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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #06 - Discussion ItemDEBRA J. PAYNE, R.N., B.A., H.R.M. ; MICRO OPERATIONS CONSULTING DATE: February 10, 2000 TO: Department of the Commission Agenda RE: Addition to Commission Agenda C! I'd like to request to be placed on the agenda of the commission's March 9, 2000 meeting for formal consideration of the implementation of the field called "Production" to bring a different focus to the city's objective of improving its "operations" or of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its department's many services.. This request follows my meetings with the manager's former top aide John Buhrmaster, the co-chairs of the Blue Ribbon Panel as well as the city's five commissioners. The major reasons it would benefit the city will be presented as follows: (1) ... The recent Blue Ribbon Panel appointed to improve the efficiency of the city's operations had a focus that was primarily on the "management" side of the city's operations, which left the other approximately 80 percent of the city's personnel, or the area called its 'Workforce," to its own devices. This initiative is specifically targeted to that other 80 percent, or its "workforce" side. (2) ... The two entities designated by the panel to address the employee or workforce segment of the "strategic planning" component of their recommendations -- those being KPMG Peat Marwick and FIU's Institute of Government -- addressed topics that were not actually related to the objectives of efficiency and effectiveness. (3) ... The basis of the field's representation of the operational objectives of efficiency and effectiveness is a four year research project that began after the discovery that the area of a business originally assigned to represent the efficiency or performance level of a business and a job -- or the major area known as "operations" itself -- had been misdefined by both our universities and top management. (4) ... The introduction of the tools and techniques originally meant to represent the "operational" — or the "practical" — level of a business and a job will serve to further deter the occurence of the infractions recently reported by the Miami Herald in the city's departments of contracts, code enforcement and community agencies by instituting the mechanics ultimately responsible for the efficient and effective delivery -- and control -- of a department's services ... Thank you. 2924 Day Avenue, Suite N200 s Miami, Florida 33133 F,o J o' Tel./Fax: (305) 447-6976 • E-mail: QFRFOlA@prodigy.com MAJOR POINTS OF COMMISSION PRESENTATION INTRODUCING THE FIELD "THE ART OF PRODUCTION" PERFORMANCE: Completing the process of addressing the issue of improving the city's performance -- or its efficiency and effectiveness -- by introducing the field that focuses on the "operational" vs the "management" side of the performance equation ... "PRACTICAL" LEVEL: Do this by introducing the field that formally represents the "practical' or the "operational" level of a business and a job — or the field of "Production" — its basis being the definition originally intended for the area called the "operations" of a company. COST: The cost is competitive with the entities originally assigned to address the mechanics of this area, or KPMG and FIU's Institute of Government. RETURN: (1) 20/80.. formally addressing the other 80 percent of the city's operational equation, or the personnel known as its "workforce"... (2) Morale ... as includes "all" versus just "some" .. (3) Budget ... establishing a formal account of the 65 percent of the budget spent on the "functioning" or "performance" of the city's 3500 personnel ... (4) Infrastructure ... for effectiveness ... (5) Framework ... for streamlining the delivery of the city's many services ... (6) System ... city-wide system for getting the job done .. or the "operational" side of the city ... �:C OVERVIEW OF THE NEW FIELD THE ART OF PRODUCTION WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE FIELD ... The purpose of this field is to join the Big Five consulting firms in addressing the two most pressing operational objectives that underlie businesses today: how to improve their efficiency and effectiveness — or how their businesses 'work" — and how to improve their ability or their capacity to compete. The field will join the Big Five's approach of deploying techniques such as "quality" and "reengineering" and installing computer technology by formally introducing the "other half' of a businesses operational equation, which is the field that represents the basis of the areas of efficiency and effectiveness — or how a business "works" -- which is the field that represents the "practical" level of the concept called a job. WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THE FIELD.... The basis of the field is the discovery that the area of a business originally assigned to represent the objective of how a business `works" had been misdefined by both our universities and top management, and that its definition was traditionally being done from a financial instead of a fundamental or its practical perspective. That area is the area known as a businesses "operations." The discovery marked the beginning of an extensive four year research project that formally began during a final statistics class en route to an administrative