MINCE2 Foundation - Gebruikersbijdragen [nl]

Levels

2025-02-11T21:00:17Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Levels''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Levels: overview'''==
[[file:Figure18.png|300px|right|Figure 18 – A MINCE Tower (with only levels 1 to 3)]]'''Levels''' indicate the appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and the full set of ''[[Criteria]]''.
As explained elsewhere, each ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' in out MINCE castle has five ''Levels'' (a couple more than there were found for the Tower in adjecent photograph). The higher the level in a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' we are able to reach, the better we can see who is approaching through our looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'').

From the first floor we will, obviously, via our ''[[Criteria]]''-holes only notice anyone approaching as soon as the oncomer is very near. Only at that moment will the organization be able to decide whether to consider the newcomer a friend or a threat. The organization, as a result, will have little time to prepare a warm welcome of a proper defense.

This is much easier if the organization is able to check for new arrivals from higher floors. That will leave time to get prepared: prepare complex meals (friendly visitor) or put out the oil cauldrons above high fires (enemy ahead).

In MINCE we are particularly interested in the height of the top floor that we can reach. This is the '''Level''': what is the maximum height (''Level'') for the five looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'') we will be able to reach in our ''[[Towers]]''?

Secondly, MINCE gives a view on the perspective of the castle lord. What height will he want to be from which the workers are to look out for visitors? He will have to realize that it will not possible to add a couple of floors over night. Adding a floor in a tower requires craftsmanship, patience and dedication. It will take its toll and such things can only be speeded up to a certain degree.

The combination of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a ''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'' is evaluated using MINCE and this results in an appreciation of what has been found. That is the measured '''Level'''. Next to that, there is also an ''ambition Level'' set: the level at which the organization's management team would like to be in the near future.

MINCE uses the following ''Levels'':

<ol type="1">
<li>''[[#Level1|Activities]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#activities|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level2|Processes]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#processes|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level3|Systems]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#systems|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level4|Supply Chain]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supplychain|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level5|Quality]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#quality|glossary]])</font>.</li>
</ol>

As you might notice, the MINCE ''Level'' is derived from the levels defined by the 2004 version of '''EFQM'''. The difference lies in the MINCE combination of ''Level'' and ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'', which is unlike the approach of ''EFQM''. Nevertheless the level indication suits both models.

The higher the level in MINCE (the higher the floor), the better an organization deals with the issues related to the ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]''-combination. The lower the level (the lower the floor), the worse the organization deals with these issues.

<div id="Level1">

=='''Level 1''': '''''Activities'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 1''', the ''Activities''-Level, is glad if a result is accomplished. It is difficult to predict whether activities will indeed result in the product that is intended, since there are few lessons learned from past findings. Some of the employees will be able to improve their performance on the basis of their personal experience, but as there is no platform to share their knowledge with collegues, it will hardly be spread any further.

If an employee decides to advance his career elsewhere, the lessons he learned leave the company with him. Knowledge entering the company together with the more experienced new employees is not spread, so almost nobody will benefit.

Processes are rarely available in writing, the way things are done is explained via word of mouth. Since we all handle such things differently, without written descriptions, the processes are explained differently, depending on the staff member doing the talking.

Nobody really has a particular vision regarding the customer or supplier chains. We buy materials via the companies that we have become used to and we sell to companies asking for our products.

There is no particular quality goal set. We are happy with what we are producing and we stick to the way we have always done it.

Each and every working day we are focusing on the activities leading to results (products, services). We are so busy doing just that, we don't really have any time left in order to describe the processes we use, the systems we've implemented, our supplier or customer chains. We have no idea what to do with regard to quality. We hardly know what the word means.

Note that any organization not truly focusing on production related activities is not considered to be at ''Activities''-level yet. Such organizations are off the MINCE scale.

The activity driven nature of organizations at this MINCE maturity ''Level'' allows for the greatest open minded flexibility which is particularly beneficial to creative processes. It will in the long run remain effective when there is a limited number of people and it is highly dependent on the personal skills of such a relatively small group.

<div id="Level2">
=='''Level 2''': '''''Processes'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 2''', the ''Process''-Level, is aware of the processes leading to completed products. The activities are neatly described and placed in an optimum order, so that the way they lead to products can be predicted.

A process to upgrade new employees to the basic level is also in place, so that all workers, having completed an entry training, are able to start at the same knowledge level. This level however is also where things end: there is little or no structural way for employees to share their findings. Contributing to the effectiveness of the organization through the input of positive and negative experiences is poorly supported.

If an employee leaves, then the ones left behind and any newcomers will be able to take up where others left off without much difficulty. Processes are described and maintained. There is some room for personal interpretations in using the processes.

The management team is convinced that describing the processes is as important as maintaining them and they want to keep track of the improvements over time.

Procurement is handled via one of these described processes allowing some room for taking decisions that will influence the costs in a positive manner.

There is understanding of the relation between the quality and the way the working environment is set up. There is no link between the working environment and the business chain yet.

Every day employees are aiming to do their work according to the described process. In the organization there is no manpower left to set up our systems or deal with the supplier/customer chain. Our organization knows the importance of quality, bu we are not yet able to get a firm grip on that.

Note that an organization needs to have written and maintained processes in order to meet the requirements associated with the ''Processes'' Level.

The processes of organizations at this MINCE Level allow them to fairly easily change from one production sequence to another, though the output will always remain restricted to certain boundaries (a single product of a limited set of products) which is inevitable to this maturity level.

<div id="Level3">
=='''Level 3''': '''''Systems'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 3''', the ''Systems''-Level, has the activities and processes in place and, on top of that, has developed a set of standard means to be used. In addition a feedback loop is in place, so that the processes and the means are continuously updated and improved.

From the employees point of view at this level they will also have the means at their disposal to produce optimized results. Because these means are subject to continuous improvements, the workers will benefit from their organization investing in both processes and systems.

New employees will need to be able to deal with such systems, as these will nog be common to all the work force that are active in the market segment. Anyone entering the organization will have to bring along a certain amount of experience to be able to adopt the systems. Experiences are shared between collegues, partly as a result of their own efforts and partly because their employer supports this knowledge spreading.

If an employee leaves, this is not a complete surprise and it is regarded a natural step in relation to his personal development. Such an employee is not considered an enemy, all of a sudden, but rather experienced as an appreciated friend with unchanged value. Newcomers will have to swiftly fit in the environment or they will be replaced.

Procurement is handled by the organization in a coherent manner, involving the personal experiences of groups of employees. The aim is to get the organization the most attractive deals. There is no exchange of benefits between the organization and its customers or suppliers in place yet.

The employees are well acquinted with the ways (activities, process and systems) used by our organization in order to achieve predefined goals. The organization competes with others in the market segment. Our sales staff struggles to get the attention of our customers. Our purchasers challenge our suppliers for attractive deals. Our employees are well aware of our internal quality and its flaws and they are working on its continuous improvement.

Note that an organization at the ''Systems'' Level will have to be on the leading edge in using the most actual systems available in their market segment.

The Systems these type of organizations use are an example to others, because of the speed with which they can adjust their production (not their products) as changes occur in the specifications of certain product ranges.

<div id="Level4">
=='''Level 4''': '''''Supply Chain'''''==
If an organization is at MINCE '''Level 4''', ''Supply Chain'', it also interacts with suppliers and customers in the chain. Such an organization will, in addition to having full control over their own, internal activities, processes and systems, also interact with other entities in the market.

In the relationship with the suppliers in the chain, the organization will make sure these suppliers also benefit from the positive effects of co-operation. There will be some give and some take. Co-operating will in the long run always turn out beneficial to both supplier and the buyer.

The same applies to the customers in the chain. The organization will make sure customers appreciate the added value they are offering. The customer organization maturity is one of the [[Towers]] influencing your own rating.

New suppliers and new customers will be drawn to Level 4 rated organizations because you simply can't ignore their presence in the market. At this level an organization opens up with regard to their competitors since they appreciate each player in a market segment will have its own strengths to offer – and they are very well aware of their own.

Purchases as well as sales are handled coherently with a focus on the long-term relationship. This implies the organization will from time to time knowingly accept lesser results: Granting (part of) a deal to another company, accepting purchases at a higher price, letting go of an opportunity because they are not ready for it.

Our organization challenges our suppliers as well as our customers to co-operate in order to increase the quality of the chain. We are nog yet setting the trend in our market segment, but we being taken into account by anyone out there.

This organization is an example to others because of the accuracy with which we are able to adjust our products to changing environmental conditions.

<div id="Level5">
=='''Level 5''': '''''Quality'''''==
In the top MINCE '''Level 3''', an organization is setting the trends. This type of organization is publishing and explaining about the way they see future events in their category of activities. Other organizations will read this material, appreciate its intrinsic value and follow suit.

Suppliers in the chain will recognize the importance and they will explore the degree to which they will be able to adjust their own process in order to better connect to what the Level 5 organization is stating to be their next set goal.

Customers in the chain will take notice of the trend and start experimenting with the novel developments this Level 5 organization is predicting. They migt turn to the source of such a development, but obviously other organizations will also follow the trail and these competitors will also gain some of the benefits.

The organization at this level will constantly check, double check and improve all of its activities and the way it interacts with its environment. Requesting an external expert opinion is so well accepted, that there is hardly any discussion about that. Giving such an expert opinion following an innovation from other organizations is normal practice.

Having the capacity to make a change in any direction is one of the most important virtues of any organization at this highest MINCE Level. Accordingly an oil company may (as an example) perfectly well turn into an ICT service provider within a year or so.

The speed at which this type of organization will be setting the trend or adapting to new opportunities in the (niche) markets is their main accomplishment. The MINCE maturity is at its maximum.

Levels

2025-02-11T20:42:52Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Levels: overview */

Levels

2025-02-11T20:41:33Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Levels: overview */

This section provides explanation about the '''Levels''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Levels: overview'''==
[[file:Figure18.png|300px|right|Figure 18 – A MINCE Tower (with only levels 1 to 3)]]'''Levels''' indicate the appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and the full set of ''[[Criteria]]''.
As explained elsewhere, each ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' in out MINCE castle has five ''Levels'' (a couple more than there were found for the Tower in adjecent photograph). The higher the level in a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' we are able to reach, the better we can see who is approaching through our looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'').

From the first floor we will, obviously, via our ''[[Criteria]]''-holes only notice anyone approaching as soon as the oncomer is very near. Only at that moment will the organization be able to decide whether to consider the newcomer a friend or a threat. The organization, as a result, will have little time to prepare a warm welcome of a proper defense.

This is much easier if the organization is able to check for new arrivals from higher floors. That will leave time to get prepared: prepare complex meals (friendly visitor) or put out the oil cauldrons above high fires (enemy ahead).

In MINCE we are particularly interested in the height of the top floor that we can reach. This is the '''Level''': what is the maximum height (''Level'') for the five looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'') we will be able to reach in our ''[[Towers]]''?

Secondly, MINCE gives a view on the perspective of the castle lord. What height will he want to be from which the workers are to look out for visitors? He will have to realize that it will not possible to add a couple of floors over night. Adding a floor in a tower requires craftsmanship, patience and dedication. It will take its toll and such things can only be speeded up to a certain degree.

The combination of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a ''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'' is evaluated using MINCE and this results in an appreciation of what has been found. That is the measured '''Level'''. Next to that, there is also an ''ambition Level'' set: the level at which the organization's management team would like to be in the near future.

MINCE uses the following ''Levels'':

<ol type="1">
<li>''[[#Level1|Activities]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#activities|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level2|Processes]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#processes|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level3|Systems]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#systems|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level4|Supply Chain]]''';</li>
<li>''[[#Level5|Quality]]'''.</li>
</ol>

As you might notice, the MINCE ''Level'' is derived from the levels defined by the 2004 version of '''EFQM'''. The difference lies in the MINCE combination of ''Level'' and ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'', which is unlike the approach of ''EFQM''. Nevertheless the level indication suits both models.

The higher the level in MINCE (the higher the floor), the better an organization deals with the issues related to the ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]''-combination. The lower the level (the lower the floor), the worse the organization deals with these issues.

<div id="Level1">

=='''Level 1''': '''''Activities'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 1''', the ''Activities''-Level, is glad if a result is accomplished. It is difficult to predict whether activities will indeed result in the product that is intended, since there are few lessons learned from past findings. Some of the employees will be able to improve their performance on the basis of their personal experience, but as there is no platform to share their knowledge with collegues, it will hardly be spread any further.

If an employee decides to advance his career elsewhere, the lessons he learned leave the company with him. Knowledge entering the company together with the more experienced new employees is not spread, so almost nobody will benefit.

Processes are rarely available in writing, the way things are done is explained via word of mouth. Since we all handle such things differently, without written descriptions, the processes are explained differently, depending on the staff member doing the talking.

Nobody really has a particular vision regarding the customer or supplier chains. We buy materials via the companies that we have become used to and we sell to companies asking for our products.

There is no particular quality goal set. We are happy with what we are producing and we stick to the way we have always done it.

Each and every working day we are focusing on the activities leading to results (products, services). We are so busy doing just that, we don't really have any time left in order to describe the processes we use, the systems we've implemented, our supplier or customer chains. We have no idea what to do with regard to quality. We hardly know what the word means.

Note that any organization not truly focusing on production related activities is not considered to be at ''Activities''-level yet. Such organizations are off the MINCE scale.

The activity driven nature of organizations at this MINCE maturity ''Level'' allows for the greatest open minded flexibility which is particularly beneficial to creative processes. It will in the long run remain effective when there is a limited number of people and it is highly dependent on the personal skills of such a relatively small group.

<div id="Level2">
=='''Level 2''': '''''Processes'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 2''', the ''Process''-Level, is aware of the processes leading to completed products. The activities are neatly described and placed in an optimum order, so that the way they lead to products can be predicted.

A process to upgrade new employees to the basic level is also in place, so that all workers, having completed an entry training, are able to start at the same knowledge level. This level however is also where things end: there is little or no structural way for employees to share their findings. Contributing to the effectiveness of the organization through the input of positive and negative experiences is poorly supported.

If an employee leaves, then the ones left behind and any newcomers will be able to take up where others left off without much difficulty. Processes are described and maintained. There is some room for personal interpretations in using the processes.

The management team is convinced that describing the processes is as important as maintaining them and they want to keep track of the improvements over time.

Procurement is handled via one of these described processes allowing some room for taking decisions that will influence the costs in a positive manner.

There is understanding of the relation between the quality and the way the working environment is set up. There is no link between the working environment and the business chain yet.

Every day employees are aiming to do their work according to the described process. In the organization there is no manpower left to set up our systems or deal with the supplier/customer chain. Our organization knows the importance of quality, bu we are not yet able to get a firm grip on that.

Note that an organization needs to have written and maintained processes in order to meet the requirements associated with the ''Processes'' Level.

