are based in the Business School at Manchester Metropolitan University. Mark Stubbs is a Principal Lecturer in the Business Information Technology subject group. He has a particular interest in the development and successful adoption of enterprise-wide managed learning environments. Ian Martin and Lewis Endlar are both Senior Lecturers within the same subject group. Ian Martin is currently researching open source software and its applications within the private and public sectors. Lewis Endlar has been evaluating the possibilities of mobile information and communication technologies for learning and teaching. AbstractThis paper considers the challenges faced by those seeking to design effective blended learning. Using a 2-year case study involving cohorts of approximately 200 students, it demonstrates how Anthony Giddens' structuration theory can provide a metaframework for assisting educational designers in creating coherent blended learning experiences that reinforce intended learning outcomes. It calls for educational designers to be sensitive to both their audience and the unintended and unanticipated consequences of their actions and shows how a holistic annual review framework can reinforce or suppress emergent behaviour through unit development. IntroductionThe term blended learning has been adopted widely to describe combinations of faceto-face and technology-based learning. Although loosely defined, the emphasis on 'blend' forces proponents to address key questions about the mix of communication channels and activities required to achieve desired learning outcomes. Addressing such questions has become a common theme in accounts of blended learning activity. O'Toole and Absalom (2003) argue that simple substitution of face-to-face for technology-based learning is unlikely to be successful and, instead, call for designers to integrate communication channels on the basis of their relative merits and collective abilities to reinforce progress towards intended learning outcomes. MacDonald and McAteer (2003) reach similar conclusions in their reflection on the timing and nature

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that significant improvements through business process re‐engineering can still be achieved after the implementation of enterprise resource planning systems. While the business process re‐engineering benefits of enterprise resource planning systems have been widely published, the opportunities for process improvement after the installation of integrated systems have not been extensively explored.Design/methodology/approachThis paper results from a case study of the highly successful intervention in the purchasing and accounts payable functions of Mobil Oil Australia Limited undertaken well after the implementation one of the widely used off‐the‐shelf enterprise resource planning systems, SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing).FindingsSignificant benefits were achieved in the purchasing and accounts payable functions of Mobil Oil Australia Limited, via a focus on best practice and radical process improvement. Invoices and invoice processing were largely eliminated. Cheque usage was reduced by 87 per cent and the staff paying accounts cut by almost 75 per cent.Originality/valueThe case study demonstrates clearly to companies and practitioners that business process re‐engineering can achieve “dramatic improvements in cost, quality, service and speed” even after an enterprise resource planning solution has been implemented via a focus on best practice benchmarking and using best practice to provide a target for the change team. Companies can leverage existing, often substantial, investments in installed systems to further improve their processes and increase the return on those investments.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract To remain competitive many businesses in the 1990s have undertaken business process re-engineering (BPR) projects re-organizing and re-structuring their business operations. At the same time the need for an IT business solution has enabled integrated business packages such as SAP's R/2 and R/3 to quietly dominate the IT systems industry. Although the successes and benefits of SAP have been widely published, there is little literature on the problems associated with embracing such an integrated and unique system. The paper results from a case study of the evaluation and implementation of SAP by a very large US multinational corporation in its European, Australian and New Zealand businesses. The different approaches to the installation of an integrated core system and BPR are explored. Problems and lessons that can be learnt from the company's experiences are also highlighted in this paper.

To remain competitive many businesses in the 1990's have undertaken business process reengineering projects reorganising one or more parts of their operations. This paper results from a case study of the enterprise-wide review of Mobil Oil Australia Limited to increase profitability and change the culture of the organisation. A radical (to the Oil Industry) business unit organisation structure was designed, populated and implemented. The project was an immediate financial success and reenergized the company. Income after tax was six times higher after the reorganisation than in the previous year notwithstanding a continuing recession and the uncertainty caused by the restructuring. Return on capital employed increased from 2% to 7%. Lessons can be learnt from the way the project was initiated and developed, the deployment of the project management structure and improvement methodology, the approach to the implementation of the new structure and the findings of the post implementation review.

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