Steven’s research project has been a study towards new ways of working for system architects. System architects are responsible for the architecture of complex systems, like printers, MRI-scanners or radar systems. A series of interviews has been conducted with system architects at Océ, Philips and Thales to discuss concepts and obtain insights. This resulted in Project Buzz Tracker, a tool that couples activity information to project and workflow planning. Persons frequently give an update on their actions, thus showing the Buzz in a project. By observing this overview, the system architect can see concentrations or a lack of Buzz. These can be indications of problematic issues. Project Buzz Tracker will further strengthen team cohesion, especially if distant workers are involved.

General Findings
Using interviews, it has been found out that system architects do not have specific communication needs. The communication needs that they have are generally applicable. The system architects do have unique information management needs, because they are the only ones in a project specifically interested in architecting information.
System architects (at least the ones that were interviewed) highly value face-to-face communication. Currently, they succeed in having these face-to-face communications with for example co-workers and customers. Nevertheless, assuming that workers become more and more dispersed, system architects have to find new means of communication too. The tools proposed in this research can play an important role in this respect. By doing a literature study, several aspects of the communication process were identified that deserve special attention, considering the area of system architecting.
When developing future concepts it is better to develop them by satisfying needs than by solving problems. Problems often have a short term nature, whereas needs will still exist in the future. A broad spectrum of solutions was created. By providing solutions for all identified needs, a large and relevant subset of solutions has been created. By combining these solutions into concepts, it is ensured that the concepts are relevant and solve the right issues. The concepts that have been elaborated aim at providing overview in various large data spaces.

Project Buzz Tracker
Because of limited time, only one concept was worked out. This concept is called Project Buzz Tracker. It makes innovative use of the upcoming phenomenon of social media. Project Buzz Tracker provides a clear, graphical overview on which persons are working on what tasks, something that is relevant in architecting. It shows small status updates (buzz) that are mapped on a project planning. The planning can be zoomed, revealing more detailed tasks. It may be less useful in small, closely located, project teams, but extremely useful in dispersed project teams, as there is less sense of what is happening in the project within these teams. Several filters can be applied, to find information more easily.

As this tool has to be used by a complete project team to be useful, it has been described how personal objections against using the tool can be taken away, and which benefits the tool holds for stakeholders. It is clear that the strongest focus must lie on making the tool suitable and beneficial for the whole project team. It is suggested that coupling this tool to to do software is a strong choice in this perspective. Also, providing incentives by integrating Project Buzz Tracker with already used tools should be pursued (i.e. integrate with Outlook). Thus, in further elaborations of Project Buzz Tracker, there should be a focus on making the tool useful for the complete project team.
Second, it has been noticed during various presentations of Project Buzz Tracker that the benefits of this tool were not emphasized enough. People who were presented with the concept, liked it, but failed to see the advantages. For each stakeholder group, a SWOT analysis was made which presents the advantages of the tool more clearly.

If you would like more information, the whole research report can be found here or you can contact Geke Ludden (Geke.Ludden@novay.nl).

The workshop consisted of two parts: one in which the group explored and experienced how an interactive tool at the coffee corner could help trigger conversations and one part where they discussed key elements to make breaks valuable knowledge sharing moments, assisted by a visual thinker. For the experience part we used the prototype of Buzzcuit, pre-loaded with profiles of some of the workshop participants.

Some of the outcomes of the discussions that triggered me:

• Make sure you have breaks in pure virtual meetings (phone conferences, meetings in a virtual world) as well – and facilitate the chitchat that in non-virtual meetings proves to be so important for trust building.
• When using an interactive screen with profiles of people, target the information to the people around the screen (e.g., based on Bluetooth or RFID). That also allows for matchmaking.
• When talking about the office as a meeting space, the term “break” may be misleading. Talking to people, insiode and outside your team, is an important part of being a knowledge worker.
• Management should lead by example and take time to talk to people outside their usial circles.
• And although it is sometimes difficult to fit breaks in, realize that in the 21st century breaks is where an important part of the work is done. Break = work!

Dennis from Jam visualized outcomes of the discussion. More of the results (also from the other workshops) can be found here.

However, some of our collegues saw a different use for this screen. They sat together with five people to go through an extensive database. To me this is a good example of how the right tools can stimulate people to work together in an efficient way.

The 7 teams were then challenged to come up with their vision of working and living in 2028. Session leaders of each team were briefed about the case a week earlier and came up with solid and creative plans to tackle this case and try to win the challenge.

Shortly after the students started their creative sessions, the prime minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende visited them to have a look at some first results and try out some of the creative techniques that were used.

At the end of the day, every team presented its vision in a one-minute pitch. This one-minute proved to be very short but all the teams did a good job at bringing their vision across. You can view the pitches below. Important themes in the students’ visions were individuality, flexibility and working in a virtual world.

A jury of three, Han Brezet (professor of sustainable product development at Delft University of Technology), Melek Usta, (member of the innovation platform and director of Colourful People), and Henk Volberda (professor of strategic management and innovation), judged the outcomes of the teams and selected a winner.

The winning team came up with the concept of ‘I’Merk’ (‘I’ Brand’). The core of this concept was that in 2028, knowledge workers will be hired for their character, characters together will form a company. The members of the winning team will join the prime minister on a working visit.

? – Eerste pitch | download video

Forum – Tweede pitch | download video

Een dag uit het leven van – Derde pitch | download video

I’Merk – Vierde pitch (Winnaars) | download video

Passie & Bellen – Vijfde pitch | download video

Free – Zesde pitch (2e prijs) | download video

Supermarkt – Zevende pitch | download video

Prijsuitreiking | download video

English:

• Self assessment 1: information overload
• Self assessment 2: know yourself
• Self assessment 3: know your working method

Dutch:

• Zelftest 1: informatie overbelasting
• Zelftest 2: ken uzelf
• Zelftest 3: ken uw werkwijze

• Being less dependent on your own memory to remember things
• Deciding more quickly about what you’re going to do when
• Getting a better grip on your time

The booklet can be downloaded here (English) or here (Dutch).