The processes of organizations at this MINCE Level allow them to fairly easily change from one production sequence to another, though the output will always remain restricted to certain boundaries (a single product of a limited set of products) which is inevitable to this maturity level.

<div id="Level3">
=='''Level 3''': '''''Systems'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 3''', the ''Systems''-Level, has the activities and processes in place and, on top of that, has developed a set of standard means to be used. In addition a feedback loop is in place, so that the processes and the means are continuously updated and improved.

From the employees point of view at this level they will also have the means at their disposal to produce optimized results. Because these means are subject to continuous improvements, the workers will benefit from their organization investing in both processes and systems.

New employees will need to be able to deal with such systems, as these will nog be common to all the work force that are active in the market segment. Anyone entering the organization will have to bring along a certain amount of experience to be able to adopt the systems. Experiences are shared between collegues, partly as a result of their own efforts and partly because their employer supports this knowledge spreading.

If an employee leaves, this is not a complete surprise and it is regarded a natural step in relation to his personal development. Such an employee is not considered an enemy, all of a sudden, but rather experienced as an appreciated friend with unchanged value. Newcomers will have to swiftly fit in the environment or they will be replaced.

Procurement is handled by the organization in a coherent manner, involving the personal experiences of groups of employees. The aim is to get the organization the most attractive deals. There is no exchange of benefits between the organization and its customers or suppliers in place yet.

The employees are well acquinted with the ways (activities, process and systems) used by our organization in order to achieve predefined goals. The organization competes with others in the market segment. Our sales staff struggles to get the attention of our customers. Our purchasers challenge our suppliers for attractive deals. Our employees are well aware of our internal quality and its flaws and they are working on its continuous improvement.

Note that an organization at the ''Systems'' Level will have to be on the leading edge in using the most actual systems available in their market segment.

The Systems these type of organizations use are an example to others, because of the speed with which they can adjust their production (not their products) as changes occur in the specifications of certain product ranges.

Levels

2025-02-11T20:40:10Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Levels''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Levels: overview'''==
[[file:Figure18.png|300px|right|Figure 18 – A MINCE Tower (with only levels 1 to 3)]]'''Levels''' indicate the appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and the full set of ''[[Criteria]]''.
As explained elsewhere, each ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' in out MINCE castle has five ''Levels'' (a couple more than there were found for the Tower in adjecent photograph). The higher the level in a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' we are able to reach, the better we can see who is approaching through our looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'').

From the first floor we will, obviously, via our ''[[Criteria]]''-holes only notice anyone approaching as soon as the oncomer is very near. Only at that moment will the organization be able to decide whether to consider the newcomer a friend or a threat. The organization, as a result, will have little time to prepare a warm welcome of a proper defense.

This is much easier if the organization is able to check for new arrivals from higher floors. That will leave time to get prepared: prepare complex meals (friendly visitor) or put out the oil cauldrons above high fires (enemy ahead).

In MINCE we are particularly interested in the height of the top floor that we can reach. This is the '''Level''': what is the maximum height (''Level'') for the five looking holes (''[[Criteria]]'') we will be able to reach in our ''[[Towers]]''?

Secondly, MINCE gives a view on the perspective of the castle lord. What height will he want to be from which the workers are to look out for visitors? He will have to realize that it will not possible to add a couple of floors over night. Adding a floor in a tower requires craftsmanship, patience and dedication. It will take its toll and such things can only be speeded up to a certain degree.

The combination of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a ''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'' is evaluated using MINCE and this results in an appreciation of what has been found. That is the measured '''Level'''. Next to that, there is also an ''ambition Level'' set: the level at which the organization's management team would like to be in the near future.

MINCE uses the following ''Levels'':

<ol type="1">
<li>''[[#Level1|Activities]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#activities|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level2|Processes]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#processes|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Level3|Systems]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#systems|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>'''''Systems''''';</li>
<li>'''''Supply Chain''''';</li>
<li>'''''Quality'''''.</li>
</ol>

As you might notice, the MINCE ''Level'' is derived from the levels defined by the 2004 version of '''EFQM'''. The difference lies in the MINCE combination of ''Level'' and ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]'', which is unlike the approach of ''EFQM''. Nevertheless the level indication suits both models.

The higher the level in MINCE (the higher the floor), the better an organization deals with the issues related to the ''[[Towers|Tower]]''/''[[Criteria|Criterion]]''-combination. The lower the level (the lower the floor), the worse the organization deals with these issues.

<div id="Level1">
=='''Level 1''': '''''Activities'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 1''', the ''Activities''-Level, is glad if a result is accomplished. It is difficult to predict whether activities will indeed result in the product that is intended, since there are few lessons learned from past findings. Some of the employees will be able to improve their performance on the basis of their personal experience, but as there is no platform to share their knowledge with collegues, it will hardly be spread any further.

If an employee decides to advance his career elsewhere, the lessons he learned leave the company with him. Knowledge entering the company together with the more experienced new employees is not spread, so almost nobody will benefit.

Processes are rarely available in writing, the way things are done is explained via word of mouth. Since we all handle such things differently, without written descriptions, the processes are explained differently, depending on the staff member doing the talking.

Nobody really has a particular vision regarding the customer or supplier chains. We buy materials via the companies that we have become used to and we sell to companies asking for our products.

There is no particular quality goal set. We are happy with what we are producing and we stick to the way we have always done it.

Each and every working day we are focusing on the activities leading to results (products, services). We are so busy doing just that, we don't really have any time left in order to describe the processes we use, the systems we've implemented, our supplier or customer chains. We have no idea what to do with regard to quality. We hardly know what the word means.

Note that any organization not truly focusing on production related activities is not considered to be at ''Activities''-level yet. Such organizations are off the MINCE scale.

The activity driven nature of organizations at this MINCE maturity ''Level'' allows for the greatest open minded flexibility which is particularly beneficial to creative processes. It will in the long run remain effective when there is a limited number of people and it is highly dependent on the personal skills of such a relatively small group.

<div id="Level2">
=='''Level 2''': '''''Processes'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 2''', the ''Process''-Level, is aware of the processes leading to completed products. The activities are neatly described and placed in an optimum order, so that the way they lead to products can be predicted.

A process to upgrade new employees to the basic level is also in place, so that all workers, having completed an entry training, are able to start at the same knowledge level. This level however is also where things end: there is little or no structural way for employees to share their findings. Contributing to the effectiveness of the organization through the input of positive and negative experiences is poorly supported.

If an employee leaves, then the ones left behind and any newcomers will be able to take up where others left off without much difficulty. Processes are described and maintained. There is some room for personal interpretations in using the processes.

The management team is convinced that describing the processes is as important as maintaining them and they want to keep track of the improvements over time.

Procurement is handled via one of these described processes allowing some room for taking decisions that will influence the costs in a positive manner.

There is understanding of the relation between the quality and the way the working environment is set up. There is no link between the working environment and the business chain yet.

Every day employees are aiming to do their work according to the described process. In the organization there is no manpower left to set up our systems or deal with the supplier/customer chain. Our organization knows the importance of quality, bu we are not yet able to get a firm grip on that.

Note that an organization needs to have written and maintained processes in order to meet the requirements associated with the ''Processes'' Level.

The processes of organizations at this MINCE Level allow them to fairly easily change from one production sequence to another, though the output will always remain restricted to certain boundaries (a single product of a limited set of products) which is inevitable to this maturity level.

<div id="Level3">
=='''Level 3''': '''''Systems'''''==
An organization operating at '''Level 3''', the ''Systems''-Level, has the activities and processes in place and, on top of that, has developed a set of standard means to be used. In addition a feedback loop is in place, so that the processes and the means are continuously updated and improved.

From the employees point of view at this level they will also have the means at their disposal to produce optimized results. Because these means are subject to continuous improvements, the workers will benefit from their organization investing in both processes and systems.

New employees will need to be able to deal with such systems, as these will nog be common to all the work force that are active in the market segment. Anyone entering the organization will have to bring along a certain amount of experience to be able to adopt the systems. Experiences are shared between collegues, partly as a result of their own efforts and partly because their employer supports this knowledge spreading.

If an employee leaves, this is not a complete surprise and it is regarded a natural step in relation to his personal development. Such an employee is not considered an enemy, all of a sudden, but rather experienced as an appreciated friend with unchanged value. Newcomers will have to swiftly fit in the environment or they will be replaced.

Procurement is handled by the organization in a coherent manner, involving the personal experiences of groups of employees. The aim is to get the organization the most attractive deals. There is no exchange of benefits between the organization and its customers or suppliers in place yet.

The employees are well acquinted with the ways (activities, process and systems) used by our organization in order to achieve predefined goals. The organization competes with others in the market segment. Our sales staff struggles to get the attention of our customers. Our purchasers challenge our suppliers for attractive deals. Our employees are well aware of our internal quality and its flaws and they are working on its continuous improvement.

Note that an organization at the ''Systems'' Level will have to be on the leading edge in using the most actual systems available in their market segment.

The Systems these type of organizations use are an example to others, because of the speed with which they can adjust their production (not their products) as changes occur in the specifications of certain product ranges.

Levels

2025-02-11T20:29:19Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Level 2: Processes */

Levels

2025-02-11T20:25:21Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Level 2: Processes */

Levels

2025-02-11T20:24:54Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Hoofdpagina

2025-02-11T20:19:14Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

<font size=+2>'''MINCE – A Framework for Organizational Maturity''' </font> – ''How fast can your organization adapt to the ever changing environments?''

[[MINCE introduction]]

[[File:MINCE.gif|frameless|right|250px|caption]]Assessment of Organizational Maturity is becoming a very popular technique. This site explains how most organizations need to achieve and maintain the competitive ability to meet and take advantage of change. Skills, technical ability, processes all must be in place to achieve competitive advantage. Many companies aspire to 'maturity' in these areas; others use well documented and successful frameworks and approaches in specific areas of the organization.

However it is clear that 'maturity' and all the benefits it delivers cannot be limited to just one department in an organization or just one discipline. '''MINCE''', a framework for achieving organizational maturity, takes the approach that maturity is in effect the sum total of a corporation expressed in terms of the people within it and how they deliver – regardless of whether requirement in HR, technical, Customer Service or Governance.

'''MINCE''' therefore descibes an overall approach to maturity: the advantage is that organizations can finally identify and assess their ability to deliver change in terms of their overall ability – in other words how their customers see it.

'''MINCE''' identifies six 'pillars' of maturity, called ''[[Towers]]'':

<ol>
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerI|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods and Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerVI|explanation]])</font>.</li>
</ol>

These pillars can be assessed across departments and across organizations using the following ''[[Criteria|Criteria]]'':

<ol style="list-style-type: upper-latin;">
<li>''Leadership'';</li>
<li>''Staff'';</li>
<li>''Policy'';</li>
<li>''Means'';</li>
<li>''Instructions''.</li>
</ol>

The actual maturity score is determined as a [[Levels|Level]], which is the actual (numerical) score between 1 and 5:

<ol style="list-style-type: number;">
<li>''Activities'';</li>
<li>''Processes'';</li>
<li>''Systems'';</li>
<li>''Supply Chain'';</li>
<li>''Quality'';</li>
</ol>

Depending on the nature of the business, organizations can decide how important these pillars are and how much to invest in order to improve the maturity scores.

As soon as the organization starts using the '''MINCE''' measurement toolset, management will gain insights in:

<ul style="list-style-type: hyphen;">
<li>maturity of the organization;</li>
<li>skills of the staff;</li>
<li>abilities of the organization's customer chain;</li>
<li>effectiveness of the organizaion's projects;</li>
<li>the way the organization benefits from past lessons learned, and</li>
<li>ability to adapt to change.</li>
</ul>

Organizations are not simple; if they were, assessment and implementation of change wouldn't be as difficult as they so clearly are for many. '''MINCE''' takes the complex mix of people, skills, process approach and technical ability and describes a common-sense and easy to understand approach that is relevant for all. Its well thought-out approach provide a much needed solution to many organizations seeking tot make the leap from a simple silo delivery to real organizational achievement.

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
''MINCE clearly explains how to measure and improve project maturity in your organization. An admirably holistic view on providing pragmatic results.''

'''Bram Reinders''' – ''Nuon Netherlands''
</blockquote>

This is what '''prof.dr.mr. Steven ten Have''', Professor of Strategy and Change at the ''Vrije Universiteit'' (Amsterdam) wrote about MINCE:

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
As Peter Drucker says the first duty and the continuing responsibility of the manager is ''to strive for the best possible economic results from the resources currently employed or available''. An implication of this duty is that the manager has to work in a purposeful and systematic way. In doing this the use of validated methods and proven concepts has to be preferred. Experience and intuition are of great value in the world of management and organization but have to be reserved for cases and questions which can not be tackled by using knowledge and grounded models. MINCE, the central concept of this approach, is intended to the repertoire of the managers who choose to work to contribute in a systematic way when delivering their responsibilities. MINCE focuses on the ability of organizations to adapt to environmental changes. The focus of this method is on organizations with a project orientation. With its contribution to the systematic development of an effective interaction between the internal organization and the external environment, MINCE builds on a strong tradition which is based on both organizational theory and pragmatic models like the EFQM-model. MINCE combines the attention for crucial organizational aspects with the notion of maturity levels. In doing this it provides practitioners with an alternative model with which to deal with organizational development and market changes in a systematic and structured way, especially in project environments.
</blockquote>

Hoofdpagina

2025-02-11T20:18:33Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

<font size=+2>'''MINCE – A Framework for Organizational Maturity''' </font> – ''How fast can your organization adapt to the ever changing environments?''

[[MINCE introduction]]

[[File:MINCE.gif|frameless|right|250px|caption]]Assessment of Organizational Maturity is becoming a very popular technique. This site explains how most organizations need to achieve and maintain the competitive ability to meet and take advantage of change. Skills, technical ability, processes all must be in place to achieve competitive advantage. Many companies aspire to 'maturity' in these areas; others use well documented and successful frameworks and approaches in specific areas of the organization.

However it is clear that 'maturity' and all the benefits it delivers cannot be limited to just one department in an organization or just one discipline. '''MINCE''', a framework for achieving organizational maturity, takes the approach that maturity is in effect the sum total of a corporation expressed in terms of the people within it and how they deliver – regardless of whether requirement in HR, technical, Customer Service or Governance.

'''MINCE''' therefore descibes an overall approach to maturity: the advantage is that organizations can finally identify and assess their ability to deliver change in terms of their overall ability – in other words how their customers see it.

