Recurring Problem Scenarios in the Design/Deployment of Socio-technical

Systems

Developing a Workshop Toolkit

Jenny UreSchool of InformaticsUniv. of Edinburgh

What

Collaborative action research to map recurring problem scenarios at different stages in design /development/ deployment of a wave demonstrator portal

(Sim concept to LOGIC/Pilot/ITF)

Provide Toolkit of Case Studies in Workshop format as basis for step change in planning and managing from pilot to mainstream delivery

Recurring Socio-technical Problem: Solution Recurring Socio-technical Problem: Solution Scenarios at Different Stages in Supply ChainScenarios at Different Stages in Supply Chain

distributed human process

distributed technical process

Why

IT and engineering project managers have identified recurring socio-technical and socio-political problem scenarios as one of the principal drains on time and performance in new developments

Many of these are generic, and have transferable solutions in other sectors or projects, IT managers in other engineering and IT projects identify these as key to competitive advantage, to cost-effectiveness and to system performance

Impact on Competitiveness and Innovation

These are high cost, high risk investments in a dynamic context where established wisdom is not available

Many of the problem scenarios are not documented, or shared as a basis for informing practice or policy

Many are already familiar in other distributed design, development and management contexts

Examples from projects in renewable energy (EU), oil and gas supply chain (W.Australia) and automotive supply chain systems (Brazil)

Emerging Risk

Software designed to standardise safety compliance procedures globally, was actually increasing risk in some local operating sites

One size standards do not fit all

Local operators ignored safety standards that appeared inapplicable

Examples from Oil and GasThe Core and Local Standards Scenario

Separating design of fixed and locally variable systems cut risks and improved performance

Communities are IS that can add value

Build on previous projects in comparable sectors and regions

Benchmarking SME integration and innovation scenarios in the oil and gas supply chain

Integrating SMEs in the automotive supply chain to enhance benefits for local SMEs and global operators

Aligning distributed technical and human networks in large-scale Grid collaborations

Mapping gaps and barriers in socio-technical systems

Solar Energy Cluster Development

Prof. Dr. Gudrun JaegersbergUniv of Zwickau /Univ. Of DresdenSaxony/ Germany

Jenny UreSchool of InformaticsUniv. of EdinburghScotland/ UK

In the PV supply chain: Mapping Problems/Solutions at different

stages

Jan Brunner(2008) Der Spanische Fotovoltaiksektor - Gaps & Barriers (Internal Report, August 2008) In Jaegersberg G., and Ure J.,Project Report.

  

Partner Regions / Univ. Industry, Govt.

Core EU Partners

Saxon Region (Germany) Valencia Region (Spain) Lombardy Region (Italy) Scotland (Edinburgh,

Aberdeen)

Non EU partners

Perth region (W. Australia) Parana region (Brazil)

Initial findings in partner regions indicate emerging issues such as… Political and Legal factors such as feed in

tariffs, tax laws affecting investment/profits

Lack of Quality Assurance standards

Lack of skills / training

Lack of coordination with educational, governmental and industry stakeholders

continued..

Lack of unified systems and processes, combined with excessive bureaucracy

Lack of a unified voice in lobbying regional and national government

Lack of a platform/forum for accessing/disseminating information

Emerging clusters leveraging different regional strengths (e.g. Krannich)

Also - emerging transregional clusters of SMEs are now leveraging different regional strengths in new ways

GermanySpain, ItalyEngineering & R&D strengths

Assembly & Marketing strengths

Supporting collaborative action research with regional stakeholders

Universities

SMEsGovt. Organisations

growth maturity decline

Benchmarking Recurring Problem:Solution Scenarios as before e.g.PILOT/ITF – WA

WA UK North Sea (Pilot / ITF)

e.g. SMEs in the W.A. oil and gas supply chain (W. Australia/ Scotland)

Benchmarking Evolving Models of Competitiveness and Innovation

cost-cutting model - at expense of SMEs in the supply chain (UK LOGIC/CRINE Initiative)

innovation based model - dependent on integration and support for SMEs in teh suppy chain (UK PILOT Initiative)

http://www.logic-oil.com/http://www.pilottaskforce.co.uk/

1. Background1. Background 55

Technology Diffusion ProcessTechnology Diffusion Process

Concept Feasibility Research Development Field Test Market Implement

Uncertainty about how to proceed

Missed strategic partnering opportunities

Unable to develop and test locally

Unable to secure funding

Difficulty securing first client

GAP

Fig. 1 Final Report Tabara S. (2006) Identifying Barriers in the WA Oil and Gas Supply Chain

