| "Q: How many interpretations of systems | | | | work environment |
| development are there? | | | | |
| | | | (5W), thereby synchronizing the flow of work. |
| A: How many analysts and programmers have | | | | Within the phasesof the methodology, a |
| you got?" | | | | variety of tools and techniques may |
| | | | bedeployed defining HOW the work is to be |
| - Bryce's Law | | | | performed. |
| | | | |
| INTRODUCTION | | | | Resource Management (Materials Management) - |
| | | | identifies andclassifies information |
| Back in the early 1980's, Japan's MITI | | | | resources, thereby promoting the sharingand |
| (Ministry of International | | | | re-using of resources. It also ensures they |
| | | | are collected,stored and retrieved in a |
| Trade & Industry) coordinated a handful of | | | | timely manner. |
| Japanese computermanufacturers in | | | | |
| establishing a special environment for | | | | Project Management (Production Control) - |
| producingsystem software, such as operating | | | | used to plan, estimate,schedule, report, and |
| systems and compilers. Thiseffort came to be | | | | control project work. |
| known as Japanese "Software Factories" | | | | |
| whichcaptured the imagination of the | | | | Why an "Information Factory" as opposed to a |
| industry. Although the experimentended with | | | | "Software Factory"? Oneof the key failures |
| mixed results, they discovered organization | | | | in the Japanese "Software Factories" |
| and disciplinecould dramatically improve | | | | experimentwas its limited scope. It failed |
| productivity. | | | | to address all of the informationresources of |
| | | | an enterprise, especially business |
| Why the experiment? Primarily because the | | | | processes,administrative procedures, manual |
| Japanese recognizedthere are fundamentally | | | | files, printed reports,human and machine |
| two approaches to manufacturinganything: | | | | resources, business functions, etc. all |
| "one at a time" or mass production. Both are | | | | ofwhich are essential to a total systems |
| consistentapproaches that can produce a high | | | | solution. The term |
| quality product. The differenceresides in | | | | |
| the fact mass production offers increased | | | | "Information Factory," therefore, is an |
| volume atlower costs. In addition, workers | | | | admission there is more toinformation |
| can be easily trained and put intoproduction. | | | | resources than just software. |
| On the other hand, the "one at a time" | | | | |
| approach isslower and usually has higher | | | | THE NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING |
| costs. It requires workers to beintimate | | | | |
| with all aspects of the product. Which is | | | | The mechanics and infrastructure of an |
| the most appropriateapproach for a | | | | "Information Factory" arefairly easy to |
| development organization to take? That | | | | grasp, but it requires a special kind of |
| depends on theorganization's perspective of | | | | person toimplement: an Industrial Engineer. |
| systems development. | | | | |
| | | | The American Heritage Dictionary of the |
| ART VERSUS SCIENCE | | | | English Language (Third Edition)defines |
| | | | Industrial Engineering as: "The branch of |
| There are those who believe systems | | | | engineering that isconcerned with the |
| development to be some sortof art-form | | | | efficient production of industrial goods as |
| requiring peculiar knowledge and skills to | | | | affectedby elements such as plant and |
| perform. Thereare significant differences | | | | procedural design, the management ofmaterials |
| between an "art" and a "science." An | | | | and energy, and the integration of workers |
| "art"depends on an individual's intuitive | | | | within the overallsystem." |
| instincts about a particular subject. | | | | |
| Suchintuition is difficult to teach and apply | | | | An Industrial Engineer considers the products |
| in a consistent manner. An art-form,by | | | | to be build andemploys work study techniques |
| definition, implies non-conformity and | | | | in order to improve productivity. Sucha |
| represents an expression ofpersonal style and | | | | group of people is critical to the |
| taste. In contrast, a "science" is based on | | | | implementation of any massproduction |
| provenprinciples and, as such, can be taught | | | | facility, including an "Information Factory." |