'''MINCE''' identifies six 'pillars' of maturity, called ''[[Towers]]'':

<ol>
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerI|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods and Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerVI|explanation]])</font>.</li>
</ol>

These pillars can be assessed across departments and across organizations using the following ''[[Criteria|Criteria]]'':

<ol style="list-style-type: upper-latin;">
<li>''Leadership'';</li>
<li>''Staff'';</li>
<li>''Policy'';</li>
<li>''Means'';</li>
<li>''Instructions''.</li>
</ol>

The actual maturity score is determined as a [[Levels|Level]], which can be a numerical score between 1 and 5:

<ol style="list-style-type: number;">
<li>''Activities'';</li>
<li>''Processes'';</li>
<li>''Systems'';</li>
<li>''Supply Chain'';</li>
<li>''Quality'';</li>
</ol>

Depending on the nature of the business, organizations can decide how important these pillars are and how much to invest in order to improve the maturity scores.

As soon as the organization starts using the '''MINCE''' measurement toolset, management will gain insights in:

<ul style="list-style-type: hyphen;">
<li>maturity of the organization;</li>
<li>skills of the staff;</li>
<li>abilities of the organization's customer chain;</li>
<li>effectiveness of the organizaion's projects;</li>
<li>the way the organization benefits from past lessons learned, and</li>
<li>ability to adapt to change.</li>
</ul>

Organizations are not simple; if they were, assessment and implementation of change wouldn't be as difficult as they so clearly are for many. '''MINCE''' takes the complex mix of people, skills, process approach and technical ability and describes a common-sense and easy to understand approach that is relevant for all. Its well thought-out approach provide a much needed solution to many organizations seeking tot make the leap from a simple silo delivery to real organizational achievement.

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
''MINCE clearly explains how to measure and improve project maturity in your organization. An admirably holistic view on providing pragmatic results.''

'''Bram Reinders''' – ''Nuon Netherlands''
</blockquote>

This is what '''prof.dr.mr. Steven ten Have''', Professor of Strategy and Change at the ''Vrije Universiteit'' (Amsterdam) wrote about MINCE:

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
As Peter Drucker says the first duty and the continuing responsibility of the manager is ''to strive for the best possible economic results from the resources currently employed or available''. An implication of this duty is that the manager has to work in a purposeful and systematic way. In doing this the use of validated methods and proven concepts has to be preferred. Experience and intuition are of great value in the world of management and organization but have to be reserved for cases and questions which can not be tackled by using knowledge and grounded models. MINCE, the central concept of this approach, is intended to the repertoire of the managers who choose to work to contribute in a systematic way when delivering their responsibilities. MINCE focuses on the ability of organizations to adapt to environmental changes. The focus of this method is on organizations with a project orientation. With its contribution to the systematic development of an effective interaction between the internal organization and the external environment, MINCE builds on a strong tradition which is based on both organizational theory and pragmatic models like the EFQM-model. MINCE combines the attention for crucial organizational aspects with the notion of maturity levels. In doing this it provides practitioners with an alternative model with which to deal with organizational development and market changes in a systematic and structured way, especially in project environments.
</blockquote>

Hoofdpagina

2025-02-11T20:17:45Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

<font size=+2>'''MINCE – A Framework for Organizational Maturity''' </font> – ''How fast can your organization adapt to the ever changing environments?''

[[MINCE introduction]]

[[File:MINCE.gif|frameless|right|250px|caption]]Assessment of Organizational Maturity is becoming a very popular technique. This site explains how most organizations need to achieve and maintain the competitive ability to meet and take advantage of change. Skills, technical ability, processes all must be in place to achieve competitive advantage. Many companies aspire to 'maturity' in these areas; others use well documented and successful frameworks and approaches in specific areas of the organization.

However it is clear that 'maturity' and all the benefits it delivers cannot be limited to just one department in an organization or just one discipline. '''MINCE''', a framework for achieving organizational maturity, takes the approach that maturity is in effect the sum total of a corporation expressed in terms of the people within it and how they deliver – regardless of whether requirement in HR, technical, Customer Service or Governance.

'''MINCE''' therefore descibes an overall approach to maturity: the advantage is that organizations can finally identify and assess their ability to deliver change in terms of their overall ability – in other words how their customers see it.

'''MINCE''' identifies six 'pillars' of maturity, called ''[[Towers]]'':

<ol>
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerI|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods and Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIII|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerIV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerV|explanation]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Towers#TowerVI|explanation]])</font>.</li>
</ol>

These pillars can be assessed across departments and across organizations using the following ''[[Criteria|Criteria]]'':

<ol style="list-style-type: upper-latin;">
<li>''Leadership'';</li>
<li>''Staff'';</li>
<li>''Policy'';</li>
<li>''Means'';</li>
<li>''Instructions''.</li>
</ol>

The actual maturity score is determined as a [[Level]], which can be:

<ol style="list-style-type: number;">
<li>''Activities'';</li>
<li>''Processes'';</li>
<li>''Systems'';</li>
<li>''Supply Chain'';</li>
<li>''Quality'';</li>
</ol>

Depending on the nature of the business, organizations can decide how important these pillars are and how much to invest in order to improve the maturity scores.

As soon as the organization starts using the '''MINCE''' measurement toolset, management will gain insights in:

<ul style="list-style-type: hyphen;">
<li>maturity of the organization;</li>
<li>skills of the staff;</li>
<li>abilities of the organization's customer chain;</li>
<li>effectiveness of the organizaion's projects;</li>
<li>the way the organization benefits from past lessons learned, and</li>
<li>ability to adapt to change.</li>
</ul>

Organizations are not simple; if they were, assessment and implementation of change wouldn't be as difficult as they so clearly are for many. '''MINCE''' takes the complex mix of people, skills, process approach and technical ability and describes a common-sense and easy to understand approach that is relevant for all. Its well thought-out approach provide a much needed solution to many organizations seeking tot make the leap from a simple silo delivery to real organizational achievement.

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
''MINCE clearly explains how to measure and improve project maturity in your organization. An admirably holistic view on providing pragmatic results.''

'''Bram Reinders''' – ''Nuon Netherlands''
</blockquote>

This is what '''prof.dr.mr. Steven ten Have''', Professor of Strategy and Change at the ''Vrije Universiteit'' (Amsterdam) wrote about MINCE:

<blockquote style="background-color: lightgrey; border: solid thin grey;">
As Peter Drucker says the first duty and the continuing responsibility of the manager is ''to strive for the best possible economic results from the resources currently employed or available''. An implication of this duty is that the manager has to work in a purposeful and systematic way. In doing this the use of validated methods and proven concepts has to be preferred. Experience and intuition are of great value in the world of management and organization but have to be reserved for cases and questions which can not be tackled by using knowledge and grounded models. MINCE, the central concept of this approach, is intended to the repertoire of the managers who choose to work to contribute in a systematic way when delivering their responsibilities. MINCE focuses on the ability of organizations to adapt to environmental changes. The focus of this method is on organizations with a project orientation. With its contribution to the systematic development of an effective interaction between the internal organization and the external environment, MINCE builds on a strong tradition which is based on both organizational theory and pragmatic models like the EFQM-model. MINCE combines the attention for crucial organizational aspects with the notion of maturity levels. In doing this it provides practitioners with an alternative model with which to deal with organizational development and market changes in a systematic and structured way, especially in project environments.
</blockquote>

