Training and Learning Materials
A collection of free educational resources designed to help you acquire knowledge and skill on a wide range of topics. These resources have been carefully crafted to provide users with a structured and accessible means to introduce key concepts.
Our resources shown below, are a mixture of old school (traditional) and more recent approaches used within the worlds of Engineering Design, Business Management, IT, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Systems Engineering to name just a few.
A few of you may consider these examples to gone way beyond their end-of-life dates (in original use contexts), however these tools do enable users to gain critical insights which really do support much more accurate requirements to be created to meet future business challenges.
Click on the View button below each description, to see the detailed material, which will open up in a new tab inside your web browser application.
Get in touch!, we welcome any feedback and suggestions for new learning materials.
Step [1] - Understand Your Current State Capabilities: People, Systems and Processes
The simple methodologies shown below enable you to gain a clearer understanding of any current state capabilties:
Boston Matrix Model
Supports decision making in terms of defining strategy based on the organisation and the lifecycle maturtity state of it’s products, identifying where to direct resources according to market share and growth of the organisation’s products
SWOT Analysis
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis tool used to identify if something (business unit, team, project, activities) match the overall organisational goals, objectives and strategic roadmap.
System Boundary / Context Diagrams
Ideally follows SIPOC analysis as visual depiction of how the system functions: (i) internal system boundary: internal stakeholders, activties and related system, (ii) external system boundary: external stakeholders / influencing factors which impact the way the internal system functions.
Porter’s 5 Forces Model
Examines an organisaton and it’s products within a given industry sector, against 5 key competitive forces, to identify potential strengths and weakeness of that industry sector.
PESTLE Analysis
Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis allows an organisaton to examine it’s products and activtities against key external factors which may impact successful outcomes.
Business Canvas Model
Modern approach of using simplified 1-2 page summary documents which provide a stylised representation of something in terms of: (i) basic decription, (ii) role, (iii) required resources, (iv) issues / limitations, (v) customer needs, (vi) other triggers for changes, (vii) costs of undertaking changes (vii) value proposition (current / after any updates)
Porter’s Value Chain
Originally examined specific activities in terms of optimising the value they created over the cost of performing the activities, introduced value chains and supply chain optimisation. Widely used today in cradle-to-cradle assessments.
SIPOC Analysis
Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer (SIPOC) analysis. using current data and valididated with stakeholders (i) lists key internal/external stakeholders and roles, (ii) defines supplier stakeholder to customer stakeholder, and (iii) what is being undertaken between both stakeholders
Step [1] Summary
Each of the methods in this section are offer diffrent insights, you do not need to apply all of them, tailor them to your own individual needs. We do recommend:
(i) SIPOC to correctly identify actors, roles, inputs, activtities and outputs for any systsem.
(ii) System boundary / context diagrams to depict information (from (i))
(iii) Business canvas model to summarize current state system.
All of the above reviewed and validated by all identified stakeholders.
Step [2] - You Have Identified A New Challenge!: What Now?
The topic areas shown below are non-exhaustive, they are intended to act as potential methods and will be regularly updated as required, requested or suggested:
Articulate!
Focus only on the the new challenge. We present you with a logical flow diagram of steps (adjust as required).
Assess the new challenge (initial requirements,actors, systems, inputs, processes, outputs, urgency) create new SIPOC, System Context and Business Canvas models [Challenge based required state]
Drawing Board Again!
Gap Analysis (1) = plausible options = desired state changes.
Rework / Create new SIPOC, System Boundary and Business Canvas models for all or your preferred approach
Create Internal Change Request
There is bound to be some form of internal change management system which must be followed —> well you should all initial steps, stakeholder buy-ins, resources and cost estimates based on which option(s) chosen at GAP Analysis (1) - raise the docunent, with a summary presentation and submit
Raise Your Concerns!
As the change of champion, requires a lot of paperwork and communication across the organisation, start highlighting impacts / risks to your businness on every identified internal / external stakeholder’s risk register … sounds a bit crazy but it does actually work in practice !!
