Creating an Information Factory

In the early 1980s, Japan's MITI (Ministry of International
Trade - Industry) coordinated a handful of Japanese computer
manufacturers by creating a special environment for production
system software, such as operating systems and compilers. This
effort has become known as the Japanese "Software Factory Automation Solutions" which
captured the imagination of the industry. Although the experience
ended with mixed results, they discovered the organization and discipline
could significantly improve productivity.

Why the experience? Mainly because the Japanese recognized
there are basically two approaches to manufacturing
anything: "one at a time" or mass production. Both are consistent
approaches that can produce a high-quality product. The difference
is that mass production offers an increased volume to the
cost-cutting. In addition, workers can be easily trained and
Production. On the other hand, the "one at a time" approach is
slower and generally has higher costs. Workers need to be
intimate with all aspects of the product. What is the most appropriate
approach to be taken by a development organization? It depends on how
the organization's perspective on system development.

ART VERSUS SCIENCE

There are those who believe that the development of systems is a kind of
art form requiring special knowledge and skills to perform. There
are important differences between "art" and "science." An art"
depends on an individual's intuitive instinct on a particular subject. Tel
intuition is difficult to teach and apply consistently. An art form,
by definition, implies non-compliance and represents an expression of
personal style and taste. On the other hand, a "science" is based on
principles and, as such, can be taught and applied uniformly by
A lot of people.

In order for the development of systems to move from an art to a science, a body
knowledge needs to be defined in terms of tried-and-tested concepts and standards
Terminology. Unfortunately, this is where the industry has been
wallowing for 30 years. The Japanese example reveals it
it is not necessary to invent new management theories, but rather to
to reuse existing management principles that have already proven their worth
Overtime. In doing so, they are trying to move the industry
from an art to a science.

FIVE BASE ELEMENTS OF MASSE PRODUCTION

Assuming we want to create a mass production environment for
developing our information resources, we need to understand
its fundamental nature. Like any introductory manual to manufacturing
explain, there are five basic elements of mass production:

1. Division of Labour - to divide the production process into
tasks performed by specialists or craftsmen. This division
specifies the type of skills required to do the job.

2. Assembly line - describing the work units with the
dependencies between stages, thus defining the progression
and synchronization of product development.

3. Precision tools - for mechanical leverage in product development.

4. Standardization of parts - for the interchangeability of parts between
reducing costs and shortening development time, and reducing
allow assembly by unskilled and semi-skilled workers.

5. Mass demand - this represents the impetus for mass Factory Automation Solutions production;
customers demanding standardized and reliable products at a lower price
Fresh. In the MRI world, this is represented by end-users who
standard and reliable systems at a lower cost to support their
information needs.