Abstract
The aim of this article is to present the methodology of reengineering projects, taking into consideration the systemic and systematic aspect of human factors so that it constitutes a crucial component of the methodology. The idea of considering this factor stems from investigations connected with the reengineering project that was implemented in a factory producing ship engines. On the one hand, the research resulted in identifying a gap in the reengineering methodology (i.e., not taking simulation into account). On the other hand, an idea appeared to use the simulation as a factor that can prevent or reduce unfavorable reactions and opposition from workers reluctant to accept changes that are an unavoidable effect of a reengineering project. This article presents a literature review on change management, reengineering methodologies, and simulation tools (putting special emphasis on Petri nets). The case study of the implemented project consists of two stages. At the first stage, the methodology of the project was defined, based on the simulation with the use of Petri nets; next, the project was implemented, and, as a conclusion, the need for additional investigations was determined. At the second stage, the scope of the additional research was determined based on Rapid Re methodology; then the investigations were conducted and the suggestions for specific changes in the investigated process were defined. The article ends with general conclusions and suggests changes in the methodology (providing Rapid Re as an example). The authors suggest introducing mechanisms that take into account the human factor based on the simulation technique. The proposed changes give a solid foundation for developing a precise solution for a company, and, as such, they will be the subject of further investigations by the authors. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.