| "Q: How many interpretations of systems
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| | Management) - identifies and
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| development are there?A: How many
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| | classifies information resources,
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| analysts and programmers have you got?"
| |
| | thereby promoting the sharing
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| - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONBack in the
| |
| | and re-using of resources. It also
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| early 1980's, Japan's MITI (Ministry of
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| | ensures they are collected,
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| International
| |
| | stored and retrieved in a timely
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| Trade & Industry) coordinated a handful
| |
| | manner.Project Management (Production
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| of Japanese computer
| |
| | Control) - used to plan, estimate,
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| manufacturers in establishing a special
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| | schedule, report, and control project
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| environment for producing
| |
| | work.Why an "Information Factory" as
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| system software, such as operating
| |
| | opposed to a "Software Factory"? One
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| systems and compilers. This
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| | of the key failures in the Japanese
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| effort came to be known as Japanese
| |
| | "Software Factories" experiment
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| "Software Factories" which
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| | was its limited scope. It failed to
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| captured the imagination of the
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| | address all of the information
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| industry. Although the experiment
| |
| | resources of an enterprise, especially
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| ended with mixed results, they
| |
| | business processes,
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| discovered organization and discipline
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| | administrative procedures, manual files,
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| could dramatically improve
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| | printed reports,
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| productivity.Why the experiment?
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| | human and machine resources, business
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| Primarily because the Japanese recognized
| |
| | functions, etc. all of
|
|
| |
| | which are essential to a total systems
|
| there are fundamentally two approaches
| |
| | solution. The term
|
| to manufacturing
| |
| | "Information Factory," therefore, is an
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| anything: "one at a time" or mass
| |
| | admission there is more to
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| production. Both are consistent
| |
| | information resources than just
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| approaches that can produce a high
| |
| | software.THE NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL
|
| quality product. The difference
| |
| | ENGINEERINGThe mechanics and
|
| resides in the fact mass production
| |
| | infrastructure of an "Information
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| offers increased volume at
| |
| | Factory" are
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| lower costs. In addition, workers can
| |
| | fairly easy to grasp, but it requires a
|
| be easily trained and put into
| |
| | special kind of person to
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| production. On the other hand, the "one
| |
| | implement: an Industrial Engineer.The
|
| at a time" approach is
| |
| | American Heritage Dictionary of the
|
| slower and usually has higher costs. It
| |
| | English Language (Third Edition)
|
| requires workers to be
| |
| | defines Industrial Engineering as: "The
|
| intimate with all aspects of the
| |
| | branch of engineering that is
|
| product. Which is the most appropriate
| |
| | concerned with the efficient production
|
| approach for a development organization
| |
| | of industrial goods as affected
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| to take? That depends on the
| |
| | by elements such as plant and procedural
|
| organization's perspective of systems
| |
| | design, the management of
|
| development.ART VERSUS SCIENCEThere are
| |
| | materials and energy, and the
|
| those who believe systems development to
| |
| | integration of workers within the overall
|
| be some sort
| |
| |
|
| of art-form requiring peculiar knowledge
| |
| | system." An Industrial Engineer
|
| and skills to perform. There
| |
| | considers the products to be build and
|
| are significant differences between an
| |
| | employs work study techniques in order
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| "art" and a "science." An "art"
| |
| | to improve productivity. Such
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| depends on an individual's intuitive
| |
| | a group of people is critical to the
|
| instincts about a particular subject.
