Russell Ackoff Compares Analysis and Synthesis

by Robert Damelio on March 11, 2010

Better late than never.

Greg’s article inspired me to complete this long overdue action item.

Ackoff’s Comparison of Analysis and Synthesis

{ 0 comments }

Nice Tribute to Russell Ackoff by Gregory Watson

by Robert Damelio on March 11, 2010

Greg wrote a great article for Quality Progress magazine.

Be sure and check out the list of Ackoff’s F-Laws.

Breaking From the Pack

{ 1 comment }

Russell Ackoff Interview broadcast on BBC 1/17/10

February 14, 2010

Don\'t hold back, say what you really think!

Read the full article →

7 Principles for Improving the Flow of Knowledge Work

January 13, 2010

I’ve significantly revised the earlier version of this paper as part of writing the 2nd edition of The Basics of Process Mapping.  The principles are the same, but I’ve added guidelines to each principle plus an example showing how one of my clients applied the whole set. Here is a draft chapter on the 7 [...]

Read the full article →

What’s the One Book in your Field that you Keep Coming Back to Again and Again? (part 1)

December 2, 2009

I came across this question recently while I was scouring a site on the web.  I’m not sure I answered it there, but the question sure stuck with me. I read a ton of books. (In Texas, we measure by weight, not volume) Most are marked-up in various ways.  Highlighted, post-it notes, etc.  This is [...]

Read the full article →

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

November 23, 2009

I happened to be at the SME.org website a few minutes ago and saw that they sell the 4 Recommended Readings (books) used to prepare Lean Certification candidates to “sit” for the Bronze level knowledge exam. They offer these books to SME members at a lower price than they do non-members.  You can buy each [...]

Read the full article →

How much Waste is Present in the Work your Organization Performs?

November 22, 2009

A 1990 study published by Boston Consulting Group answered this question in part by what they referred to as the “05 to 5 rule.” “Across a spectrum of businesses, the amount of time required to execute a service or an order, manufacture and deliver a product is far less than the actual time the service [...]

Read the full article →

Identify and Remove Barrriers to Flow

November 22, 2009

As part of this principle, you first learn to recognize the various forms of waste present in the way work is done currently. Then, more importantly, you discover the cause(s) of that waste. Finally, you develop counter-measures that eliminate or reduce the impact of each cause and make adjustments to the factors that hinder flow, [...]

Read the full article →

What’s in the Business Process Improvement Workshop?

November 21, 2009

Thanks for asking! The biggest challenge is distilling 50 years of combined consulting knowledge and experiences into 3 days of practical activities so that you leave ready to get results. Here’s what we came up with: Detailed list of topics · Thinking in process terms – concepts, terminology, principles, and techniques · Variations on what [...]

Read the full article →

How to Improve Flow in a Business Process

November 21, 2009

If you wanted to improve flow in a business process, how would you do it? 1. What principles would you apply? 2. What steps or procedures would you follow? 3. What work products would you produce as a result? 4. When you assess a business process, where would you look, and what would you watch [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries