Learning Servers? LO21625

Roy Greenhalgh (rgreenh@ibm.net)
Fri, 14 May 1999 09:40:17 +0100

Replying to LO21603 --

Tony Padgett wrote:

> I'm wondering if there has been any software developed based on the
> principles of a learning organization? Maybe, the better question is, what
> would a software program have to contain in order to reflect the
> principles of a learning organization?

Tony

I think that there are a many companies who already have software which
enables them to behave as learning companies. With an email address of
mail.toyota.co.jp, I feel I am speaking to one of the leaders in the this
field!

I can think of all those companies who operate SPC. They have a plethora
of software (just read the advertisments in the ASQ journal). It is by
employing SPC, simply in the manner that Deming taught, that companies
have been able to learn how to continuously reduce variation in the
manufacture of components and products. Not only have these companies
learned how to reduce variation, they have found ways of encouraging staff
to work co-operatively and collaboratively as they study the SPC charts,
diagnose the error, and set about creating a program of correction. The
amount of knowledge that is created at moments like this must be enormous.
Is it all captured I wonder? (And that seems to be an area where we need
software .. the real-time capturing process).

Oh that I could get my clients to have such programmes to teach
co-operation and collaboration

SPC techniques have also been adopted in service companies (certainly in
the UK), indicating variation and room for learning in "office"
practices, using petty basic SPC software.

-- Roy Greenhalgh

rgreenh@ibm.net

-- 

Roy Greenhalgh <rgreenh@ibm.net>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>