Glossary

2024-12-01T10:54:01Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation of some of the important words used in correlation with the MINCE Maturity Model.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
! term !! explanation/additional information
|-
| <div id="actionflavor"> ''Action Flavor'' || MINCE defines seven activities that form the basis upon which an organization will reach a higher MINCE Maturity Level.
|-
| <div id="activities"> ''Activities'' || One of the MINCE Levels. An organization operating al Level 1, the ''Activities''-level, is pleasantly surprised if a result is accomplished.
|-
| <div id="adaptability"> ''adaptability'' || The capacity of organizations to absorb environmental (market) changes, i.e. the same as ''maturity''. This sometimes also is calles ''change capacity''.
|-
| <div id="advisoryreport"> ''Advisory Report'' || Description of options that the MINCE2 Foundation Board can select from in order to improve the accuracy and/or sustainability of the MINCE model.
|-
| <div id="ambitionlevel"> ''Ambition Level'' || The Maturity Level that an organization is aiming for in order to increase its competitiveness.
|-
| <div id="aspect"> ''aspect'' || Detail
|-
| <div id="assessment"> ''assessment'' || This is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where through the use of a tool, organizations can determine the state that their project maturity is in.
|-
| <div id="basicknowledge"> ''Basic Knowledge'' || This is one of the facets that PMMM focuses on.
|-
| <div id="beckoningperspective"> ''beckoning perspective'' || An attractive future situation in the organization that is very appealing to its employees.
|-
| <div id="benchmarking"> ''Benchmarking'' || This is (also) the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization performs benchmarking on a continuous basis.
|-
| <div id="broadening"> ''broadening'' || AF2 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. Broadening is about accomplishing alignment between the actions and/or changes across the whole organization that is affected.
|-
| <div id="bronze"> ''Bronze'' || The easiest way to measure the maturity of an organization using MINCE. See also: ''[[Glossary#silver|Silver]]'' and ''[[Glossary#gold|Gold]]''
|-
| <div id="ccta"> ''CCTA'' || ''Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency'': the organization that a.o. set up the standards PRINCE2 and ITIL. It became part of the ''[https://www.ogc.gov.uk Office of Government Commerce (OGC)]'' in 2000, which is still heavily involved with both of these standards.
|-
| <div id="chain"> ''chain'' || The word chain in MINCE refers to the full range of entities (organizations, individuals, government bodies etc.) that are in any way involved with regard to the products. Chain implies more than just the producing organizations. The word 'chain' also refers to others, such as the customer organizations and to the society.
|-
| <div id="challenge"> ''Challenge'' || This is the name of a level used witn EFQM, which incorporates identification and champion organizational changes.
|-
| <div id="cmm"> ''CMM'' || ''Capability Maturity Model'': Maturity model, dedicated to software that is developed in organizations to support their daily work.
|-
| <div id="cmmi"> ''CMMI'' || Successor for the CMM model, focused on organizational development.
|-
| <div id="committed"> ''Committed'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where the organization is at the beginning of the development.
|-
| <div id="commonlanguage"> ''Common Language'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization recognizes the importance of project management.
|-
| <div id="commonprocesses"> ''Common Processes'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization recognizes how processes need to be defined.
|-
| <div id="continuousimprovement"> ''Continuous Improvement'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization undertakes action on the basis of benchmarking and the single methodology.
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironment"> ''controlled environment'' || An environment that is kept under control in order to increase the accuracy with which its development can be predicted
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironmentmince"> ''controlled environment (MINCE) || The controlled environment does not change as a result of a force of nature. Instead, it is influenced (to a degree) as a consequence of management. The degree to which it is influenced can be accepted or it can be developed. MINCE improves organizational maturity by facilitating individual and group transformation.
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironmentprince"> ''controlled environment (PRINCE) || The PRINCE2 controlled environment specifically addresses the project management department and the way projects are undertaken.
|-
| <div id="criteria"> ''Criteria'' || Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE Towers.
|-
| <div id="criterion"> ''Criterion'' || Singular of criteria
|-
| <div id="culture"> ''Culture'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where the culture of excellence is embedded in employees.
|-
| <div id="customer"> ''Customer'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: An individual or customer organization purchasing products from the MINCE organization.
|-
| <div id="customerintimacy"> ''customer intimacy'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One of three marketing perspectives. ''Customer intimacy'' implies full customer focus, instead of a product focus (''[[glossary#productleadership|product leadership]]'') or price competition focus (''[[glossary#operationalexcellence|operational excellence]]'').
|-
| <div id="deepening"> ''deepening'' || AF3 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Deepening'' describes the benefits of creating as many platforms as possible with which to lay down the findings and lessons learned.
|-
| <div id="defined"> ''Defined'' || This is the name of a level used within CMM, where certain processes are documented across the organization.
|-
| <div id="driver"> ''driver'' || Driver is an alternate term for motivation.
|-
| <div id="efqm"> ''EFQM || Name for the model developed by the Europeann Foundation for Quality Management.
|-
| <div id="employeegroup"> ''Employee Group'' || One of the groups with regard to MINCE measurements. The ''Employee Group'' contains all people working for the organization who are subjected to the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="employeetransformation"> ''employee transformation'' || see: [[Glossary#transformation|transformation]].
|-
| <div id="enterprise"> ''enterprise'' || (Strikwerda) A (social) system of purposive and result-driven co-ordination of activities, undertaken by an [[Glossary#organization|organization]].
|-
| <div id="environment"> ''environment'' || The complex of surrounding circumstances, conditions, or influences within which a thing is situated or developed. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment wiki-info]]
|-
| <div id="explicitation"> explicitation || AF7 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Explicitation'' is the way in which particular MINCE Goals are realized in a particular, practical manner.
|-
| <div id="facet"> ''facet'' || A perspective on the construction of a model.
|-
| <div id="flexibility"> ''flexibility'' || Characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.
|-
| <div id="functionhouse"> ''function house'' || A ''function house'' is the combination of an organization chart with a:<br>* specification of the distribution of responsibilities;<br>* description of the communication channels<br>* specification of the distributed tasks.
|-
| <div id="goaldriven"> ''goal driven (methodology)'' || Activities that are based on the realization of predetermined goals.
|-
| <div id="gold"> ''Gold'' || A way to measure the maturity according to MINCE, based on internal expertise and interviews. See also: ''[[Glossary#bronze|Bronze]]'' and ''[[Glossary#silver|Silver]]''
|-
| <div id="improvement"> ''improvement'' || This is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where the organization identifies development areas on the basis of an assessment tool.
|-
| <div id="initial"> ''initial'' || This is the name of a leven used within CMM, where the (organizational) processes are totally absent.
|-
| <div id="interaction"> ''Interaction'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where interaction with other chain organizations takes place.
|-
| <div id="interrelating"> ''interrelating'' || AF6 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Interrelating'' in the MINCE perspective is about focusing all the activities associated with maturity development in the organization along the same lines
|-
| <div id="intervision"> ''Intervision'' || Putting employees together in order to promote discussion about the difficulties they encounter in their line of work. The employees exchange their experiences and in that way the group develops (improved) solutions. There's nog manager involved, the group contains people who work together (they need not be in the same department, though). There's a coach sitting in with the group, helping the process.
|-
| <div id="involvement"> ''Involvement'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where there is a structured approach to identifying organizational strengths.
|-
| <div id="keyprocessareas"> ''Key Process Areas'' || ''Key Process Areas'' define the way CMM considers the relations between levels and the situations found in organizations.
|-
| <div id="knowledge"> ''knowledge'' || ''Knowledge'' enables the Realization of a certain task through the selection, interpretation and understanding of available data and information, and the creation of (new) task-related information (Weggeman; 2000).<br>''Knowledge'' is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where educational building blocks are provided.
|-
| <div id="knowledgemince"> ''Knowledge'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: the way the MINCE organization keeps track of, and makes use of the positive and negative findings that result from their practical experiences.
|-
| <div id="kpas"> ''KPAs'' || see ''[[Glossary#keyprocessareas|Key Process Areas]]''
|-
| <div id="leadership"> ''Leadership'' || The name of one of the MINCE Criteria, offering a perspective on the degree to which people within the organization are behaving like leaders, it is determined by looking out from one of the MINCE Towers.
|-
| <div id="learningorganization"> ''learning organization'' || The organization is enhancing knowledge through the practical application of lessens learned and best practices.
|-
| <div id="lessonslearned"> ''lessons learned'' || Documented overview of the mistakes that should not be repeated '''and''' smart actions that are helpful in the future.
|-
| <div id="level"> ''Level'' || The MINCE appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of [[Glossary#tower|Tower]] and [[Glossary#criterion|Criterion]].
|-
| <div id="limitative"> ''limitative'' || Reducing the flexibility of organizations below the level that, given the acquired knowledge level, would have been possible.
|-
| <div id="managed"> ''Managed'' || This is the name of a level used within CMM, where the defined processes are targeted towards continuous improvement.
|-
| <div id="market"> ''market'' || The world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold.
|-
| <div id="market changes"> ''market changes'' || Organic changes taking place in a market segment. In fact ''market changes'' imply changing environments.
|-
| <div id="markettrend"> ''market trend'' || see ''[[Glossary#trend|trend]]''
|-
| <div id="maturity"> ''maturity'' || The ''maturity'' of an organization indicates the ability of the organization to swiftly adjust in relation to changing environment (market) demands. An organization with a high maturity level is able to adapt quickly. An organization with a low maturity level is either unable to adapt or this takes great effort.
|-
| <div id="maturity level"> ''maturity level'' || The development stage of maturity. See ''[[Glossary#maturity|maturity]]''
|-
| <div id="method"> ''method'' || A defined way that you use for dealing with business topics. (also see: ''[[Glossary#technique|technique]]''
|-
| <div id="methodsandtechniques"> ''Methods & Techniques'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: ''Methods & Techniques is used by the MINCE organization in order to realize its policy.
|-
| <div id="mince"> ''mince'' || verb ''minced, mincing''<br>1. To cut or shred something (especially meat) into very small pieces.<br>2. To restrain or soften the impact of (one's words, opinion, remarks, etc.) when addressing someone.<br>Example: ''not one to mince his words.''<br>1. usually derogatory<br>To walk or speak with affected delicateness<br>mincemeat<br>Idiom: make mincemeat of someone or something<br>colloq<br>To destroy of defeat them or it thoroughly.
|-
| <div id="mince2"> ''MINCE'' || ''Maturity Increments In Controlled Environments. The model that provides the basis upon which project oriented organizations are assisted in measuring their maturity level. It also provides suggestions as to how to improve that maturity level.
|-
| <div id="mincegroup"> ''MINCE Group'' || One of the audiences with regard to MINCE measurements. The ''MINCE Group'' contains the qualified staff handling the actual MINCE maturity measurements and dealing with the day-to-day steering of the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="minceorganization"> ''MINCE Organization'' || The organization trying to improve iets Maturity Level, using MINCE. (also see: ''[[Glossary#organization|organization]]''
|-
| <div id="model"> ''model'' || A simplified projection of reality.
|-
| <div id="operationalexcellence"> ''operational excellence'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One out of three marketing perspectives. ''Operational excellence'' implies full efficiency focus, instead of a product focus ([[Glossary#productleadership|product leadership]]) or a customer focus ([[Glossary#customerintimacy|customer intimacy]]).
|-
| <div id="opm3"> ''OPM3'' || An acronym for ''Organizational Project Management Maturity Model'', a method that was developed under the stewardship of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
|-
| <div id="optimizing"> ''Optimizing'' || This is the name of a level used within [[Glossary#cmm|CMM]], where continuous improvement is established.
|-
| <div id="organicorganization"> ''organic organization'' || ''Organic organizations'' are not accustomed to achieving results according to plans. Internal changes will not be triggered as a result of anticipating future requirements. Internal changes will ''overcome'' this type of organizations. (also see: ''[[Glossary#projectorientedorganization|project oriented organization]]''
|-
| <div id="organization"> ''organization'' || (Strikwerda) The combination of people or companies, knowledge and funds, which in society is identified with the products and/or services that it produces and the routines and competences required in its context. Its function is: Production of products and services required by society and provision of an income for its participants.
|-
| <div id="organizationtransformation"> ''organization transformation'' || see: ''[[Glossary#transformation|transformation]]''
|-
| <div id="organizational"> ''organizational'' || The focus is on the organization.
|-
| <div id="Peer Group"> ''Peer Group'' || One of the groups with regard to the MINCE measurements. The ''Peer Group'' is the group appreciating the outcomes of the organizational change process.
|-
| <div id="people"> ''People'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': All people on the payroll of the MINCE organization.
|-
| <div id="perspective"> ''Perspective'' || The five different views on MINCE maturity Criteria that might be considered. The five perspectives are located at each combination of a MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Tower]]'' and ''[[Glossary#level|Level]]''.
|-
| <div id="pmmm"> ''PMMM'' || ''Project Management Maturity Model'', developed by Dr. Harold Kerzner.
|-
| <div id="policy"> ''policy'' || A guiding principle designed to influence decisions, actions etc. Typically, a policy designates a required process or procedure within an organization.
|-
| <div id="policymince"> ''Policy'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#criteria|Criteria]]'', offering the perspective on the degree to which the organization is behaving like a leader, considered for one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#Tower|Towers]]''.
|-
| <div id="preservation"> ''Preservation'' || AF4 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Preservation'' is about creating the ability to record knowledge and to be able to reproduce it so that mistakes do not reoccur and all good experiences are nurtured and re-used as often as possible.
|-
| <div id="processcontrol"> ''Process Control'' || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processdefinition"> ''Process Definition'' || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processimprovement"> ''Process Improvement || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processes"> ''Processes'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at Level 2, the ''Process Level'', is aware of the processes leading to completed products.
|-
| <div id="productleadership"> ''product leadership'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One out of three marketing perspectives. ''Product leadership'' implies full product focus (creating the best product), instead of customer focus (''[[Glossary#customerintimacy|customer intimacy]]'') or a price competition focus (''[[Glossary#operationalexcellence|operational excellence]]'').
|-
| <div id="programme"> ''programme'' || The sum or combination of the coherent ''projects'' '''and''' ''activities'' that are aimed to the realization of a strategic goal.
|-
| <div id="project"> ''project'' || All the activities leading to predefined results, within conditions set, using a temporary project organization.
|-
| <div id="projectleader"> ''project leader'' || see: ''[[Glossary#projectmanager|project manager]]''
|-
| <div id="projectmanager"> ''project manager'' || The person in charge of the ''[[Glossary#project|project]]'', responsible for resolving the day-to-day issues.
|-
| <div id="projectmaturity"> ''project maturity'' || see: ''[[Glossary#maturity|maturity]]''
|-
| <div id="projectorganization"> ''project organization'' || A temporary ''[[Glossary#organization|organization]]'', set up in order to realize a ''[[Glossary#project|project]]''.
|-
| <div id="projectoriented"> ''project oriented'' || An approach through which changes in ''[[Glossary#organization|organizations]]'' are implemented, defining the required stages and conditions beforehand as far as possible, and implementing the change according to these definitions.
|-
| <div id="projectorientedorganization"> ''project oriented organization'' || ''Project oriented organizations'' are accustomed to achieving results according to predefined plans. They will typically carry out their internal changes in a controlled manner, determining in advance the time planning, budgettary constraints, quality requirements and scope.
|-
| <div id="projectplan"> ''project plan'' || Plan, describing the ''[[Glossary#realization|realization]]'' of a project.
|-
| <div id="projectquality"> ''project quality'' || The degree to which the project result meet (satisfy) the explicit and implicit customer's demands.
|-
| <div id="quality"> ''quality'' || The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that impact upon its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.
|-
| <div id="qualitymince"> ''Quality (MINCE)'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at this MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Level]]'' is publishing and explaining about the way they see future events in their category of activities.
|-
| <div id="qualityprocess"> ''Quality Process'' || The steering principle used to accomplish optimization between the effectiveness and efficiency of products, processes and organizations, in order to cut costs, reduce time required for implementation and live up to expectations.
|-
| <div id="qualityproducts"> ''quality products'' || Products that contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. The process in this respect can, for example, be the project realization.
|-
| <div id="quickening"> ''Quickening'' || AF1 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Quickening'' addresses the fact that maturity increases ought not to take too much time, which is also preferably the case with organizational change implementation in general.
|-
| <div id="realization"> ''realization'' || The process of completing a task, project or programme.
|-
| <div id="realizationmince"> ''Realization (MINCE)'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': the realization of project driven tasks by the ''[[Glossary#minceorganization|MINCE organization]]'' at the request of the ''[[Glossary#customer|customer organization]]''.
|-
| <div id="repeatable"> ''Repeatable'' || This is the name of a level used within '[[Glossary#cmm|CMM]]'', where certain processes are implemented and studied.
|-
| <div id="report"> ''Report'' || Description of the decision the MINCE2 Foundation Board is requested to take in order to solve an internal MINCE2 Foundation issue.
|-
| <div id="requirements"> ''requirements'' || Characteristics that identify the accomplishment levels needed to achieve specific objectives for a given set of conditions.
|-
| <div id="role"> ''role'' || A ''role'' is a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations. It is mostly defined as an expected behavior in a given individual social status and social position.
|-
| <div id="scope"> ''scope'' || The whole silhouette of what a project is to produce with regards to products and services.
|-
| <div id="silver"> ''Silver'' || A way to measure the maturity of an organization according to MINCE, based on hired expertise and interviews. See also: ''[[Glossary#bronze|Bronze]]'' and ''[[Glossary#gold|Gold]]''
|-
| <div id="singularmethodology"> ''Singular Methodology'' || This is the name of a level used within ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'', where the organization recognizes the synergistic effect of combining different methodologies into a single one.
|-
| <div id="skill"> ''skill'' || A ''skill'' is an ability, usually learned and acquired through training, to perform actions which achieve a desired outcome.
|-
| <div id="smart"> ''SMART'' || This five letter acronym ''SMART'' is used in conjunction with goal definitions in order to indicate:<br>* '''''S'''pecific'': The goal is individual and can be specified;<br>* '''''M'''easurable'': Defined conditions indicate when the goal is accomplished;<br>* '''''A'''cceptable'': The stakeholders and/or the management accept the goal (sometimes, ''Attractive'' is used with this letter A);<br>* '''''R'''ealistic'': It can indeed be accomplished;<br>* '''''T'''ime related'': Indicates in what time the goal is to be accomplished.
|-
| <div id="smartsolutions"> ''smart solutions'' || Solutions taking into account the perspective of dealing with the ever-changing environment.
|-
| <div id="staff"> ''Staff'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#criteria|Criteria]]'', offering the perspective on the way in which the organization deals with staff matters, considered for one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]''
|-
| <div id="supplychain"> ''Supply Chain'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. If an organization is at MINCE Level 4, ''Supply Chain'', it also interacts with suppliers and customers in the chain.
|-
| <div id="supportingservices"> ''Supporting Services'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': The way the MINCE organization supports the realization of products and/or the delivery of services on behalf of the customer organization.
|-
| <div id="systems"> ''Systems'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at Level 3, the ''Systems''-level, has the activities and processes in place and, on top of that, has developed a set of standard means to be used.
|-
| <div id="tailoring"> ''Tailoring'' || AF5 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Tailoring'' recognizes the fact that the same message requires a different approach for the different audiences being addressed.
|-
| <div id="targetgroup"> ''Target Group'' || One of the groups with regard to the MINCE measurements. The ''Target Group'' is the group initiating and responsible at board level for the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="technique"> ''technique'' || A ''technique'' is the prepared way with which you bring the ''[[Glossary#method|method]]'' into practice.
|-
| <div id="tower"> ''Tower'' || Each of the six MINCE ''Towers'' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.
|-
| <div id="transformation"> ''transformation'' || ''Transformation'' occurs as soon as the creation, distribution and utilization of knowledge are considered beneficial to and by both the organization ''and'' the employee.
|-
| <div id="trend"> ''trend'' || General tendency or direction in wthe development of a market or industry.
|-
| <div id="unleashing"> ''unleashing'' || Setting free the 'secret weapon'' of the organization.
|-
| <div id="valuechain"> ''value chain'' || The series of organizations that are connected to each other as customers, suppliers and service providers.
|-
| <div id="values"> ''values'' || Personal ''values'' evolve from experiences with the external world and can change over time.<br>Members share a culture, even if each member's personal values to not entirely agree with some normative values sanctioned in the culture.
|}

Levels

2024-11-28T11:50:17Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:49:55Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:48:09Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:47:21Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Glossary

