06 December 2002

Continuous (mis)management Ryan McCuaig (technologist/architect proprietor of the informative Sisyphean.org) saw the Guardian story about the British Army's botched SA80 rifle, and says that such are the perils of design: Stories like this that make me extremely concerned about our ability in architecture to apply kaizen to our process. It is invariably humbling to talk to users, and we just don't do it. Everyone in the office has their opinion and/or prejudice of what works. "Kaizen" means continuous improvement. Sadly, the story of the SA80 was continuous management. "Everyone in the office has their opinion": is exactly why it is easier to get a power station built than a bikeshed (moral: "you need not argue about every little feature just because you know enough to do so.") 10:09:21 AM     comments