ALMA (Association of Laboratory Managers) Beanpot (New England) Chapter
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
10 a.m. – Noon
Meeting site:   Millipore Corporation in Bedford Massachusetts
Web-site Link:  http://www.labmanagers.org/about/chapters.shtml

A Brief Summary

“Often, we speak of our data as a database table and field. As this book points out, data in a database isn’t interesting or useful. People only care about “data on the move” or data that is being used. For everyone who thinks their data is excellent when it is 99% correct, who talks about a data strategy or who over-casually makes plans to do “data mining” this is a book worth reading. It is explained in a manner that everyone can read and understand it. At the same time, it carefully lays-out the problems with our data and our plans to use it, as well as lists of issues to consider in order to make better use of this data.”

The Issues, Examples and Solutions

The book covers the issues that prevent data sharing. First of all, it reduces a person’s power to share their data. There are privacy and security issues. The data that one person works with and cares about is different than the data another group might benefit from and that’s not always apparent. The book addresses all these issues. It gives examples on privacy and security policy issues, that you can’t make it so difficult to get data that people can’t get at it, but that there are procedures to follow to make sure the data doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Or, there’s the issue that different people and groups need and want to see the data in different ways. He includes excellent and simple examples to illustrate his points.

Our Problem

One issue the author mentions is that a computer, well, it “computes.” It manages the routine. Data is managed when it comes from routine processes. Here’s a key for us. We’re always running into problems when we discuss the non-routine work such as ad-hoc samples, non-routine testing, etc… This is where our industry seems to have the most trouble finding a good way to manage and mine that data. We’re coming up with more strategies for it, but even this expert points to this as difficult.

It’s not unreasonable for us to try to capture and use this data but maybe it is true that we’re using a computer for something which it doesn’t handle particularly well – the unexpected and non-routine. If we recognize that as the challenge, we can work to overcome it.

Somewhere here in TheIntegratedLab.com, John and I talked about books such as “Here Comes Everybody” by Clay Shirky and “Tribes” by Seth Godin. I’d like to thank John for mentioning “Tribes” which I have only just finished reading and based on his recommendation.

“Here Comes Everybody” speaks more to the point regarding how the ways in which the ordinary person can organize something has changed. We’re now empowered to organize things. “Tribes” is directed more toward how we now must, as the old saying goes “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way.” It gives examples as to how important it is that we make a choice which we should do and can do, and then to do whatever it is that we think is the right choice. In this way, we will have the leaders we need and the followers that are required to give those leaders a “movement.”

More on the Topic of Change

Additionally, a friend of mine just gave me a link to a presentation on the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) web-site called “The Future of Work” http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/229 which is based on a book by the same name by a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Thomas W. Malone. The presentation was recorded on June 5^th, 2004.

In the talk, Malone states that he feels we’re at the beginning of a change in the way we work. As with Shirky’s book and with John’s humorous posting of the medieval help desk, he also points to the printing press. In his case, he uses it as an example of a significant way in which communications have become and continue to become cheaper, making information available to almost everyone in the organization in order to make decisions.

He asks the question, “How much of the energy, creativity, intelligence of the people in our organization could we take advantage of?” What percentage of that potential do you think that your company uses? He asks the audience to tell him and he claims that he normally averages 30%. In the MIT audience, it was closer to 50%.

Have You Seen the Change?

In your organization, what percentage do you think it is? Do you think your vision is different from the laboratory than it would be in other parts of the organization?

TheIntegratedLab.com welcomes your thoughts on this in the Comments section of this posting. So, jump in and tell us what you think about what you’ve seen or haven’t seen.

http://www.atlab.com/

http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2009/27jul-gp09016.html

Gloria