Unit 6: Understanding the Problem Concept of Ideality

1
Unit 6 Understanding the Problem (Concept of
Ideality)

• CSEM04 Risk and Opportunities of Systems Change
  in Organisations
• Prof. Helen M Edwards

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Overview

• Understanding the Problem
• The Concept Of Ideality
• The Ideal Outcome
• Everyones Ideal Outcome
• Summarising the Concept Of Ideality
• Systems Change Example of Ideality
• Student Activity

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Understanding the Problem

• In this context
• understanding the impact of the systems change
  project.
• Need clear understanding of
• what the system is to achieve (in terms of
  business value)
• what exists currently (IT, organisationally,
  culturally)
• what needs to change
• How proposed systems change fits with this

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Understanding the Problem

• Elements required at the start of a project
• (Contextual) systems analysis
• Requirements analysis
• these outside the scope of the module
• It is expected that these concepts understood
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Risk identification and analysis
• Opportunity identification and analysis
• these covered within the module

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Understanding the Problem

• Elements required during a project
• Project management
• Active risk/opportunity management
• covered within the module
• Elements required after a project
• Project post-mortem.
• covered within the module

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The Concept Of Ideality

• Defining what we want as the end point, that is
• the purpose,
• the main function(s) we are seeking 
• This end point should provide specification of
• All functionality / benefits 
• Everything we want (including must haves / nice
  to haves)
• Everything we dont want, but might be included
• Where when we want our functionality. 
• The real functionality - Why do we want this? 
• Ideal Outcome 
• This is everyones Ideal Outcome 

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The Ideal Outcome

• Ideal Outcome
• a vision of the perfect end result
• no constraints
• no we cant have this because
• Thinking about what you want rather than what you
  currently have.
• Deliver more for less, finding solutions to
  problems for a minimum of cost (and harm).
• The concept of an Ideal Outcome frees thinking
  away from constraints and why something cant be
  done, to what might be possible and how to
  achieve it.

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Everyones Ideal Outcome

• Look at the problem from all stakeholders
  viewpoint
• E.g. customers, budget holders, designers,
  investors,  
• Identify the conflicts between the stakeholders
• understand and then resolve these.
• Understanding
• Rich Pictures technique (from Soft System
  Methodology) unearths and documents conflicts and
  agreements.
• Resolving
• The TRIZ method aims to resolve
  conflicts/contradictions.

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Summarising the Concept Of Ideality

• The best solution to a problem
• increases the benefits of your system
• simultaneously
• reduces both the disadvantages and costs.
• To achieve the ideal
• use all the resources available

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Systems change example of Ideality

• Example improved stock control needed in a
  organisation.
• IDEALITY must increase the benefits of the
  system and also reduce any disadvantages and
  costs.
• SOLUTION
• achieve objectives without additional external
  investment
• improve internal workflow and business practices.

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Systems change example resources

• In this context resources includes hardware,
  software, organisational knowledge, consultants,
  staff, etc.
• turning anything harmful in the system into
  something useful.
• In this context an example would be converting
  someone who is resistant to the project (but
  influential) into a systems champion.

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Student Activity

• Self study read about some of the basic
  checklists for systems failure/success
• starting point
• Moynihan, T. (2002) Coping with IS/IT risk
  management the recipes of experienced project
  managers. Practitioner series, Springer, London.
• Sauer,C and Cuthbertson, C (2005) The State of IT
  Project Management in the UK 2002-2003. Computer
  Weekly Report.
• Risk module (COMM80)website http//osiris.sunderl
  and.ac.uk/cs0hed/comm80.html