Thinking Beyond Technology - Creating New Value in Business

Joseph A. DiVanna 2003

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First published 2003 by

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ISBN 1–4039–0255–0 hardback

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

DiVanna, Joseph A.

Thinking beyond technology : creating new value in business/
Joseph DiVanna.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1–4039–0255–0

1. Technological innovations. 2. Organizational behavior. 3. Value. I. Title.

HD45 .D55 2002

658.4'06—dc21

2002031739

Editing and origination by Aardvark Editorial, Mendham, Suffolk

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03

Printed and bound in Great Britain by

Creative Print & Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale

To my grandmother Nellie DiCanto, who has witnessed ninety years of technological change and continues to keep an optimistic outlook on life; to my wife Isabel, whose pragmatic views on technology make each day an adventure; to my son Frank, who I used in many early experiments with technology; and to my grandson Salvatore, whose technology journey has just begun.

Acknowledgements

So many people have made kind suggestions that it is a pleasure to acknowledge their contribution. First of all, I would like to express my continued thanks to my wife Isabel for her vigilance in reviewing drafts of the manuscripts, help in researching companies and consistent attention to detail in the development (and typing) of this text.

I have had the privilege to work with many talented individuals over the years, many of whom broke new ground in the field of technological innovation. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of those whose names have not been in the limelight as often as they should have been. The early pioneering efforts of Scott Shultz, Adrian Merryman, Deborah Pulak and Kitsie Holcumb at Dupont Information Engineering Associates radically altered the approach to computer software development and resulted in the creation of the Rapid Iterative Prototyping Process which became the foundation for many software development methodologies such as joint application development and ultimately reengineering laboratories. Additionally, Eric Dubiner, Richard Thomas, John Saboliauskas, Dr Tony Picardi, Ted Osetek and the many dedicated employees of the CORTEX Corporation who provided long hours of debate on the concept of portals in the 1980s. Many thanks to Warrant Officer John Eget of the Philadelphia Naval Station whose vision of how technology could be applied to military administration was at least ten years ahead of its time in the 1980s.

Special thanks to Jeff Morgan of Computer Sciences Corporation in the United Kingdom for his insights on project management, and to my colleague and friend Ian Head of Head-e Designs Ltd, London, a former CSC Index associate, for his efforts in converting my feeble attempts at drawing into graphs. Additionally, heartfelt thanks to Jim Baxter, Clelland Johnson, Jim Ettwein of the national practice of Computer Sciences Corporation who bridged the gap between business process reengineering and technology transformation. I am especially grateful to another CSC Index veteran Jay Rogers, a friend, sounding board, and longtime confidant who exemplifies the concept of a thought partner. I would also like to acknowledge Harry L. Freeman from the Mark Twain Institute, Simon Bragg from Arc-Web, Mike Killingly from HSBC Bank, Daragh O’Byrne and Martin Dolan from Misys International Banking Systems, and Margot Silva for their comments on the unedited version of this book.

I would like to give special recognition to Professor Patrick Bateson, Provost of King’s College, Cambridge, whose kindness and friendship made possible the continuation of my research into the ways of medieval craftsmen. A continued thanks to the fellows of King’s College for granting me access to King’s College Chapel, which acts as a catalyst for my research on medieval buildings. Special thanks to Dr Frank Woodman, from the Board of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge, for so many interesting insights into the construction of medieval churches.

Once again, I am grateful to my publishing editor Stephen Rutt for his willingness to take the ideas found in my lectures and formulate them into this text. It should also be noted that this book could not have been developed without the interaction, dialogue and exchange of ideas of the countless people who have attended my lectures.

In addition, I am forever grateful to Richard Buckminster Fuller, whose writing continues to inspire my research in architecture, history, business and science.

I would also like to acknowledge C. Stabell and fl. Fjeldstad for their work on Value Configurations and offer my most sincere apologies for overlooking their contribution in my first book Redefining Financial Services: The New Renaissance in Value Propositions. The error was not intended to diminish their intellectual property, but was merely an oversight due to the research method used.

Every effort has been made to trace all the copyright holders but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.