Comments for Decision Driven Blog

Comment on 4 New Demos: Make this decision by decisiondriven

decisiondriven — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:15:16 +0000

Jonathan,
If you mean the decisions that translate scientific theory into practice (use) within products and services, then check out the Decision: Research Strategy and New Product Innovation Decisions blog entries for examples. In these posts, I describe 4 decisions that translate science into solutions (the handoff between science and engineering).

1. Behaviors to Exploit
2. Exploitation Method
3. Behaviors to Control
4. Control Method

These decisions are the engine behind most new products and services.
John Fitch

Comment on 4 New Demos: Make this decision by Jonathan Wooldridge

Jonathan Wooldridge — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:34:34 +0000

I am looking for a system that maps decisions that take theory into practice.

Hope you can help.

Regards

Comment on Roadmap examples by decisiondriven

decisiondriven — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:31:49 +0000

Roberto,
These roadmaps are created within my Decision Driven(r) Strategy web application; a subscription based web service. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial by following the Decision Driven Website links on the left side of this page. The roadmap is one view of the strategy decision pattern that is provided within the application; roadmaps are just decisions “put to time”.

What types of roadmaps are you creating?
John Fitch

Comment on Roadmap examples by Roberto

Roberto — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:09:47 +0000

what is the software you use for these roadmaps?

Comment on Problem-solving is decision-making, problem analysis is not by decisiondriven

decisiondriven — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:58:46 +0000

Bruce,
As you know, the full end-to-end process for making any decision includes a series of steps:
Frame the decision, define criteria, define (find, create or synthesize) alternatives, evaluate alternatives, commit to implement one or more alternatives). That’s the level at which I’m comparing problem-solving and decision-making. Both include all these steps, i.e. they populate the same information model.

Problem analysis uses a completely different information model that describes observed behaviors and tests possible root causes against them.

99% of the decisions that I’ve helped folks with over the years did not require a root cause analysis step before starting decision-making. The reason why a need, gap, shortfall or undesirable condition existed was already known - no one had invented a better way yet. So the sequence of problem analysis followed by decision-making is very rare in strategy or product design. It occurs most often in testing or operations.

Systems engineers use the term, problem analysis, when they are seeking to understand a set of customer/user requirements. From an information model perspective, they are just capturing the derived requirements that flow from a set of previous customer decisions (probably not well-articulated) so they can then use these requirements as criteria for the next level of decisions that they must make to create a solution to the customer’s “problem”. None of this is root cause analysis; it’s all decisions and requirement-to-decision-to-requirement traceability.

I always test these things against the information model; if a process populates the same object classes, attributes and relationships; it’s the same process.

John Fitch

Comment on Problem-solving is decision-making, problem analysis is not by Bruce Lerner

Bruce Lerner — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:14:03 +0000

John,
It appears to me that decision-making is the selection of one alternative from a set of alternatives that best addresses a given set of criteria. It is not directly a mechanism for developing a set of alternatives. Problem solving as described above does appear to address the generation of alternatives. A complete method to navigate from problem analysis (determining root cause) to problem mitigation (in its best scenario - solution) must address both problem solving AND decision-making. If problem-solving and decision-making are essentially the same, what activity generates alternatives?

Comment on Problem-solving is decision-making, problem analysis is not by decisiondriven

decisiondriven — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:32:49 +0000

Linda,
I haven’t read Jack’s Notebook - I’ve been too busy writing software. Gregg Fraley (based on his website) reminds me of Gerald “SolutionMan” Haman (www.solutionpeople.com). Both of them appear to combine great insights on how to stimulate innovation with much better stand-up comedy skills than I can muster. You might also want to check out my April 13 post, “Decisions bridge innovation and execution” written in response to IBM’s innovation vs. execution commercials.

Comment on Problem-solving is decision-making, problem analysis is not by Linda

Linda — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:07:55 +0000

Hi John,

Your post reminds me of a book I recently read called Jack’s Notebook by Gregg Fraley. Have you heard of it or read it?

It is a book about creative problem solving written in an innovative way IMO. It’s a fiction format, with lessons on creative problem solving woven into the story. Kind of hard to describe, but it was a very interesting book and a worthwhile read.

Fraley’s hero has a dream and in the story he learns how creative problem solving (including analysis and decision making) can make it come true. I know I will apply this process to my work and life challenges.

Cheers,
Linda