Knowledge storage using Pattern Languages and Hypertext LO22860

Gavin Ritz (garritz@xtra.co.nz)
Wed, 13 Oct 1999 20:38:57 +1300

Replying to LO22857 --

Dear Luis

I have a rather simple approach to business organisations, being a
cybernetician or systems theory person, for me it's always back to basics.
Using the feedback loop, which simply means that the output of the system
is returned as part of the input. In BUSINESS I use the double loop i.e.
business outputs plus the sensory apparatus of the business in the one
loop plus the other loop the environment. This simply means what the
business puts out is detected and used by the environment plus the
environment puts things back inputs many terms, resources, money, meaning
or information etc etc.

So what does all this mean: Simply that the sole and final purpose of
industrial effort is to meet the needs of mankind, those of the
organisation plus those of its environment. Both in causal loops either
opening or closing never still. These needs are simply the motivators of
all and every product or service ever devised. I don't have enough time
here to go through all these motivators but they are specific and easy to
define. Both physiological and mental-emotional. Unbalance the eco
environment and there will be problems in the long-term (ozone hole)
nothing is unconnected there are never ending spiralling loops of energy.
Organisations then organise themselves around trying to meet these needs.
They generally structure themselves in a hierarchy, these have been around
for thousands of years either as armies or governments they are
essentially the same. Only this century do those that meet general
consumption for the man in street outstrip armies and governments.

Those companies that define or solve the problems ( the gap or the need)
of their demanders more sharply are always more successful, those that
don't ultimately fail, it is really as simple as that. Any model is just a
model even the ones I use, they will change over time as things shift like
the power of the demanders of products over the power of the factors of
production. Energy moves and shifts those that know this are always
successful. They build castles on rock rather than on moving sand. The key
business drivers that are fine today are not always fine tomorrow. You
must always first define the key drivers, that is how the business
effectively does its business with its customers. If you want to use any
model it must have as its basic core the underlying energy structure that
is focused on the customer. If not look for another that does.

I have mentioned in earlier chats how specifically to build a LO or at
least get it going. I use Learningspace as the information provider.
Someone kindly on this chat room put me in touch with AMS from
UStechnologies and I will be using that as the management information
tool, ie slicer and dicer.

There are no ultimate answers there are just more intelligent questions.
Also simplicity is the key to doing anything that is complex.

Kindest
Gavin

-- 

Gavin Ritz <garritz@xtra.co.nz>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>