Mohamed Zairi

Bio: Mohamed Zairi is an academic researcher from University of Bradford. The author has contributed to research in topics: Benchmarking & Total quality management. The author has an hindex of 54, co-authored 190 publications receiving 10447 citations.

Business process management: a boundaryless approach to modern competitiveness

Abstract: Discusses the concept of business process management as an approach which relies on cross‐functional contributions to organizational performance. Presents arguments on the importance of “hard” and “soft” elements which are all required for determining effective competitiveness. A review of the literature suggests that although the term “process management” is increasingly being used in everyday business language, the practical experience so far is very limited. Presents the concept of business process management through its various key elements, supported by practical examples. Discusses the methodological approaches used in various contexts for creating a culture based on process management. Concludes with some useful guidelines to support efforts in establishing a business process management culture.

BPR implementation process: an analysis of key success and failure factors

Abstract: This paper provides a holistic view of the Business Process Re‐engineering (BPR) implementation process. It reviews the literature relating to the hard and soft factors that cause success and failure for BPR implementation, classifies these factors into subgroups, and identifies key factors of success and failure. Finally, it explains how these factors influence the process of BPR implementation.

ERP software implementation: an integrative framework

Abstract: ERP implementation is a socio-technical challenge that requires a fundamentally different outlook from technologically-driven innovation, and will depend on a balanced perspective where the organisation as a total system is considered. ERP implementation is considered to rely on behavioural processes and actions. It is a process that involves macro-implementation at the strategic level, and micro-implementation at the operational level. This therefore means that implementation in the context of ERP systems is not possible through an ON/OFF approach whereby deployment of the new systems will necessarily yield the desired and expected results. Understanding the implementation process through a balanced perspective will therefore prevent any unpleasant surprises, and will ensure and guide the change process to be embedded in a painless fashion. The balanced perspective means that socio-technical considerations must be borne in mind; the strategic, tactical and operational steps clearly defined; and the expected benefits evaluated and tracked through creating seamless and solid integration. This paper proposes an integrative framework for ERP implementation based on an extensive review of the factors and the essential elements that contribute to success in the context of ERP implementation.

Business process re‐engineering and process management: a survey of current practice and future trends in integrated management

Abstract: Business process re‐engineering (BPR) was first introduced in 1990 by Hammer and Davenport and Short. In these articles, the authors outlined a new approach to the management of processes which, it was claimed, was producing radical improvements in performance. These articles were quickly followed by a number of articles describing the benefits to be gained from BPR.

Out of the Crisis

Abstract: According to W. Edwards Deming, American companies require nothing less than a transformation of management style and of governmental relations with industry. In Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982, Deming offers a theory of management based on his famous 14 Points for Management. Management's failure to plan for the future, he claims, brings about loss of market, which brings about loss of jobs. Management must be judged not only by the quarterly dividend, but by innovative plans to stay in business, protect investment, ensure future dividends, and provide more jobs through improved product and service. In simple, direct language, he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.

The knowledge-creating company

Abstract: How have Japanese companies become world leaders in the automotive and electronics industries, among others? What is the secret of their success? Two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, are the first to tie the success of Japanese companies to their ability to create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. In The Knowledge-Creating Company, Nonaka and Takeuchi provide an inside look at how Japanese companies go about creating this new knowledge organizationally. The authors point out that there are two types of knowledge: explicit knowledge, contained in manuals and procedures, and tacit knowledge, learned only by experience, and communicated only indirectly, through metaphor and analogy. U.S. managers focus on explicit knowledge. The Japanese, on the other hand, focus on tacit knowledge. And this, the authors argue, is the key to their success--the Japanese have learned how to transform tacit into explicit knowledge. To explain how this is done--and illuminate Japanese business practices as they do so--the authors range from Greek philosophy to Zen Buddhism, from classical economists to modern management gurus, illustrating the theory of organizational knowledge creation with case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, Nissan, 3M, GE, and even the U.S. Marines. For instance, using Matsushita's development of the Home Bakery (the world's first fully automated bread-baking machine for home use), they show how tacit knowledge can be converted to explicit knowledge: when the designers couldn't perfect the dough kneading mechanism, a software programmer apprenticed herself withthe master baker at Osaka International Hotel, gained a tacit understanding of kneading, and then conveyed this information to the engineers. In addition, the authors show that, to create knowledge, the best management style is neither top-down nor bottom-up, but rather what they call "middle-up-down," in which the middle managers form a bridge between the ideals of top management and the chaotic realities of the frontline. As we make the turn into the 21st century, a new society is emerging. Peter Drucker calls it the "knowledge society," one that is drastically different from the "industrial society," and one in which acquiring and applying knowledge will become key competitive factors. Nonaka and Takeuchi go a step further, arguing that creating knowledge will become the key to sustaining a competitive advantage in the future. Because the competitive environment and customer preferences changes constantly, knowledge perishes quickly. With The Knowledge-Creating Company, managers have at their fingertips years of insight from Japanese firms that reveal how to create knowledge continuously, and how to exploit it to make successful new products, services, and systems.

Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice

Abstract: The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly important in today's knowledge economy. Knowledge is considered a valuable commodity, embedded in products and in the tacit knowledge of highly mobile individual employees. Knowledge management (KM) represents a deliberate and systematic approach to cultivating and sharing an organization's knowledge base. It is a highly multidisciplinary field that encompasses both information technology and intellectual capital. This textbook and professional reference offers a comprehensive overview of the field of KM, providing both a substantive theoretical grounding and a pragmatic approach to applying key concepts. Drawing on ideas, tools, and techniques from such disciplines as sociology, cognitive science, organizational behavior, and information science, the text describes KM theory and practice at the individual, community, and organizational levels. It offers illuminating case studies and vignettes from companies including IBM, Xerox, British Telecommunications, JP Morgan Chase, and Nokia. This second edition has been updated and revised throughout. New material has been added on the information and library science perspectives, taxonomies and knowledge classification, the media richness of the knowledge-sharing channel, e-learning, social networking in KM contexts, strategy tools, results-based outcome assessments, knowledge continuity and organizational learning models, KM job descriptions, copyleft and Creative Commons, and other topics. New case studies and vignettes have been added; and the references and glossary have been updated and expanded.