Customer Reviews

Process Improvement and Organizational Learning: The Role of Collaboration Technologies

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"Process Improvement" provides an insightful look into the quiet technological shift that is literally changing the way we do business globally.

In Ned Kock's book, the case is made for the role of technology as a Transformer of the way work is performed. Though references to business fads of the past (Reengineering, TQM) are plentiful, Kock's book steers away from labels, instead analyzing relationships, between collaborative technologies, process improvement and organizational learning.

Throughout, "Process Improvement" touches on themes profiled in Davis & Meyer's "Blur" and Fradette & Michaud's "Corporate Kinetics", yet Kock's book takes a decidedly more academic view. Rather than try to predict trends, Kock's work gets to how organizations are changing, regardless of industry, profit orientation or management style. Kock advocates the position of managers as having unprecedented knowledge and therefore, power, available to them. The implication is that a manager armed with timely guidance on how to capitalize on this relationship can take a leadership position. Kock's book provides just that guidance, concisely and with clear support.

Cases cited are perhaps the greatest and most original portion of the text. Each of these provides actionable insights into recurring challenges and customized solutions that readers can undoubtedly apply to their own business situations.

All of this is serious business, and if the book falls down in any area, it may be in its consistently "intense" tone. One could argue that there is room for humor, for use of graphics (beyond diagrams), and generally for warmth, in even the most serious of business works.

Even the book's "packaging" suggests a low key, serious read, with a decidedly intellectual focus. Light beach reading, this is not. But for those students of process, and for managers seeking guidance and a serious "secret weapon", "Process Improvement" delivers beyond expectations.

I must admit that I felt a bit uneasy when I found out that this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, had been written by someone with a PhD. In my experience, books written by PhDs are often very academic, difficult to read, and end up telling me what I already know in a very convoluted way.

This book, however, dares to enter "dangerous academic territory" by, for example, defining "knowledge" and measuring it in different instances of business communication. Even in doing so, its ideas make sense and are logically consistent. It also wraps everything up nicely by proposing a methodology (MetaProi) to put the ideas in the book into practice and showing the results of the use of that methodology.

I think this book might get a "thumbs down" from academic ivory tower dwellers. From me (what do I know?), it gets two thumbs up!

Ned's book is great! I used his nine-step system (MetaProi) to facilitate four Business Process Improvement Teams in a local audio visual supply company. All four teams modeled, redesigned, and developed an implementation plan for at least one business process. Three of the four teams went on to successful implementation of their plans. One dynamo team solved several problems. Other than the kickoff, there were no face-to-face meetings. The widely distributed teams used collaborative technologies for nearly all interactions, resulting in minimal impact to daily operations. Participants were excited about growing with new methodologies and technologies.

Phoenixville, PA

This book will be essential reading for those wishing to develop insight into process improvement methodologies, which span popular business process reengineering and total quality improvement movements, and the use of computer mediated communication (groupware) to support these process improvement efforts. In particular, the marriage of the Metaproi methodology and groupware techniques, presented and illustrated with field experience, will be invaluable for those researching or undertaking process improvement projects.

Great Book!!! The book is written interestingly and in a very well wording way. The standpoint of the writer integrating naturally into the real life of the reader needs accompanied with a blaze of practical examples which the writer has taken from the real life of his experience. Personally I have done a fascinating use the book to redesign software related process, and I can certainly say that from background in engineering, one can do a tremendously use of this book in any related technical \ business areas and probably more. Recommended!

I knew most companies were listening to someone. This Book mentions who and adds to that body of literature called process improvement. After reading this book I was able to contribute to the on-going process and become a more valuable employee.

Pretty good resource if you are running a quality improvement program using an Intranet to support it (especially if you need to document the process). Very candid too! Definitely not another boring academic book!