SMEs

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Fig. 2 Final Report Tabara S. (2006) Identifying Gaps in the WA Oil and Gas Supply Chain)

Benchmarking Recurring Problem: Solution Scenarios…

Problems in W. Australia Solutions Used from UK

Critical gaps in communication with other stakeholders in education, industry and government

lon future focus of strategic development by influential players, where SMEs can target limited resources

lon policy

lon R&D

lon training

lBenchmarking solutions in mature regions (PILOT)

lSHARE fair for early sight of LME strategic development plans

lHigh level steering cttee to support SME integration

lJoint working with regional Universities to map and manage communication networks

Ownership of Innovation, and opportunities to implement it

lIP issues meant few benefits from resource investedlSupport for development from Univ. and regional government poorly coordinated

Communication of emerging SME innovations to LMES

lBenchmark UK best practices to support innovation in SMEs in Oil and Gas. Video Conf with Pilot.

SME vulnerability to changes in costs, risks, liability for delay, cash-flow

SMEs squeezed out and supply chain lost nice knowledge and practice based innovation

Benchmark templates in UK and Norway for regulating payments to SMEs

Core and local standards

Cultural differences in implementation of ‘standard’ systems

In the automotive industry

e.g. recurring problems in assembly and in procurement in the automotive supply chain between Saxony/Germany and Curitiba / Brazil

Benchmarking recurring ‘soft’ problem: solution scenarios e.g.

Difficulty of implementing standards across different social, organisational, economic contexts

e.g. applying core EU safety compliance procedures made the plant more unsafe, as it was perceived as inappropriate, and thus ignored by staff

Core and local standards, managed and implemented locally

Differences in implementation and performance of systems in different regions and in different communities

e.g. ‘Just in time’ assembly lines designed in EU context where time and space very tightly coordinated, but poorly implemented in regions (Curitiba) where time and space are not at a premiume.g. procurement systems often not correctly followed. Local social ‘workarounds’ preferred, so ‘official’ procurement records were often wrong, leading to costly assembly line failures, flying in parts etc.

Two way exchange of staff and students to raise awareness and facilitate reading of problems and response to them

Aligning distributed networks to add value. (technical, social, organisational)

Identifying socio-technical and cross-cultural issues in trans-regional collaboration*

barriers to SME integration in the supply chain

*Link to refs.

Business Portal Development

1.sampling 2.collecting 3.coding 4.cleaning 5.linkage 6.analysis 7.use

From HealthGrids: Identifying risks and the opportunities at each stage

the human process

the technical process

The Cost of Misalignment

Iraq procurement system was deemed a success - technically

18bn overruns in current IT projects in the UK

Typically not a result of technical issues so much as anticipation and management of socio-technical and sociop-political ones.

Methodology

The collaborative action research process has facilitated opportunities for

collaboratively identifying and sharing evidence of barriers and gaps

benchmarking strategies used in other projects/sectors

supports change management and reconfiguration of risks, roles.

…there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not

know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know.

Evaluating Environmental Impact

Evaluating Project Risks & Costs

Evaluating Public Acceptance of different scenarios

Obtaining Legal Permissions

Requirements Analysis and Scenario Planning

Recurring problem: solution scenarios at different stages

the human process

the technical process

Even before requirements analysis and development problems begins

Agreeing Roles, Costs, Ownership Benefits, Liabilities

Adapted from a presentation by Alistair Rennie, AMEC, April 2008

e.g. boundaries, roles and responsibilities in a reconfigured commercial landscape

Sphere of action Ownership Costs Benefits Liabilities Responsibilities

What issues are likely to arise? How have they been dealt with

in other projects? How do they impact on cost or

delay? Cost overruns on Whitehall’s

biggest IT projects have overruns of an estimated 18billion (Times Feb.2nd, 2009

Many of the issues are recurring, non-technical issues for which managers have had no training or support

Reinvention or Re-Use?

Reconfiguring Costs, Risks & Benefits

About AMEC

AMEC's energy businesses offer a comprehensive range of services for oil & gas and power assets that require an understanding of the technical, and the evolving economic, social, political and economic context of use in all the core areas where it provides services. Currently involved in CC&S in Humberside.

Early appraisal work, selection and definition Engineering design. Project / process management Cost, Safety and Risk Analysis Delivery, commissioning, maintenance and modifications Environmental impact assessment and monitoring Environmental permitting and approvals