We at Almanac Systems have experience managing projects, conducting research, building analytical data systems, and untangling legacy complexity across numerous domains including agriculture, energy, defense and education.
We have found it very important to first build an understanding customer issues clearly and deeply. This reduces the risk of applying technology solutions haphazardly, which then often leads to unintended consequences, rework, added expense, and disenchantment among staff and stakeholders.
All technology solutions, no matter how new or elaborate, need some level of tailoring to the customer environment. A clear understanding of customer issues and needs provides information that directly targets the configuration of technology to the customer environment. Many solution providers and IT organizations want you to believe that new advancements (AI, ML, Agile, DevOps, on and on…) minimize any need to really understand specific needs, patterns, culture and workflow prior to implementing technology. Read Fredrick Brooks’ article “No Silver Bullet”, on essential and accidental complexity for a discussion of this misplaced sense of direction so common today as then.
Implementing solutions and interventions actually become simpler to manage because their role is focused, understood, and communicated ahead of time. Managers and staff feel better in control of the implementation, including cost, schedule and performance, versus having someone else’s new fad forced on them.
For answers to your questions email Sam @ AlmanacSys.com
Examples of technical approaches and techniques we use include:
- Systemic Enquiry Among Problematic Human and/or Technical Systems
- Legacy System Transition Modeling and Refactoring
- Business Process Modeling and Workflow Implementation
- Up Front Situational Analysis ahead of Machine Learning / Artificial Inteligence Implementation
- Model Based Design and Simulation
- Traditional and Modern Statistical Analysis