infoTECH Feature

April 24, 2009

Simplicity - The Hallmark of Excellence

By Paul Lohnes
Simplicity. Sounds wonderful, but how does an organization design simplicity into their IT and communications systems? This new TMCnet column will address this concept as the ever increasing complexity of such systems is draining the coffers of organizations of all sizes and types. The current economic conditions demand organizations review their systems and the impact on productivity.
 
To begin, what do Aristotle, Franciscan friar William of Ockham, and Einstein all have in common? They all stated in very similar terms the "Law of Simplicity." To paraphrase: "All things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the best." We will refer to this principle as most people understand it as "Occam's Razor."
 
The benefits of implementing Occam's Razor in IT/Communications design include:
·         Flexibility,
·         Reduced development, lead time, and reduced maintenance, and thus
·         Reduced costs.
 
 
These benefits and others will be delineated over the next few articles, but be warned, to gain these benefits will require a "mindset change" at almost all levels of the organization. Remember, simplicity does not mean easy, but the results can be very rewarding.
 
Continuing on, does simplicity matter in the design of IT/Communications systems? Complexity, the opposite of system simplicity, is the antithesis of cost-savings. You know this implicitly as the number of lines of code increases — costs increase; the number of different vendors — costs increase; the number of user applications — costs increase, etc. But can simplicity be a design goal for IT/Communications systems?
 
As a 26-year veteran technology consultant, I can answer that with an emphatic "YES!" Having sat through countless design meetings that began with "detail chaos" (as I liked to call it), I have seen the complexity begin from initial project designs. Simplicity must be one of the highest design criteria from the start, or as Einstein stated, "make it simple as required, but not simpler."
 
Some examples, in my opinion, of growing complexity in systems that have impacted productivity are:
·         Java, the programming language that begin as an embedded operating system.
·         Centrex, the Bell Operating Companies voice/data offering.
·         Windows, Microsoft's (News - Alert) GUI operating system.
·         UNIX, the standard “non-standard”.
 
Some examples, in my opinion, of currently simplistic designs are:
·         Ruby and Ruby on Rails
·         VoIP (Voice over IP)
·         Virtualization for both server and desktop solutions
·         Linux: the open-source operating system
 
Reasons for lack of simplicity in IT/Communications systems can be some or all of the following:
·         Technical detail sprawl: technologists love details and complexity
·         Management technology ignorance: senior executives do not understand "how it works," or do not care.
·         Limited or no systems design goals
·         Design by committee
·         Customization versus standards
·         80/20 rule violation: the ”solve everything” syndrome
·         and many more that we will discover.
 
Join us over the next few months as we discuss how simplicity can lead to leaner, cheaper, and more flexible IT/Communications systems for your organization.
 

For more information or to read more of Paul Lohnes' columns, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Greg Galitzine
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