IBM Think Research | The many facets of complexity
1 sur 5
http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2004/20041130_thi...
Think Research Home chip technology data management deep computing e-business technologies & services exploratory research hardware interfaces & accessibility network technology pervasive computing security servers & systems management services research software
The many facets of complexity: Unthinking complexity: Bypassing th solutions Diffused complexity: Hiding the over Chosen complexity: Insisting on intri Layered complexity: Overflowing in
storage TR Print Archive Research Publications Research News
The many facets of complex A new Think Research series uncovers the cau needless complexity and provides solutions If a company's employees can't provide a reason that they do; the value it brings to the business or or how it connects with their jobs, then the organ probably beset with needless complexity. And th doubt that the business will suffer because of it. Sometimes complexity brings value Obviously, not all complexity is bad. Some probl inherently complex - chip design, weather foreca cracking the genetic code come to mind. And tryi simplify such tasks would lead to useless results very simple model that predicts the weather with accuracy: On any given day, the weather will include one o following conditions: sun, clouds, rain, hail, slee freezing rain and darkness.
19/04/2005 11:56
IBM Think Research | The many facets of complexity
2 sur 5
http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2004/20041130_thi...
While this model is completely accurate, its predictions aren't very helpful - a more complex model with a great deal of data as well as climatology expertise is necessary to get useful predictions. Fortunately, there's an entire profession devoted to attacking this problem, and providing information that can be easily accessed by laypeople (on a TV, radio or Web site) and used to make decisions. In the same spirit, IBM's Almaden Services Research group offers the first strategy for dealing with needed complexity: give it to an expert (even one outside the corporation, if necessary) to handle. Set up a group to deal with a complex problem, provide the necessary tools and data, and ensure that group members can talk sensibly about the problem with the non-experts who have to make decisions based on the results. Sometimes, companies can avail themselves of a second option: technology. For example, a hundred years ago, owning and operating a car was an adventure. A driver had to be able to crank the engine, know how to diagnose and fix engine problems or even make his or her own spare parts. Cars weren't very reliable and driving at speeds of 40 miles per hour called for heroic efforts. Modern automobiles themselves are far more complex than they were in 1905, but the complexity is almost entirely hidden from the user, making the experience of managing the technology far simpler. Sometimes complexity destroys value Of course, not all complexity is necessary. IBM Research has identified four classifications of needless complexity: Unthinking complexity Diffused complexity Chosen complexity Layered complexity Unthinking complexity Unthinking (or localized) complexity is the most common kind of needless complexity. It arises when the person designing or implementing a system doesn't bother to look for simple ways of accomplishing a task, which creates more work. Some examples: A Web page that requires a reader to scroll to the top to click the "next page" link instead of duplicating the link at the bottom of the page A long list that is broken up into equally-sized segments instead of being accessible alphabetically or by date A system that shows all times in Eastern time, instead of converting them to match the user's time zone The answer to unthinking complexity is simple: think about
19/04/2005 11:56
IBM Think Research | The many facets of complexity
3 sur 5
http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2004/20041130_thi...
the user. IBM can help. Diffused complexity Diffused complexity bleeds value from the organization. It typically arises when a process that had been performed by specialists is pushed out to a broader group. The company usually does this to reduce overhead, but the fact is that the overhead doesn't go away, it just gets hidden. A typical example of this: having professionals do their own copying to eliminate the need for copy center personnel. While this may make sense for occasional light-volume copying (especially if there's a copy machine nearby), it's a foolish economy to have an executive make 100 copies of a presentation. When an organization loses sight of the total cost of a process, there's a great danger of creating diffused complexity. How does an organization avoid diffused complexity? Realize that self-service doesn't equal free - and that untrained people may be far less effective at a task than people who do it all the time. The second article in this series will focus on how to combat diffused complexity. Chosen complexity Some organizations seem to create complex solutions even when simpler solutions are available. IBM Research refers to this as chosen complexity. Some examples: Requiring employees to manually answer questions about their workstations' configuration when that same information is already being automatically collected Requiring daily tests to see if a process has been completed when the process can't be finished in less than a week When someone has the temerity to ask "do we need to do this?" the answer is frequently "we've always done it this way", or, even worse, "we like to be extra-safe". If an employee can't explain the purpose of a process to a newcomer, the organization may be the victim of chosen complexity. How does a company combat chosen complexity? The first step is to develop and communicate clear statements of the value created by processes. Before adding to a process, review the reasons for performing the process and make sure the new step will add value. And above all, encourage employees to look out for processes and work items that stop making sense as the environment changes. The third article in this series will delve further into chosen complexity.
19/04/2005 11:56
IBM Think Research | The many facets of complexity
4 sur 5
http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2004/20041130_thi...
Layered complexity Layered complexity may well be the most insidious form of complexity because it specifically attacks leaders - middle management and technical leaders - forcing them to spend their time doing trivial tasks instead of their real jobs (providing leadership, selling and delivering products and services and meeting with customers). What kind of trivial tasks are these? A typical example is forcing middle managers to review and approve decisions already made by first-line management or employees - for example, by requiring two or three levels of approval for small-dollar purchases or travel. Recognizing layered complexity is simple - just look for the key people in an organization who don't have enough time to get their work done. If their inboxes grow day to day, if they are always dealing with the urgent and rarely with the important, you've found victims of layered complexity. What can be done about layered complexity? To identify its location, start by looking for choke points - roles that are involved in the steps to review, approve and handle exceptions from many processes. Fighting it is difficult requiring that a company prioritize its processes and decide which ones are vital to the business and which ones are just nice to have and should receive lower priority. Once the priorities are clear, management must eliminate or automate the less important processes. Or, even more radically, push down the ability to say "yes" instead of requiring many approvals - empower first-line managers and even non-managers. The last article in this series will explore layered complexity in more detail. ###### Contact one of the experts below to discuss the ideas in the article or to see how IBM Research can help your organization: David Singer David Singer, an IBM Distinguished Engineer and member of the IBM Academy of Technology, joined the Services Research group at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California in 2003. His primary research interests are in the effects of technology on people (both inside and outside of work); currently, he is developing a model of IT's effect on knowledge-worker productivity and pioneering research into combating needless complexity within organizations. Singer received his bachelor's and master's degrees at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and joined IBM in 1976. He was heavily involved in IBM's early work with the Web and
19/04/2005 11:56
IBM Think Research | The many facets of complexity
5 sur 5
http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2004/20041130_thi...
was an original member of the Advisory Board of the World Wide Web Consortium. He is the author of the OS/2 Gopher client, ran IBM's first Internet Gopher and Web sites, and built an innovative gateway to allow IBM employees to access Usenet through IBM's mainframe-based computer conferencing system. He can be reached at
[email protected]. Sara Moulton Reger Sara Moulton Reger joined the Services Research group at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California in 2003 as one of the first subject matter experts brought over from IBM's Business Consulting Services to initiate this new area of study. She has been a management consultant for over 16 years, specializing in organizational change, culture transformation, governance and leadership, both at IBM and at other leading consulting firms. Moulton Reger, a Certified Management Accountant who received her bachelor's degree at Colorado State University and her MBA at the University of Northern Colorado, held financial leadership positions during the early years of her career. Within the Services Research group, her efforts have resulted in an innovative, patent-pending method for making corporate culture tangible and workable; she is also pioneering research into combating needless complexity within organizations. She can be reached at
[email protected]. ibm.com | IBM Research | About Think Research | Terms of use | Privacy
19/04/2005 11:56
