MANAGEMENT VISIONS

Monday, August 25, 2008

September 1, 2008

"PRIDE"-EEM PHASE 3 - PHYSICAL ENTERPRISE ANALYSIS (SPECIAL)

This is Part V in our series on the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. In this edition we provide a description of Phase 3 of the "PRIDE"-Enterprise Engineering Methodology (EEM).

The full text for this section can be obtained by clicking: HERE

NEXT UP: PHASE 4 - ENTERPRISE INFORMATION STRATEGY

If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Keep the faith!

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...

"All companies have a culture. In order for employees to function and succeed, it is essential they understand and believe in the culture."

"MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD"

Friends, be sure to check out our book entitled, "MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD - A Handbook for Entering the Work Force" which is a survival guide for young people as they transition into adult life.

Bonnie Wooding, the President of the Toronto Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) said, "Many of our members are just starting their careers and I will be recommending that they read this book, especially Chapter 3, Professional Development - a primer for business skills and filled with basic common sense advice that is simple, easy to follow and extraordinarily practical; and Chapter 5, Do’s and Don’ts of the Workplace, an excellent resource for those questions you are too embarrassed to ask for fear of looking foolish."

The Miami Hurricane recently reviewed it (10/22/2007) and said,

"the abundance of information the book provides is a good start for anyone about to take the first step into the real world. Though the concept of adulthood may seem intimidating, it's comforting to know that someone has at least written a guidebook for it."

Reviewer Bill Petrey praised it by saying, "Every young person entering the workplace for the first time should be given a copy of this book."

The book includes chapters to describe how a young person should organize themselves, how to adapt to the corporate culture, develop their career, and improve themselves professionally and socially. Basically, its 208 pages of good sound advice to jump start the young person into the work force. Corporate Human Resource departments will also find this book useful for setting new hires on the right track in their career. It not only reinforces the many formal rules as contained in corporate policy manuals, but also includes the subtle unwritten rules we must all observe while working with others. The book lists for $25 and can be ordered online through MBA or your local book store. Complementing the book is a one day seminar of the same name which can be purchased separately for $4,000.00 (U.S.) plus instructor travel expenses. For more information on both the book and the seminar, visit our corporate web site at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/morph.htm
ISBN: 978-0-9786182-5-4

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "MAKING YOUR PROBLEMS MINE"

Have you ever noticed how people try to make their problems yours? Let me give you an example, we have a small garbage dumpster next to our office building and other people began using it to dump their trash as soon as we got it. Of course, we then put a lock on it but this didn't seem to deter a few people who put their trash on top of the dumpster. We even had one instance where someone deposited an old sofa on the dumpster which caused me to pay the garbage man a little extra to dispose of it. In other words, people were transferring their problems to us.

There seems to be a lot of this going on, particularly among Customer Service people. A lot of the service people I talk to seem to be more interested in compounding my problems as opposed to solving them. Nobody really likes to deal with problems, but if that's what you're getting paid to do I fail to see the rationale of complicating life as opposed to simplifying it.

You see this "pass the buck" mentality just about everywhere, not just in the office but at home as well. It has become so prevalent it's like a giant merry-go-round with everybody passing their problems on to someone else. Here's an idea; why not pull the plug on the ride and have everyone address their own problems, it's what we call "responsibility," something a lot of us cannot seem to accept.

As to our dumpster problem, we picked through a couple of bags of garbage that had been dropped off on us and found the name and address of the person who dumped it. We then dutifully returned the bags of trash to their rightful owner who was unhappy to see it returned. I think we need to see more of this type of action, instead of letting the buck stop on our doorstep, how about returning it to its rightful owner?

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

"BRYCE'S PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK"

Folks, a couple of years ago I started to include my "Pet Peeve of the Week" in these "Management Visions" podcasts. They have become so popular that I now syndicate them through the Internet and they are available for republication in other media. To this end, I have created a separate web page for my writings which you can find at phmainstreet.com Look for the section, "The Bryce is Right!" Hope you enjoy them.

Also, if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, be sure to stop by and check out our new Palm Harbor Business OASIS, a new business venue offering local business people a place to meet, work, network, and relax. Why pay a lot for leasing office space when you can become a member of the OASIS for as little as $100/month? For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.phboasis.com/

AND FINALLY...

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Reading the Signs":

A J.G. in Pampa, Texas wrote...

"'Parking for Drive-Thru Service Only.' Wow... I don't even know what else to say to that one."

An F.D. in Edmonton, Alberta wrote...

"One thing that has always perplexed me is why they have Braille on drive-through ATM's?"

I received the following e-mails from my "Pet Peeve" entitled, "How much do we really use our head?":

An S.S. in Wisconsin wrote...

