stray lamb - misalignment in a socio-technical structure of an enterprise when transitioning to...

1DSV SU

Stray Lamb- misalignment in a socio-technical structure of an

enterprise when transitioning to intelligent products

Ilia Bider, Sofia Olsson and Erik Perjons 05/03/2023

2nd International Workshop on Socio-Technical Perspective in IS Development (STPIS'16) , Ljubljana, June 14, 2016

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From Dumb to Intelligent Products

How to handle the transition? Product vendor perspective

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Based on Case Study

at an automobile manufacture implementing Connected Car Concept

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Objectives• Investigate internal problems that occur in

transition• Diagnose them (med help of VSM)• Suggest improvement• Analyze from the socio-technical perspective

(New – is not in the published proceedings)

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Plan1. Short overview of VSM2. Overview of new car development3. Problem experienced from the point of view of

Connected Car software developers4. Diagnosis based on VSM and suggestions for

improvement5. Analysis from the socio-technical perspective

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Viable System Model (VSM)

Viable system – a system that can adapt to the changing environment via adjusting itself to changes or/and influencing the directions in which the environment changes

VSM – defines the structure of the viable systemS. Beer, The Heart of Enterprise, Chichester : Wiley, 1979. .

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Viable System Model (VSM)

A. Golnam, G. Regev and W. A., "On Viable Service Systems: Developing a Modeling Framework for Analysis of Viability in Service Systems," in Exploring Services Science, IESS,2011,LNBIP Vol. 82, Springer, 2011, pp. 30-41.. .

Identifi ca tion Naming

System 1 Operations, Implementation, Delivery

System 2 Coordination

System 3 Control, Delivery management, Cohesion, Homeostasis

System 4 Intelligence, Future, Heterostasis

System 5 Identity, Policy

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New Car Model DevelopmentCD

(Concept Development)

PS(Product Strategy and

Line Management)

R&D(Research &

Development)

ME(Manufacturing Engineering)

M&S(Marketing &

Sales)

CS(Customer

Service)

CCS(Connected Car

Services)

Organizational chart

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Challenges experienced by CCS1. Related to the position of CCS in the VC

organization2. Related to the coordination between the

departments3. Related to the internal way of working within CCS

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Challenges related to the position1. CCS is involved too late in the development process. This will

prevent the product to be as good as it could be. The reason for this is that many other departments forget the involvement of CCITS because it is a new department

2. Leaderships at R & D and CCS are not aligned. The managers at R&D and CCS expect the other’s teams to work in the same way the way as their own teams work.

CD(Concept Development)

PS(Product Strategy and

Line Management)

R&D(Research &

Development)

ME(Manufacturing Engineering)

M&S(Marketing &

Sales)

CS(Customer

Service)

CCS(Connected Car

Services)

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Challenges related to coordinationIncompatibility between project management methodologies: WBS vs. Agile

“The budget process for managing the running cost is too strong, too governing for the development work, i.e., it hinders/obstructs the flexibility needed for the development work.”;

“It is hard to work with Scrum within CCS and other departments because of necessary deadlines in a large organization. A project only allows a deviate of 10% + - in time and money otherwise the project is considered as a failure.”

WBS - Work Breakdown System – plan and milestone oriented

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New Car Model Development

VSM model :“Dumb” Products Development

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VSM model :Transition to“Intelligent” products Development

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Stray LambThe stray lamb is a pathological archetype where primary activities, that is, activities that give direct value to the customer, are not part of the formal organizational structure, but, given the activities’ importance, should be.

Hoverstadt, P.: The Fractal Oragnization: Creating Sustainable Oragnization with the Viable System Model. John Wiley & Son (2008)

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VSM model :“Intelligent” Products Development(after transition)

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Socio-technical perspective

“Dumb” Products Development

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Difference between ASD and TSDSocial perspective# ASD TSD1 One team consisting of

“universal” membersSeveral specialized teams

2 Stakeholders involvement during the duration of the project

Stakeholders involvement during the Externalization and Adoption phases

3 Non-contractual agreement based on trust

Contractual agreement is possible

Bider I. Analysis of Agile Software Development from the Knowledge Transformation Perspective. In: Proceedings of BIR 2014, LNBIP 194, Springer 2014, pp. 143-157.

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Difference between ASD and TSDTechnical perspective

# ASD TSD4 Possibility to identify and agree

on a core system that can be expanded in consequent iterations

Not mandatory, but can be employed.

5 Architecture aimed at expansion

Architecture aimed at fulfilling the identified requirements

6 Employing high-level tools, e.g. domain-specific languages, development platforms, libraries

Not mandatory – low level, and universal tools can be employed

Bider I. Analysis of Agile Software Development from the Knowledge Transformation Perspective. In: Proceedings of BIR 2014, LNBIP 194, Springer 2014, pp. 143-157.

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Socio-technical perspective

“Intelligent” Products Development

Optionality - seeNassim Nicholas Taleb (2012). Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. Random House. .

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Q & A

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