degree. The result is the field called "Production," but more specifically, "The Art of Production," and its principles and tools are now in the process of being converted into a book. HOW WILL THIS FIELD SPECIFICALLY BENEFIT THE CITY ... In formally introducing the field that represents the "practical" level of a business and a job, by defining the world called `Work," the field is introducing the principles and tools that formally underlie the activities -- or performance -- of every person in the city. This will serve several purposes, beginning with: UNIFICATION: By identifying the components of a job that are the same for both "management" and the 'workforce," the field will formally provide the bridge that connects their actions and perspectives. PRODUCTIVITY: The identification of the components that're the same for each and every job in the city will not only introduce the basis of the concept known as a "system," but will also increase productivity and effectiveness, as well as quality and morale. � sS SUMMARY OF THE STUDY INTRODUCING THE FIELD THE ART OF PRODUCTION BASIS: The basis of the development of the field was the discovery that top management was defining the strategic area known as "operations" from a financial instead of its fundamental, or from its practical perspective. The objective of the research was to determine the, implications of the misdefinition, which began with ... number one ... why they didn't identify their definition as not being from a fundamental level, number two ... what impact -- if any — this absence might have had on the operations or functioning of a business. number three ... whether there was a relationship between this absence and the recurring theme of something being "wrong" or "missing" from the way that we do business. STUDY DESIGN: In addition to a dictionary, the study was based on a critical examination of the area that represented the very source of a business, or our universities. Four aspects were reviewed: School of Business: The first step was to determine whether or not there was a department called "operations" within a school of business that specifically represented the day-to-day or "practical" level of a company and a job. The answer was no. Departments: The second step was then to analyze the other departments in a school of business; to determine their exact relationships to the entity called a business, and to see which one specifically represented the role of how a business functions, or the fundamental role, of .efficiency and productivity Courses: The third step was then to evaluate the area that represented the foundation of a business school, or the courses themselves, to determine the specific role of the term of It itself, or how this term was traditionally used with respect to the functioning of a business. Marketplace: The final step was to analyze the relevance of this curriculum, to be demonstrated by the marketplace, or the articles and books that reflected the theme that something was `Wrong" or "missing" from the way that we do business. CONCLUSION: Substantiation of the hypothesis that the field that represented the practical or actual functioning of a business had never been defined; realization that a significant portion of a business had, in fact, been missing; realization that combining all the respective management techniques still only defined the situation in terms of its "parts," with none addressing the "whole"; to introduce "The Art of Production" as the field that accomplished that objective. SIGNIFICANCE: 1. To reverse the public's perception that the university approach to a job is "academic," or that it's an approach that has very little in common with the jobs we actually do.. 2. To formally account for the 65 percent of a budget that's spent on the 8 to 10 hours of the "functioning" of a company's personnel .. 3. To formally introduce the structure and environment of the world we know as "our work," and the framework that officially underlies, ties and guides every person in every department in every division of a business. 4. To introduce the tools that formally represent the foundation of the fundamental skills of efficiency and productivity. IMPACT: Introduction of the field "The Art of Production" will serve the following purposes: OTHER HALF: It formally introduces the "other half " of a business, or the activities specific to the 'Workforce" vs the activities specific to "management'... . ECONOMIC: Formally identifies the role of this "other half' as the economic dimension of a business -- as it's the source singularly responsible for producing the company's products, be they goods or services .... ART: Identifies the classification of the field as that of an "art," to formally introduce the philosophy underlying the production of the field, and to define the nature of that philosophy as representing the individual behavior of the entity called "man," versus the institutional behavior of the entities of "money" or "machines." • • Professionals in the community that have evaluated the research. