Process coordination links

An experiment

You can see this experiment at http://valdev.webfactional.com/accounting/work/ using the date range 2013-4-22 through 2013-4-26.

(Note: the dates got screwed up. If anybody would find the live example to be useful, let me know and we will fix them.)

Scheduling processes

I created a process chain using a recipe, like so:

Note: you don't need a recipe to create process chains (more on other ways below), but the recipe made it easier.

I did not select a type of work, because this is a process schedule, not work that I will do myself.

Adding more work requirements (tasks)

I changed the process like so:

I changed the dates and added a QT work requirement.

The new Work page

Here is how it shows up on the Work page:

Process linkages

Those processes are linked in 2 ways:

the previous process creates an output that is required as an input by the next process, and
both processes are for the same R&D order.

Note that the Mosquito optical layer material requirement caused another process to be generated automatically to create the component, while the Mosquito electronics layer requirement did not. That's because a Mosquito electronics layer existed in inventory, while the Mosquito optical layer did not.

Here is the end process. Note the previous process.

Two people take the tasks

Each worker can see the other's Labnotes

If you click the link, the labnotes will open in another tab.

Shared process coordination issues

These will need to be solved by some combination of practice and maybe more software changes.

Who logs outputs, inputs and citations? Don't want duplicate posts.
Should one person do all of that logging? Or should whoever creates the output or uses the input do the logging?
Pretty soon, input logging will ask for quality ratings. Who should do the rating? One or all?

Probably more issues will arise. For now:

Talk to each other.
Use chat.
Reload the labnotes pages.

Jonathan has proposed real-time updates for shared labnotes. That would be ideal, but is a major technical project which will require some skills that nobody working on the software has right now (2013-4-23). And the simple agreements should work well enough for current conditions where everybody knows each other and usually is working in the same lab.

Creating process chains without recipes

Any two processes where the output of one is the input to another, and the dates are compatible, are implicitly linked.

If the second process actually uses the output of the first process, they are explicitly linked.

If the processes are connected to the same R&D order, they will be explicitly linked. (Note: the method for linking processes to the same R&D order after they have been created is currently being revised (as of 2013-4-23) but will back in action in the near future. Open a github issue if you want it sooner.)

Summary

The process coordination hooks include the following:

Processes are linked directly when the planned output of one process is the planned input to another process. Those links appear on the Work and Process pages. They could also be presented as dependencies in views like gantt charts.
Processes are linked directly when they are associated with the same customer or R&D order. Those are parts of the same value system: that is, actively engaged in creating the value goals.
Processes are linked potentially when an existing resource was created by one process, and might satisfy the planned input of another process, but the processes were not planned together. You can see those potential links on the Work and Process pages.
If the other process actually uses that resource as an input, then those processes will be directly connected. Those direct links are part of the same value flow: that is, their deliverables might have been created in the past, even for different reasons, but they are now linked into this new flow. You can see those links on the Work and Process pages, and also on the Inventory page by clicking on a resource to see its history. You can see an example of resource history below.
Unassigned tasks on the Start, Work and Home pages are stigmergic coordination signals to a person, a network or the Internet that some work needs to be done.
People are linked when one person uses or consumes or cites a resource that was created by another person. Those are P2P coordination and evaluation links, where the person in the using process has the best possible view of the quality, quantity and timing of the deliverables from the producing process.
People are linked in direct collaboration when they work on the same process.

Resource history

This history could be extended indefinitely. If you click on a process link, you can find the labnotes for that process.