Reflection – Visualization tool

Challenge

So we were working on a consulting assignment with a local public road transport

organization, to identify key initiatives to be undertaken using information technology. The

proposed interventions were discussed and agreed with the local IT team within the

organization. The workshop was to be conducted with business users to help them

understand the benefits of the proposed interventions and gain their acceptance. These

users were in late forties and early fifties and were used to working without computers.

Workshop audience was consisted of people from different functions such as finance,

operations, mechanical engineering and human resources. Workshop was aimed at getting

them on board with the future state. Key challenges were to make them understand that we

understand their existing processes and empathize with specific issues within each function

and help them understand the solution in nutshell without sounding too technical.

Selection

Majority of audience members with exception of mechanical engineers were used to working

with processes as defined in a standard operating procedure (‘SOP’) format. For them

viewing a process or an idea meant referring to a word document. The idea here was to

convey our thoughts to the audience in a manner that does not focus on language and

grammar, but to makes it more meaningful to the audience. A tool to convey our

understanding and ideas in a consistent manner, which doesn’t change due to interpretation.

The tool selected to get us out of this predicament was – Visualization.

Application

First thought was to create a flowchart to demonstrate the proposed interventions shown as

color-coded boxes which would help them understand the proposed processes. However,

we realized that the flowcharts will have to include work carried out by multiple functions.

The end result would be an attractive looking but difficult to understand figure consisting of

boxes which may be difficult to relate to for a novice. However, getting them to relate to the

process seemed difficult through flowcharts. Flowcharts seemed lifeless! So we decided to

add pictures and developing content through use of stick figures to explain the functioning

concentrating on one decision point at a time. Each decision text at centre with point of view

of each functions to help co-relate generation of problem and improvement opportunities.

The pictures of actual work locations, and key work areas were included to help them

understand overall workflow in pictorial sense. The process graphic was made more

illustrative to eliminate text making it easy to comprehend. Interventions in terms of OUTPUT

rather than TECHNOLOGY were put forward to the users. The overall result was a booklet

of pictures which helped users understand how technology can be used to eliminate issues

faced by them at various stages of the process. Needless to say the workshop was a great

success.

Insight and Approach

We were looking at visualization tool really to explain our thoughts on the interventions and

proposed processes. However, as we were presenting the booklet to the audience, audience

members belonging to other functional areas getting engaged with processes faced by other

departments and started to empathize with problems which could be eliminated if technology

was adopted by their function. In a way visualization tool helped in getting the audience to

view the interrelations and worked best as a silo-thinking elimination tool. This got active

participation from audience during the presentation and subsequently during the

implementation of the designed solution.

I will certainly look forward to use Visualization tool to not only convey my perspective and

thoughts around a specific problem, but also as a means to get people to see the big picture

and co-relations among related activities. This can help in figuring out solutions to problems

not focussed upon earlier.


Reflection – Visualization tool Challenge So we were working on a consulting assignment with a local public road transport organization , to identify key initiatives to be undertaken using information technology . The proposed interventions were discussed and agreed with the local IT team within the organization . The workshop was to be conducted with business users to help them understand the benefits of the proposed interventions and gain their acceptance . These users were in late forties and early fifties and were used to working without computers . Workshop audience was consisted of people from different functions such as finance , operations , mechanical engineering and human resources . Workshop was aimed at getting them on board with the future state . Key challenges were to make them understand that we understand their existing processes and empathize with specific issues within each function and help them understand the solution in nutshell without sounding too technical . Selection Majority of audience members with exception of mechanical engineers were used to working with processes as defined in a standard operating procedure ( ‘ SOP ’ ) format . For them viewing a process or an idea meant referring to a word document . The idea here was to convey our thoughts to the audience in a manner that does not focus on language and grammar , but to makes it more meaningful to the audience . A tool to convey our understanding and ideas in a consistent manner , which does n’t change due to interpretation . The tool selected to get us out of this predicament was – Visualization . Application First thought was to create a flowchart to demonstrate the proposed interventions shown as color - coded boxes which would help them understand the proposed processes . However , we realized that the flowcharts will have to include work carried out by multiple functions . The end result would be an attractive looking but difficult to understand figure consisting of boxes which may be difficult to relate to for a novice . However , getting them to relate to the process seemed difficult through flowcharts . Flowcharts seemed lifeless ! So we decided to add pictures and developing content through use of stick figures to explain the functioning concentrating on one decision point at a time . Each decision text at centre with point of view of each functions to help co - relate generation of problem and improvement opportunities . The pictures of actual work locations , and key work areas were included to help them understand overall workflow in pictorial sense . The process graphic was made more illustrative to eliminate text making it easy to comprehend . Interventions in terms of OUTPUT rather than TECHNOLOGY were put forward to the users . The overall result was a booklet of pictures which helped users understand how technology can be used to eliminate issues faced by them at various stages of the process . Needless to say the workshop was a great success . Insight and Approach We were looking at visualization tool really to explain our thoughts on the interventions and proposed processes . However , as we were presenting the booklet to the audience , audience members belonging to other functional areas getting engaged with processes faced by other departments and started to empathize with problems which could be eliminated if technology was adopted by their function . In a way visualization tool helped in getting the audience to view the interrelations and worked best as a silo - thinking elimination tool . This got active participation from audience during the presentation and subsequently during the implementation of the designed solution . I will certainly look forward to use Visualization tool to not only convey my perspective and thoughts around a specific problem , but also as a means to get people to see the big picture and co - relations among related activities . This can help in figuring out solutions to problems not focussed upon earlier .