Performance Measures and Learning LO12140

K SANDROCK (KSAND@hertz.mech.wits.ac.za)
Thu, 23 Jan 1997 09:46:12 GMT+2

Replying to LO12083 --

Ethan wrote

" I think of indicators as an *objective pointers* to a desired level of
performance. When the indicator points one to poor performance, one should
know the underlying system which is generating the poor performance. Each
underlying system should have the necessary performance measures to
understand how the system is performaning at any given time."

Ethan, I would just like to highlight the fact (I think it is implicit in
your post) that measures of performance do not stand alone. Together with
them we need to have knowledge about:

The customer of the system
The actors (methodologies, tools, men etc) used by the system to do
what it does
The environment of the system (the constraints)
The nature of the system (open, closed, positive feedback, negative
feedback, etc).

In the light of this additional information we may find that the
problem (if there is one) is that the measures of performance are
wrong. And although the system is performing well (in terms of the
MOP) it is not doing what we really want it to do. A square wheel?.
I use eight characteristics to formulate a rich picture of a system
and one of them is performance - most important as you so rightly
point out, thanks

regards
Keith
Keith Sandrock Systems/Johannesburg Technology (JOHANTEC)
FAX 27-11-339-7997 KSAND@hertz.wits.mech.ac.za

-- 

"K SANDROCK" <KSAND@hertz.mech.wits.ac.za>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>