Which concept involves improving operations by redesigning both processes and structures?

• A. Reengineering
• B. Problem-solving Teams
• C. Self-managed Work Teams
• D. Organization

Answer: (A)

Reengineering focuses on a fundamental rethink and radical redesign of how work gets done, starting from the desired outputs and performance goals and restructuring both the processes and the organizational structure that supports them. The aim is to achieve dramatic improvements in key measures like cost, quality, service, and speed, not just small, incremental tweaks. This often involves cross-functional processes, end-to-end ownership, eliminating unnecessary steps, and leveraging information technology to integrate activities that used to be separate. That combination—revising both the workflow and the way the organization is arranged around it—explains why this concept best fits improving operations through redesign.

Think of it as a move beyond minor improvements or isolated team efforts: it’s about rethinking the whole system to achieve substantial gains. In contrast, problem-solving teams tackle a specific issue with targeted fixes, self-managed work teams focus on team autonomy within the existing process framework, and the term organization alone is too broad to capture the act of redesigning processes and structures.