The ASCCR Frame for Learning Essential Collaboration Skills

Statistics and data science are especially collaborative disciplines that typically require practitioners to interact with many different people or groups. Consequently, interdisciplinary collaboration skills are part of the personal and professional skills essential for success as an applied statistician or data scientist. These skills are learnable and teachable, and learning and improving collaboration skills provides a way to enhance one's practice of statistics and data science. To help individuals learn these skills and organizations to teach them, we have developed a framework covering five essential components of statistical collaboration: Attitude, Structure, Content, Communication, and Relationship. We call this the ASCCR Frame. This framework can be incorporated into formal training programs in the classroom or on the job and can also be used by individuals through self-study. We show how this framework can be applied specifically to statisticians and data scientists to improve their collaboration skills and their interdisciplinary impact. We believe that the ASCCR Frame can help organize and stimulate research and teaching in interdisciplinary collaboration and call on individuals and organizations to begin generating evidence regarding its effectiveness.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure. Updated to this Version 5 by adding a few more references, discussing how to teach ASCCR in the classroom, calling on others to add to research supporting the use of the ASCCR Frame, and adding discussion of ethics and reproducible researc

IT Outsourcing Risk Management at British Petroleum

This paper reports the results of a study of three successive IT outsourcing contracts at British Petroleum (BP). We offer an operational definition of IT outsourcing risk and use it to assess the risk exposure associated with each contract. We then examine how the management at BP dealt with outsourcing risk. Our results show that careful and deliberate risk management can substantially attenuate the level of risk exposure, and that IT outsourcing risks can be managed. Ce document présente les résultats d'une étude de trois contrats d'impartition successifs. L'étude fut conduite chez British Petroleum. Une définition opérationnelle du risque d'impartition est donnée. Cette définition est ensuite utilisée pour déterminer le niveau de risque associé à chacun des contrats. Les mécanismes de gestion de risque sont également identifiés. Les résultats démontrent qu'une gestion active du risque permet de réduire sensiblement les niveau d'exposition au risque, notamment dans le cas de contrats d'impartition des technologies de l'information.Outsourcing of IS, IS risk management, agency theory, transaction cost economics, case study, Impartition des systèmes informatiques, gestion du risque d'impartition, gestion du risque, théories de l'agence et des coûts de transaction, étude de cas

Developments in Practice X: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - An Internet for Physical Objects

This paper explores the applications and future commercial impacts of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Its objective is to summarize the ways in which organizations and academics are thinking about these technologies and to stimulate strategic thinking about their possible uses and implications. It first provides an overview of this technology and how it works. Then it explores the surprisingly wide variety of current applications of RFID. Next it looks at several classes of potential RFID applications and how these might affect how organizations work. Finally, it examines the cost and implementation considerations of this technology. The paper concludes that RFID is a viable technology with many possible applications. However, only some of the impacts on organizations and society can be anticipated at present

Developments in Practice IX:The Evolution of the KM Function

In 2000, a group of knowledge managers from twenty-five companies met to discuss the current state of knowledge management (KM) in their organizations. KM was then in a very early stage of its existence and took a wide variety of forms. Most KM groups were experiencing difficulties determining an appropriate role and function for themselves. Organizations were undertaking many different activities under the banner of KM. These activities were often fairly wide-ranging in scope with broad, general goals. To better understand how KM had matured and to explore its likely future development, the authors convened a similar focus group of knowledge managers in 2003. We found that KM\u27s objectives are now focused into more achievable goals. Increasingly, the emphasis is on delivering immediate, measurable benefits by leveraging knowledge that is already available in an organization rather than on creating new knowledge. KM also carved out some key responsibilities for itself, such as creating and maintaining both an Internet framework and a portal to internal company information, and content acquisition, synthesis, organization, and management. Overall, the KM function became considerably more practical in focus and much less academic. The biggest challenge facing KM in the future continues to be the need to demonstrate tangible, measurable value to the organization. Disillusionment with KM tools and an inability to find useful content are seen as key threats to KM\u27s survival. Maintaining alignment with business objectives is thus the most important means of ensuring KM\u27s relevance. The next few years will be crucial for KM. If it can make its mark and demonstrate its value, we can expect to see knowledge management grow and prosper. If it cannot, its growth could be stunted for many years to come