| |
| | implementation of any mass
|
| Such
| |
| | production facility, including an
|
| intuition is difficult to teach and
| |
| | "Information Factory." The
|
| apply in a consistent manner. An
| |
| | Industrial Engineer has to be one part
|
| art-form,
| |
| | engineer and one part social
|
| by definition, implies non-conformity
| |
| | scientist, studying the behavior of
|
| and represents an expression of
| |
| | people (e.g., why they work in
|
| personal style and taste. In contrast,
| |
| | the manner they do). This is another
|
| a "science" is based on proven
| |
| | element missed by the Japanese
|
| principles and, as such, can be taught
| |
| | "Software Factories."In an "Information
|
| and applied in a uniform manner by
| |
| | Factory" the Industrial Engineer is
|
| many people.In order for systems
| |
| | responsible
|
| development to move from an art to a
| |
| | for:1. Defining the infrastructure of
|
| science, a body
| |
| | the factory (methodologies to be used,
|
| of knowledge has to be defined in terms
| |
| | resource management, and project
|
| of proven concepts and standard
| |
| | management). This includes the
|
| terminology. Unfortunately, this is
| |
| | progression
|
| where the industry has been
| |
| | and synchronization of work, along with
|
| wallowing for the last 30 years. The
| |
| | the tools and techniques to be
|
| Japanese example reveals it
| |
| | used (5W+H).2. Establishing the types
|
| is not necessary to invent any new
| |
| | of people needed to perform the work,
|
| theories of management, but rather
| |
| | along
|
| to re-use existing management principles
| |
| | with the required skill sets (and how to
|
| that have already been proven
| |
| | evaluate performance). This
|
| over time. By doing so, they are
| |
| | also includes specifying the types of
|
| attempting to move the industry
| |
| | training required to do the job.3.
|
| from an art to a science.FIVE BASIC
| |
| | Reviewing work products (work sampling)
|
| ELEMENTS OF MASS PRODUCTIONAssuming we
| |
| | in order to evaluate
|
| want to establish an environment of mass
| |
| | product quality and production problems,
|
| production to
| |
| | thereby triggering the need
|
| develop our information resources, it is
| |
| | for improvement.4. Constantly looking
|
| necessary to understand
| |
| | for new tools and techniques to improve
|
| its fundamental nature. As any
| |
| | the process. It
|
| introductory text book on manufacturing
| |
| | is generally agreed techniques and tools
|
| can explain, there are five basic
| |
| | will come and go, and will
|
| elements of mass production:1. Division
| |
| | evolve over time. As such, the
|
| of Labor - to break the production
| |
| | Industrial Engineer is a student of
|
| process into
| |
| | the industry.EFFECT ON CORPORATE
|
| separate tasks performed by specialists
| |
| | CULTUREThe mechanics of the "Information
|
| or craftsmen. Such division
| |
| | Factory" are easy to assimilate and
|
| specifies the type of skills required to
| |
| | implement. The real problem lies in
|
| perform the work.2. Assembly Line -
| |
| | changing the behavior and
|
| describing the units of work along with
| |
| | attitudes of people, specifically, the
|
| the
| |
| | corporate culture. The goal
|
| dependencies between the steps thereby
| |
| | of an "Information Factory," as it is
|
| defining the progression
| |
| | with any mass production
|
| and synchronization of product
| |
| | facility, is to develop a homogeneous
|
| development.3. Precision Tooling - for
| |
| | development environment
|
| mechanical leverage in developing
| |
| | (as opposed to a heterogeneous
|
| products.4. Standardization of Parts -
| |
| | environment where everyone is
|
| for interchangeability of parts between
| |
| | allowed to develop products as they see
|
| products, thereby lowering costs and
| |
| | fit).To counter the "Tower of Babel"
|
| shortening development time, and
| |
| | effect found in most development
|
| allowing assembly by unskilled and
| |
| | organizations, the "Information Factory"
|
| semi-skilled workers.5. Mass Demand -
| |
| | seeks consistency and
|
| this represents the impetus for mass
| |
| | quality through uniformity and
|
| production;
| |
| | standardization. It is not uncommon
|
| customers demanding standardized and
| |
| | for the concept of a factory-like
|
| reliable products at lower
| |
| | environment to strike fear in the
|
| costs. In the IRM world this is
| |
| | hearts of software developers as they
|
| represented by end-users who require
| |
| | may see it as a threat to their
|
| standard and reliable systems at lower
| |
| | free-spirited individuality. Such an
|
| costs to support their
| |
| | environment need not sacrifice
|
| information needs.The rationale behind
| |
| | freedom of expression or creativity. It
|
| mass production is improved productivity;
| |
| | is simply a means to channel
|
| producing more quality products at less
| |
| | such creative energies in a uniform
|
| cost. Most people fallaciously
| |
| | manner.The biggest problem though rests
|
| equate productivity with efficiency,
| |
| | in reorienting people to believe they
|
| which simply gauges how fast we can
| |
| | are in the business of building
|
| perform a given task. Effectiveness, on
| |
| | products, not just writing code.