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY President Modesto Maidique: May 19, 1998 In his capacity as a co-chair of the mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force to improve the efficiency of the City of Miami; to determine whether the practical skills of the field of "Production" would benefit the city's operations; met with Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Donley, who then passed the materials on to Dr. Maidiques' designee and FIU's Chief Information Officer H Vice Provost of Information Resource Management, Dr. Art Gloster. Dr. Art Gloster: June 19, 1998 Recommended the implementation of the skills to the city's operations. Received a copy of the proposal to the city August 20 Bob Donley: Received his copy of the citys proposal on September 4. FIU BUSINESS SCHOOL: March 1996 Associate Dean Don Fair: Agreed research identified a need, passed on to Dana Farrow. Associate Dean Dana Farrow: Agreed research identified a need, passed on to two department chairs: Professor Valenzi -- Decision Science, and Professor Dessler of Management. Dr. Valenzi: Agreed field represented the fundamental level of the functioning of a business; advised much work would need to be done before it would be accepted. Dr. Dessler: Acknowledged area not being met by any other courses; wondered where it would fit in. ACCOUNTING: Professor Dittenhoffer Recommended to Dr. Valenzi Professor Turner Agreed represented a need . - COLLEGE OF URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Acting Dean October, 1995 Thought course would be useful; didn't Mark Rosenberg think we should graduate strictly "technocrats" UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI President Tad Foote May 15, 1998. In his capacity as the convening co-chair'of the City of Miami's Blue Ribbon Task Force; materials given to his assistant Cyrus Jollivette -- UM's Vice President of Gov- emment Relations and an attorney; spoke about initiative several times throughout summer as he attempted to find an administrator not on vacation; finally forwarded proposal to the Assistant Dean of the Business School and CPA Sharon .Brown, on August 5. Assistant Dean Discussed the role and impact of the field on August 24, . Sharon Brown. but felt her role as a member of the Governor's Oversight Board precluded her from making a recommendation; suggested the training be introduced through FIU's Institute of Government. JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL President Ira Claris In his capacity as a co-chair of the city's Blue Ribbon Task Force; materials forwarded to his designee Sandy Sears -- BS in Business and MS in Health Services Administration from Northwestern, Vice .President of Ambulatory Care. Sandy Sears: Met on August 6; recommended implementation of the skills to the city's operations; thought the introduction of the field as a course would fill a great need. NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY School of Business and .Entrepreneurship Dean Randolph Pohlman March -13, 1998 Submitted a paper for faculty review introducing the Field ' of Production as a course representing the "practical" or the "operational" level of a company and a job per the dean's request. 7. ` ,', GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Carlos Migoya: February, 1997 Chairman Robin Reiter: December, 1996 Vice chair of Education Philip Blumberg: October, 1996 Vice Chair of Economic Development All agreed the field met a need. BEACON COUNCIL Frank Nero: July, 1997 President John Cordrey: December, 1996 ... December, 1997 Vice President of Research and Economist Agree the field meets a substantial need and would be beneficial to the city as a whole. COUNTY COMMISSION Honorable Jimmy February, 1997 Morales Thought the practical skills of the field of "production" would benefit the organization and effectiveness of the county's day-to-day operations. CITY OF MIAMI Office of the Mayor: June, 1998 Bertika Quintero Assistant: Thought the training would much improve efficiency and organization; thought the field would address the need for a course that represented the concept that we know as 'Work." Acting City Met with Chief Warshaw's assistant John Buhrmaster Manager Donald on September 10, 1998 and February 11, 1999; felt Warshaw initiative would benefit the city. QUALIFICATIONS OF AUTHOR DEBRA J.PAYNE Debra J. Payne is a logistics expert who has specialized in the practical art of getting the job done for over 10 years. As a Micro Operations Consultant, her objective is to introduce the qualitative skills that represent the "operational" component of a job, that propel a businesses ability to produce and provide its economic potential. She is the author of The Art of Production, a book that identifies the one area of a business and a job that our universities have overlooked and introduces the skills that formally meet its respective needs and demands. The area overlooked is the area that represents the "day-to-day" level of a company's operations, and the field that formally addresses this level is the field that represents the "practical" level of the concept called a job. She is working to introduce the practical skills of the field of "Production" as the one department in a business school that represents the world we know as 'Work'— or the 8 to 10 hours of activities that begin as soon as we walk in the door — that not only defines the skills ultimately responsible for the areas of efficiency and productivity, but also provides the control for the goals of quality, capacity and costs. The basis of the field was her discovery that our universities traditional definition of the area known as a businesses operations" — which was originally assigned to