hnology. Inquiry should be an active even aggressive targeted search for information. Rule #3 Learn in Many Ways at Once. Firms can learn through four methods: vicarious, learning from others experience, simulation, using models and experiments, prototyping, building and operating on a smaller scale, and on-line, examining the full scale operation while it is running. The more the learning experience corresponds accurately to the real situation in the factory the higher its fidelity. Use a mix strategy for learning. Learn as much as possible with low cost low fidelity methods but know learning will need to come from all four means. The ideal way uses parallel and simultaneous use of all methods. Rule #4 Simulate and Prototype Everything Effective simulation and prototyping are critical. A simulation of a new technology is a model of how it works. Individual pieces of the technology are clear, but their interactions with each other and with the rest of the firm are not. The simulation then shows the overall effect of the total system. Rule #5 Everything includes the Organization Simulating the organizational change that accompanies the technological innovation can be as simple, and as difficult, as defining and trying out new relationships. Organizational prototyping, like technical prototyping, is the execution of a design on a small scale for the express purpose of evaluating that design from an organizational viewpoint. The best use of prototypes is conducting experiments with alterative organizational design choices. Rule #6 Follow Lewis and Clark Planning should not be a set of checkpoints for repairing the system. Planning must provide a guiding structure for discovering and solving problems. It should focus on what to look for. Rule #7 Produce Two Outputs: Salable Products and Knowledge The new process produces not only salable products but also knowledge. Production time, management time, labor and materials sho...
