Decision support system for the management of systems change

Through the passage of time, various different approaches such as total quality management (TQM) and business process reengineering (BPR) have been presented to operations as offering the potential for performance improvement and innovation. These approaches have been implemented across the globe and have had varied results. Approaches have been implemented with huge success in one organisation, only to result in absolute failure in another. The question of why does this happen? has been continually asked by researchers, and opinion points to the presence or absence in the project implementation of specific enablers or levers of change, together with a methodology which incorporates these levers. Researchers state that finding the right change management process can give an organisation a 99% chance of success. This paper looks at five key factors in developing a successful innovation management process that can guide organisations towards achieving performance goals. The five factors are: group management, strategic planning, empowerment, systems engineering and lifelong learning. Anew methodology is introduced which gives organisations a step by step approach to implementing the innovation process successfully. The methodology is supported by a set of modelling and analysis tools which help in the design and development of many of the critical success levers. The combination of levers, methodology and tool-kit offers a roadmap to managers and designers for achieving successful performance improvement and innovation within the organisation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.