Developments in Practice XII: Knowledge-Enabling Business Processes

While in theory what an organization knows is fundamental to its success, in practice only a few companies have seen significant business results from their knowledge management (KM) initiatives. Therefore, many knowledge managers are rethinking how and where knowledge really adds value. Connecting knowledge activities to core business processes is slowly coming to be recognized as a second, and more effective, stage of KM in organizations. This paper examines how practicing knowledge managers from several different organizations are knowledge-enabling business processes to deliver business value. It then integrates their experiences with previous research to present a preliminary framework of how to link KM better into business process design activities

Developments in Practice XVII: A Framework for KM Evaluation

Demonstrating the value of knowledge management (KM) to the organization represents an elusive challenge. In part, this challenge is due to the nature of knowledge management itself and the difficulty in creating direct linkages between knowledge sharing and sales growth or productivity. But it is also undoubtedly due to misaligned KM activities. This paper first reviews the current state of metrics in KM and presents six principles of measurement immediately applicable to the practice of KM. It then outlines a framework for KM evaluation using four key approaches: balanced scorecard; strategic imperatives; capabilities assessment; and measurement matrix. The paper concludes by presenting a number of strategies for improving KM metrics

Developments in Practice XXXIV: Application Portfolio Management

APM is the ongoing management process of categorization, assessment and rationalization of the IT application portfolio which allows organizations to identify which applications to maintain, invest in, replace, or retire. To understand current APM strategies and practices, the authors convened a focus group of senior IT managers from a number of organizations. Results of the focus group discussion pointed to the need to develop three inter-related APM capabilities: (1) strategy and governance, (2) inventory management, and (3) reporting and rationalization. To deliver value with APM, organizations must establish all three capabilities. Experience suggests that organizations tend to start by inventorying applications and work from the “middle out” to refine their APM strategy (and how it is governed) as well as to establish efforts to rationalize their applications portfolio. As such, APM represents a process of continual refinement. Fortunately, experience also suggests that there are real benefits to be reaped from the successful development of each capability. The paper concludes with some lessons learned based on the collective experience of the members of the focus group

New Developments in Practice IV: Managing the Technology Portfolio

Due to the unrelenting pace of technological change, the task of managing an organization\u27s IT portfolio can be formidable. Failure to accomplish this task effectively can expose an organization to technology failure and/or financial risk. This paper, based on discussions with a focus group of senior IT managers from a number of leading-edge organizations, outlines the challenges of managing the IT portfolio and presents recommended, tried-and-true strategies to tackle the problem

Developments in Practice XVIII-Customer Knowledge Management: Adding Value for Our Customers

The nature and quality of a firm\u27s dialogue with its customers is a core capability. Few firms are able to manage this dialogue effectively and use what they know to add more value for customers and ultimately improve firm performance. Knowledge management (KM) functions are therefore being asked how their expertise can help companies do a better job in this area. This paper examines the wide variety of ways organizations use KM in their customer relationships. It begins with an examination of the need for Customer Knowledge Management (CKM) and how it differs from Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It then looks at the four different dimensions of customer knowledge and at some of the innovative ways companies use them to add value for their customers. It next discusses the key organizational challenges of implementing CKM. The paper concludes with some best practices and advice about how to implement a program of CKM successfully in an organization. It suggests that CKM is not a tool like CRM but a process that is designed to dynamically capture, create and integrate knowledge about and for customers

Developments in Practice XXVII: Delivery IT Functions: A Decision Framework

Despite a steadily growing industry of third party providers, IT organizations to date have ventured rather cautiously into this new area of IT function delivery. This paper attempts to explain why this is so by examining the decision behavior and practices of a number of leading edge organizations. From this analysis, four key decision criteria were identified: flexibility, control, knowledge enhancement and business exigency. Based on the insights of the focus group, the concept of a maturity model for IT functions is introduced as well as a function delivery profile to map delivery options onto core and non-core IT functions. We argue that these elements should form the basis of a decision framework to guide the selection of delivery options. Following this framework, organizations should now begin to move beyond the exploration stage to develop more strategic, nuanced and methodological approaches to IT function delivery