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Michellin: Company General Use

Challenge & Selection     In order to achieve a common understanding among project stakeholders, and before attempting  to identify the project delivery problem and alternative possible solutions, I select the Visualization  tool. I started using this approach with our ultimate proponents (customers), who are project  owners (customers) to modernize delivery of projects. By focusing on sketches and models,  diverse teams contributed to build a visual communication model. With this challenge in mind, the  problem is what aspects of communication within the innovation process need visualization in  order to improve the overall project. Using design processes, different activities are being  introduced in the main process. The correlation of these activities to visualization has to be  clarified.

Application

We  started  the  process  by  graphing  the  problem  environment,  using  existing

operational/procedural materials, operator training materials, marketing materials, and other  historical reports. Since the collected data is insufficient, we conducted informal interviews with  few managers who are the main points of contact in this study.

To complete the graphical representation, the team used Visio templates to identify in-company  partners and supply chain vendors to identify influential government organizations and other  advocacy groups that constrained the project development. We used simple shapes and icons  available in Visio to create a different type of inter-relations between stakeholders.

We segregated the contributing teams into small groups based on interests/influence on the  project, where each group received a large poster copy of the built graphic model. The groups    used sticky notes to make comments. The basic underlaying Research Questions to answer were;  1) What key elements are missing from the model? 2) What would you change about the model  to make it reflect your understanding of the solution? 3) What key insights do you have about the  relationships between the entities and the project delivery?

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Michellin: Company General Use

The group discussion took more than 30 minutes to answer the questions and mark up the graphic  model. Then each group report out their findings to the three questions directly on their poster.  We recorded shared insights between groups, and additional insights that come from the group  discussion on differences on model understanding. After the session, we digitized each group’s  poster using tablets, created a view that combines the shared and new insights from the group  discussion, and then revised graphic model to incorporate the stakeholders’ feedback.

Insight & Approach

We learned from conducting this exercise with several groups is that graphic illustrative models  can be used to reinforce the common understanding of the project delivery problem the  stakeholders are facing.  We also understood that the cognitive mindset demanded to solve the  problem differs from that required when searching for opportunities in creating something  completely new. This emphasizes the importance of design thinking, using tools and methods for  conducting human centered activity, empathy, and intuition along with the use of visualization.

The current challenge is to provide designers with a wider range of methods and tools to support  specific activities within the design process and to improve its overall coordination. It is uncertain  whether problem-solving alone can be the tool for developing simple services, as we are less  open to the variety of opportunities that arise in the process.

By focusing on the creative process and the use of sketches or models, this study explored the  possibility to develop tools and methods for conducting projects in a more efficient, effective way.

As a conclusion, there is a need to develop and implement new methods and tools that will support  and strengthen organizations to generate new innovative ideas and develop them resulting into  improved processes.

