Glen's 9 questions

Glen's questions and notes are in bold and normal. My answers are in italics.

1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of user-developed versus IS-developed apps?

I know they are mentioned in the Grandma Studor's (Freytag) slides, but I'm only finding the pros and cons of user app. Development and the 10 reasons for IS Project Failure. Will that information be enough to answer the question?

It should be enough. The Pros and Cons of User-developed apps are really a mirror image of IS-developed apps.

2) How do you assess processes? (*hint: Can I do it by using a survey? What else can I do to help me understand it?*) Oral, written, or multiple choice. Through swimlane diagrams and process workflow models…?

Let's review what you've learned so far:

a) From Granny Studor, you learned that you must pay special attention to processes attached to critical success factors
b) From Alec Sharp's book: whatever method, you should embrace voluntary
simplicity (where possible)
c) You can use some of Alan's six tips, but...
d) but at the end, you must use MBWA...and see for yourself. This was the humor inherent in the excerpt from Office Space. Given the hint, it's the most important part of the answer.

3) Why does he define IT in these ways?
Because IT is about changing the entire thing and is the largest expenditure…? It's essentially how we do things and how we communicate.

Make sure you're using my two definitions. My definitions of IT involve serving the organizational goals.
IT is not disconnected from the rest of the company.

4) What is Alan's complaint about IT documentation? How does it dovetail with voluntary simplicity?
People do not understand the end-to-end process. This can be done simply through writing down the processes on Post-it notes, then put the processes into their typical sequence.
Voluntary Simplicity should be practiced in order to keep things simple. This is accomplished
by using models that aid understanding by abstracting, masking unnecessary detail, using visual cues consistently, and highlighting what really matters.

That's a pretty good answer. You should use whatever method is valuable for your customer. Technical and business folks will sometimes engage in complex documentation that has no further use.

5) According to Alec, what's a process? In other words, provide Alec's definition and then decompose the definition and provide a description of the components. What's
the critical endpoint of reengineering?

Process is a way for an enterprise to organize work and resources (people, equipment,
information, and so forth) to accomplish its aims. Collection of activities (or
steps or tasks or whatever) that is a way to get something done.

Essential components are: 1) Triggering events (action or decision/ time/ condition).
2) Activities or Steps and decisions "work" (action verb + noun) (flow of work, from trigger to result: who, does what, when). 3) Result: product, service, information. The result must be discrete and identifiable, countable, and essential.

That's pretty good. Remember, it was Alec who taught me the "Process Dance"

6) What are Goldilocks errors?

A process is end-to-end. Every firm is unique and needs to create a strategic plan that fits "just right" and that is not too cold and overly risk adverse, nor too hot and beacon extreme risk. Many managers may use a cookie-cutter approach or a one-size-fits-all strategic plan, and will eventually find it fraught with errors. Firms must understand the balance of risk tolerance…?

Actually it has to do with Project and Process scoping. "The first two are the 'Goldilocks errors' - the scope is too large or too small through scope creep. It becomes too large large through scope creep, where your project grows to unmanageable proportions...The project's scope can also be too small: if you don't cover a full business process.

In a conversation with Alec, he would say it's preferable to scope a bit large at the beginning and then be sure to pare it down.

7) How should I initially scope a process? (given in class)

Establish the scope of the "target process" to be studied, studying a framework for clarifying a process's boundaries and contents: 1) What- Triggering event, result for the customer and other stakeholders, approximately 5+ or – 2 subprocesses ("milestones") within the process, and the primary cases or variations of the process. 2) Who-Who's participating in the process and their main responsibilities. 3)How-systems and mechanism supporting the process.

From end-to-end. You must understand the work involved to produce the work and the output "result". You must understand the core elements of a process: the triggering event, the named action being carried out, and the result.

That's a 100% answer. If you wanted to go over the top, you can mention that it's important to find the earliest triggering event.

8) How does Alec provide visibility for the consumers of process documents?
Writing down the process on Post-it notes.

You hit the concrete example, let's provide the general principle. You generally want to provide process documents that are understood by the customer (i.e. simplicity). Simplicity is for experts, right? Furthermore, you want to couch the process language in concrete deliverables or concrete actions that are well understood.

9) What are some guidelines for documenting or reengineering processes? (*Hint: Voluntary simplicity*)

1) Activities linked on a 1:1 basis are probably part of the same process.

2) Each process is generally triggered by an event (action or time) that is outside your control.

3) At the end is one or more results that make one or more stakeholders happy.

4) The same "token" or "work item" moves through the whole process, with the process typically transforming it (e.g., the loan app moves all the way though the process, eventually becoming a booked loan).

Voluntary Simplicity should be practiced in order to keep things simple. This is accomplished by using models that aid understanding by abstracting, masking unnecessary detail, using visual cues consistently, and highlighting what really matters.

That's pretty good, especially your last paragraph. There is some overlap in the answers for different questions.