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Align Systems and Teams For Speed and Efficiency
Revisiting Conway’s Law in the Modern Startup
"Any organization that designs a system will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization's communication structure." This principle coined by Melvin Conway in 1967 is even more important now when traditional hierarchy has given way in the modern organizations to dynamic, global teams, and resource allocation efficiency is lifesaving in the current financial climate.
Can we use knowledge of the systems we create to build efficient communication structures?
Can we use knowledge of the systems we create to build efficient communication structures?
Systems Shaping Communication:
A Modern Insight
Can Conway's Law can work in both ways? Imagine a scenario where you develop systems and organizations side-by-side so that the intricacies and dependencies of your system match your team structures and communication pathways.
By mirroring strong system integrations with close-knit team connections, executives can optimize information flow and decision-making within their orgs.
A Modern Insight
Can Conway's Law can work in both ways? Imagine a scenario where you develop systems and organizations side-by-side so that the intricacies and dependencies of your system match your team structures and communication pathways.
By mirroring strong system integrations with close-knit team connections, executives can optimize information flow and decision-making within their orgs.
Building The Optimal Communication Strucuture
In any complex system, there are specific components or domains that may require different kinds of expertise and resources. These domains can be thought of as concentrated pockets of functionality and data within a system. Domains have different levels of dependencies which need to be communicated in the organization.
Communication bandwidth between teams isn't unlimited—whether due to different time zones, language barriers, or simply the volume of data that needs to be conveyed. Using information about available resources and capabilities of each office or group, executives can assign these domains to the most appropriate parties, thereby maximizing this communication bandwidth where dependencies between system components are the strongest.
In any complex system, there are specific components or domains that may require different kinds of expertise and resources. These domains can be thought of as concentrated pockets of functionality and data within a system. Domains have different levels of dependencies which need to be communicated in the organization.
Communication bandwidth between teams isn't unlimited—whether due to different time zones, language barriers, or simply the volume of data that needs to be conveyed. Using information about available resources and capabilities of each office or group, executives can assign these domains to the most appropriate parties, thereby maximizing this communication bandwidth where dependencies between system components are the strongest.
The Benefits of Strategic Assignment
Assigning domains wisely isn't just a theoretical exercise; it leads to tangible benefits. A more efficient assignment speeds up critical communication and decision-making, reduces wasted work, makes organizations more attractive to employees due to fewer conflicts, and ultimately enhances the quality of work being done.
Assigning domains wisely isn't just a theoretical exercise; it leads to tangible benefits. A more efficient assignment speeds up critical communication and decision-making, reduces wasted work, makes organizations more attractive to employees due to fewer conflicts, and ultimately enhances the quality of work being done.
BrightRide™ visualizes your products' components, their dependencies and who is working on them with its "Domains Screen". Here you can also pinpoint frictions that arise from unclear responsibilities, especially those that cross timezones. This enables you make explicit choices to increase resource allocation efficiency and prevent double-work with related waste.
By actively seeking alignment between system components and team communication structures, organizations stand to gain not just in efficiency but also in employee satisfaction and work quality.
Conclusion
In a world of increasingly complex systems and equally complex organizational structures, flipping Conway's Law to work in our favor offers a promising avenue for innovation. By conscientiously assigning system components to teams, executives can optimize the entire communication structure, finding new efficiency gains.
For more insights into modernizing your organizational communication, reach out to us at contact@brightride.io.
In a world of increasingly complex systems and equally complex organizational structures, flipping Conway's Law to work in our favor offers a promising avenue for innovation. By conscientiously assigning system components to teams, executives can optimize the entire communication structure, finding new efficiency gains.
For more insights into modernizing your organizational communication, reach out to us at contact@brightride.io.
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Our Mission — Unleash creative energy in
today's organizations for what truly matters.
We achieve this by equipping business leaders with tools
to forge efficient communication structures.
today's organizations for what truly matters.
We achieve this by equipping business leaders with tools
to forge efficient communication structures.
contact@brightride.io
© 2024 Bright Ride, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2024 Bright Ride, Inc. All rights reserved.