Mat’land CZI holds AGM

Markets
THE Matabeleland chapter of the CZI held an annual general meeting with a call to local companies to implement business process re-engineering (BPR) in a bid to revive dying industries in the city.

THE Matabeleland chapter of the Confederation of Zimbabwe (CZI) on Wednesday held an annual general meeting with a call to local companies to implement business process re-engineering (BPR) in a bid to revive dying industries in the city.

OWN CORRESPONDENT

Speaking at the CZI annual general meeting, 360 Consulting Services chief executive officer Moreen Mudenda said Bulawayo firms facing unprecedented operational challenges should implement business process re-engineering.

Mudenda said re-engineering “is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance such as cost, quality, service and speed.

“Companies should try to implement BPR because it is one of the processes that reduce financial challenges, production costs by eliminating wastages, increases customer satisfaction with quality products.

“It can be applied to all different types of businesses sectors as well as in public and non–public profit settings.

“The process endeavours to redesign the strategic and value added processes that transcend organisational boundaries.”

Mudeda, however, was quick to say that BPR does not offer a “miracle cure”, but took about six months to bear results.

“However, companies should research and have right policies before they implement BPR.

“They should ask themselves whether it is a priority or not. They should be clear about the organisation’s vision before implementing it,” she said.

CZI officials said about 75% of companies in Bulawayo needed BPR, but pointed that there were challenges of obsolete machinery and restrictive policies. Many companies in Bulawayo are facing unprecedented operational challenges.

Companies such as the National Blankets, Zeco and clothing firms such as Archer, Security Mills and Merlin, have all closed down or relocated leaving more than 25 000 workers jobless.