Sunday, August 5, 2007

Congestion Remedies For Preggos

knowledge management - a cover for bad process management

Dear Reader,

several months ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a true-captain of the German Navy. In passing, the family name of the captain was a sailor. What a coincidence! In an intensive discussion on knowledge management, we were relatively quick to respond to the fundamental question: What is the goal of knowledge management ? Should you check with Wikipedia, one finds the following global definition: Knowledge management deals with the possibilities, the knowledge base of a company to exert influence. Not very satisfactory, is not it? What makes a company the company and so is the knowledge base of a company represented? The essence of our discussion was this: A company is a project owned by several people usually are. The activities for the implementation of the project, respectively, to achieve the corporate objective need to be displayed in the processes. The processes are implemented by people, ie the management and staff, and machinery.

were too bulky This description we understand at least in a position to both the Navy and a corporation or a nonprofit organization as a company. The people working for a company with their skills and abilities are essentially the knowledge base that is trying to influence the knowledge management. Did we answer the question of why knowledge management is important? Knowledge management aims to combine knowledge with business processes so that business objectives - budget in time, in, in quality - can be achieved. Finally we had to match our understanding of the process, with the following Results:

processes are defined by a method (process) and earnings (output). Both can be known or unknown. So far, so good. Are you still awake? Until we have come to this realization, several pots of coffee and meeting dozens of cookies were destroyed.

Why the long preface? After a break in the fresh air, it went right to the point. The finding of the master, so that the Navy requires professional knowledge management, since almost any use constitutes an emergency and the emergency operators to quickly get in touch with each other and have to rely on expert knowledge, is undoubtedly correct. In the same breath he also said: "... for the routine processes of knowledge management" "Why do you need ..." (meaning me) to my arguments that

  • the procedures are known but can be very complex, especially when more than one person / organization units are involved in a process, not
  • the responsibilities of the parties involved can be clearly defined and
  • the inputs to the process or its output (result) are not clearly defined,

I received in reply: "Then process management poor. There is a clear chain of command, clear orders and complying with the commands missing by the command receiver . Such an answer can only get from an old, combat-proven warrior of the Navy. But in these words is a lot of truth. The design approaches of knowledge management to help in these cases does not really. They conceal or camouflage the real problem: bad process management.

will now no doubt that military discipline will replace the individual thinking. However you should consider when asked for the introduction of a knowledge management system, always check it is not reasonable would reduce

  • process complexity, eg by dissolving interfaces
  • would clarify the responsibilities clearly, for example in job descriptions and organizational charts or
  • the service relationships internally / externally, eg to control over service levels.

Be clarify these points, it may be no longer necessary to manage knowledge. Unfortunately, this approach is not as simple as implementing a corporate wikis or blogs.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Bosch Wfl 1601 Manual User

Smart People - Processes vs silly. Clever processes - stupid people? - Laces or not even done once all

Dear readers,

My oldest son is now learning to tie shoelaces. Now you have to say, he is 3 ½ years, has a strong fine motor skills, but laces, because he has never paid attention. , Will take care of Mom and Dad '. Now in kindergarten, but he has to prove himself independently. And although I give him the necessary skills would like, it's hard to explain to him why and when to loop through which the laces. yes, a stupid invention is such a rare laces. My son asks then still. "Dad, . Why do I do that "" This keeps the loop, looks good, and that they later aufbekommt. "Counter-argument to my son," My sports shoes are better and my rubber boots and "Since he has no doubt right. Which it can, moreover, all alone off and on. In one is a velcro on it and rubber boots, because you have to do nothing at all, simply tuck your feet or pull out again.

can now say that the boy is too small. But in time he will soon learn to tie his laces itself. I stand on the side of my son. Why does it need laces, if there are Velcro closures. This is easier and holds just as well on the fashionable aspects of Velcro fasteners, they must not discuss with a 3-year-old. "I want to just play football, hurry up, Daddy." Watching my eldest can also very good. He noticed that I have the laces of my shoes out of convenience and not open my while tightening use a shoehorn. The question again: Why do we need laces?

To the actual title for this blog to pass on: for tying shoelaces, it needs intelligent people. The process is complex. For closing and opening velcro it needs less intelligence, just as for using a shoe horn. There 's the intelligence in the process , someone thought ahead! I conclude from the current shoe laces of the shoe manufacturer offers that this knowledge is not shared by all. Perhaps this is also the fact that we humans have to prove every day how intelligent we are superior to all creatures, the crown of creation. As can be somewhat prove when there is no such challenges. Laces, Microsoft Windows / Office, washing machines, TV remote controls, cell phones, Digital cameras, all bursting with features, comes with a manual that is more extensive than the mission documents for the Apollo missions, and - much worse - is error prone. German over-engineering; KOTC (Keep trying others constantly - to "Z" I found no English word ;-)) instead KISS (Keep it simple stupid).

this may be done privately and not a form of leisure activity (I spend way, a week at least 1 hour in order to ensure the viability of my home PCs - albeit without actual use), are highly complex Processes and systems from the perspective of a process manager a thorn in the eye. Complex processes require skilled employees. Processes continue with increasing complexity tends to be longer. Temporary staff costs x = process costs. Simple mathematics. The cost for any errors not counted. What makes a process more complex:
  • number and illogical series of activities
  • number of decisions
  • number of people involved
  • number of interfaces
  • number of tools (forms, tools and IT systems ...)

Small example Compliant - credit application in a bank: Fill

  • form - including booking number
  • customer's signature to obtain capture
  • data in the booking system - Book number
  • generate data in the accounting system with form data match
  • form for customers starting with A - H to Cologne ...

Already in this short clip to show several problems:

  • redundant data entry
  • contradictory sequence of activities
  • error rate / correction effort
  • distributed responsibilities (person / place)

How can you cure this problem? Here is the recipe for Pate: The transfer is necessary for the process knowledge in process specifications. Henry Ford led the way: clear

  • clear concerted process steps (input / output and time / clock)
  • responsibilities (everyone has a job)
  • ...

Now is one or the other the question: where's the challenge maybe the fun? Who wants to be happy as Charlie Chaplin tighten in his masterpiece "Modern Times" just screws. Well, here is the principle of who delivers the shortest possible time the best quality at the lowest cost, the market will dominate. This optimization problem is for every company different. And certainly there are still many companies who make their services and products so much money that they can afford the "Keep the fun / challenge" of their employees. But do not forget: The competition is . What do you think why the Chinese economy is growing so fast?