"I agree totally with the thought that people operate mostly on autopilot, and that all our advances in technology have actually made us lazy, because anymore there's some gadget to do just about everything for us. I'm no exception, but it still irritates me sometimes to even see a cashier fumble for the right change unless the register tells them what to give back. As a society we have pretty much conditioned ourselves to look to other things to tell us how to act and what to do. It's sad, really, and to be honest I kind of feel sorry for my girls' generation, which is quickly becoming one completely reliant on technology instead of self reliance and good ol' fashioned elbow grease."

Again, thanks for your comments. For these and other comments, please visit my "Bryce is Right!" web site.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

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This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END

Labels: Analysis, Bryce, Engineering, Enterprise, Florida, Head, Management, Methodologies, Peeve, Pet, Phase, Physical, PRIDE, Problems

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

March 5, 2007

"DIAGNOSING SYSTEMS PROBLEMS"

Okay, you've run your program debugger repetitively and everything checks out fine. But for some unknown reason, the whole system is inoperable. Both the software and data base design looks fine, but you are going stark-raving mad trying to locate the problem. Have you considered that it might not be a flaw in the design of the software or data base at all? That perhaps the problem resides in the overall system architecture, or possibly its just you?

In many cases, diagnosing a problem is more painful than correcting it. Whereas I have reviewed basic testing principles in the past (see; No. 41 - "Testing 1, 2, 3..." - Sept 12, 2005), here, I want to discuss some tips for diagnosing problems.

THREE TIPS

1. Walk through the system and check the man/machine interfaces.

Years ago, we were contracted by a large manufacturing company in the northeast who was having trouble implementing their new shop-floor control system. The system was state-of-the-art in terms of programming and DBMS technology. But they simply couldn't get it to work no matter what they tried. Frustrated, the company hired us to see if we could find the problem. Instead of studying source code, as the development staff had done, we began by mapping the overall system architecture.

I've described the "PRIDE" Standard System Structure Concept on more than one occasion, but in a nutshell, a system can be drawn as a four-tiered hierarchy representing a product structure. Whereas a product structure consists of four levels representing products, assemblies, subassemblies, and operations, "PRIDE" likewise decomposes the system into:

LEVEL 1 - SYSTEM
LEVEL 2 - SUB-SYSTEM (Business Processes)
LEVEL 3 - PROCEDURES (Administrative and Computer)
LEVEL 4 - OPERATIONAL STEPS (for Administrative Procedures) and PROGRAMS (for Computer Procedures)

This universally applicable approach for defining the system architecture makes a convenient road map for walking through all aspects of the system and validating its integrity. Such hierarchy diagrams can either be produced from IRM Repositories or from some simple graphic tools. In our consulting assignment though, we simply sketched it out using paper and pencil. Basically, we walked through the system, sampled work and looked for man/machine interfaces. Inevitably, we came upon a sub-system whereby the computer displayed errors in the shop-floor requiring attention by the foreman. The foreman was to take the corrective action and respond to the computer. There was only one problem with this: nobody had told the foreman about any of this. We then wrote a simple Administrative Procedure for the foreman who took the necessary actions and the system operated correctly thereafter ("miraculously" as our client said).

This brings up an important point: systems will fail more for the lack of administrative procedures than for well programmed computer procedures. Although the manufacturing company had produced some rather elegant software, they had completely overlooked the man/machine interface. Again, the "PRIDE" Standard System Structure Concept had provided the necessary road map, but because the client didn't appreciate the need for such a top-down blueprinting technique, they had no idea where everything was.

2. Work backwards.

When diagnosing business processes, procedures and programs, there is a natural inclination to go from start to end in diagnosing a problem. Sometimes you can find a hiccup using this approach, other times you cannot. Instead, try working backwards from end to start, from output to input. Again, map the design using a flowchart or some other graphical technique. If processing involves considerable decisions, draw a decision tree or table. Such graphics are invaluable for validating design logic.

3. Have a second pair of eyes look over your work.

As we become imbued in the mechanics of a design, too often the obvious becomes less obvious to us. Here, another set of eyes can readily see a problem we have overlooked. This is particularly beneficial in shops operating in accordance with certain design standards. Uniform design practices makes it easier to spot anomalies than without such standards.

Where the second person comes from is also important. If the person comes from your work group and is familiar with your style of design, he/she may very well be able to spot a problem. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps the problem will be invisible to them as well. In this case, you might want to consult a neutral third person with a fresh perspective on the problem. This can either be a person from within the company or possibly an outside consultant.

CONCLUSION

Graphic aids, such as flowcharts and diagrams, are helpful for diagnosing a problem but also remember to challenge the graphic. Its not uncommon for graphics not to match what is happening in fact. A good IRM Repository is also invaluable for substantiating designs. The design is either properly recorded in the IRM Repository or it is not. Further, such a tool provides the means to study the relationship of information resources (aka "impact analysis") which may reveal unknown components affecting a design.