represent the day-to-day or the practical" level of a business and a job -- was done from the point of a financial instead of the point of its original or its practical perspective. Ms. Payne began her career in New York with an Associate's Degree in Nursing, continued to the areas of management and operations, received a Bachelors of Health Services Administration -- Magna Cum Laude -- from Florida International University, and spent five years in the research and writing of The Art of Production. She is pursuing a doctorate in the discipline of "Production," and writing a second book that fully explains the qualitative thinking -- or philosophy -- that's responsible for the discovery of this field. The book -- which further defines the behavior that represents an "art" — is titled, The Right Brained Approach to Intelligence, with a subtitle of, ..or how to think from a big picture perspective. r ar. 1 0 TO: All Departments FROM: Donald Warshaw City Manager CJ RE: Final Initiative to Improve the City's Efficiency and Productivity Date: February, 1999 This is a memorandum to introduce the final initiative to meeting the mayor's -- and the task force's — objective of improving the efficiency of the city's operations. This initiative will differ from the approaches of FIU and KPMG Peat Marwick in that it will specifically address the area of a business that's referred to as "our worts," and will focus on the tools that are primary for producing efficiency and productivity. WHAT IS THE OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE INITIATIVE: The overall purpose of the initiative is to introduce the field that formally represents the "other half' of a business -- or the activities specific to the 'Workforce" versus the activities specific to "management" — and in doing so introduce the field that represents the foundation of these activities, which is the field that represents the day-to-day world that's simply known as "work." The formal translation of this world called 'Work" is the field that represents the hands- on or "practical" level of the concept called a job; the name that formally represents this level is the term of "Production," but more specifically, "The Art of Production." The use of the term "art' is to distinguish the difference between the subject originally intended to represent the meaning of this term [production], and its traditional or secondary association instead with the science of engineering and machines. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE FIELD: The role of the field is to complement the management issues of strategy, finance, contracts and computers -- that pertain to the functioning of a company — by focusing on the pure operational issues of efficiency, productivity, quality and effectiveness -- that're ultimately responsible for those issues, and that pertain to the functioning of a job. It will also fulfill a company's need for a "centralizing source" by identifying the factors that are the same for each and every department in the city — from finance to human resources to neighborhood enhancement to the police — as well as by identifying the factors that are the same for each and every job -- from the city manager to the city attorney to the secretaries and service workers. HOW WILL THE FIELD OF "PRODUCTION" SPECIFICALLY RELATE TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE? The field will specifically relate to the objectives of the Blue Ribbon Task Force by introducing the skills, that formally represent the concept called a "system." ROLE OF A "SYSTEM": The field will do this by first identifying that the fundamental role of the term "system" is to represent the behavior of man versus the behavior of machines, and second by identifying that its, purpose is to represent the collective issue of "how" a company - be it a profit or non-rofit -- can accomplish its particular goals. It will then identify that in its role, as a steward for accomplishment, its a term that recognizes the need for a framework or a "master mechanism" .-- such as a baseline, a standard or a system -- to identify, assess, coordinate and direct the dozens of different factors that're involved with the mission of "getting the job done," or to assist in the . effective performance or execution of an issue, action or event. It will then conclude. that the field of "Production" formally meets these respective needs by introducing the field that officially represents the basis of a system, which is the'field: that represents the "practical" level of every type of a job: It will do this by not only identifying the components of a job that're the same for both "management" and the 'workforce," but also by identifying that those same components act as a company's "centralizing source" that silently connects the goals and objectives of every person in every department in every division in a business. WHAT WILL THE TRAINING CONSIST OF: The training will include the implications of the field, and the factors that led to its discovery, as well as the tools and techniques that represent the basis of its power. Since the tools and techniques of the field are basically simple, and since once identified, all employees will be encouraged'to assist in their implementation, training could be completed within a timeframe of six months WHO WILL BE INVOLVED.WITH THE TRAINING: Training will begin with the offices