2024-11-28T11:46:05Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation of some of the important words used in correlation with the MINCE Maturity Model.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
! term !! explanation/additional information
|-
| <div id="actionflavor"> ''Action Flavor'' || MINCE defines seven activities that form the basis upon which an organization will reach a higher MINCE Maturity Level.
|-
| <div id="activities"> ''Activities'' || One of the MINCE Levels. An organization operating al Level 1, the ''Activities''-level, is pleasantly surprised if a result is accomplished.
|-
| <div id="adaptability"> ''adaptability'' || The capacity of organizations to absorb environmental (market) changes, i.e. the same as ''maturity''. This sometimes also is calles ''change capacity''.
|-
| <div id="advisoryreport"> ''Advisory Report'' || Description of options that the MINCE2 Foundation Board can select from in order to improve the accuracy and/or sustainability of the MINCE model.
|-
| <div id="ambitionlevel"> ''Ambition Level'' || The Maturity Level that an organization is aiming for in order to increase its competitiveness.
|-
| <div id="aspect"> ''aspect'' || Detail
|-
| <div id="assessment"> ''assessment'' || This is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where through the use of a tool, organizations can determine the state that their project maturity is in.
|-
| <div id="basicknowledge"> ''Basic Knowledge'' || This is one of the facets that PMMM focuses on.
|-
| <div id="beckoningperspective"> ''beckoning perspective'' || An attractive future situation in the organization that is very appealing to its employees.
|-
| <div id="benchmarking"> ''Benchmarking'' || This is (also) the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization performs benchmarking on a continuous basis.
|-
| <div id="broadening"> ''broadening'' || AF2 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. Broadening is about accomplishing alignment between the actions and/or changes across the whole organization that is affected.
|-
| <div id="bronze"> ''Bronze'' || The easiest way to measure the maturity of an organization using MINCE. See also: ''[[Glossary#silver|Silver]]'' and ''[[Glossary#gold|Gold]]''
|-
| <div id="ccta"> ''CCTA'' || ''Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency'': the organization that a.o. set up the standards PRINCE2 and ITIL. It became part of the ''[https://www.ogc.gov.uk Office of Government Commerce (OGC)]'' in 2000, which is still heavily involved with both of these standards.
|-
| <div id="chain"> ''chain'' || The word chain in MINCE refers to the full range of entities (organizations, individuals, government bodies etc.) that are in any way involved with regard to the products. Chain implies more than just the producing organizations. The word 'chain' also refers to others, such as the customer organizations and to the society.
|-
| <div id="challenge"> ''Challenge'' || This is the name of a level used witn EFQM, which incorporates identification and champion organizational changes.
|-
| <div id="cmm"> ''CMM'' || ''Capability Maturity Model'': Maturity model, dedicated to software that is developed in organizations to support their daily work.
|-
| <div id="cmmi"> ''CMMI'' || Successor for the CMM model, focused on organizational development.
|-
| <div id="committed"> ''Committed'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where the organization is at the beginning of the development.
|-
| <div id="commonlanguage"> ''Common Language'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization recognizes the importance of project management.
|-
| <div id="commonprocesses"> ''Common Processes'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization recognizes how processes need to be defined.
|-
| <div id="continuousimprovement"> ''Continuous Improvement'' || This is the name of a level used within PMMM, where the organization undertakes action on the basis of benchmarking and the single methodology.
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironment"> ''controlled environment'' || An environment that is kept under control in order to increase the accuracy with which its development can be predicted
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironmentmince"> ''controlled environment (MINCE) || The controlled environment does not change as a result of a force of nature. Instead, it is influenced (to a degree) as a consequence of management. The degree to which it is influenced can be accepted or it can be developed. MINCE improves organizational maturity by facilitating individual and group transformation.
|-
| <div id="controlledenvironmentprince"> ''controlled environment (PRINCE) || The PRINCE2 controlled environment specifically addresses the project management department and the way projects are undertaken.
|-
| <div id="criteria"> ''Criteria'' || Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE Towers.
|-
| <div id="criterion"> ''Criterion'' || Singular of criteria
|-
| <div id="culture"> ''Culture'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where the culture of excellence is embedded in employees.
|-
| <div id="customer"> ''Customer'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: An individual or customer organization purchasing products from the MINCE organization.
|-
| <div id="customerintimacy"> ''customer intimacy'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One of three marketing perspectives. ''Customer intimacy'' implies full customer focus, instead of a product focus (''[[glossary#productleadership|product leadership]]'') or price competition focus (''[[glossary#operationalexcellence|operational excellence]]'').
|-
| <div id="deepening"> ''deepening'' || AF3 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Deepening'' describes the benefits of creating as many platforms as possible with which to lay down the findings and lessons learned.
|-
| <div id="defined"> ''Defined'' || This is the name of a level used within CMM, where certain processes are documented across the organization.
|-
| <div id="driver"> ''driver'' || Driver is an alternate term for motivation.
|-
| <div id="efqm"> ''EFQM || Name for the model developed by the Europeann Foundation for Quality Management.
|-
| <div id="employeegroup"> ''Employee Group'' || One of the groups with regard to MINCE measurements. The ''Employee Group'' contains all people working for the organization who are subjected to the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="employeetransformation"> ''employee transformation'' || see: [[Glossary#transformation|transformation]].
|-
| <div id="enterprise"> ''enterprise'' || (Strikwerda) A (social) system of purposive and result-driven co-ordination of activities, undertaken by an [[Glossary#organization|organization]].
|-
| <div id="environment"> ''environment'' || The complex of surrounding circumstances, conditions, or influences within which a thing is situated or developed. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment wiki-info]]
|-
| <div id="explicitation"> explicitation || AF7 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Explicitation'' is the way in which particular MINCE Goals are realized in a particular, practical manner.
|-
| <div id="facet"> ''facet'' || A perspective on the construction of a model.
|-
| <div id="flexibility"> ''flexibility'' || Characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.
|-
| <div id="functionhouse"> ''function house'' || A ''function house'' is the combination of an organization chart with a:<br>* specification of the distribution of responsibilities;<br>* description of the communication channels<br>* specification of the distributed tasks.
|-
| <div id="goaldriven"> ''goal driven (methodology)'' || Activities that are based on the realization of predetermined goals.
|-
| <div id="gold"> ''Gold'' || A way to measure the maturity according to MINCE, based on internal expertise and interviews. See also: ''[[Glossary#bronze|Bronze]]'' and ''[[Glossary#silver|Silver]]''
|-
| <div id="improvement"> ''improvement'' || This is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where the organization identifies development areas on the basis of an assessment tool.
|-
| <div id="initial"> ''initial'' || This is the name of a leven used within CMM, where the (organizational) processes are totally absent.
|-
| <div id="interaction"> ''Interaction'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where interaction with other chain organizations takes place.
|-
| <div id="interrelating"> ''interrelating'' || AF6 of the seven MINCE Action Flavors. ''Interrelating'' in the MINCE perspective is about focusing all the activities associated with maturity development in the organization along the same lines
|-
| <div id="intervision"> ''Intervision'' || Putting employees together in order to promote discussion about the difficulties they encounter in their line of work. The employees exchange their experiences and in that way the group develops (improved) solutions. There's nog manager involved, the group contains people who work together (they need not be in the same department, though). There's a coach sitting in with the group, helping the process.
|-
| <div id="involvement"> ''Involvement'' || This is the name of a level used within EFQM, where there is a structured approach to identifying organizational strengths.
|-
| <div id="keyprocessareas"> ''Key Process Areas'' || ''Key Process Areas'' define the way CMM considers the relations between levels and the situations found in organizations.
|-
| <div id="knowledge"> ''knowledge'' || ''Knowledge'' enables the Realization of a certain task through the selection, interpretation and understanding of available data and information, and the creation of (new) task-related information (Weggeman; 2000).<br>''Knowledge'' is one of the facets that OPM3 focuses on, where educational building blocks are provided.
|-
| <div id="knowledgemince"> ''Knowledge'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: the way the MINCE organization keeps track of, and makes use of the positive and negative findings that result from their practical experiences.
|-
| <div id="kpas"> ''KPAs'' || see ''[[Glossary#keyprocessareas|Key Process Areas]]''
|-
| <div id="leadership"> ''Leadership'' || The name of one of the MINCE Criteria, offering a perspective on the degree to which people within the organization are behaving like leaders, it is determined by looking out from one of the MINCE Towers.
|-
| <div id="learningorganization"> ''learning organization'' || The organization is enhancing knowledge through the practical application of lessens learned and best practices.
|-
| <div id="lessonslearned"> ''lessons learned'' || Documented overview of the mistakes that should not be repeated '''and''' smart actions that are helpful in the future.
|-
| <div id="level"> ''Level'' || The MINCE appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of [[Glossary#tower|Tower]] and [[Glossary#criterion|Criterion]].
|-
| <div id="limitative"> ''limitative'' || Reducing the flexibility of organizations below the level that, given the acquired knowledge level, would have been possible.
|-
| <div id="managed"> ''Managed'' || This is the name of a level used within CMM, where the defined processes are targeted towards continuous improvement.
|-
| <div id="market"> ''market'' || The world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold.
|-
| <div id="market changes"> ''market changes'' || Organic changes taking place in a market segment. In fact ''market changes'' imply changing environments.
|-
| <div id="markettrend"> ''market trend'' || see ''[[Glossary#trend|trend]]''
|-
| <div id="maturity"> ''maturity'' || The ''maturity'' of an organization indicates the ability of the organization to swiftly adjust in relation to changing environment (market) demands. An organization with a high maturity level is able to adapt quickly. An organization with a low maturity level is either unable to adapt or this takes great effort.
|-
| <div id="maturity level"> ''maturity level'' || The development stage of maturity. See ''[[Glossary#maturity|maturity]]''
|-
| <div id="method"> ''method'' || A defined way that you use for dealing with business topics. (also see: ''[[Glossary#technique|technique]]''
|-
| <div id="methodsandtechniques"> ''Methods & Techniques'' || The name of one of the MINCE Towers: ''Methods & Techniques is used by the MINCE organization in order to realize its policy.
|-
| <div id="mince"> ''mince'' || verb ''minced, mincing''<br>1. To cut or shred something (especially meat) into very small pieces.<br>2. To restrain or soften the impact of (one's words, opinion, remarks, etc.) when addressing someone.<br>Example: ''not one to mince his words.''<br>1. usually derogatory<br>To walk or speak with affected delicateness<br>mincemeat<br>Idiom: make mincemeat of someone or something<br>colloq<br>To destroy of defeat them or it thoroughly.
|-
| <div id="mince2"> ''MINCE'' || ''Maturity Increments In Controlled Environments. The model that provides the basis upon which project oriented organizations are assisted in measuring their maturity level. It also provides suggestions as to how to improve that maturity level.
|-
| <div id="mincegroup"> ''MINCE Group'' || One of the audiences with regard to MINCE measurements. The ''MINCE Group'' contains the qualified staff handling the actual MINCE maturity measurements and dealing with the day-to-day steering of the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="minceorganization"> ''MINCE Organization'' || The organization trying to improve iets Maturity Level, using MINCE. (also see: ''[[Glossary#organization|organization]]''
|-
| <div id="model"> ''model'' || A simplified projection of reality.
|-
| <div id="operationalexcellence"> ''operational excellence'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One out of three marketing perspectives. ''Operational excellence'' implies full efficiency focus, instead of a product focus ([[Glossary#productleadership|product leadership]]) or a customer focus ([[Glossary#customerintimacy|customer intimacy]]).
|-
| <div id="opm3"> ''OPM3'' || An acronym for ''Organizational Project Management Maturity Model'', a method that was developed under the stewardship of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
|-
| <div id="optimizing"> ''Optimizing'' || This is the name of a level used within [[Glossary#cmm|CMM]], where continuous improvement is established.
|-
| <div id="organicorganization"> ''organic organization'' || ''Organic organizations'' are not accustomed to achieving results according to plans. Internal changes will not be triggered as a result of anticipating future requirements. Internal changes will ''overcome'' this type of organizations. (also see: ''[[Glossary#projectorientedorganization|project oriented organization]]''
|-
| <div id="organization"> ''organization'' || (Strikwerda) The combination of people or companies, knowledge and funds, which in society is identified with the products and/or services that it produces and the routines and competences required in its context. Its function is: Production of products and services required by society and provision of an income for its participants.
|-
| <div id="organizationtransformation"> ''organization transformation'' || see: ''[[Glossary#transformation|transformation]]''
|-
| <div id="organizational"> ''organizational'' || The focus is on the organization.
|-
| <div id="Peer Group"> ''Peer Group'' || One of the groups with regard to the MINCE measurements. The ''Peer Group'' is the group appreciating the outcomes of the organizational change process.
|-
| <div id="people"> ''People'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': All people on the payroll of the MINCE organization.
|-
| <div id="perspective"> ''Perspective'' || The five different views on MINCE maturity Criteria that might be considered. The five perspectives are located at each combination of a MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Tower]]'' and ''[[Glossary#level|Level]]''.
|-
| <div id="pmmm"> ''PMMM'' || ''Project Management Maturity Model'', developed by Dr. Harold Kerzner.
|-
| <div id="policy"> ''policy'' || A guiding principle designed to influence decisions, actions etc. Typically, a policy designates a required process or procedure within an organization.
|-
| <div id="policymince"> ''Policy'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#criteria|Criteria]]'', offering the perspective on the degree to which the organization is behaving like a leader, considered for one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#Tower|Towers]]''.
|-
| <div id="preservation"> ''Preservation'' || AF4 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Preservation'' is about creating the ability to record knowledge and to be able to reproduce it so that mistakes do not reoccur and all good experiences are nurtured and re-used as often as possible.
|-
| <div id="processcontrol"> ''Process Control'' || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processdefinition"> ''Process Definition'' || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processimprovement"> ''Process Improvement || This is one of the facets that ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'' focuses on.
|-
| <div id="processes"> ''Processes'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at Level 2, the ''Process Level'', is aware of the processes leading to completed products.
|-
| <div id="productleadership"> ''product leadership'' || (Treacy & Wiersema; 1995) One out of three marketing perspectives. ''Product leadership'' implies full product focus (creating the best product), instead of customer focus (''[[Glossary#customerintimacy|customer intimacy]]'') or a price competition focus (''[[Glossary#operationalexcellence|operational excellence]]'').
|-
| <div id="programme"> ''programme'' || The sum or combination of the coherent ''projects'' '''and''' ''activities'' that are aimed to the realization of a strategic goal.
|-
| <div id="project"> ''project'' || All the activities leading to predefined results, within conditions set, using a temporary project organization.
|-
| <div id="projectleader"> ''project leader'' || see: ''[[Glossary#projectmanager|project manager]]''
|-
| <div id="projectmanager"> ''project manager'' || The person in charge of the ''[[Glossary#project|project]]'', responsible for resolving the day-to-day issues.
|-
| <div id="projectmaturity"> ''project maturity'' || see: ''[[Glossary#maturity|maturity]]''
|-
| <div id="projectorganization"> ''project organization'' || A temporary ''[[Glossary#organization|organization]]'', set up in order to realize a ''[[Glossary#project|project]]''.
|-
| <div id="projectoriented"> ''project oriented'' || An approach through which changes in ''[[Glossary#organization|organizations]]'' are implemented, defining the required stages and conditions beforehand as far as possible, and implementing the change according to these definitions.
|-
| <div id="projectorientedorganization"> ''project oriented organization'' || ''Project oriented organizations'' are accustomed to achieving results according to predefined plans. They will typically carry out their internal changes in a controlled manner, determining in advance the time planning, budgettary constraints, quality requirements and scope.
|-
| <div id="projectplan"> ''project plan'' || Plan, describing the ''[[Glossary#realization|realization]]'' of a project.
|-
| <div id="projectquality"> ''project quality'' || The degree to which the project result meet (satisfy) the explicit and implicit customer's demands.
|-
| <div id="quality"> ''quality'' || The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that impact upon its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.
|-
| <div id="qualitymince"> ''Quality (MINCE)'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at this MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Level]]'' is publishing and explaining about the way they see future events in their category of activities.
|-
| <div id="qualityprocess"> ''Quality Process'' || The steering principle used to accomplish optimization between the effectiveness and efficiency of products, processes and organizations, in order to cut costs, reduce time required for implementation and live up to expectations.
|-
| <div id="qualityproducts"> ''quality products'' || Products that contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. The process in this respect can, for example, be the project realization.
|-
| <div id="quickening"> ''Quickening'' || AF1 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Quickening'' addresses the fact that maturity increases ought not to take too much time, which is also preferably the case with organizational change implementation in general.
|-
| <div id="realization"> ''realization'' || The process of completing a task, project or programme.
|-
| <div id="realizationmince"> ''Realization (MINCE)'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': the realization of project driven tasks by the ''[[Glossary#minceorganization|MINCE organization]]'' at the request of the ''[[Glossary#customer|customer organization]]''.
|-
| <div id="repeatable"> ''Repeatable'' || This is the name of a level used within '[[Glossary#cmm|CMM]]'', where certain processes are implemented and studied.
|-
| <div id="report"> ''Report'' || Description of the decision the MINCE2 Foundation Board is requested to take in order to solve an internal MINCE2 Foundation issue.
|-
| <div id="requirements"> ''requirements'' || Characteristics that identify the accomplishment levels needed to achieve specific objectives for a given set of conditions.
|-
| <div id="role"> ''role'' || A ''role'' is a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations. It is mostly defined as an expected behavior in a given individual social status and social position.
|-
| <div id="scope"> ''scope'' || The whole silhouette of what a project is to produce with regards to products and services.
|-
| <div id="silver"> ''Silver'' || A way to measure the maturity of an organization according to MINCE, based on hired expertise and interviews. See also: ''[[Glossary#bronze|Bronze]]'' and ''[[Glossary#gold|Gold]]''
|-
| <div id="singularmethodology"> ''Singular Methodology'' || This is the name of a level used within ''[[Glossary#pmmm|PMMM]]'', where the organization recognizes the synergistic effect of combining different methodologies into a single one.
|-
| <div id="skill"> ''skill'' || A ''skill'' is an ability, usually learned and acquired through training, to perform actions which achieve a desired outcome.
|-
| <div id="smart"> ''SMART'' || This five letter acronym ''SMART'' is used in conjunction with goal definitions in order to indicate:<br>* '''''S'''pecific'': The goal is individual and can be specified;<br>* '''''M'''easurable'': Defined conditions indicate when the goal is accomplished;<br>* '''''A'''cceptable'': The stakeholders and/or the management accept the goal (sometimes, ''Attractive'' is used with this letter A);<br>* '''''R'''ealistic'': It can indeed be accomplished;<br>* '''''T'''ime related'': Indicates in what time the goal is to be accomplished.
|-
| <div id="smartsolutions"> ''smart solutions'' || Solutions taking into account the perspective of dealing with the ever-changing environment.
|-
| <div id="staff"> ''Staff'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#criteria|Criteria]]'', offering the perspective on the way in which the organization deals with staff matters, considered for one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]''
|-
| <div id="supplychain"> ''Supply Chain'' || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. If an organization is at MINCE Level 4, ''Supply Chain'', it also interacts with suppliers and customers in the chain.
|-
| <div id="supportingservices"> ''Supporting Services'' || The name of one of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#tower|Towers]]'': The way the MINCE organization supports the realization of products and/or the delivery of services on behalf of the customer organization.
|-
| <div id="systems"> ''Systems" || One of the MINCE ''[[Glossary#level|Levels]]''. An organization operating at Level 3, the ''Systems''-level, has the activities and processes in place and, on top of that, has developed a set of standard means to be used.
|-
| <div id="tailoring"> ''Tailoring'' || AF5 of the seven MINCE ''[[Glossary#actionflavor|Action Flavors]]''. ''Tailoring'' recognizes the fact that the same message requires a different approach for the different audiences being addressed.
|-
| <div id="targetgroup"> ''Target Group'' || One of the groups with regard to the MINCE measurements. The ''Target Group'' is the group initiating and responsible at board level for the MINCE process.
|-
| <div id="technique"> ''technique'' || A ''technique'' is the prepared way with which you bring the ''[[Glossary#method|method]]'' into practice.
|-
| <div id="tower"> ''Tower'' || Each of the six MINCE ''Towers'' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.
|-
| <div id="transformation"> ''transformation'' || ''Transformation'' occurs as soon as the creation, distribution and utilization of knowledge are considered beneficial to and by both the organization ''and'' the employee.
|-
| <div id="trend"> ''trend'' || General tendency or direction in wthe development of a market or industry.
|-
| <div id="unleashing"> ''unleashing'' || Setting free the 'secret weapon'' of the organization.
|-
| <div id="valuechain"> ''value chain'' || The series of organizations that are connected to each other as customers, suppliers and service providers.
|-
| <div id="values"> ''values'' || Personal ''values'' evolve from experiences with the external world and can change over time.<br>Members share a culture, even if each member's personal values to not entirely agree with some normative values sanctioned in the culture.
|}

