An intriguing discussion with environmentalist, entrepreneur and author Paul Hawken.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Watch a 70-Year-Old Prefab House Unpacked and Rebuilt Over 48 Hours
This is really quite remarkable. It looks like some parts are new, however, for a structure 70 years old, it is in great condition.
Read the Gizmodo article and watch the video here.
Read the Gizmodo article and watch the video here.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Eight Story Timber Office Building
Case study of an eight story timber office building with precast and prefabricated components. Good article.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
"There is no substitute for profound knowlege." - W. Edwards Deming
I recently read an article at Quality Digest called Profound Knowledge in Complex Systems: A Business Case. The article describes the work of Andrew McKeon who recently keynoted at the W. Edwards Deming Institute and Purdue University's 2013 Annual Fall Conference. McKeon spoke on the importance of sustainability and "doing the right thing" in business. He defines sustainability in two words: Systems Thinking. McKeon says “The ultimate system is our planet, and the ultimate aim is survival and continuation of life over the long-term,” He goes further to say Deming’s ideas on understanding systems are necessary to solve today’s problems.
If you have an interest in systems thinking and sustainability, I recommend this article. You can read the article here: Profound Knowledge in Complex Systems: A Business Case
If you have an interest in systems thinking and sustainability, I recommend this article. You can read the article here: Profound Knowledge in Complex Systems: A Business Case
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Investing and Complex Adaptive Systems
Here's an interview with Michael Mauboussin, Chairman of the Board of the Santa Fe Institute, an organization which specializes in the multidisciplinary study of complex adaptive systems.
Complex adaptive systems are comprised of heterogeneous agents (e.g., ants in an ant colony, neurons in your brain, investors in a market) which interact leading to "emergence". Emergence produces a global system with properties and characteristics that cannot be deduced solely by looking at the heterogeneous agents. As Mr. Mauboussin says, reductionism doesn't work.
In other words, resulting behaviors of these systems are not always what you might expect.
Mauboussin on the Santa Fe Institute and Complex Adaptive Systems
Complex adaptive systems are comprised of heterogeneous agents (e.g., ants in an ant colony, neurons in your brain, investors in a market) which interact leading to "emergence". Emergence produces a global system with properties and characteristics that cannot be deduced solely by looking at the heterogeneous agents. As Mr. Mauboussin says, reductionism doesn't work.
In other words, resulting behaviors of these systems are not always what you might expect.
Mauboussin on the Santa Fe Institute and Complex Adaptive Systems
Somthing to think about....
I read a great quote this morning by Hannah Arendt: "Truth carries within itself an element of coercion."
Saturday, November 9, 2013
New Content at Innovation in Construction
I have been curating a topic on ScoopIt! for the last couple of months called Innovation in Construction. I am coming to believe that the construction industry could use some creative thinking. The construction industry is mature. Humans have been building since the beginning of humankind. It is no wonder there is a lack of creativity in the industry.
This is not to say the industry is completely stagnant. There are some glimmers of creativity in the industry however. Large construction companies such as Skanska and PCL are leading the way in modern prefabrication methods (not your well established "mobile home" technologies but creative ways to integrate prefabrication into tried and true site construction processes). If you have any interest in the melding of technology and construction and possibly where the industry is heading then check out Innovation in Construction.
Innovation in Construction
Thank you for your support.
This is not to say the industry is completely stagnant. There are some glimmers of creativity in the industry however. Large construction companies such as Skanska and PCL are leading the way in modern prefabrication methods (not your well established "mobile home" technologies but creative ways to integrate prefabrication into tried and true site construction processes). If you have any interest in the melding of technology and construction and possibly where the industry is heading then check out Innovation in Construction.
Innovation in Construction
Thank you for your support.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Quality of Service
This post was informed and inspired by Frank Sonnenberg. You can follow him on Twitter here (@FSonnenberg).
My family and I recently visited a well respected chain restaurant in Chicago to celebrate my birthday. We had been to this restaurant several times over the last few years and had always experienced good service and quality food.
We had made reservations and arrived on time. When we were seated, I noticed there were many empty tables (clue #1). We were seated. Our waiter arrived in about five minutes (five minutes can seem like a long time - clue #2). We placed our drink order. Then we waited. Waited. Waited. Approximately ten minutes later some of our drinks arrived (see previous comment re a five minute wait - clue #3). Another five minutes or so passed, the waiter arrived with the remaining drinks. My son-in-law told the waiter he had a chipped glass (clue #4). The waiter whisked - literally whisked - the glass away without saying a word and went to service another table.
Well, by this time, we were not happy campers, as they say. T-minus twenty five minutes and the waiter comes back with a glass and asks for our order. I ask the waiter if he does not want to wait on us as it has taken twenty five minutes to get to this stage of the food ordering process. I tell the waiter that we are leaving and need the ticket to pay for the drinks. I hand him a credit card and my frequent diner club card (this is a chain owned by a large restaurant conglomerate).
At this point the service improves noticeably. The manager comes to our table to apologize. I say we just want to pay our bill and leave. He says he is picking up the tab. I am not impressed. On the way out, I tell the manager that we will never be back.
