the next next (sequence of next continued)

Beat the socks off you competition, create wealth faster, use less resources - that's the real next next.

Of course.

To organise and use resources we've got structures inherited from the Roman army patched with Outlook, Oracle, SAP, e-mail, petaflop, and terabytes - same old way, but fast.

Progress - technical first and foremost, based on old methods, but fast, very fast.

Or rather blindingly fast. Blind belief in "fast" being able to bring effective use of resources, technology being the saviour. Blast the "way" we do it as long as it's quick, is the credo.

Change the methods of the how, what and when we use resources, let technology and structure follow. That's where the next next starts.

Invoice input disentangled from product delivery, meetings with no link to follow-ups, sales separate from production - the normal ad hoc ways of business.

Managers delivering work orders, office hours and rules to ensure that the resources "work". Dilbertesque.

If nature was designed like today's business and software, water would trickle down the valley in buckets, from bucket to bucket.

Add people to a task group, but please stick to your department. If you need a new part, please enjoy choosing from one of your two pre-set suppliers. Found the perfect body, oops, he does not work here, sorry. Limits, restrictions, and more stupidity.

If nature was designed like today's business and software, every other bucket of water would be thrown out as the "right" bucket was  not available. Or because the bucket was not on the "employee" list.

"Flows" and "tree-less organising" (Ataxonomy) is how nature makes use of the resources, and nobody beats mother nature at it.

Bloggers produce in a hierarchy-free bliss, Open Source never even gave tree-structure a thought. Both thrive. Both have very, very happy people producing masses of good stuff. Both bring forth the best and weeds effectively out the mediocre (just do not read it, just do not download it). Those models kicks ass.

Not a command-node (manager) to be seen, not a title printed on any card, the concept of "employees" (almost) completely alien. The right resource for the right task at the right time is always found.

Mysteriously.

We have wireless in coffee shops, Skyping on transatlantic flights, Blackberries, smartphones and laptops wherever we go - why not let (server based) systems do the delivery of work-orders, run the events, do the transactions and capture the data? Why not have the flows defined with loops and warts and all ready to be refined daily as the organisations learns and grows?

"Ataxonomy" and "Flow", combine those two principles and use the wonders of technology accordingly.

Then you may have the NEXT NEXT.