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