Attend Change Review Board
Present the need for change and the prefferred option. You will get challenged at every gated review step .. even the really early ones … address concerns / issues.
Move onto the next step / phase of activities
Re-Engage Stakeholders!
Connect with current capability stakeholders identified in Step[1]:
Present the new challenge specific SIPOC, System Context and Business Canvas models.
Contrast with previous current state capability information from Step [1].
Follow flow diagram of suggested tasks (adjust as required)
GAP Analysis (1)
Having identified (a) current state capabilities (Step [1]), and (b) articulated challenge based required state (Articulate!), and (c) engaged with relevant stakeholders, an initial GAP analysis can be estab;ished [(b) = (a) + (c)]:
Yes - Current state capabilities can be expanded. or
Maybe - Utilise other internal systems / capabilities (new stakeholders = repeat this step), or
No - Your organisation lacks the required capabilities and/or resources, so will need to procure new internal / external systems as appropriate.
Begin to Plan, Plan and Plan Again!
Planning can beign at any step, ideally it should start to evolve from GAP Analysis (1), and then refined everytime it has been flagged as a business risk on a stakeholders risk register - they will want to to review your plan, assess it’s impact, and raise risk at a higher level (as the risks can adversely impact stakeholders own objectives / targets)
Step [2] Summary
Lots of analysis and adapting concepts, from current state (Step [1])), through to new challenge desured state to finally organisation feasible future states shown under GAP Analysis (1).
Pretty generic activities shown in this section … should be common across many organisations (adjust as required)
Step [3] - Refine Your Technical Design Requirements: What Now?
The topic areas shown below are non-exhaustive, they are intended to act as potential methods and will be regularly updated as required, requested or suggested:
Articulate!
Focus only on the the new challenge. We present you with a logical flow diagram of steps (adjust as required).
Assess the new challenge (initial requirements,actors, systems, inputs, processes, outputs, urgency) create new SIPOC, System Context and Business Canvas models [Challenge based required state]
Drawing Board Again!
Gap Analysis (1) = plausible options = desired state changes.
Rework / Create new SIPOC, System Boundary and Business Canvas models for all or your preferred approach
Create Internal Change Request
There is bound to be some form of internal change management system which must be followed —> well you should all initial steps, stakeholder buy-ins, resources and cost estimates based on which option(s) chosen at GAP Analysis (1) - raise the docunent, with a summary presentation and submit
Raise Your Concerns!
As the change of champion, requires a lot of paperwork and communication across the organisation, start highlighting impacts / risks to your businness on every identified internal / external stakeholder’s risk register … sounds a bit crazy but it does actually work in practice !!
Attend Change Review Board
Present the need for change and the prefferred option. You will get challenged at every gated review step .. even the really early ones … address concerns / issues.
Move onto the next step / phase of activities
Re-Engage Stakeholders!
Connect with current capability stakeholders identified in Step[1]:
Present the new challenge specific SIPOC, System Context and Business Canvas models.
Contrast with previous current state capability information from Step [1].
Follow flow diagram of suggested tasks (adjust as required)
GAP Analysis (1)
Having identified (a) current state capabilities (Step [1]), and (b) articulated challenge based required state (Articulate!), and (c) engaged with relevant stakeholders, an initial GAP analysis can be estab;ished [(b) = (a) + (c)]:
Yes - Current state capabilities can be expanded. or
Maybe - Utilise other internal systems / capabilities (new stakeholders = repeat this step), or
No - Your organisation lacks the required capabilities and/or resources, so will need to procure new internal / external systems as appropriate.
Begin to Plan, Plan and Plan Again!
Planning can beign at any step, ideally it should start to evolve from GAP Analysis (1), and then refined everytime it has been flagged as a business risk on a stakeholders risk register - they will want to to review your plan, assess it’s impact, and raise risk at a higher level (as the risks can adversely impact stakeholders own objectives / targets)
Step [2] Summary
Lots of analysis and adapting concepts, from current state (Step [1])), through to new challenge desured state to finally organisation feasible future states shown under GAP Analysis (1).
Pretty generic activities shown in this section … should be common across many organisations (adjust as required)