Typical use case

There are a thousand ways to use Southbeach, just as there are a thousand ways to use a spreadsheet. This page describes one way that Southbeach models can be used in any business or engineering project.

Also see our customer case studies

Back to the drawing board

Imagine you are in a workshop attempting to draw a new business process model. You are forty five minutes into the meeting, and an elogent process model has been developed. Everyone is looking pleased with themselves. Then, the quiet guy at the back looks up and says, "But that won't work because of X, Y and Z".

We have all been there!

Suddenly, the whole room is buzzing, and you quickly realize that the way the model has drawn started off on the wrong basis. It's back to the drawing board for the model. You need the input of the team, but they are no longer prepared to spend another hour developing a new picture. You have lost them.

How is Southbeach different?

Southbeach cannot think for you, but it accelerates the process.

Southbeach Notation is an additive or 'contributory' notation. Nothing you add to the diagram invalidates its logic, and can only enhance it. The constructs of useful and harmful elements, and increasing and decreasing effects, allow everyone to contribute their knowledge, ideas and, most importantly, their perspective.

The notation was designed to capture disagreement, as well as agreement, with no need to continually re-work the diagram.

If someone claims that something is useful, another person can add knowledge to explain how it is also harmful from their perspective. Another workshop participant can explain how to overcome that problem. As their solution or idea is added in, another person can demonstrate their knowledge by explaining the potential side effects. If disagreement breaks out, simple decomposition techniques can resolve it, without the need to redraw the diagram.

As new knowledge is added, directions for improvement begin to appear. If the workshop is focussed on an idea, the idea gets better. If the workshop is re-designing a product, the focus for improvement becomes clearer. If it is a new system being designed, the shortfalls in the design are quickly revealed.

One way to do it

Create a new model, drawing on past work, then drill down into the situation. Use creativity rules to generate insights. Associate notes and web links for background evidence or reference.

Write a consulting report, adding rules to extract key information and relationships from the model. Export the model to a spreadsheert for further analysis. Paste models into final documents. Export images for a blog post.

Drag out dialogs, mouse functions and short-cut keys enable you to build models quickly and easily. You should be able to keep up with workshop attendees without distracting or, worse still, frustrating them.

• Create a model, e.g. a hypothesis
• Elaborate the model with colleagues
• Bring in the perspective of experts
• Elaborate further, creating sub-models
• Drill down into complex or contentious areas
• Perform a root cause analysis to deepend understanding
• Hold a workshop and use build sequences to illustrate your thinking
• Brainstorm how to improve the idea/systems/situation based on generated directions
• Produce a report listing the elements of the model and how they interact
• Share the model and report with others to gather feedback
• Capture the feedback as model changes and ideas
• Create a plan of action
• Show the 'to be' design next to the 'as is' situation
• Perform an impact analysis and refine by mitigating risks
• Create the final report with your internal/external client
• Execute the action plan

Southbeach helps with

• Understanding an idea, design or situation
• Gaining clarity on root causes
• Finding a way through contradictory requirements / needs
• Agreeing the tensions, goals, enablers, barriers and constraints
• Seeing the possibilities for improvement
• Finding those things that could go wrong
• Defining solutions to problems and explaining how they can be applied
• Understanding the views of stakeholders
• Aligning the perspectives of team members

Scenarios for using Southbeach include

• Personal analysis
• Face to face consulting
• Counselling, mentoring
• Facilitated group workshop
• Virtual team collaboration
• Best practices dissemination