Adaptive Work Systems: A Perspective on the Evolution of Socio-Technical Systems in Today's World presentation given by Stu Winby at 2012 STS Roundtable Conference in Canterbury, UK

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Comparing “Humane” in European & North American Contexts
Adaptive Work Systems: A Perspective on the Evolution of Socio-Technical Systems
in Today’s World
STS/RT Canterbury Showcase Symposium
Canterbury, UK
Stu Winby
Palo Alto – Silicon Valley, USA
September 14, 2012

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Complexity
Run away complexity

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Increasing complexity driving interaction
Technology lead and social system lag

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Skilled Work, Without the Worker – New York Times, August 2012

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The Evolution of work systems
Principles
1950 2012
Dominant Performance Driver: Cost and Quality Dominant Performance Driver: Agility and Speed
Increasing uncertainty and rate of change / increased complexity
Reduced communication and transactions costs to markets
Reduced coordination costs and iteration costs
Focus of Work: Optimization
 Exploitation: Efficiency and cost
reduction
 On-going refinement of current
knowledge
 Prescriptive processes /standardized
practices
 Accomplishment by measured steps
 Documented, measured, refined ,
repeated
Work Organization
 Hierarchy
 Work Unit and Teams
Focus of Work: Adaptive
 Exploitation: Innovation and adaption
 From current knowledge stage to the next
 Begins with no single solution or process
 Explores and selects best (fitness tests)
 Anticipatory, experimentation, and speed
Work Organization
 Networks
 Team Nodes and Ensemble
Early
Optimization work system
Emerging
Adaptive work system
Drives….
- On-going problem solving
- Shifting interactions and
information processing
between people
- Networks of information
processors
- Balanced Ambidextrous Model

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Small Guild based Production – Craft Production System
Assembly Line Production – Global economic model / Firm
Small Batch Production – Flexible Specialization System / STS
Optimized “lean” Production – Toyoda Production System
Net Work Production - Adaptive Work System / Evolved STS
Social Production – Web-based knowledge tools for production
Work Transformation Phases
Evolution of work system models

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THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS – V4.0
SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS – Past
1. Focus on optimization (predictability)
2. Joint optimization – Best FIT
3. Structure and Process (Hierarchy and technical system)
4. Technical Systems
5. Routine / non routine work production
systems
6. Variance control
7. Hierarchy
8. Self-managing teams
9. Governance by control and Prevention
10. Change Management
SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS – future
1. Focus on adaptation (uncertainty)
2. FIT for the future and FIT for people
3. People and interactions (Networks and information
processing)
4. Information Processing
5. Deliberations organized as production
system
6. Empirical control (Retrospective sense making and learning)
7. Hierarchy and Networks (Ambidextrous Organization)
8. Self-organizing ensembles
9. Governance that is Dynamic and
Enabling
10. Transformational Design – “Changing how we
change” depends on our capacity to adapt.

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STORY
Telling

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Case
Adaptive Design – Fairview Medical Group
Description
Current health care reform initiatives (reduced costs,
improved clinical outcomes, and better patient experience)
require transformational change of the entire provider system.
A key first step is to transform primary care into a “medical
home” model. This required discontinuous change of the
existing clinic system.
Methodology
Project started with care model innovation for two clinics as
lead prototypes. An adaptive design methodology was used.
42 clinics then went through a design process using the
adaptive work system model. A work Innovation Network
model for rapid diffusion was then employed.
Results
42 clinics certified by the state as medical homes in 10 months.
Competitors achieved on average less than 6 in the same
amount of time.

10. OVERVIEW

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Think Different
Think different
……. about organizations!

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Functional Framework
Adaptive Work System – Functional View

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Organization Framework
Adaptive Work System – Platform and Applications
Biz Model
Design
Platform
Applications
(work-system Design)
STS - Work
Design
Transform
Design
Product
Design
Service
Design
Experience
Design
Org
Design

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Five Business Objectives
Performance is driven by five business objectives
1. Continuous innovation
2. Strategic and organizational adaptability
3. Socio-technical optimization
4. Improved time to value
5. Reliable results – constantly adapting to meet a goal (on-time/ quality)

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Organization Framework
Adaptive Work System – Platform and Applications
Biz Model
Design
Platform
Applications
(work-system Design)
STS - Work
Design
Transform
Design
Product
Design
Service
Design
Experience
Design
Org
Design

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Production
Runs
Nodes and Deliberations
Final
Deliverable
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Integration
Team
Decision Accelerator
A Network in Action

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Production
Runs
Nodes and Deliberations
Final
Deliverable
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
Inputs –
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
– Outputs
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Integration
Team
Decision Accelerator
A Network in Action
The new STS is an Innovation Capability is about “Social
Production”
The new STS“ co-locates” social production, networks and
provide the opportunity for distributed and coordinated social
production

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Processes
Design Environment
Production Room
Ideation – Deep Dive
Virtual Design
Decision Accelerator
Knowledge Center, Wall, Towers
Green Room

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Processes
Design Environment
Production Room
Ideation – Deep Dive
Virtual Design
Decision Accelerator
Knowledge Center, Wall, Towers
Green Room
This is the new Socio-technical factory

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Organization Framework
Adaptive Work System – Platform and Applications
Biz Model
Design
Platform
Applications
(work-system Design)
STS - Work
Design
Transform
Design
Product
Design
Service
Design
Experience
Design
Org
Design

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Adaptive work units
High interaction: exploring and testing new models

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Empirical Process Control
FMG Case
Work Tasks /
Iteration Plan
Increment of
Functionality
Reflection
Iteration
Technical system
variance control
Social system
variance control
Iteration Planning (compared to project Plans)
- Iterative
- Time-boxed
- Feature-based
- Incremental
Steady – State #1
Requirements
Clinic “Iteration” Plan 30 Day iterations and reviews/
90 day (3 iterations) for completion
of steady state one.
Outputs go into the bank

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Iterative
Delivery
Mobilize
Network
Work System
Design
Steady –
State
Close
Iterative Delivery (30 Days)
Iteration
Planning
Design /
Develop
Review
& Adapt
1 – N
Iterations
Delivery Framework
Rapid iteration, re-configurability, and delivering value

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Adaptive work units
High interaction: exploring and testing new models
From self managing teams with supervisors to Self Organizing ensembles with servant
leaders

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Horizon 1
Strategic Framework
Horizon Planning and Ambidextrous Work Organization
current businesses
(generate today’s cash flow)
Portfolio Management:
Growth initiatives
Today revenue growth +
tomorrow’s cash flow
Portfolio Management: Growth
options on future
Horizon 3
Horizon 2
Optimization Focus
Innovation/Design Focus
Innovation / Design Focus
Dominant Design
(Standard)
Optimization / Execution focus Design / Innovation Focus (adaptive work)
MOBILIZE ACT ADAPT
NetworksNetworksHierarchy
OPTIMIIZEDIFFUSE
Optimization Accelerator Decision Accelerator Adaptive Project Design TeamsScale & leverage
Accelerator

27. “We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And to know the place for the first time.”
T. S Elliot
Little Gidding