XEROX
The Inter-disciplinary Quandary
Inter-disciplinary
design
De Montfort University
13th February 2002 Conference.
Changing business practices and
the inter-disciplinary development
process
Les Wynn.
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Scope:
Inter-disciplinary design
• Company context
• The changing development environment
• Issues for Design
• Foundations to achieve inter-disciplinary working
• Barriers
• Summary
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Xerox as a business:
Inter-disciplinary design
Company context…
• Size - 90,000 employees
• Global markets - 54 countries
• Products - 15ppm to 140ppm
• Brand value - $11.2bn
$100
$60
• Share price…………..
$0
1995
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
1999
2001
XEROX
Development group:
Inter-disciplinary design
• Twice the number of components as a car
• > $10 million tooling
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chemists
Physicists
Mechanical engineers
Optics experts
Software engineers
Systems engineers
• IDHF
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Changing development
environment...
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
System
Engineering
Full
Service
Partner
Co - maker
Relationship
Long - Term
Agreements /
Subcontracts
Commodities /
Component
Supplier
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
Changing Role
of Xerox
Development
Subsystem
Engineering
Component
Design
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Design as custodian of
customer experience
Full
Service
Partner
Co - maker
Relationship
Changing Role
of Design
Design as
advisor
Long - Term
Agreements /
Subcontracts
Commodities /
Component
Supplier
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
Appearance
specification
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Characteristics
Teamwork
Formalisation
Scope
of
of
Relationship Relationship
Time
Horizon
HIGH
LOW
BROAD
LONG
TERM
LOW
HIGH
NARROW
SHORT
TERM
Full
Service
Partner
Co - maker
Relationship
Long - Term
Agreements /
Subcontracts
Commodities /
Component
Supplier
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Taking on multiple
perspectives……...
(Something most designers are not good at.)
Breaking the ego barrier
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Hub Management
Network Management
IDHF
IDHF
S2
S3
S “N”
S4
S7
S5
S9
S8
S6
S
S3
Xerox
Core
Xerox
PDT
S10
S2
S6
S4
S5
7
• Build-to-print
• Extended Enterprise
• Large number of suppliers
• Small number of suppliers
• Xerox design responsibility
• Shared design responsibility
• Xerox “command and control” philosophy
• Xerox “control centre”
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Relationship building.............
(Something most designers are not good at.)
Teamworking
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Development process in Xerox - traditional:
Inter-disciplinary design
Market &
Product
Strategy
Vision
Define
Product
Platform
Define
Product &
Deliver
Technology
Design
Product
Demonstrate
Product
Deliver
Product
Company A
Company B
Company C
Design
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
Delight The
Customer
XEROX
Development process in Xerox - Extended Enterprise:
Inter-disciplinary design
Market &
Product
Strategy
Vision
Define
Product
Platform
Define
Product &
Deliver
Technology
Design
Product
Demonstrate
Product
Company A
Company B
Company C
Design
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
Deliver
Product
Delight The
Customer
XEROX
Development process in Xerox - Potential:
Inter-disciplinary design
Market &
Product
Strategy
Vision
Define
Product
Platform
Define
Product &
Deliver
Technology
Design
Product
Demonstrate
Product
Company A
Company B
Company C
Design
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
Deliver
Product
Delight The
Customer
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Network Management
S1
IDHF as part
of the core...
S2
S7
S3
IDHF
S6
S4
S5
• Extended Enterprise
• Small number of suppliers
• Shared design responsibility
• Xerox “control centre”
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Extended Enterprise - a turnaround strategy:
Inter-disciplinary design
Taking the lead.............
(Something most designers are not good at.)
Taking responsibility
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Issues for Design...
• Taking on multiple perspectives
• Relationship Building
• Taking the lead
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Designs response to
these issues...
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
New team structure:
Inter-disciplinary design
HUMAN FACTORS &
COGNITIVE SCIENCES
User
Perceptions
- Brand
IMPLEMENTATION
TECHNOLOGISTS
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
DESIGNERS
XEROX
Multiple roles:
Inter-disciplinary design
Definition
HUMAN FACTORS &
COGNITIVE SCIENCES
DESIGNERS
Inter-disciplinary
design
Realisation
evaluation
IMPLEMENTATION
TECHNOLOGISTS
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Multiple roles:
Inter-disciplinary design
Negotiation
COMPANY
OBJECTIVES
TEAM
DEVELOPMENT
Brand
management
Design
Management
Goal setting
END CUSTOMER VALUES
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Foundations for achieving
multi-disciplinary design
teams...
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary
design
• Choose the right people - breadth and open to new knowledge
• Environment - eliminate clusters
• Proximity - communication technology is no substitute
• Training across disciplines - awareness programmes
• Clear cross discipline responsibilities - shared goals
• Cross discipline success metrics
• Overlap - not specialism
• Leadership rather than service role - own core knowledge
• Eliminate negaholics
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Barriers...
• Design not seen as a core competence
• Company perceptions of Design as a narrow specialism
• Project by project funding model
• Insufficient authority residing with the Design Group
• Designers themselves - egotism and narrow mindset
Les Wynn 13th February 2002
XEROX
Inter-disciplinary design
Summary...
Business changes are driving a more inter-disciplinary
development process
In order to work effectively in an inter-disciplinary
environment Design must become more multi-disciplinary
in its approach
Les Wynn 13th February 2002