For the case study, "Engine Trouble", which we analysed last week,
we now have a list of actors and characteristics.

We are going to look for solutions - first, just possibilities.  (As in a brainstorming
session, we do NOT evaluate if the solutions are good or bad. We accept all ideas.
Even strange ideas or impossible alternatives may lead to good solutions.)

The OOMM (TM) method uses "object-oriented mind-mapping (TM)" to present the case information   
Our method begins by  
1. identifying the "actors", the participants  
	nouns and noun phrases   
	persons, organisations, things, ideas   
	both concrete and abstract  
2. identifying their characteristics, their attributes   
	adjectives and adjectival phrases   
	qualities and attributes of the actors  

We draw this in a sort of "mind map" - it gets complex, but the benefit is that 
it shows all actors, all their characteristics, and many of the relationships.
We can also write it in a list format

The OOMM method has two methods to get ideas in a systematic way.
We describe the next step, at the end of this mail.  there is an exercise for you to do!

Graham

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List of actors and characteristics. 

Bjorn Erik Strand 
	tired 
	frustrated 
	founder of BEST Services 
	sees opportunities
		outside the mainstream business
		in other parts of the process industry
		selling farm machinery
		to eastern Europa
	wants to sell out	
	wants to start again
	... 
The company
	three parts
BEST Services
	fifteen years old
	founded by Bjorn Erik Strand
	automation systems supplier
	in Trondheim 
		in north Norway 
	25 staff 
	all in the same building
	Finance director Eva Larsen
	project engineering
		is feast or famine
		a lot to do, or nothing
	resource planning 
		is difficult
		everything stops for the projects
	has had a series of losses
	team
		sees opportunities
		cannot move quickly
		must cooperate
		cannot make sure of an order
	executives
		are concentrating on their own projects
		have no time for other products
		morale / motivation is low
		fear about jobs
		have a communication problem
Eva Larsen
	is not constructive
	Finance director 
	money made with projects is lost during gaps
	loss overall for the last two years
	no income comes from software
automation systems  
	process industies 
	Norwegian 
	hurt by the recession       	
	sales are falling
Trondheim Engineering
	joint venture
	with Thorvald Hansen
	offers related engineering services
	margins are good
	team should concentrate on the projects
BEST Programming
	two years old
	develops software
		for automation systems
	has two powerful new products
		which appeal to different markets
	we can't concentrate on the markets
	the software does not make money
		as executives are concentrating on their own projects
Thorvald Hansen
	engineer
	partner
	CEO of trondheim Engineering