Beating Murphy's Law by Chew, W. Bruce, Leonard-Barton

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Beating Murphy's Law
Chew, W. Bruce, Leonard-Barton, Dorothy, Bohn, Roger E.. Sloan Management Review. Cambridge: Spring 1991. Vol. 32, Iss. 3; pg. 5, 12 pgs


Abstract (Summary)
When new technology is introduced on the plant floor, everything that can go wrong usually does - thus proving Murphy's Law. Considering all the possible problems that can arise, no plan that addresses specific contingencies is adequate. A plan that emphasizes organizational learning is needed.
Through systematic learning from every angle, during all phases of implementation and well after, managers can implement technology successfully and continuously improve all their business processes. Critical rules are presented for beating Murphy's Law. They represent an approach based on generating knowledge about the new equipment and the existing organization, systems, and processes. The rules include: 1. Think of implementation as research and development. 2. Ask "What made it hard?" 3. Learn in many ways at once. 4. Simulate and prototype everything. 5. Produce 2 outputs: salable products and knowledge.