Luddite Office Automation

LudditeOfficeAutomation: brainstorming exercise for constructing a SystemMetaphor

Setup:

You have to build a system to track claims, print bills, and reconcile bills for an insurance company.

Problem:

You are getting bogged down in technical details too quickly.

Solution:

Think about how a Luddite would automate the office.

LudditeLogic :

• When new claim comes in, add claim to ledger.
• Create folder for claim, with label for claim number.
• Put claim folder in the "New claims" bin.
• Put empty timesheet in folder.
• When work comes in for claim, open its folder and update its timesheet.
• When claim is ready for billing, grab empty bill and fill out hours.
• Put bill in account manager's inbox.
• When account manager gets bill, make copy for own folder, and make copy to send to customer.
• Put copy of bill in "Unpaid bills" notebook.
• When bill gets paid, move copy of bill to "Paid bills" notebook, plus print copy for adjuster's inbox.
• Adjuster moves paid bills into claims folders.
• Adjuster moves folder into "Old claims" bin

-- SteveHowell

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Back in the mists of ancient time, say thirty years ago, when "IT" was "DP", people doing "systems analysis" (so the sagas call it) would follow folks around their office and record what they did with their various bits of paper. This information would be captured in the "current physical model". This would then be transformed into the "current logical model". From this would arise the "new logical model", and from that the "new physical model", and from that "structure diagrams" from which code could be written. At least, that's what the books they wrote say they did.

After a while, we are told, these pioneering systems analysts fell in love with their so eloquent bubbles and arrows, and felt that they were able to construct the "new logical model" immediately, by the direct exercise of intellectual prowess. And so sin entered the world.