Relationship of Mission and Work Processes to Information Technology

Given this legislation, a key assessment issue for evaluators is determining whether major agency investments in information technology will in fact support a redesigned business process. The issues in this guide provide a framework for determining whether an agency is, in fact, engaged in reengineering a process.

As indicated in the figure, work processes, information needs, and technology are interdependent. When a reengineering project leads to new information requirements, it may be necessary to acquire new technology to support those requirements. It is important to bear in mind, however, that acquiring new information technology does not constitute reengineering. Technology is an enabler of process reengineering, not a substitute for it. Acquiring technology in the belief that its mere presence will somehow