of the city manager, the mayor and the commission,. and then proceed to all other departments throughout city government. It will begin with • the following information, which introduces the basis and external framework of the structure of this field, and will be followed with a presentation of the components that represent the infrastructure of the -field, or the tools and techniques that formally represent the concept of a "system." The specific training schedule for each department is listed on the following page. C] INTRODUCTION OF THE PRACTICAL SKILLS OF THE FIELD THE ART OF PRODUCTION The Field That Formally Represents the "Other Half' of the Business Equation ... or the Day-to-day Level of a Job That Represents the Concept Known as "Work" By Debra J. Payne Micro Operations Consultant February, 1999 CONTENTS OF THE TRAINING Overview of field introducing the "Practical" level of a job ................................ 5 .Two purposes ... Two new skills ... Four objectives :.. How the field will apply to a business ...................... ............................. 6 Perception ... Where it fits, in ... Basis of the field ... Performance ..: "Other Half'.of a business ... Principles of the field .............. ................... ............................................ ............ 8 1. Production ... 2. Service Industry... 3. Information.... 4. Art ... Parameters of the field ........................ ..:. 11 1. Environment of a job ... 2. Function of a job... 3. Infrastructure of a job,... 4. Structure of a job ... Outcomes ............................................. ......----............... 14 Errors and Complaints ... Documentation ... Communication ... OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD INTRODUCING THE "PRACTICAL" LEVEL OF A JOB ... The introduction of the field that represents the "practical" level of a job will serve the following two purposes: One ... Morale It will serve to increase the morale of a company by finally identifying the skills that pertain to the actions and efforts of "all" versus the actions and efforts of just "some.". Two ... Effectiveness It will formally address the objective of effectiveness -- or increasing the competence of a businesses personnel — by formally introducing the skills that are necessary for working with the intangible element that's known as "information." It will do this by introducing the skills that represent the field "The Art of Production." The name of the skills are, respectively: the art of information management ... the art of logistics ... The formal introduction of the field that represents the "practical" level of a company and a job will also serve to address the following four objectives: 1. To reverse the public's perception that the university approach to a job is "academic," or that it's an approach that has very little in common with the jobs we actually do. 2. To formally account for the 65 percent of a budget that's spent on the 8 to 10 hours of the "functioning" of a company's personnel. 3. To formally introduce the structure and environment of the world that's known as "work," to complete the process that prompted, the creation of the area called "management techniques." 4. To formally introduce the meaning of the terms responsible for the world called `work," or the original meanings of the day-to-day terms of: efficiency, quality, productivity, timeliness and of course, organization and effectiveness. HOW THE FIELD APPLIES TO A BUSINESS PERCEPTION: The first step of introducing the field that represents the practical level of a job will be to address the current understanding of how a business functions by identifying how the field relates —or fits in to the traditional business equation. This step is designed to address the one factor that alone, is singularly responsible for the effectiveness of a business, and' is our perceptions.* It will begin with identifying the following: 1. That the purpose of the training is to formally address the one area of a company or a profession that our universities have not addressed, or its "day-to-day" level; 2. That the formal role of this "day-to-day" level is to officially represent the "practical" level of the concept called a job; 3. That the location or setting of this practical, level is the 8 to 10 hours of activities that begin as soon as we walk in the door; 4. And that the source or focus of these eight hours of activities is the phone calls, meetings, paperwork and. reports that fill and overflow our days, and act as the silent partners of the' function we know as "work." Basis of the field: The second step of the plan is to identify the basis of the field, or how its development originally came about. The answer is it originally came about during my work as an Operations Consultant, where I found top management defining the function that's known as "operations" from a perspective that was different from mine. This perspective was demonstrated by their collective association of the meaning of the term of "operations" with first, the behavior of a few instead of the behavior of all, which was demonstrated by their referring me to the departments of just accounting, finance and claims, instead of every department in the business.;, The second factor was the difference between our respective use of the term, with management's position being it represented the results of a particular