BUSINESS PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR IN KENYA

ABSTRACT This study sought to establish Business Process Reengineering (BPR) strategies used by telecommunication companies in Kenya to enhance their service delivery to gain competitive advantage, and to explore the influence of BPR strategies in the telecommunication companies in Kenya. The study was anchored on the following theories, Resource-Based, the Open Systems and Stakeholder. The study used a descriptive cross sectional research design targeting thirty five telecommunication firms in Kenya. Data was collected through structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that most of Telecommunication companies have used various BPR strategies such as Teleconferencing technologies, computerized performance measurement and reporting system, shared Information Technology infrastructure and computerized procurement system. Findings show that after BPR implementation the telecommunications firms were able to increase efficiency of customer service, quality of products and workforce, elimination of non-value adding process, reduction in inspection time, moving time and waiting/queuing time. The study recommends that Telecommunication companies should fully automate their operations besides replacing obsolete technology equipment with modern ones. BPR efforts should be implemented in the most effective manner through sound management and leadership; this is because top management commitment, support, championship, sponsorship, and effective management of risks are the most noticeable managerial practices that seem to directly influence the success of BPR execution. The study recommends that most companies should be cautious when re-engineering in order to avoid downsizing without figuring out how to reduce the workload. Key words: Business Process Reengineering, Telecommunication companies, management support, employee commitment, ITinfrastructure.