The point of this story is it only takes one bad experience to lose a customer for life. Customers hold grudges and have long memories. This one experience has colored my opinion for all restaurants owned by this company, not just this one brand.
Customer experience is everything. In the restaurant industry, it is the holistic experience that customers remember, from the valet parking to the coffee and dessert. Any weak link in the chain can be costly, from chipped glasses to apathetic wait staff.
Cheers.
My family and I recently visited a well respected chain restaurant in Chicago to celebrate my birthday. We had been to this restaurant several times over the last few years and had always experienced good service and quality food.
We had made reservations and arrived on time. When we were seated, I noticed there were many empty tables (clue #1). We were seated. Our waiter arrived in about five minutes (five minutes can seem like a long time - clue #2). We placed our drink order. Then we waited. Waited. Waited. Approximately ten minutes later some of our drinks arrived (see previous comment re a five minute wait - clue #3). Another five minutes or so passed, the waiter arrived with the remaining drinks. My son-in-law told the waiter he had a chipped glass (clue #4). The waiter whisked - literally whisked - the glass away without saying a word and went to service another table.
Well, by this time, we were not happy campers, as they say. T-minus twenty five minutes and the waiter comes back with a glass and asks for our order. I ask the waiter if he does not want to wait on us as it has taken twenty five minutes to get to this stage of the food ordering process. I tell the waiter that we are leaving and need the ticket to pay for the drinks. I hand him a credit card and my frequent diner club card (this is a chain owned by a large restaurant conglomerate).
At this point the service improves noticeably. The manager comes to our table to apologize. I say we just want to pay our bill and leave. He says he is picking up the tab. I am not impressed. On the way out, I tell the manager that we will never be back.
The point of this story is it only takes one bad experience to lose a customer for life. Customers hold grudges and have long memories. This one experience has colored my opinion for all restaurants owned by this company, not just this one brand.
Customer experience is everything. In the restaurant industry, it is the holistic experience that customers remember, from the valet parking to the coffee and dessert. Any weak link in the chain can be costly, from chipped glasses to apathetic wait staff.
Cheers.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Eiji Toyoda Dies at 100
This NY Times article made me think of a book I read years ago, The Machine That Changed the World by Womack, Jones and Roos. That book did more to form my outlook on manufacturing and lean production than years of business school study. A great book about a world changing process.
Rest in peace, Mr. Toyoda.
Eiji Toyoda, Promoter of the Toyota Way and Engineer of Its Growth, Dies at 100
The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production-- Toyota's Secret Weapon in the Global Car Wars That Is Now Revolutionizing World Industry
Rest in peace, Mr. Toyoda.
Eiji Toyoda, Promoter of the Toyota Way and Engineer of Its Growth, Dies at 100
The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production-- Toyota's Secret Weapon in the Global Car Wars That Is Now Revolutionizing World Industry
Saturday, September 7, 2013
DOCUMERICA
Just found an interesting website from the National Archives about an EPA program from the 1970's called DOCUMERICA. I discovered the program via Salon.com.
Many photographs are available online. This is a photo meant to document the effects of silt runoff from construction sites: SILT RUNOFF FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES
Lots to explore online!
Many photographs are available online. This is a photo meant to document the effects of silt runoff from construction sites: SILT RUNOFF FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES
Lots to explore online!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
New content at Innovation in Construction!
Find stories about defining quality, architecture and ecological innovation, design thinking and more!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Reading List
Jus began reading This is Service Design Thinking by Marc Stickdorn and Jakob Schneider (and apparently crowdsourced as well). Should be interesting and I like the self-referential nature of the book in that the authors used methods and techniques being taught in the book to create the book.
Mind bending, right?
Mind bending, right?
Great infographic: Most Amazing Construction Projects
Tom Peters once said that nobody cares the Pyramids were over budget and late. Check out this infographic about construction projects.
The Most Amazing Construction Projects
The Most Amazing Construction Projects
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Twitter Bot or Real Person?
I am fascinated by this:
Man Builds Twitter Bot That Humans Actually Like
I was reminded of an online exhibition at SFMOMA years ago called Agent Ruby. Ruby is no longer active and I miss her because I could always talk to her when no one else was available.
However, Ruby did not pass the Turing Test, in my estimation, because I could always catch her in a loop.
If you are interested in Turing, check this out:
The Alan Turing Internet Scrapbook
And if you are interested in how algorithms affect our everyday life, read this:
Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World
Man Builds Twitter Bot That Humans Actually Like
I was reminded of an online exhibition at SFMOMA years ago called Agent Ruby. Ruby is no longer active and I miss her because I could always talk to her when no one else was available.
However, Ruby did not pass the Turing Test, in my estimation, because I could always catch her in a loop.
If you are interested in Turing, check this out:
The Alan Turing Internet Scrapbook
And if you are interested in how algorithms affect our everyday life, read this:
Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Genius
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James GleickMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
By far one of the best books I have ever read. Feynman was, as the title infers, a genius, but so much more. I highly recommend this book.
View all my reviews
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Watch This Space!
Follow me on Twitter to keep up with the latest posts to this blog...coming soon.
www.twitter.com/wsmith8180
www.twitter.com/wsmith8180
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