In the era of e-services and cut-throat competition, the modes of business are changing vastly. The business with old or obsolete work...
In the era of e-services and cut-throat competition, the modes of business are changing vastly. The business with old or obsolete work processes can’t work for success. It is required to think critically and minimizing processes with bringing more efficiency in achieving ultimate aim. Even in public utilities, the information communication technology (ICT) has been used to create ‘Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent (SMART) governance. The e-Governance is compelling to deliver public services by maximum use of Information Technology. The increasing scams and financial irregularities have made Government as well as corporate to establish moral values in organizational culture. Recently implemented Bio-metric system in public utilities proves the widening gap between administrators and work-force. The trust between boss and subordinates has been reduced and performance is measured critically before rewarding any initiative. In public organizations, use of Right to Information Act (RTI), Citizen Charter at large scale can work as a mean to prepare foundation for easiness in bringing change in work processes. The foreign direct investment (FDI) is also getting support of this changing scenario as it boosts the confidence level of investors to invest in public sector presently competing with multinational companies (MNCs) for delivering goods and services.
The e-governance may further transform the government machinery with Government Process Reengineering like Business Process Reengineering (BPR) doing same work in corporate sector. The reengineering is examining the five components i.e. Strategy, Processes, Technology, Organization and Culture and streamlining the same for improving efficiency and effectiveness in operational performance, for example the accounting records which are still being processed manually may be digitally processed. The economic offences, normally known as white-collar crimes and corrupt practices in dealing with financial and administrative operations are still big challenges which can be tackled effectively with use of GPR. It supports Government to ensure better utilization of scared resources being used to finance basic services including water, electricity, shelter, cloth, and pure air. The Government Process Reengineering (GPR) brings innovative thoughts in place to perform organizational functions more efficiently and effectively. The organizations create values through processes and now have begun to realize that there may be significant cost savings possible in result to reengineering work processes. The idea of e-Governance has transformed the image of public sector by creating a sense of accountability among the employees. However, still there are a lot of barriers like pendency in moving of necessary files from one person to another, non-standard workflows, faulty deployment system of staff, iteration and duplication of work, lack of checks in entire system, and no proper mechanism to appraise and motivate good workers. The GPR can replace the old processes with new ones to carry out operations with less effort, time, and cost. It can bring dramatic change with overall improvement in organizational structures, managerial systems, fixing employee responsibilities and measures to proper performance appraisal mechanisms.
Let’s take an example of Haryana Treasuries Department, public sector unit of Haryana. The department with its district treasuries receives public money and makes payments on behalf of Government. With reengineering its work processes the department has become able to transform work processes and now entire work is performed through web-based utility known as online treasury information system (OTIS). In international conference on “Global Performance Challenges – Building and Sustaining Competitiveness” organized by Amity Business School, Gurgaon; Dr. Lalit Kumar working in Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) highlighted various challenges in proper implementation of GPR in public sector like lack of technical know-how in officers, lack of commitment in top management, expensive and time consuming process, lack of willingness in employees to improve their capacities to work in upgraded new environment, fear of exploitation and more work burden, and non-acceptance of accountability towards work. It is required to firstly reengineer the work processes through GPR followed by automation using information technology.
The entire system of delivering public services can be changed by using GPR for fixing accountability, improving efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring automation through Information Technology. At present, the public sector works with negative interferences from political and administrative persons. The census work, election duties, and other extra works are carried out simultaneously without proper reward to the public servants. The officers taking risks are also not rewarded properly due to lack of effective monitoring system in place. The GPR may be used to fragment the work processes into sub-processes and then optimize each sub-process resulting benefits to entire process as a whole. Finally, coming to the conclusion, it is evident that if adopted, the GPR will also increase employment opportunities as it will require designers, implementing agencies, and talented people well versed in technology. Finally, it is evident that an entrepreneur or organizational head should keep his eyes open to have modifications in work processes according to the work environment not only to survive but also to succeed in business.
About the author
Dr Lalit Kumar
Dr. Lalit Kumar is M.Com, M.Phil , Ph.D , University of Kurukshetra ,
has been working as Assistant Professor in Faculty of Financial
Management, Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurgaon
for more than 9 years. As present, he has been assigned with a research
project on “Implementing Accrual Accounting in Haryana” and Capacity
Building Programmes for Cutting Edge Employees of Haryana Govt,
by Government of India. :)
has been working as Assistant Professor in Faculty of Financial
Management, Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurgaon
for more than 9 years. As present, he has been assigned with a research
project on “Implementing Accrual Accounting in Haryana” and Capacity
Building Programmes for Cutting Edge Employees of Haryana Govt,
by Government of India. :)
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