Intro -- Arnold Rudorfer LO4256

Arnold Rudorfer (arnold@ESI.es)
Fri, 15 Dec 1995 18:34:39 +0200

Hi all of you out in the cyberspace:

I am Arnold Rudorfer, working for the European Software Institute with its
headquarters in Bilbao, Spain. My current work assignment is the Learning
Software Organisation Strategic Project. Our main goal is to improve the
competitiveness of European software industry.

Besides that, I do my doctoral thesis in my free time. Our main focus is
the software process improvement, where we think is a great potential of
new areas of innovation. Especially in software development, that suffers
from an absence of an industrial production method the Learning
Organisation concept could be one way of achieving a leverage.

Is there somebody working in the same area ? Has already somebody
developed a Learning Software Organisation Model ?

-----
Structure of thesis:

Chapter 1: Introduction

- Learning software organisations(LSO): only appearance or visionary leadership
- new business environment
- Process Assessment and improvement, TQM, PM-CMM
- types of learning
- LSO principles
- mental models and its influence
- complex adaptable systems
- discussion by means of case examples
- learning instead of training
- learning processes
- structures in software development & management
- business process management
- organisational dynamics

Chapter 2: Intellectual capital

- definition and characteristics
- people approach
- case examples
- relationship: human+structural+customer capital = intellectual capital
- organisational capabilities improvement by using LSO principles &
processes (ref. core business processes)
- discussion of IT as an integral part of LSO principles (workflow
technology, distributed software development practices)
- thesis: LSO principles increase intellectual assets and as a consequence
increase the shareholder value

Chapter 3: LSO Framework (Organisational dimension)
- identify attributes that characterise a LSO
- from a general model of a Learning Organisation model to a Learning
Software Organisation model (wrt. process improvement)
- build-up a stable framework of a LSO
- V&V the framework through field trials

Chapter 4: LSO Diagnostic (Methodological dimension)
- where / which learning processes exist
- which parameters influence the LSO (how to measure)
- metrics programme for LSO
- consider soft factor in an organisation
- business model for the LSO Diagnostic
- design of LSO Diagnostic
- field trial of LSO Diagnostic

Chapter 5: Requirements document for a LSO tool-kit (URD, SRD)

Chapter 6: Design document for LSO tool-kit

Chapter 7: Business Case

Chapter 8: Recommendations for implementing a LSO

Method:
- run kick-off workshop to develop starter draft for LSO framework & diagnostic
- build a prototype of LSO Diagnostic
- run several field trials in software producing units
- adapt / verify the LSO diagnostic & framework
- follow up workshop to consolidate data and discuss the LSO model
development with participating members
- discussion forum for participants
- implement the concept in a real company

Regards,

Arnold

--
Arnold Rudorfer
MSc. Telematics and Business Administration
European Software Institute
Parque Tecnologico 204
E - 48016 Zamudio
Bizkaia, Spain
Tel. +34 4 420 95 19
Fax. +34 4 420 94 20
E-mail: Arnold.Rudorfer@esi.es
WWW: http://www.esi.es

"Las naciones marchan hacia el termino de su grandeza, con el mismo paso que camina su educacion.", "The nations march toward their greatness at the same pace as their educa- tional system evolve.", SIMON BOLIVAR