Single Source of Truth, Make Way for a Single Source of Understanding
Make way for ducklings and for a single source of understanding (apologies to Robert McCloskey)
In my last post I covered the essential attributes of an effective single source of truth—a consolidated, reliable source of project information. But simply collecting project details into a centralized vault is not enough for effective R&D decision making. Your single source of truth needs to become a single source of understanding. A single source of understanding moves beyond the (admittedly already ambitious) single source of truth to
- Drive consensus on what you do and do not know about the cost, risk, and value of your initiatives
- Resolve (not just surface) disagreements
- Go beyond “what is” and highlight “what’s changed” since the last discussion
- Support conversations around available options and their impacts
Is there really a single truth?
It is a cruel irony that you can create a single source of truth, but there is no single truth. Business is fraught with uncertainty, and no one truly knows whether an innovative product will meet engineering specs, cost constraints, customer requirements, or sales expectations. (more…)