| and applied in a uniform manner bymany | | | | The |
| people. | | | | |
| | | | Industrial Engineer has to be one part |
| In order for systems development to move from | | | | engineer and one part socialscientist, |
| an art to a science, a bodyof knowledge has | | | | studying the behavior of people (e.g., why |
| to be defined in terms of proven concepts and | | | | they work inthe manner they do). This is |
| standardterminology. Unfortunately, this is | | | | another element missed by the Japanese |
| where the industry has beenwallowing for the | | | | |
| last 30 years. The Japanese example reveals | | | | "Software Factories." |
| itis not necessary to invent any new theories | | | | |
| of management, but ratherto re-use existing | | | | In an "Information Factory" the Industrial |
| management principles that have already been | | | | Engineer is responsiblefor: |
| provenover time. By doing so, they are | | | | |
| attempting to move the industryfrom an art to | | | | 1. |
| a science. | | | | |
| | | | Defining the infrastructure of the factory |
| FIVE BASIC ELEMENTS OF MASS PRODUCTION | | | | (methodologies to be used,resource |
| | | | management, and project management). This |
| Assuming we want to establish an environment | | | | includes the progressionand synchronization |
| of mass production todevelop our information | | | | of work, along with the tools and techniques |
| resources, it is necessary to understandits | | | | to beused (5W+H). |
| fundamental nature. As any introductory text | | | | |
| book on manufacturingcan explain, there are | | | | 2. |
| five basic elements of mass production: | | | | |
| | | | Establishing the types of people needed to |
| 1. | | | | perform the work, alongwith the required |
| | | | skill sets (and how to evaluate performance). |
| Division of Labor - to break the production | | | | Thisalso includes specifying the types of |
| process intoseparate tasks performed by | | | | training required to do the job. |
| specialists or craftsmen. Such | | | | |
| divisionspecifies the type of skills required | | | | 3. |
| to perform the work. | | | | |
| | | | Reviewing work products (work sampling) in |
| 2. | | | | order to evaluateproduct quality and |
| | | | production problems, thereby triggering the |
| Assembly Line - describing the units of work | | | | needfor improvement. |
| along with thedependencies between the steps | | | | |
| thereby defining the progressionand | | | | 4. |
| synchronization of product development. | | | | |
| | | | Constantly looking for new tools and |
| 3. | | | | techniques to improve the process. Itis |
| | | | generally agreed techniques and tools will |
| Precision Tooling - for mechanical leverage | | | | come and go, and willevolve over time. As |
| in developing products. | | | | such, the Industrial Engineer is a student |
| | | | ofthe industry. |
| 4. | | | | |
| | | | EFFECT ON CORPORATE CULTURE |
| Standardization of Parts - for | | | | |
| interchangeability of parts betweenproducts, | | | | The mechanics of the "Information Factory" |
| thereby lowering costs and shortening | | | | are easy to assimilate andimplement. The |
| development time, andallowing assembly by | | | | real problem lies in changing the behavior |
| unskilled and semi-skilled workers. | | | | andattitudes of people, specifically, the |
| | | | corporate culture. The goalof an |
| 5. | | | | "Information Factory," as it is with any mass |
| | | | productionfacility, is to develop a |
| Mass Demand - this represents the impetus for | | | | homogeneous development environment |
| mass production;customers demanding | | | | |
| standardized and reliable products at | | | | (as opposed to a heterogeneous environment |
| lowercosts. In the IRM world this is | | | | where everyone isallowed to develop products |
| represented by end-users who requirestandard | | | | as they see fit). |
| and reliable systems at lower costs to | | | | |
| support theirinformation needs. | | | | To counter the "Tower of Babel" effect found |
| | | | in most developmentorganizations, the |
| The rationale behind mass production is | | | | "Information Factory" seeks consistency |
| improved productivity;producing more quality | | | | andquality through uniformity and |
| products at less cost. Most people | | | | standardization. It is not uncommonfor the |
| fallaciouslyequate productivity with | | | | concept of a factory-like environment to |
