{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,16]],"date-time":"2026-02-16T21:01:09Z","timestamp":1771275669518,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,7]],"date-time":"2016-11-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1478476800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BPMJ"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The research indicates there is a positive link between the improvement capability of an organisation and the intensity of effort applied to a business process improvement (BPI) project or initiative. While a degree of stochastic variation in applied effort to any particular improvement project may be expected there is a clear need to quantify the causal relationship, to assist management decision, and to enhance the chance of achieving and sustaining the expected improvement targets. The paper aims to discuss these issues.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The paper presents a method to obtain the function that estimates the range of applicable effort an organisation can expect to be able to apply based on their current improvement capability. The method used analysed published data as well as regression analysis of new data points obtained from completed process improvement projects.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The level of effort available to be applied to a process improvement project can be expressed as a regression function expressing the possible range of achievable BPI performance within 90 per cent confidence limits.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The data set applied by this research is limited due to constraints during the research project. A more accurate function can be obtained with more industry data.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>When the described function is combined with a separate non-linear function of performance gain vs effort a model of performance gain for a process improvement project as a function of organisational improvement capability is obtained. The probability of success in achieving performance targets may be estimated for a process improvement project.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The method developed in this research is novel and unique and has the potential to be applied to assessing an organisation\u2019s capability to manage change.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/bpmj-09-2015-0129","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,10,19]],"date-time":"2016-10-19T10:23:09Z","timestamp":1476872589000},"page":"1099-1117","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Estimating performance from capabilities in business process improvement"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Boyd A.","family":"Nicholds","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"John P.T.","family":"Mo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref001","first-page":"63","article-title":"Relationships amongst value creating variables in an international freight forwarding and logistics firm: testing for causality","volume":"7","year":"2009","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1108\/14637150810888046","article-title":"Assessing readiness for business process reengineering","volume":"14","year":"2008","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1108\/14637150510578719","article-title":"Developing and evaluating a methodology for business process improvement","volume":"11","year":"2005","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"10","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref004","first-page":"22","article-title":"Improving your process improvement efforts","volume":"62","year":"2003","journal-title":"Plant"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1108\/14637159910249108","article-title":"BPR implementation process: an analysis of key success and failure factors","volume":"5","year":"1999","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"482","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jors.2602437","article-title":"Gearing six sigma into UK manufacturing SMEs: results from a pilot study","volume":"59","year":"2008","journal-title":"The Journal of the Operational Research Society"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1108\/09544780610685485","article-title":"Selection of six sigma projects in the UK","volume":"18","year":"2006","journal-title":"The TQM Magazine"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1108\/01443570310458447","article-title":"Companies\u2019 perceptions of inhibitors and enablers for process improvement activities","volume":"23","year":"2003","journal-title":"International Journal of Operations and Production Management"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1016\/0263-7863(95)00064-X","article-title":"A new framework for determining critical success\/failure factors in projects","volume":"14","year":"1996","journal-title":"International Journal of Project Management"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1080\/09537280512331333011","article-title":"Researching performance measurement system implementation: the dynamics of success and failure","volume":"16","year":"2005","journal-title":"Production Planning and Control"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020121101481167700_ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1080\/08956308.1994.11683583","article-title":"Practical R&D project prioritization","volume":"37","year":"1994","journal-title":"Research Technology Management"},{"key":"key2020121101481167700_ref012","unstructured":"Chattopadhyay, S. and Mo, J.P.T. 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