Abstract
Purpose - To reveal similarities between the business process reengineering ( BPR) and shared service approaches, in order to improve outcomes of shared service implementation processes through lessons learnt from previous BPR projects.
Design/methodology/approach - As the focus of this paper is primarily theoretical, the paper starts out with a literature review of developments in the BPR and shared service movements. Similarities between the two change alternatives are discussed and drawn up.
Findings - The paper concludes by identifying which previously learnt lessons the emerging shared service movement should take into account from the BPR era when implementing shared services.
Research limitations/implications - The paper is primarily based on previous findings from a literature review. To increase insights into the contemporary shared service phenomenon, complementary research in the form of in-depth case studies are recommended.
Practical implications - Based on the similarities between BPR and shared service approaches, some normative guidelines for the implementation of shared service are given to practitioners.
Originality/value - This paper fills a gap in process-oriented research by comparing BPR and shared service approaches in order to reveal similarities, which in turn enables practitioners to draw on pre-existing research findings in their present shared service projects.