Entropy and ivory in imperfect harmony

The way we use technology today is making our lives difficult in the name of economy, says Nigel Leeming.

Let me introduce you to two new concepts: Leeming's Laws of Paralysis and the Common Incapability Index.

Large firms have someone in their IT department to control who has internet access, who has intranet access only, and who has no browser on their desktop.

They have someone to control who has external or internal email, or no computer at all. The controllers have a manager, who manages how they prevent people from doing these things.

Such examples are the tip of the iceberg of effort being expended by IT departments without any measurable outcome. Technology, once the enabler, becomes the tool for enforcing incapability in the name of cost and risk control.

Incapability hangs on two factors: latency and entropy. Latency is a measure of the time between asking for something and getting it, or even a response. Entropy is how much energy is lost to the process. Latency and Entropy make things more difficult.

First Law of Paralysis: The bigger they are, the harder it gets; the larger an organisation is, the greater its latency and entropy.

Second Law of Paralysis: Kipling used the phrase "When thou hast seen the elephants dance", meaning something that will never happen. But management bigwigs have sought to persuade us otherwise.

Professor C.K. Prahlad, in an address to the Strategic Management Society, said: "Successfully managing large, diverse nations such as India is like teaching elephants to dance.

"The important thing is that once they start dancing, everyone else has to leave the floor."

Today, IBM looks like the dance leader. Our internal IT efforts, gnat-sized by comparison, are grinding to a halt. They are tomorrow's wallflowers, standing back as the elephants waltz, puzzling at their own incapability.

Laws of Paralysis through Entropy

• Each piece of policy limiting access to an application or technology will increase entropy
• Each piece of technology performing the same task will increase entropy
• A poor working environment increases entropy
• On average, people are optimistic. This leads them to expect a bigger bonus than they actually get. Their disappointment leads to higher entropy.

Laws of Paralysis through Latency

• Each layer of management increases latency
• A rhythmic release process increases latency
• An IT department likes to form itself around a business strategy. If there isn't one (which seems to be commonplace at present) then latency, via indecision, increases
• Each point of authorisation in a process increases latency

The Common Incapability Index

Incapability level 1 - least incapable, typical of a small software house.

• No defined process to follow
• Architecturally-led software development
• XP style development principles

Incapability level 2 - still capable, but subject to some inefficiency.

• A defined process to follow
• Non-technical project management

Incapability level 3 - The beginnings of incompetence

• People who want to create roadmaps and frameworks
• An architecture team with no architecture

Incapability level 4 - Matured incompetence

• Energy-sapping rules which prevent anyone from being enthusiastic for long
• Many programmes of work without cross-programme management
• Senior staff micro-managing many layers beneath them

Incapability level 5 - Most incapable

• Hiring good people will make no difference
• Hiring more people will make no difference
• Increasing the budget will make no difference

Incapability can only be reduced by common sense. It is common knowledge that common sense is uncommonly rare these days.

Nigel Leeming is a founding member of the Worldwide Institute of Software Architects.