
organisation need to be involved. In fact, the mandate and inspiration of
reengineering must come from the highest leadership. Most critical is the
support of Chief Executives. In addition other Champions will have to be
identified. They have to be the opinion makers and influence those who
can shape the organisation to support the reengineering implementation.
Strategic and tactical steering teams also play an important role. Their
function is to provide strategic direction to the reengineering process and
help the management of change through effective communication in order
to resolve organisational issues. A reengineering czar can also be
appointed. This individual typically serves on the tactical steering team.
The czar ensures that the project have their required resources including
human, information and technology and change management and
coordinates the various efforts so they will be mutually supportive and
move in a unified direction. A number of teams will be formed. Each team
will need a leader, facilitator and members who are committed and ready
to hard and creative work. Ultimately many people in the organisation will
need to be involved in making, helping or allowing the extensive changes
that will need to occur. [5]

Examples of BPR:

Taco Bell

Taco Bell created the K-Minus program (Kitchenless restaurant) based on

their belief that they are a retail service company, not a manufacturing
company. In the new process, meat, beans, corn shells, lettuce, tomatoes
and cheese for their products are prepared outside of the restaurant in
central commissaries.

At the Taco Bell restaurants, the food ingredients are prepared when
ordered for customer consumption. Taco Bell cites the following results:
greater quality control, better employee morale, fewer employee
accidents and injuries (due to preparation task off-site), big savings and
more time to focus on the customer business processes. Currently they
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are redefining how to deliver their food services, by taking their food
service to places where people gather such as dining centers, schools,
universities, airport, and stadiums. Taco Bell has progressed from a $500
million regional company in 1982 to a $3 billion national company.

Hallmark

Using reengineering, Hallmark, redesigned the process they used to bring

new card concepts to market. Their product cycle time was approximately
3 years. The growing trend of more and more niche markets convinced
Hallmark executives that the product development process needed
changing. The company's goal was to get new products to market within
one year. Hallmark has always assumed that the product development
was comprised mostly of printing and production rework time.
Much to their surprise two-thirds of the time was spent in developing the
plan and concept for the card. They also found that from the time a
concept was given to the creative staff, numerous hand-offs were
completed. The concept spent 90% of the time within the creative staff
sitting in someone's in/out slot. In developing a new line of cards in 1991
Hallmark used BPR to create a crossfunctional team approach to product
development bring the new card to market 8 months ahead of schedule.

U.S. Sprint

U. S. Sprint is the third largest U.S. telecommunication company facing

fierce competition. Their business issues included a customer service and
billing processes that was not keeping pace with their expanding business
and the need to increase customer retention and satisfaction. Using BPR
they instituted an invoice-processing system in which Service Agents
review customer accounts every six months to ensure customers are signup for the services that meet their calling needs and save them money.
This effort has helped to decrease U.S. Sprint's customer turnover rate.
(Manganelli and Klien, 1994 p. 300-301)

Connecticut Mutual Life

Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance, the sixth oldest American life insurer
with approximately 1.3 million policyholders, was facing business issues
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stemming from the company's financial rating, fragmented operations,

labor/paper intensive processes and a small work force that was over
burden. The fragmented operation and unconnected systems caused both
policyholders and agents to have to interact with several departments of
the company at one time to resolve problems or provide service. To
resolve this issue the company redesigned its computer system from a
host-based system that had been configured to meet the companies
vertical business needs. The new system consisted of a client/server
document management system with relational databases that provides its
representatives with a client's complete record. This action resulted in
increased response time to the policyholder and increased productivity. [6]

References:
1. Davenport, Thomas & Short, J. (1990), The New Industrial Field
Force: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign, in:
Sloan Management Review, Summer 1990, pp 11-27.
2. Davenport, Thomas (1993), Process Innovation: Work through Field
Force Analysis, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, pp 456-498.
3. Davenport, Thomas (1995), Driving Forces- The Fad That Forgot
People, Fast Company, November 1995.
4. Drucker, Peter (1972), Work and Tools, in: W. Kranzberg and W.H.
Davenport (eds), Technology and Culture, New York .
5. Guha, S.; Kettinger, W.J. & Teng, T.C., Business Process
Reengineering: Building a Comprehensive Methodology, Information
Systems Management, Summer 1993.
6. Hammer, Michael (1990), Reengineering Work: Dont automate,
obliterate, Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug 1990, pp 104-112.

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