More importantly, the idea of maintaining a system architecture (as implemented by the "PRIDE" Standard System Structure Concept) provides the needed road map to find your way through a system regardless of its complexity. Many programmers view such charts as frivolous primarily because they are only concerned with their small piece of the puzzle and are unconcerned about the total picture. But for those of you who need to see the total picture, the system architecture is the logical first step for diagnosing problems.

For more information on the "PRIDE" Standard System Structure Concept, see: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/is.htm

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is... "Without a road map, you might be driving in circles."

"PRIDE" METHODOLOGIES FOR IRM

Friends, the "PRIDE" Methodologies for Information Resource Management (IRM) is a common sense solution for Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, and Project Management. The methodologies include defined work breakdown structures, deliverables, and review points that promote quality and the production of industrial-strength information systems. Building information resources is a science, not an art form. Our methodologies clearly explain the concepts that govern them, which remarkably, is derived from engineering/manufacturing practices. Now you can get these acclaimed methodologies for free at our corporate web site at: http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "NEEDLESS COMPLEXITY"

I recently bought a new car and took it on a trip with my wife. During this time, an Arctic blast of cold air pushed down from Canada and, naturally, we wanted to turn on the heat. Our car is probably no different than most cars today in that we have the latest computerized weather controls to suit the individual needs of both the driver and the passenger. But while driving on the Interstate, I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to turn on the heat. After awhile we finally figured it out but I thought back to an old 1964 Plymouth Valiant we had years ago which had a simple bar on the heater which you could push from hot to cold and it worked quite well. No, it didn't accommodate the needs of the individual passengers, but it did a remarkably good job maintaining the temperature in the car. Frankly, I wish we had something like it again.

This got me thinking about how we like to make life more complicated than it really needs to be. A cell phone is a good example of this. In addition to placing and receiving phone calls, you can now send and receive text messages, e-mails, take photos, listen to your favorite podcast (mine I hope), watch videos, and generally surf the Net. Pretty sophisticated right? Well, maybe. I would wager you that the majority of people out there with cell phones only use a fraction of the services provided. Why? Because they appear to be way too complicated to use.

Not long ago, my wife had to switch cell phones. To do so, it was necessary to move the chip out of the old phone and put it into the new phone. Despite the instructions, which claimed this was a simple procedure to perform, we had a devil of a time getting the chip out of the device. My 19 year old son happened to come home just as we were about to give up and just popped it out in no time at all.

This brings up a point, the sophistication of our technology is primarily aimed at our youth, not for those of us in our middle age or older. As an example, I remember comedian Jay Leno tell the story of when he bought his father a remote control for his television set. He came back to visit his father about a month later, but couldn't find the remote. His father said he kept it in a drawer so that it wouldn't accidentally "go off" and start a fire. Jay said, "Dad, this isn't a phaser; you don't have to lock it up."

I question why we are making things so complicated, be it a cell phone, a remote control, a television, a camera, or whatever. Heck, I even heard of a refrigerator that is now Internet enabled. These advanced features may be nice but they are worthless if nobody knows how to use them. Just remember, most of these devices are designed by computer programmers who live in a world of technical complexity and haven't a clue how to make something "user friendly." If you want to blame someone for the needless complexity in our lives, blame the programmers. Better yet, blame guys like Bill Gates who foster a culture of complexity.

One last note, I remember years ago Bill Cosby talked about an old Philco radio he used to listen to as a kid. He said there were 52 knobs on the radio, but only two actually worked: the on/off volume switch and the station selector. The other knobs were replacements in case you lost the other two knobs. So much for complexity.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!

Folks, be sure to check out our eBook entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

Charles Cole of Lyndhurst, OH, said it is a "Very interesting book. Good work! It reminds me of some of the early works I read by W. Edwards Deming. Too bad the American corporate gurus of his day didn't pay him heed."

And Wolf Hager of Fort Myers, FL, says it is "A very impressive publication which requires careful reading and reminds me somewhat of Peter Drucker."

The price is just $20 plus tax. For more information on our book or to order on-line, see:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

We have also produced a new one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/bryce1.htm

While there, look for our MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

AND FINALLY...

I received an e-mail from Judy Thurman in New Jersey who wrote me regarding last week's essay, "Our Growing Dependency of Mass Mediocrity."

Judy writes:

"Gee, you're awfully hard on Microsoft. Are their products really that bad?"

Thanks Judy for your note,

I guess its all in the eye of the beholder. But consider this, if Microsoft products were really that great, why would people even entertain the idea of using things like the Linux operating system or the Mac? In fact, usage of these products are on the upswing even though Microsoft commands the lion's share of the business. Why? Because people are becoming frustrated and disgruntled with MS products. The educated consumer wants reliablitiy, performance, and ease of use; the uneducated consumer doesn't care and behaves like lemmings. And when you think about it, can you really blame Microsoft who is a master of manipulating mindshare (or is it brainwashing?).

Again, thanks for your e-mail. Keep those cards and letters coming.