Cay Hasselmann

Have you ever tried to implement TQM or similar in your family or into your own social environment? Properly not and if then you quickly know that it fails very fast. Usually the reason is that different members have  a different definition on the importance of quality and also lack motivation. A typical example is … Continue reading Impossibility of TQM →

When work inking as a architect in business we are often tasked to do statistics on the overall market. Instead of doing it ourself we often fall back in using surveys from an analyst firm. The point here is however that usually all these endeavours come up with a flawed outcome. Usually all statistics gathered … Continue reading Sample size →

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) or any other similar packaged goods such as Critical Success Factors (CSF) are often nice concepts as long as they do not escape into the real world. Let me start with my own misery. For commuting to work I use the train between Oxford and London via Reading. My station is … Continue reading The KPI misery →

Most architects I know have already looked into block chains since virtual currencies started to get some traction. In that light it is amazing that up to today there are only a handful of attempts to use the generic principles of the block chain architecture. When you look closer the block chain and invest just … Continue reading Using block chains outside of finance →

I often get asked this or some similar question and usually I answer with two questions: The first question is what do you, your stakeholders & your organisation want as an outcome? This question is very important as most architects often do not understand the difference between frameworks, ontologies and other methodologies. If you & … Continue reading What framework should I use? →

Looking good is maybe the oldest and best know social bias around that describes a tendency to show our actions in best possible way to others and answer any question so that it will be viewed favourably by others, preferable our superiors. Usually this includes a tendency to overreport on ‘good’ things and underreport on … Continue reading Looking good →

Architecture is a profession that tends toward a certain impulsive behaviour as it is all about governance and setting directions.  Once you enter any field where the actors have a tendency for impulsive behaviour you will end up with addiction through the restraint behaviour. As a result we overestimate the ability to control our behaviour … Continue reading Overestimation on your and others to control ourself →

Without standards there are no architects, at least there are only those that will create standards, as most architects like to tinker with existing or chose existing ones. Now in many areas there are a lot of standards around so there is enough to chose from, but in other ares they are either outdated or … Continue reading The dilemma of standards →

Ignaz Semmelweis was a doctor who was instrumental to combat the childbed fever  as well as many other illnesses by introducing hand washing with a chlorine solution between patients, most particular after autopsy that was performed during the day. However as an administrator and a doctor he was rejected as he clearly showed all signs … Continue reading Semmelweis →

Architecture in terms IT or business architecture is a relative young area. It interacts with a lot of areas that are also ver young such as economics, business science, etc. We often make the mistake to call these other areas science or engineering, but we all know that a lot of things in these areas … Continue reading Architects as Alchemists →

As architects we love to model and create a lot of designs. As long as those designs are purely technical in nature we can see the outcome as something were we get a good or bad feedback and adapt. However once we move into solutions, enterprise or business architecture the situation changes as we suddenly … Continue reading The family →

While architecture is often used as an instrument for change, the architecture of an area is often not changing at all. The architecture of marketing is however a classical area that is changing in a revolutionary way. A lot of architects are involved with marketing not so much as an area they work in but … Continue reading Marketing architecture →