department's activities, and mine being it represented the 8 to 10 hours of actions responsible for. producing the particular results of that department's activities. The ultimate implication of these respective associations — determined by four years of extensive research -- was that its definition was traditionally being done from the point of a financial, instead of its original or its fundamental perspective. PERFORMANCE: The formal translation of the original meaning of this strategic term is that it represents the world called "work" -- as per the tenth edition of Websters Collegiate Dictionary -- which formally translates to the field that represents the "practical" — or operational -- level of the concept called a job. Which means it's the field ultimately responsible for the area called "execution," also known as "performance." It does this by focusing on the behavior of "people" instead of on a "department," or by defining the behavior not of a "company," but instead, of a "job." Other Half: The ultimate effect of the field — and research — is that it introduces the "other half' of a businesses performance equation, which is the day-to-day activities of the "workforce," and more specifically, the terrain of the silent function that is known as "work." Significance: The significance of formally identifying the activities that represent the "other half of a business can be found in the following four points: 1. Efficiency and Productivity The introduction of the field that formally represents the activities of the "workforce" will introduce the skills and tools directly responsible for the objectives of efficiency and productivity. 2. Economic The second effect of defining the activities specific to the "workforce" will be in their formal introduction as the economic dimension of a business -- the rationale being they're the source responsible for producing the company's — and the country's — products -- be they goods or services. 3. Denominator The third effect of the field will be identified as introducing the proverbial "denominator' of the business equation — since its activities underlie as well as tie the goals and objectives of every employee in every department in a business. 4. Focus The final effect of the field that represents the "practical" or "operational" level of the concept called a job will be to bring a formal meaning to the phrase, "being on the same page." Capacity should double. 7 �; WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE FIELD CALLED "PRODUCTION"...., PRINCIPLES ... 1. Production 2. Service Industry 3. Information 4. Art The identification of the principles that represent the "practical" or the "operational" level of a business and a job begins with identifying the component that serves as the name of the field, as well as the purpose of the field. That component is the title term of "production itself. 1.. PRODUCTION: The assertion that,the term of "production" represents the purpose of this "practical" level of the concept called a job can be confirmed by a review of the meaning originally intended for this term, which, as indicated by its root word, is "to produce." In identifying "to produce" as formally being the very purpose of a job -- be it'an accountant or executive or policeman or surgeon or programmer or dancer or a plumber -- the field begins the process of identifying the multiple factors that form the link between every employee in every department in every company in the country. Thequestion of just what a job "produces" in an• industry that is not manufacturing brings us to the definition of the second component that represents a principle of the practical level of a job. 2. SERVICE INDUSTRY: . Since approximately 80 percent of the economy is based on businesses that are "service" oriented — such as banking, education, entertainment, government, insurance and health care to name a few —.the question arises,of just what exactly is a "service," and what is this industry producing? The answer goes to the heart of a job itself, but begins with identifying that in the late 1950s and early 60s,'when the=country shifted from a manufacturing focus to that of a service focus and welcomed the "age of information, the fundamental relationship, between the service industry and information was never properly defined. What is. "a service"... The significance of the relationship is revealed with an analysis of the concept of "a service" itself, which finds that the basis of a "service" is that it's an activity, and that, in tum,.the basis of an "activity' is an element called "information.", The element of "information" is the engine of an activity because it's the one element that singularly conveys the activity's fundamental purpose -- or both what needs to be done and how to do what needs to be done. In doing so, it single-handedly converts an "activity" into that of a "service," by giving the activity a focus — or a goal and objective. Since having a goal and objective is the basic description of a job, the "service industry" in effect represents, the technical basis of the concept of a job. This assertion can be confirmed by going back to the second question of 'What is this industry producing," and reviewing what happened when the country shifted from producing tangible goods to instead intangible services. Shifting from tangible to intangible The shift from producing tangible goods to instead intangible services brought a change in the foundation of the products as well, a change that saw a shift in their bases from something tangible that you could see, to something intangible that you could not. That shift was a change from tangible "materials" to instead intangible "information." A fact that confirms that the element of "information" is indeed, the basis of a service; introduces the next principle of a job, and means the following two things. 