| efficiency, which simply gauges how fast we | | | | strike fear in thehearts of software |
| canperform a given task. Effectiveness, on | | | | developers as they may see it as a threat to |
| the other hand, validates thenecessity of the | | | | theirfree-spirited individuality. Such an |
| task itself. There is nothing more | | | | environment need not sacrificefreedom of |
| unproductive than todo something efficiently | | | | expression or creativity. It is simply a |
| that should not have been done at all. | | | | means to channelsuch creative energies in a |
| Anindustrial robot, for example, can | | | | uniform manner. |
| efficiently perform tasks such aswelding. | | | | |
| However, if it welds the wrong thing or at | | | | The biggest problem though rests in |
| the wrong time,then it is counterproductive. | | | | reorienting people to believe theyare in the |
| It therefore becomes important in | | | | business of building products, not just |
| theproduction of any product to define WHO is | | | | writing code. Acceptanceof the "Information |
| to perform WHAT work, WHEN, | | | | Factory" environment can be achieved if |
| | | | peopleunderstand the overall process, where |
| WHERE, WHY, and HOW (we refer to this as | | | | they fit in it,what is expected of them, and |
| "5W+H"). | | | | how their work affects others. We havefound |
| | | | most people prefer organization and |
| We therefore have long touted the following | | | | discipline as opposed tochaos. Further, they |
| formula: | | | | can achieve superior results when |
| | | | standardsare imposed; such discipline results |
| Productivity = Effectiveness X Efficiency | | | | in uniform and predictablework products, |
| | | | |
| It is our belief improved productivity can be | | | | CONCLUSION |
| instituted byimplementing the five elements | | | | |
| of mass production and devising | | | | It is possible to employ the same concepts |
| amanufacturing facility whereby are found: | | | | and techniques asused in mass production |
| | | | towards the development of |
| Assembly Lines - increments of work sequenced | | | | informationresources. But creating a |
| in such a way todevelop products. Along the | | | | "factory"-like development environmenttakes |
| assembly line, a series of tools | | | | more than simply calling yourself one. It is |
| andtechniques will be deployed, some | | | | a significantreorientation effort. |
| implemented by the human being,others through | | | | Fortunately, it is not without precedentand |
| automated assistance, such as robots. | | | | the concepts have already been introduced to |
| | | | devise an |
| Materials Management - the business function | | | | |
| concerned withstandardizing parts so they may | | | | "Information Factory" based on other |
| be shared and re-used in variousproduct | | | | engineering/manufacturingdisciplines. |
| assemblies. Further, it is concerned with | | | | |
| collecting,storing and retrieving parts | | | | The benefits of an "Information Factory" are |
| (inventorying) in the most efficientmeans | | | | no differentthan any other mass production |
| possible (e.g., JIT - "Just In Time"). | | | | environment: standardization,improved |
| | | | productivity, reduced costs, better change |
| Production Control - oversees the assembly | | | | control, fasteremployee start-up and more |
| lines andmaterials management, looking for | | | | effective use of human resources. |
| unanticipated delays oraccelerations of | | | | However,the impact of implementing such an |
| production schedules. Consequently, | | | | environment should definitely not |
| correctiveaction can be taken as required to | | | | beunderestimated. It affects people's |
| resolve problems. | | | | perceptions regardingdevelopment and |
| | | | ultimately affects the corporate culture. |
| These three components establish a "checks | | | | |
| and balances" inmanufacturing and can also be | | | | In order to move from an art to a science, it |
| utilized to develop an "Information | | | | is necessary todefine and standardize our |
| | | | terminology and concepts for |
| Factory" to develop an organization's | | | | developinginformation resources. Only when |
| information resources,whereby are found: | | | | this happens can we teach itto others in a |
| | | | uniform manner and gain the legitimacy as |
| Methodologies (Assembly Lines) - defines the | | | | aprofession that has long eluded developers. |