|
| the other hand, validates the
| |
| | Acceptance
|
| necessity of the task itself. There is
| |
| | of the "Information Factory" environment
|
| nothing more unproductive than to
| |
| | can be achieved if people
|
| do something efficiently that should not
| |
| | understand the overall process, where
|
| have been done at all. An
| |
| | they fit in it,
|
| industrial robot, for example, can
| |
| | what is expected of them, and how their
|
| efficiently perform tasks such as
| |
| | work affects others. We have
|
| welding. However, if it welds the wrong
| |
| | found most people prefer organization
|
| thing or at the wrong time,
| |
| | and discipline as opposed to
|
| then it is counterproductive. It
| |
| | chaos. Further, they can achieve
|
| therefore becomes important in the
| |
| | superior results when standards
|
| production of any product to define WHO
| |
| | are imposed; such discipline results in
|
| is to perform WHAT work, WHEN,
| |
| | uniform and predictable
|
| WHERE, WHY, and HOW (we refer to this as
| |
| | work products,CONCLUSIONIt is possible
|
| "5W+H").We therefore have long touted the
| |
| | to employ the same concepts and
|
| following formula:Productivity =
| |
| | techniques as
|
| Effectiveness X EfficiencyIt is our
| |
| | used in mass production towards the
|
| belief improved productivity can be
| |
| | development of information
|
| instituted by
| |
| | resources. But creating a
|
| implementing the five elements of mass
| |
| | "factory"-like development environment
|
| production and devising a
| |
| | takes more than simply calling yourself
|
| manufacturing facility whereby are
| |
| | one. It is a significant
|
| found:Assembly Lines - increments of work
| |
| | reorientation effort. Fortunately, it
|
| sequenced in such a way to
| |
| | is not without precedent
|
| develop products. Along the assembly
| |
| | and the concepts have already been
|
| line, a series of tools and
| |
| | introduced to devise an
|
| techniques will be deployed, some
| |
| | "Information Factory" based on other
|
| implemented by the human being,
| |
| | engineering/manufacturing
|
| others through automated assistance,
| |
| | disciplines.The benefits of an
|
| such as robots.Materials Management - the
| |
| | "Information Factory" are no different
|
| business function concerned with
| |
| | than any other mass production
|
| standardizing parts so they may be
| |
| | environment: standardization,
|
| shared and re-used in various
| |
| | improved productivity, reduced costs,
|
| product assemblies. Further, it is
| |
| | better change control, faster
|
| concerned with collecting,
| |
| | employee start-up and more effective use
|
| storing and retrieving parts
| |
| | of human resources. However,
|
| (inventorying) in the most efficient
| |
| | the impact of implementing such an
|
| means possible (e.g., JIT - "Just In
| |
| | environment should definitely not be
|
| Time").Production Control - oversees the
| |
| | underestimated. It affects people's
|
| assembly lines and
| |
| | perceptions regarding
|
| materials management, looking for
| |
| | development and ultimately affects the
|
| unanticipated delays or
| |
| | corporate culture.In order to move from
|
| accelerations of production schedules.
| |
| | an art to a science, it is necessary to
|
| Consequently, corrective
| |
| | define and standardize our terminology
|
| action can be taken as required to
| |
| | and concepts for developing
|
| resolve problems.These three components
| |
| | information resources. Only when this
|
| establish a "checks and balances" in
| |
| | happens can we teach it
|
| manufacturing and can also be utilized
| |
| | to others in a uniform manner and gain
|
| to develop an "Information
| |
| | the legitimacy as a
|
| Factory" to develop an organization's
| |
| | profession that has long eluded
|
| information resources,
| |
| | developers.For more information on our
|
| whereby are found:Methodologies
| |
| | philosophies of Information Resource
|
| (Assembly Lines) - defines the work
| |
| | Management (IRM), please see the
|
| environment
| |
| | "Introduction" section of "PRIDE"
|
| (5W), thereby synchronizing the flow of
| |
| | at: Bryce is the Managing Director of M.
|
| work. Within the phases
| |
| | Bryce & Associates (MBA)
|
| of the methodology, a variety of tools
| |
| | of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years
|
| and techniques may be
| |
| | of experience in the field.
|
| deployed defining HOW the work is to be
| |
| | He is available for training and
|
| performed.Resource Management (Materials
| |
| | consulting on an international basis.
|
