exploring the creation spectrum - oxford software · pdf fileexploring the creation spectrum...

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 1 of 23

Exploring the Creation Spectrum

June 2015

C. C. ShelleyOXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Ltd9 Spinners Court, 53 West End,Witney,OxfordshireOX28 1NHwww.osel.co.ukshelley@osel.netkonect.co.ukTel. +44 (0) 1993 700878

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 2 of 23

Contents

• What and where is innovation?

• Characteristics

• Some examples and tools

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 3 of 23

Where?...

• Making < Designing < Inventing < Innovating

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 4 of 23

...Where?

• Making < Designing < Inventing < Innovating

• p( Making innv.

) < p( Designing innv.

) < p( Inventing innv.

) *

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 5 of 23

It can occur in making and manufacture...

...maybe the product...

...but more likely to be the way of making *

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 6 of 23

Or during design...

...most likely to be innovative design product...

(...creative, design methods (incl. s/w dev.) are often fuzzy or indeterminate)

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 7 of 23

Or during invention of novel solutions to problems or shortcomings...

… ditto design

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 8 of 23

Characteristics...

Innovation (like stupidity * ) may be :

- unintended and unrecognized by the innovator (simply perceived as a reasonable solution)

- unrecognized by others

- unrecognized by both

- unappreciated by others (indifference or hostility – due to possibility of disruption to status quo? (See Machiavelli) )

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 9 of 23

...Characteristics

Innovation is:

- best detected * as it happens, or very soon after (after the event it seems to be difficult to appreciate) **

- ( in s/w it seems (to me) to be more difficult to see at code level, easier at design level (whiteboard/'boxes and lines') unless v. familiar with app/domain/tech)

- and fundamentally dependent on context

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 10 of 23

Some s/w innovations (IMHO)...

• In no particular order...

– Evolutionary Development (really)– Inspections– Object based s/w (not so keen on OO)– CMM (2-3)– Jeremy Dick's Fault Grid– 'Yukikogram'

• (NB I can't think of much innovative s/w (maybe the spreadsheet) – can you?)

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 11 of 23

7

9

5

6

3

Requirements

Detailed Design

Architectural Design

Code

Unit Test

Integration Test

System Test

16

13

Acceptance & Warranty

10

2

3

7

11

8

10

8

9

16

0

8

03

5

34

11

3

12

14

40

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 12 of 23

The Last Modified Date and Time

0:00

3:00

6:00

9:00

12:00

15:00

18:00

21:00

0:00

09/11/2002 11/02/2002 12/24/2002 02/14/2003 04/07/2003 05/29/2003 07/20/2003 09/10/2003 11/01/2003Date

Time

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 13 of 23

My 'innovations'

• In time order...

– Radiometer mount

– Tactical Change Management (an 'Innovation Manager')

– Profects (a method for detecting potential innovations)

– Compass

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 14 of 23

Radiometer...

• Mounts cause problems...– absorb heat and

melt supporting ice...

– (or buried under snow)

– ...resulting in sag – changing radiometer height

– Cause melt streams, affecting data

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 15 of 23

Tactical Change Management

• Response to failure of SPI efforts– Slow progress– 'Big SPI' (due to CBA IPIs and maturity mania)

• Synthesis of techniques borrowed from successful teams' activities

• '...according to a documented procedure...'

• Resolved as 'AAPDC', formated with ETVX

• Anticipated agile s/w development (prioritized lists, short cycle times...)

• Successful for a while See www.osel.co.uk/rpi/c3.pdf

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 16 of 23

'Profects'

• “What is the opposite of a software defect?”

• Why are technical reviews and inspections prone to distraction?

• People recognize and respond to design excellence

See www.osel.co.uk/papers/profects.pdf

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 17 of 23

Compass...

What I had:

Silva type 5 'baseplate' compass

● Cheap

● Light

● Reasonably accurate

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 18 of 23

...Compass...

What I wanted:

Military prismatic compass (M-73, G150))

● Very precise ( 30 ' )

● Heavy

● Expensive

● Desirable

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 19 of 23

...Compass

What I really needed:

A compass that is

● Very precise

● Light

● Cheap

● Desirable

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 20 of 23

...Radiometer...

• Solution...

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 21 of 23

...Radiometer

• Solution...

...drill deep and use ice to cool mounts

(rather than mounts melt ice)

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 22 of 23

References:

• 'What Engineers Know and How they Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History'

– Walter G. Vincenti– ISBN 0-8018-4588-2

• 'Invention By Design: How engineers get from thought to thing'– Henry Petroski– ISBN 0674463684

• 'Managing the Design Factory: A product developer's toolkit'– Donald G. Reinertsen– ISBN 0-684-83991-1

• 'Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology'– Neil Postman– ISBN 0-679-74540-8

OXFORD SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGConsulting Software Engineers

© OSEL 2015 Page 23 of 23