3. INFORMATION: Number one ... that the formal basis of a job is the intangible element of "information," and that the products produced by the "service industry" are information products. Number two ... that the title of the "new" service industry -- with the purpose of a title being, according to Nan Stone of the Harvard Business Review, to convey both what a subject is about, as well as how it applies to the matters at hand -- this "new" industrys title should actually be, the Information Services Industry. This principle also brings up the question of where or how the area of computers fits in to this information equation, since they're perceived as being the creator as well as the force behind the "age of information." A question which leads to point number three. Relationship of computers to "information"... Number three ... that the computer industry's relationship with "information" is not from its original perspective because the information this industry produces is based on the language that propels the behavior of machines -- or the language of mathematics -- and because the results of this mathematical approach is to provide the vehicle that stores, distributes, or mathematically computes the information originally identified by a "service" worker. The issue of mathematics being a secondary language .is confirmed by the realization that the area called "information" is. an application of the world that is known as 'words;" and that the source of the world of words is the medium originally responsible for the realm of communication -- or the essential medium known as "language" itself. The distinction between the language of man and .the language of math brings up the fourth major principle of the practical level of a job, or the term of "art." 4. ART The introduction of the field that represents the "practical" level of the concept of a job is formally identified by the term of "art." The reason for the use of this term is two-foid: One: Practical versus Technical It is used to first distinguish the difference between that of an "art" and a "science," that being, respectively, either a focus on the concrete or "practical" behavior of the entity known as man ... or a focus on the abstract or "technical" behavior of the entity known as a machine .... Two: Words versus Numbers It further distinguishes this difference by identifying that the source ultimately responsible for this difference is the medium we know as language; with the world of an "art" dependent on the primary language of man, and the world of a "science" on the secondary language that is known as math... Let's now tum to the arena called the workplace and see how these identified concepts apply to its day-to-day functioning. J "ICY V �� WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS OF THE WORLD CALLED "WORK"... PARAMETERS 1. Environment of a job .. 2. Function of a job .. 3. Infrastructure of a job .. 4. Structure of a job .. The elements that comprise the parameters of a job are also divided into four major areas, and begins with the element that quietly underlies every aspect of a company and a job, and is the environment. 1. ENVIRONMENT of a job ... is intangible.. The first thing to note about the elements that form the setting or environment of a job is that they are diverse and many, and that they become immediately apparent as soon as you walk in the door. They're the phone calls, meetings, paperwork and reports that fill and overflow your job; they're the research, conversations and formal communications that propel and punctuate your work. The second thing to note about the elements that form this diverse and bustling setting is that each and every one of them derive from but one very prolific source. That source is "information." It also means that the foundation and environment of a job is in fact, intangible -- since both are based on an element that we can't actually see — as well as the following.two things: One ... That the daily activities of phone calls meetings memos et al. — that we see as a nuisance and basically as an interruption -- are actually the formal by-products and partners of an environment that essentially cannot be seen, and as such, represent the invisible structure of the practical level of a job. Two ... That the daily onslaught of these muliple activities each represent an important "part" that is needed to produce the various "products" that are expected from -- and provided by -- an "information services" worker. It also means that what we're all really doing every day, and that comprises the very essence of the practical level of a job is ... information management. What is "information management" 11 '0. 