Development of a prototype database to support business process reengineering in the Department of Defense

Abstract

This thesis describes the development of a database to support business process redesign in the Department of Defense (DOD). Business process redesign is rapidly becoming an important part of DOD's Corporate Information Management (CIM) initiatives. DOD is changing the way it does business in order to meet its commitments with fewer resources. In describing the development of a database to support business process redesign, this thesis reveals insights into the methods and practices that are changing the way business is practiced. The challenge encountered in this project is the process of business process redesign in DOD is being developed concurrently with the database. In effect, the database is built to support a process that is itself not fully understood. It was found that sufficient information on business process redesign existed and could be quantified in such a manner as to be made available in database format. The development of a prototype database progressed to a stage where it could be implemented. The next step is to build a fully functional model of the database in order to evaluate its role in supporting business process redesign.