Levels

2024-11-28T11:45:20Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:42:19Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Level 1: Activities */

Levels

2024-11-28T11:33:23Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:30:32Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:23:56Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Levels: overview */

Levels

2024-11-28T11:20:33Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Levels: overview */

Levels

2024-11-28T11:16:17Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:13:09Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Bestand:Figure18.png

2024-11-28T11:08:47Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Levels

2024-11-28T11:08:28Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: Nieuwe pagina aangemaakt met 'This section provides explanation about the '''Levels''' in the MINCE Maturity Model. <div id="overview> =='''Levels: overview'''== Figure 18 – A MINCE Tower (with only levels 1 to 3)'''Levels''' indicate the appreciation of competitiveness in relation to each of the combinations of the ''Tower'' and the full set of ''Criteria''.'

Criteria

2024-11-26T15:07:12Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion E: Instructions */

This section provides explanation about the '''Criteria''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Criteria: overview'''==
[[file:Figure15.png|300px|right|Figure 15 – Physical positions of the MINCE Towers]]MINCE uses five '''Criteria''': Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE ''[[Towers]]''. The adjecent visualization at the right hand side shows the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'', which are considered for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''.
All ''[[Towers]]'' in the MINCE "castle" each have observation holes in five directions (see the picture at the left hand side). These "windows" are available at each of the five levels in each ''[[Towers]]''.
In our language, we do not speak of "holes" – instead, we speak of ''Criteria'' (plural: the whole set) or (singular: one out of the set) ''Criterion''.
[[file:Figure16.png|300px|left|Figure 16 – Physical positions of the MINCE Criteria]]A ''Criterion'' allows us to view outside of the ''Tower'', and reflect on what we see.
Five ''Criteria'', used in combination, allow us to see all around a ''Tower'' from different heights. Each ''Tower'' for that purpose has five observation holes, one set at each of the heights the ''Tower'' provides.
These ''Criteria'', in a neat round manner, cover the environment.
The ''Criteria'' provide us with a full-circle view. They have to do with maturity aspects that can be considered in relation to the organizational aspects in the ''[[Towers]]''.
These are those five ''Criteria'':
<ol type="A">
<li>'''''Leaderhip''''';</li>
<li>'''''Staff''''';</li>
<li>'''''Policy''''';</li>
<li>'''''Means''''';</li>
<li>'''''Instructions'''''.</li>
</ol>
This visualization illustrates the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'' in each of the ''[[Towers]]''. In this drawing the ''Criteria'' within ''[[Levels#Level5|Level 5]]'' of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' are indicated. These five ''Criteria'', indicated A-E, are repeated at each of the five ''[[Levels]]''.
''Criteria'' deal with the perspectives (angles) used in order to determine the maturity levels with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
Consider the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' as being a fixed point in the landscape and the ''Criterion'' a direction in the distance, that you're looking at. In that way you can determine the maturity level of the section you're evaluating at that moment.
While remaining in the same ''[[Towers|Tower]]'', you turn and there is the next ''Criterion'' – the next direction to be evaluated.
It may well be the case that, while you are evaluating a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a certain ''Criterion'' in it, at a certain point, you will find out you are actually judging an interrelation between two ''[[Towers]]''.
In such a case, for example, from the ''Tower IV'' in below visualization, whilst looking through one of the ''Criteria''-holes in there, at the fifth ''[[Levels|Level]]'', you will realize that you are in fact looking ''into'' one of the ''Criteria''-holes of ''Tower III'' (''x''). This might be (does not ''have'' to be) similar in the opposite direction (''y'').
[[file:Figure17.png|500px|center|Figure 17 – Criteria (x) en (y) interconnecting]]
There are many variations in how the contents of one ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' might be observed from another. Such observations of an opposing ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' will surely not always occur, but it might happen and it should not be considered an error – quite to the contrary. It should be considered a good sign, since it shows that there is apparently a cross relation.
An example of such a cross relation is the following: The ''Policy Criterion'' with the ''People Tower'' indicates that the organization is supportive about the spread and development of individual knowledge. In the opposite direction, in this example it is from the ''Knowledge Tower'', you can observe how with the ''Means Criterion'' the organization actively provides the means for assembling and developing knowledge.

<div id="CriterionA">

=='''Criterion A''': '''''Leadership'''''==
''Criterion A'', about ''Leadership'', is the perspective from any ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' that relates to the degree an organization is able and willing to fulfill the leading position.
Typically leading organizations will set the tone for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''. Setting the tone implies others recognize the leading status of such an organizationb and as a result they are thet willing to follow their strategy, without too much discussion. Others adapt to the behavior of organizations with a strong ''Leadership'' position (i.e. organizations with a high maturity level in the ''Leadership Criterion'').
A typical organization with little leadership will need to follow others in that respect. (Note that such organizations may for the time being flourish nevertheless.) Such organizatiobns will have to compensate for this with one or several of the other ''Criteria''. Organizations lacking a good reputation on leadership will often not have a front line position: They are positioned behind that zone – out of the heat of that "fight". Perhaps they will compensate for this by offering lower proces. Or higher quality products at the same price as others.

<div id="CriterionB">
=='''Criterion B''': '''''Staff'''''==

<div id="CriterionC">
''Criterion B'', about ''Staff'', is to be considered the most important of all ''Criteria''. The truth of the matter is that the better employees are in the fulfillment of their tasks, the stronger your organization will be. Is not the quality of an organization greatly determined by the quality of its employees?
Having the best staff qualified for a job is not merely a benefit – it also brings responsibilities and additional requirements. In order to keep well trained staff working for an organization, it will be necessary to keep them as close to the organization as possible. The organization will have to keep them ''in flow'' as much as possible: being ''in flow'' in change management is an indication of the emotional state of optimally performing employees (Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály; 1990). If they gave the impression that they are not learning and contributing as well as they would be able to, they will swiftly move on to the next, more challenging job.
The way an organization handles staff, the way the personnel are tracked and hired, the manner in which an organization bids them farewell as soon as the end of their co-operation is reached – all determine the maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
A typical organization with a high maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' will have people capable of moving the company forward out of many status quo and continuously working coherently towards improvement.
If an organization scores a low maturity for the ''Staff Criterion'', their workers will tend to do what they personally think should be done, without much deliberation. They may well be surprised if they succeed in getting a task done.

=='''Criterion C''': '''''Policy'''''==

<div id="CriterionD">
''Criterion C'', about ''Policy'', relates to the way an organization carries out its mission and vision in order to turn these into the approach towards daily routine. ''Policy'' in MINCE is regarded as the practical translation of the (often rather elusive) mission and vision statements.
Internal policy in this respect addresses the way that employees co-operate, grow and stimulate growth. External policy splits up into the first part (which translates mission and vision into a viewpoint towards customers) and the second part (that translates these viewpoints towards others in the environment – "others" being competitors, suppliers and organizations in related areas.
An organization with a high maturity level for the ''Policy Criterion'' will typically have thought deeply over its mission and vision (statements) and will have translated the outcome of that process into an approach to be used by its staff when interacting with customers, competitors and the rest. Even particular situations, that were not predicted, will not be difficult to deal with, because of the clear base message.
Low maturity rating organizations will not have thought about their mission or vision for a second, so that the way they deal in practice with customers, competitors and other organizations is unpredictable and dependent upon the circumstances, for example on who is the actor at a given moment in time.

=='''Criterion D''': '''''Means'''''==

<div id="CriterionE">
''Criterion D'', about ''Means'', for each ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' links the ''Criteria Policy'', ''Staff'' and ''Leadership'' to the day-to-day-realities of business. You can have the best ''Policy'' and ''Staff'' and work from a leading perspective in the market, but if you fail to have ''Means'' to deliver your solutions and services the, it all will be useless. Finance are also considered one of the ''Means''. Financial issues are also a part of this ''Criterion''.
''Means'' in the MINCE perspective relates to things that can often be translated to financial means, but that need not be true in all cases. Anyone will agree that frequently the means required in order to be succesful have little or no financial value. The financial value often bears no relation to the impact that the tool, machine, binder or communication means (just to name a few) have.
As with the other ''Criteria'', an organization can also become a victim of the ''Criterion Means''. As soon as a client organization does not have the required ''Means'' available, your organization will rank a low maturity level, perhaps merely a ''Level 1'' (''Activities''), in the ''[[Towers#TowerIII|Tower III]]'' (''Customer'') and ''Criterion D'' (''Means'') combination. This is a particular annoying one, since your organization in this example is in fact a victim of poor performance ''by your client''...
An organization with a high level of the ''Means Criterion'' will typically have made a solid an throrough consideration of the ''Staff'' and ''Policy'' ambitions. They will have also translated these into the ''Means'' required to live equally well up to their ''Leadership'' ambitions.
Poor performing organizations will typically have little to no means available – often they will lack vision at the same time. The result will be that, because these organizations fail to have the required ''Means'' available, they repeatedly have to disappoint customers. They will, at the same time, also expose their weaknesses to competitors. These competitors will be quite willing to go for the kill or at least inflict as much damage to your organization as they possibly can.

=='''Criterion E''': '''''Instructions'''''==

<div id="CriterionE">
''Criterion E'', about ''Instructions'', observes the way an organization provides instructions in anticipation of business scenarios.
These instructions will, for a large part, usually come from one of the methodical approaches and/or quality criteria available, such as PRINCE2 for project management, ITIL for IT Service Management, TMAP for test management, EFQM for quality management, MSP for programme management and so on.
Alternatively, these instructions will be created by the organization in order to be able to deal with particular situations.
Having clear instructions, such as a selected project management method like PRINCE2, will empower your organization to deal with any king of organizational issues (in this PRINCE2-example it wouls specifically be focused on project management).
As soon as new environmental change comes into perspective, you'll be able to swiftly translate it into:

*described sets of adaptations, required to deal with the organizational change (e.g. a programme, according to MSP);
*the required detailed changes (e.g. one or more projects to be initiated according to PRINCE2);
*standardized test sets in order to determine the success of newly realized detailed changes (e.g. using the TMAP standard);
*maintaining the updated established steady state (e.g. by means of the ITIL standards for service management);
*keeping your instructions on the working floor in good shape.

