Creating a DSF- Design Services Firm-01

  7049_MVC-001L 
  Originally uploaded by IC Pod

When Tom Peters published the three books~ the PSF50, the Project50 and the BrandYou50 ~ in 1999- at least that's when I bought one then a dozen of each - there were about 6 of us in the Design Technology group tasked with finding ways of improving the process of creating Fast Moving Consumer Goods packaging. The value of plastic packaging purchased amounted to a minimum of $2m per year. Effectiveness of purchasing is therefore strategically important but value creation and value release is generated at different points in the value chain that is therefore a challenge to manage!
In the PSF50 book Tom suggests we pick 10 of the fifty to work on...
But where to start?
Our approach was to start with

PSF 3.11: Never ever compromise your identity

Q1 What is our identity?
Q2 What is our point of view?

In endevouring  to generate a plausible  Answer we created a model

This connected Foresight (globalisation, digitisation, spiritualisation), Networks (of people), Technology (understanding) with a(n underlying agile creative) Process.

There needed to be a process of reflection on how this model gave strategic shape to the group's activities and the relationship to the individuals in the group.("Why are we doing it? How do I fit in?)

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After group discussions and reflections we decided to relate the 50 list to the model similar to this rough-cut  which I found in my copy of the book:  Foresight-4 8 17 35 36 41 48; Networking  12 15 17 23 24 24a 25a 27 41; Technology 4 8 25 35a 36; Processes 9 10 13 24c 25 25a 33 41 44; enabling 11 17 23 39 43 44 46.

So after working together on what they mean in our, group, cultural context (inward looking) and in the organisation cultural context (outward facing) we chose to work with this list

1.4. Turn e-v-e-r-y “task” into a ... Project. PSF = Client. PSF = Project

2.8. You are a Venture Capitalist. I.e.: What does your “project list”/“project portfolio” add up to? Is it exciting? (How exciting?) Is it bland?

3.13. MEASURE: Did we make an impact?

4.24c. Engage Clients in a measured “risk progression” process.

5.33. Pay attention to the “hard stuff” ... e.g.: methodology.

6.36. Turn your current portfolio of projects into a ... Research & Development playground/gold mine.

7.41. Demand that every PSF member be known for ... something.

8.50. We own this place!

After many months, when some of the behaviours associated with this list were becoming embedded we began to introduce

2.9. Conduct a weekly—or a more frequent—formal Current Projects Review. The project-list-is-us. So ... now we’ve got to start managing the Hell out of it.

3.17. PSF success boils down to ... the fine art of balance.

4.24. Make Clients an integral part of every project team.

5.32. You need a rabid scheduler!

5.40. Cherish instability! Mix up teams!

We noticed many changes...our client mix, the nature of projects, invitations to join teams; who we dealt with, range of technologies deployed... a small expansion of staff; the HR department experimenting on recruitment, buying doing things differently; engagement with external agencies changed as did the agencies we dealt with, etc., etc.,

All down to PSF? ... well yes and no... no in the sense other cross-organisational initiatives were going on too; but yes in that our catalytic actions seemed to stick better than top-down actions...

Also doing just one thing makes a ripple... that dies away eventually; doing several creates a wave that travels, reflects and can be ridden and re-energised.........more soon.

Comments

[Suvendu Sahoo]

Great start - all the best...

Suv..