2. FUNCTION of a job or ... the "art" of information management.. The identification of "information management' as the formai name of the activity that represents the very dynamic of a job leads us not only to the second parameter of a job's practical level, but also to the perception that "information management' is a function that really belongs to the arena of computer technology. Relationship to the area of computers But the "information management' that we're doing is not the same as that which propels the functioning of machines. The difference is once again, because of their particular category or context, which is ultimately based on the source that inherently represents the basis of any function. .The nature of logic... . This is illustrated by realizing that the behavior of computers is based on the symbolic or mathematical logic that.propels the science of machines, whereas, the art of information management, that propels -the behavior of man, is based instead, on the pure intellectual or conceptual logic that propels the world -of words. This conceptual logic is the originating force behind the concept called information management, and its tactical nature formally -represents the concept of "an art." The tactical skill of an "art$ ... The "art" of information management is the sophisticated skill of being able to deftly manage the terrain of an intangible environment, or to expertly handle the barrage of information that daily showers the arena that we refer to as our job. It's the skill that knows how to automatically collate the phone calls, memos and departmental requests that saturate all of 'our days, and turn them' into a form that fuels the many expectations that accompany the obligations of our work. It is also the skill that ultimately determines your level of efficiency and productivity. The third paramenter that represents the practical level of a job is based on the logical question of, with the practical level of a job being dependent on an element that's basically "intangible," how can a business sell something that cannot be seen? Abstract into concrete .:.. The answer identifies the original tool that has long served as the infrastructure of a job and is the only source that can convert the abstract element known as "information" into a concrete product that a business can not only see, but that it can sell. That tool is "documentation," otherwise known as paperwork: 'D 12 �da 3. The original INFRASTRUCTURE of a job.. or ... the purpose of paperwork The field will identify that the simple medium of paperwork -- that almost everyone collectively eschews -- is not the bane of a job, but instead the proof of a job. It will be identified as the one source that converts the abstract into the concrete, as well as the source that singularly satisfies the interest of a company's -- as well as the country's -- ever -powerful regulatory agencies. As the main source responsible for answering questions, justifying answers and verifying we've done what we've said we've done, it's the area that serves as the indelible companion to a society — and to an economy -- based on the invisible force that is known as information. The field does not require that an individual becomes fond of the tool known as paperwork, but just that they realize that there is a rhyme and reason for its place, and that with the appropriate skills, its presence will be much less daunting. 4. The STRUCTURE of a job ... or ... the role of people .. The last major area of the practical level of a job is the area that forms its tangible structure and is the area known as "people" -- or the co-workers, consumers and suppliers that set the pace of your job, that call you, stop you in the halls, give you paperwork and generally suffuse through your day. These people will be identified not only as your partners, but also as the preordained recipients of the obligations that accompany your work. The skills that represent the "people" component of a job will include a framework that represents the scope of this area, and will focus on identifying exactly "who" it is that needs "what' and of course on "when." It will also include the critical area of "how" to deal with the moods and personalities of co-workers. 13 OUTCOMES ... The specific purpose of this multi -faceted approach is to accomplish the following: ERRORS and COMPLAINTS ... Documentation ... Inter and Intra Departmentally 1. Eighty percent reduction in paperwork received with incorrect information. 2. Eighty percent reduction in paperwork received with- incomplete information. 3. Eighty percent reduction in paperwork that is "late." 4. Eighty'percent reduction in paperwork that is "missing." Communication... External and Internal ..; 1. Eighty percent improvement in phone calls and communications returned. 2. Eighty percent improvement in interpersonal communications. 3. Eighty percent improvement in inter and intra departmental communications. 4. Eighty percent improvement in consumer communications. Capacity and quality will double. 14 Via+ Field of Production Introducing the field that represents the "other half' of the business equation .. Workforce V Management Economic Qualitative v v Financial Quantitative The field that represents a "qualitative" approach to improving how a company functions by introducing the "practical" level of a company and a iob ... 11 Basis of the field that represents the "practical" level of a company and a job ... Financial Management Function of "Co" 0 Definition of OPERATIONS v v Fundamental Workforce v Function of ",.lob" 0 Definition from a secondary versus a primary perspective ... f