Criteria

2024-11-26T15:00:05Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion D: Means */

Criteria

2024-11-26T14:39:20Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion C: Policy */

Criteria

2024-11-26T14:39:06Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion B: Staff */

This section provides explanation about the '''Criteria''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Criteria: overview'''==
[[file:Figure15.png|300px|right|Figure 15 – Physical positions of the MINCE Towers]]MINCE uses five '''Criteria''': Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE ''[[Towers]]''. The adjecent visualization at the right hand side shows the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'', which are considered for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''.
All ''[[Towers]]'' in the MINCE "castle" each have observation holes in five directions (see the picture at the left hand side). These "windows" are available at each of the five levels in each ''[[Towers]]''.
In our language, we do not speak of "holes" – instead, we speak of ''Criteria'' (plural: the whole set) or (singular: one out of the set) ''Criterion''.
[[file:Figure16.png|300px|left|Figure 16 – Physical positions of the MINCE Criteria]]A ''Criterion'' allows us to view outside of the ''Tower'', and reflect on what we see.
Five ''Criteria'', used in combination, allow us to see all around a ''Tower'' from different heights. Each ''Tower'' for that purpose has five observation holes, one set at each of the heights the ''Tower'' provides.
These ''Criteria'', in a neat round manner, cover the environment.
The ''Criteria'' provide us with a full-circle view. They have to do with maturity aspects that can be considered in relation to the organizational aspects in the ''[[Towers]]''.
These are those five ''Criteria'':
<ol type="A">
<li>'''''Leaderhip''''';</li>
<li>'''''Staff''''';</li>
<li>'''''Policy''''';</li>
<li>'''''Means''''';</li>
<li>'''''Instructions'''''.</li>
</ol>
This visualization illustrates the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'' in each of the ''[[Towers]]''. In this drawing the ''Criteria'' within ''[[Levels#Level5|Level 5]]'' of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' are indicated. These five ''Criteria'', indicated A-E, are repeated at each of the five ''[[Levels]]''.
''Criteria'' deal with the perspectives (angles) used in order to determine the maturity levels with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
Consider the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' as being a fixed point in the landscape and the ''Criterion'' a direction in the distance, that you're looking at. In that way you can determine the maturity level of the section you're evaluating at that moment.
While remaining in the same ''[[Towers|Tower]]'', you turn and there is the next ''Criterion'' – the next direction to be evaluated.
It may well be the case that, while you are evaluating a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a certain ''Criterion'' in it, at a certain point, you will find out you are actually judging an interrelation between two ''[[Towers]]''.
In such a case, for example, from the ''Tower IV'' in below visualization, whilst looking through one of the ''Criteria''-holes in there, at the fifth ''[[Levels|Level]]'', you will realize that you are in fact looking ''into'' one of the ''Criteria''-holes of ''Tower III'' (''x''). This might be (does not ''have'' to be) similar in the opposite direction (''y'').
[[file:Figure17.png|500px|center|Figure 17 – Criteria (x) en (y) interconnecting]]
There are many variations in how the contents of one ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' might be observed from another. Such observations of an opposing ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' will surely not always occur, but it might happen and it should not be considered an error – quite to the contrary. It should be considered a good sign, since it shows that there is apparently a cross relation.
An example of such a cross relation is the following: The ''Policy Criterion'' with the ''People Tower'' indicates that the organization is supportive about the spread and development of individual knowledge. In the opposite direction, in this example it is from the ''Knowledge Tower'', you can observe how with the ''Means Criterion'' the organization actively provides the means for assembling and developing knowledge.

<div id="CriterionA">

=='''Criterion A''': '''''Leadership'''''==
''Criterion A'', about ''Leadership'', is the perspective from any ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' that relates to the degree an organization is able and willing to fulfill the leading position.
Typically leading organizations will set the tone for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''. Setting the tone implies others recognize the leading status of such an organizationb and as a result they are thet willing to follow their strategy, without too much discussion. Others adapt to the behavior of organizations with a strong ''Leadership'' position (i.e. organizations with a high maturity level in the ''Leadership Criterion'').
A typical organization with little leadership will need to follow others in that respect. (Note that such organizations may for the time being flourish nevertheless.) Such organizatiobns will have to compensate for this with one or several of the other ''Criteria''. Organizations lacking a good reputation on leadership will often not have a front line position: They are positioned behind that zone – out of the heat of that "fight". Perhaps they will compensate for this by offering lower proces. Or higher quality products at the same price as others.

<div id="CriterionB">
=='''Criterion B''': '''''Staff'''''==

<div id="CriterionC">
''Criterion B'', about ''Staff'', is to be considered the most important of all ''Criteria''. The truth of the matter is that the better employees are in the fulfillment of their tasks, the stronger your organization will be. Is not the quality of an organization greatly determined by the quality of its employees?
Having the best staff qualified for a job is not merely a benefit – it also brings responsibilities and additional requirements. In order to keep well trained staff working for an organization, it will be necessary to keep them as close to the organization as possible. The organization will have to keep them ''in flow'' as much as possible: being ''in flow'' in change management is an indication of the emotional state of optimally performing employees (Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály; 1990). If they gave the impression that they are not learning and contributing as well as they would be able to, they will swiftly move on to the next, more challenging job.
The way an organization handles staff, the way the personnel are tracked and hired, the manner in which an organization bids them farewell as soon as the end of their co-operation is reached – all determine the maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
A typical organization with a high maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' will have people capable of moving the company forward out of many status quo and continuously working coherently towards improvement.
If an organization scores a low maturity for the ''Staff Criterion'', their workers will tend to do what they personally think should be done, without much deliberation. They may well be surprised if they succeed in getting a task done.

=='''Criterion C''': '''''Policy'''''==

<div id="CriterionD">
''Criterion C'', ''Policy'', relates to the way an organization carries out its mission and vision in order to turn these into the approach towards daily routine. ''Policy'' in MINCE is regarded as the practical translation of the (often rather elusive) mission and vision statements.
Internal policy in this respect addresses the way that employees co-operate, grow and stimulate growth. External policy splits up into the first part (which translates mission and vision into a viewpoint towards customers) and the second part (that translates these viewpoints towards others in the environment – "others" being competitors, suppliers and organizations in related areas.
An organization with a high maturity level for the ''Policy Criterion'' will typically have thought deeply over its mission and vision (statements) and will have translated the outcome of that process into an approach to be used by its staff when interacting with customers, competitors and the rest. Even particular situations, that were not predicted, will not be difficult to deal with, because of the clear base message.
Low maturity rating organizations will not have thought about their mission or vision for a second, so that the way they deal in practice with customers, competitors and other organizations is unpredictable and dependent upon the circumstances, for example on who is the actor at a given moment in time.

=='''Criterion D''': '''''Means'''''==

<div id="CriterionE">
=='''Criterion E''': '''''Instructions'''''==

Criteria

2024-11-26T14:38:45Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion C: Policy */

This section provides explanation about the '''Criteria''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Criteria: overview'''==
[[file:Figure15.png|300px|right|Figure 15 – Physical positions of the MINCE Towers]]MINCE uses five '''Criteria''': Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE ''[[Towers]]''. The adjecent visualization at the right hand side shows the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'', which are considered for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''.
All ''[[Towers]]'' in the MINCE "castle" each have observation holes in five directions (see the picture at the left hand side). These "windows" are available at each of the five levels in each ''[[Towers]]''.
In our language, we do not speak of "holes" – instead, we speak of ''Criteria'' (plural: the whole set) or (singular: one out of the set) ''Criterion''.
[[file:Figure16.png|300px|left|Figure 16 – Physical positions of the MINCE Criteria]]A ''Criterion'' allows us to view outside of the ''Tower'', and reflect on what we see.
Five ''Criteria'', used in combination, allow us to see all around a ''Tower'' from different heights. Each ''Tower'' for that purpose has five observation holes, one set at each of the heights the ''Tower'' provides.
These ''Criteria'', in a neat round manner, cover the environment.
The ''Criteria'' provide us with a full-circle view. They have to do with maturity aspects that can be considered in relation to the organizational aspects in the ''[[Towers]]''.
These are those five ''Criteria'':
<ol type="A">
<li>'''''Leaderhip''''';</li>
<li>'''''Staff''''';</li>
<li>'''''Policy''''';</li>
<li>'''''Means''''';</li>
<li>'''''Instructions'''''.</li>
</ol>
This visualization illustrates the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'' in each of the ''[[Towers]]''. In this drawing the ''Criteria'' within ''[[Levels#Level5|Level 5]]'' of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' are indicated. These five ''Criteria'', indicated A-E, are repeated at each of the five ''[[Levels]]''.
''Criteria'' deal with the perspectives (angles) used in order to determine the maturity levels with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
Consider the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' as being a fixed point in the landscape and the ''Criterion'' a direction in the distance, that you're looking at. In that way you can determine the maturity level of the section you're evaluating at that moment.
While remaining in the same ''[[Towers|Tower]]'', you turn and there is the next ''Criterion'' – the next direction to be evaluated.
It may well be the case that, while you are evaluating a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a certain ''Criterion'' in it, at a certain point, you will find out you are actually judging an interrelation between two ''[[Towers]]''.
In such a case, for example, from the ''Tower IV'' in below visualization, whilst looking through one of the ''Criteria''-holes in there, at the fifth ''[[Levels|Level]]'', you will realize that you are in fact looking ''into'' one of the ''Criteria''-holes of ''Tower III'' (''x''). This might be (does not ''have'' to be) similar in the opposite direction (''y'').
[[file:Figure17.png|500px|center|Figure 17 – Criteria (x) en (y) interconnecting]]
There are many variations in how the contents of one ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' might be observed from another. Such observations of an opposing ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' will surely not always occur, but it might happen and it should not be considered an error – quite to the contrary. It should be considered a good sign, since it shows that there is apparently a cross relation.
An example of such a cross relation is the following: The ''Policy Criterion'' with the ''People Tower'' indicates that the organization is supportive about the spread and development of individual knowledge. In the opposite direction, in this example it is from the ''Knowledge Tower'', you can observe how with the ''Means Criterion'' the organization actively provides the means for assembling and developing knowledge.

<div id="CriterionA">

=='''Criterion A''': '''''Leadership'''''==
''Criterion A'', about ''Leadership'', is the perspective from any ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' that relates to the degree an organization is able and willing to fulfill the leading position.
Typically leading organizations will set the tone for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''. Setting the tone implies others recognize the leading status of such an organizationb and as a result they are thet willing to follow their strategy, without too much discussion. Others adapt to the behavior of organizations with a strong ''Leadership'' position (i.e. organizations with a high maturity level in the ''Leadership Criterion'').
A typical organization with little leadership will need to follow others in that respect. (Note that such organizations may for the time being flourish nevertheless.) Such organizatiobns will have to compensate for this with one or several of the other ''Criteria''. Organizations lacking a good reputation on leadership will often not have a front line position: They are positioned behind that zone – out of the heat of that "fight". Perhaps they will compensate for this by offering lower proces. Or higher quality products at the same price as others.

<div id="CriterionB">
=='''Criterion B''': '''''Staff'''''==

<div id="CriterionC">
''Criterion B'', ''Staff'', is to be considered the most important of all ''Criteria''. The truth of the matter is that the better employees are in the fulfillment of their tasks, the stronger your organization will be. Is not the quality of an organization greatly determined by the quality of its employees?
Having the best staff qualified for a job is not merely a benefit – it also brings responsibilities and additional requirements. In order to keep well trained staff working for an organization, it will be necessary to keep them as close to the organization as possible. The organization will have to keep them ''in flow'' as much as possible: being ''in flow'' in change management is an indication of the emotional state of optimally performing employees (Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály; 1990). If they gave the impression that they are not learning and contributing as well as they would be able to, they will swiftly move on to the next, more challenging job.
The way an organization handles staff, the way the personnel are tracked and hired, the manner in which an organization bids them farewell as soon as the end of their co-operation is reached – all determine the maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
A typical organization with a high maturity level for the ''Staff Criterion'' will have people capable of moving the company forward out of many status quo and continuously working coherently towards improvement.
If an organization scores a low maturity for the ''Staff Criterion'', their workers will tend to do what they personally think should be done, without much deliberation. They may well be surprised if they succeed in getting a task done.

=='''Criterion C''': '''''Policy'''''==

<div id="CriterionD">
''Criterion C'', ''Policy'', relates to the way an organization carries out its mission and vision in order to turn these into the approach towards daily routine. ''Policy'' in MINCE is regarded as the practical translation of the (often rather elusive) mission and vision statements.
Internal policy in this respect addresses the way that employees co-operate, grow and stimulate growth. External policy splits up into the first part (which translates mission and vision into a viewpoint towards customers) and the second part (that translates these viewpoints towards others in the environment – "others" being competitors, suppliers and organizations in related areas.
An organization with a high maturity level for the ''Policy Criterion'' will typically have thought deeply over its mission and vision (statements) and will have translated the outcome of that process into an approach to be used by its staff when interacting with customers, competitors and the rest. Even particular situations, that were not predicted, will not be difficult to deal with, because of the clear base message.
Low maturity rating organizations will not have thought about their mission or vision for a second, so that the way they deal in practice with customers, competitors and other organizations is unpredictable and dependent upon the circumstances, for example on who is the actor at a given moment in time.

=='''Criterion D''': '''''Means'''''==

<div id="CriterionE">
=='''Criterion E''': '''''Instructions'''''==

Criteria

2024-11-26T14:30:50Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion B: Staff */

Criteria

2024-11-26T14:28:28Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion B: Staff */

Towers

2024-11-21T20:16:03Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''[[#Tower_I:_People|People]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerII|Methods & Techniques]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerIII|Customer]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerIV|Realization]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerV|Knowledge]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerVI|Supporting Services]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:14:57Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''[[#Tower_I:_People|People]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#TowerII|Methods & Techniques]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:14:26Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''[[#Tower_I:_People|People]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''[[#Tower_II|Methods & Techniques]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:13:16Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''[[#Tower_I:_People|People]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods & Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:12:50Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''[[#Tower_I:_People]]|People]]'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods & Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:11:21Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods & Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methodsandtechniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#customer|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Realization'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#realization|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Knowledge'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#knowledge|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#supportingservices|glossary]])</font>;</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:09:52Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods & Techniques'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#methods&techniques|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Customer'';</li>
<li>''Realization'';</li>
<li>''Knowledge'';</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'';</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Towers

2024-11-21T20:08:59Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

This section provides explanation about the '''Towers''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.
<div id="overview>
=='''Towers: overview'''==
Each of the six MINCE '''Towers''' represents crucial organizational aspects that correlate to organizational maturity.[[file:Figure7.png|300px|right|Figure 7 – Six MINCE Towers]]
In order to be able to get a clear look-out, any castle will (or should have) a couple of ''Towers'', allowing for the inhabitants to check which threats or opportunities are approaching. The higher such a ''Tower'', the higher the maturity level is, so consequently the higher the sooner anyone moving towards the castle and its contents will be noticed. A low ''Tower'' will be less beneficial in defending the castle's precious contents. A certain number of ''Towers'' will be necessary in order to have a proper view over the landscape, into the fields beyond.
It should be clear now that the ''Towers'' are the main part of the MINCE construction work.
There are six of them and each one has a Roman number attached to it:
<ol style="list-style-type:upper-roman">
<li>''People'' <font size=-2>(→[[Glossary#people|glossary]])</font>;</li>
<li>''Methods & Techniques'';</li>
<li>''Customer'';</li>
<li>''Realization'';</li>
<li>''Knowledge'';</li>
<li>''Supporting Services'';</li>
</ol>
These ''Towers'' determine the main aspects of organizations with regard to the maturity level.
Each ''Tower'' has a connection to the environment via ''Criteria''. The combination of ''Tower'' and ''Criterion'' reflects a certain level of maturity. So you'll obtain as many maturity levels with each ''Tower'' as there are ''Criteria'': In effect there are five maturity levels with each.
Each of the ''Towers'' is briefly described below.
<div id="TowerI">

=='''Tower I''': '''''People'''''==
''People'' is ''Tower I'' in the MINCE model. And this is for a reason. People are the most important asset of an organization. This is certainly the case during periods of change, but probably also in the absence of change. Machines can be altered or replaced without much difficulty. Staff are not as easily adapted or replaced. Managers should not consider machines and people to be interchangeable items.
People, from the perspective of MINCE, do not need to be a particular level of type. We are not focusing on the board of directors. Neither are we singularly interested in the staff carrying out project tasks or in people cleaning the place.
''People'', according to MINCE, addresses ''all'' people in the organization, from the receptionists, via the secretary, all the way up to the production technicians, the management team and further.
When focusing on people, we look towards the ''Criteria'' in order to determine the degree to which our people are behaving like leaders (''Leadership'' is a ''Criterion''), dealing with staff matters (''Staff'' is another ''Criterion''), knowing of and contributing to corporate policy (''Policy'' as a ''Criterion''), utilizing the means (the ''Criterion'' named ''Means'') available to them and acting according to regulations (the ''Criterion Instructions''), i.e. are they taking steps in terms of getting these instructions known, understood and followed-up down the hiërarchical line?

<div id="TowerII">
=='''Tower II''': '''''Methods & Techniques'''''==
''Methods & Techniques'' are positioned as ''Tower II'' in the MINCE model, since even the best qualified people in the world need to have these both available in order to accomplish meaningful results. This is an important maturity indicator.
''Methods & Techniques'' have a feeling to them of boredom and dust. This should not be the case, since the topic without much effort can be transformed into a stimulating and fascinating subject that acts as the foundation of your organization.
Firstly, ''Methods & Techniques'' are a matter of selection. Just pick any documented ''Method & Technique'' and you will perform better in comparison to a competitor who does not take such action. Any choice is better than none. If you're smart, you obviously pick your ''Method & Technique'' on the basis of well-prepared criteria. The latter approach will of course bring better results.
In order to decide, you'll need to have a clear understanding of what a ''method'' is, in comparison to a ''technique''. That is addressed as such:
*A '''method''' is a described way of dealing with business topics.<br>Examples: The method describing project management (e.g. PRINCE2), programme management (e.g. MSP), test management (e.g. TMAP), service management (e.g. ITIL), functional application management (e.g. ASL), software development (e.g. RUP) or quality management (e.g. EFQM).
*A '''technique''' is the prepared way by which you bring the method into practice.<br>Examples: The particular way you use MS Office products for the inception of your project management documentation. Or a technical programming approach you have selected, that determines how you develop the software products that your organization sells. Or the way in which you collect questionnaire results via a web-based eForm.
The combination of ''Method & Techniques'' in fact represents the quality with which your people perform tasks and in that respect should be considered as an indication of the quality level, associated with your organization.

<div id="TowerIII">
=='''Tower III''': '''''Customer'''''==
At first glance there seems little you can do about ''Tower III'', your ''Customer''. Is not it a fact that the maturity indicator induced by your customer is out of your influential sphere?
To be honost, it is obviously not always easy to change anything about the maturity influence your customer induces. It is however ''not impossible'' to influence just that. Why should you accept the ''laissez-faire'' attitude of a low level customer? If you go into business with customers that gave accomplished little or no maturity themselves, this will influence your business in a negative way.
So perhaps you should try to avoid such customers and instead focus on finding others, with a fair idea about a quality relationship between (service) provider and customer organization.
If your organization is aiming to provide quality solutions and/or quality products, you should aim to produce these for the clientèle base able to make proper use of them. You should not avoid injecting quality into your customer base and stimulating them to absorb it. If they make serious attempts to adopt these invitations, both you and your customer will benefit, since quality radiates reliability and durability – both of which are aspects that any organization will want to display.
If you succeed into moving up to the level of higher quality organizations, if you are indeed able to improve the quality of your business chain, this will also make it easier for your organization to search for new, high quality customers to add to your business chain.

<div id="TowerIV">
=='''Tower IV''': '''''Realization'''''==
No matter how much effort you put into your people, methods & techniques and customer chain, if you fail to execute your project oriented tasks, one of which is implementing changes into your organization, little good will come from it. ''Tower IV'' is about the way you execute the operations and projects in your organization. Obviously, one of the most important project oriented tasks in relation to MINCE is improving your own organization.
Examples of such MINCE related project oriented tasks are not difficult to find. Changing a product line, swo that the quality of the end product improves. Training your staff in order to improve the way they implement your products on behalf of your customers. Developing an entirely new service that your organization will offer to a niche market. Enhancing the image of your organization via carefully selected printed media in combination with an eye-catching series of (online) advertisements.
In this respect it is important to keep in mind that ''Realization'' is exclusively about project oriented activities. Whst is considered project oriented? Project oriented is the implementation of a predetermined change results, during a predetermined period of time, against a budget made available for the purpose, using a temporarily set up organization. Before such a project commences, we should have carefully thought about:
*'''scope''': what should the precise results be: what are the short term, mid term and long term outcomes? (no ''fuzzy language'' allowed here!);
*'''budget''': the cost/result-ratio should be positive in a reasonable period of time (usually <1 year);
*'''timespan''': it should provide output in the short term (quick wins) and longer term (king-size wins);
*'''quality''': how accurately do we expect to run the project in terms of reliability and repeatability? (phrase it in a way that allows for objective checking of goal versus reality!);
and ways to effectively measure the above, so that a comparison can be made in terms of the goals set at one side, versus the results accomplished at the other side.

<div id="TowerV">
=='''Tower V''': '''''Knowledge'''''==
This ''Tower V'' is about the ''learning organization". ''Knowledge'' describes how you deal with the lesssons you've learned during the ''Realization'' of tasks, projects and/or programmes. Any mistake is preferably only made once: the first time it occurs. Such a mistake should not be granted a second life.
In order to prevent mistakes from happening again, you should maintain an accurate base of all the mistakes your organization has ever made. This sometimes requires a change in mindset, since ''People'' are reluctant talking about mistakes, they prefer to show off their success. Mistakes, however, are equally important learning factors.
In order to trigger ''smart solutions'' ([[Glossary#smartsolutions|→explained]]) and effective approaches to reoccur as often as you can manage – these being the opposite of mistakes – you should maintain an accurate base of all the smart ideas that your organization has ever come up with. This sometimes requires a change in midset as well, because people may not alwas realize sufficiently that smart ideas can be beneficial on more than one singular occasion. It's not always clear to the eye that such a discovery may, perhaps after some minor adaptation, facilitate yet another success.
Dealing with mistakes and solutions in essence is the basis of ''Knowledge''.
In many organizations, ''Knowledge'' is ignored completely and that is a serious mistake.
In a few organizations, ''Knowledge'' is confused with just keeping track of a list of mistakes and solutions. This is a less serious error, but it still is an underestimation of the potential. Very few organizations take ''Knowledge'' sufficiently serious. These organizations are the winners.
Obviously you will not successfully exploit ''Knowledge'' by just keeping track of the above described information. You will also have to undertake action in order to make that information work for you. That second part is an equally important facet of ''Knowledge'': Using the fuel of the mistakes/solutions-overview in order to feed the engine for innovation in your organization.

<div id="TowerVI">
=='''Tower VI''': '''''Supporting Services'''''==
[[file:Figure13.png|400px|right|Figure 13 – Supporting Services positioning]]''Tower VI'', ''Supporting Services'', is about the way the organization is supporting its day-to-day-management in coherence with the programmes, projects, project portfolios and other explicit actions. This is to be done via ''Supporting Services'', where these all come together. The ''Supporting Services'' interconnects, facilitates, interacts all of these topics as is illustrated in adjecent Figure. As is shown in this figure, the ''Supporting Services'' do not just facilitate the tactical level. They are about the support provided with the agreement of the organization's management at the level of the projects, programmes, portfolio's ''and'' that of the "regular" organization's management. ''Supporting Services'' are provided by the group of employees dealing witn project office, programme office and secretarial office tasks.
This Tower is placed at the bottom of the list, because it is not the first "hot spot", even though it provides for an effective means to interconnect the daily operation in the organization to the incidental: the organizational change and the daily organizational issues will interact and in that respect be supportive to the organization developing its organizational maturity.
The staff in any organization will not spontaneously start to move in a particular direction. Not all by themselves. The management team is the most important factor when implementing change. Improving the maturity level of an organization is an important and specific kind of change, that should be "triggered from above". Where improvements to the working environment can equally well be stimulated from "below", this is different for MINCE.
The only ones able to preset the ambition level (being: the maturity level that is to be accomplished) reside in the management team. They should be unified about the:
*fact that they want to improve the organizational maturity;
*level to be set as the goal (i.e. the ''ambition level'');
*quality constraints that influence the MINCE process;
*budgettary boundaries that can be freed in order to obtain business benefits;
*realistic timeframe to maintain in relation to the environment and competitors.
The management team should be aware of the fact that starting the MINCE maturity improvement process will require their continuous involvement. They ought to be prepared to provide the stimuli required in the organization, remove obstructions and change these into opportunities. This may be as easy as the theory appears, but in practice it may prove difficult as it will require decision taking, in terms of abandoning certain working methods, methods that people have become accustomed to over time.

Criteria

2024-11-19T15:20:29Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criteria: overview */

Criteria

2024-11-19T15:20:10Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criteria: overview */

This section provides explanation about the '''Criteria''' in the MINCE Maturity Model.

<div id="overview>
=='''Criteria: overview'''==
[[file:Figure15.png|frame|300px|right|Figure 15 – Physical positions of the MINCE Towers]]MINCE uses five '''Criteria''': Five different views on MINCE maturity aspects that are taken into account from each of the six MINCE ''[[Towers]]''. The adjecent visualization at the right hand side shows the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'', which are considered for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''.
All ''[[Towers]]'' in the MINCE "castle" each have observation holes in five directions (see the picture at the left hand side). These "windows" are available at each of the five levels in each ''[[Towers]]''.
In our language, we do not speak of "holes" – instead, we speak of ''Criteria'' (plural: the whole set) or (singular: one out of the set) ''Criterion''.
[[file:Figure16.png|frame|300px|left|Figure 16 – Physical positions of the MINCE Criteria]]A ''Criterion'' allows us to view outside of the ''Tower'', and reflect on what we see.
Five ''Criteria'', used in combination, allow us to see all around a ''Tower'' from different heights. Each ''Tower'' for that purpose has five observation holes, one set at each of the heights the ''Tower'' provides.
These ''Criteria'', in a neat round manner, cover the environment.
The ''Criteria'' provide us with a full-circle view. They have to do with maturity aspects that can be considered in relation to the organizational aspects in the ''[[Towers]]''.
These are those five ''Criteria'':
<ol type="A">
<li>'''''Leaderhip''''';</li>
<li>'''''Staff''''';</li>
<li>'''''Policy''''';</li>
<li>'''''Means''''';</li>
<li>'''''Instructions'''''.</li>
</ol>
This visualization illustrates the way to consider the physical position of these ''Criteria'' in each of the ''[[Towers]]''. In this drawing the ''Criteria'' within ''[[Levels#Level5|Level 5]]'' of a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' are indicated. These five ''Criteria'', indicated A-E, are repeated at each of the five ''[[Levels]]''.
''Criteria'' deal with the perspectives (angles) used in order to determine the maturity levels with each ''[[Towers|Tower]]''.
Consider the ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' as being a fixed point in the landscape and the ''Criterion'' a direction in the distance, that you're looking at. In that way you can determine the maturity level of the section you're evaluating at that moment.
While remaining in the same ''[[Towers|Tower]]'', you turn and there is the next ''Criterion'' – the next direction to be evaluated.
It may well be the case that, while you are evaluating a ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' and a certain ''Criterion'' in it, at a certain point, you will find out you are actually judging an interrelation between two ''[[Towers]]''.
In such a case, for example, from the ''Tower IV'' in below visualization, whilst looking through one of the ''Criteria''-holes in there, at the fifth ''[[Levels|Level]]'', you will realize that you are in fact looking ''into'' one of the ''Criteria''-holes of ''Tower III'' (''x''). This might be (does not ''have'' to be) similar in the opposite direction (''y'').
[[file:Figure17.png|500px|center|Figure 17 – Criteria (x) en (y) interconnecting]]
There are many variations in how the contents of one ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' might be observed from another. Such observations of an opposing ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' will surely not always occur, but it might happen and it should not be considered an error – quite to the contrary. It should be considered a good sign, since it shows that there is apparently a cross relation.
An example of such a cross relation is the following: The ''Policy Criterion'' with the ''People Tower'' indicates that the organization is supportive about the spread and development of individual knowledge. In the opposite direction, in this example it is from the ''Knowledge Tower'', you can observe how with the ''Means Criterion'' the organization actively provides the means for assembling and developing knowledge.

<div id="CriterionA">

=='''Criterion A''': '''''Leadership'''''==
''Criterion A'', about ''Leadership'', is the perspective from any ''[[Towers|Tower]]'' that relates to the degree an organization is able and willing to fulfill the leading position.
Typically leading organizations will set the tone for each of the six ''[[Towers]]''. Setting the tone implies others recognize the leading status of such an organizationb and as a result they are thet willing to follow their strategy, without too much discussion. Others adapt to the behavior of organizations with a strong ''Leadership'' position (i.e. organizations with a high maturity level in the ''Leadership Criterion'').
A typical organization with little leadership will need to follow others in that respect. (Note that such organizations may for the time being flourish nevertheless.) Such organizatiobns will have to compensate for this with one or several of the other ''Criteria''. Organizations lacking a good reputation on leadership will often not have a front line position: They are positioned behind that zone – out of the heat of that "fight". Perhaps they will compensate for this by offering lower proces. Or higher quality products at the same price as others.

<div id="CriterionB">
=='''Criterion B''': '''''Staff'''''==

<div id="CriterionC">
=='''Criterion C''': '''''Policy'''''==

<div id="CriterionD">
=='''Criterion D''': '''''Means'''''==

<div id="CriterionE">
=='''Criterion E''': '''''Instructions'''''==

Criteria

2024-11-19T15:19:43Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criteria: overview */

Criteria

2024-11-19T14:46:04Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Criteria

2024-11-19T14:43:45Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: /* Criterion A: Leadership */

Criteria

2024-11-19T14:39:09Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Criteria

2024-11-19T14:38:50Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Criteria

2024-11-19T14:16:52Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com:

Bestand:Figure17.png

2024-11-19T14:14:17Z

Remco.meisner@gmail.com: