Six Sigma的名字很嚇人﹐蠻高深似的﹐一大堆什麼黑帶﹐綠帶﹐冠軍團隊的術語。說穿了其實只是新瓶舊酒﹐把以客觀數據為基礎的管理方法﹐重新包裝得漂亮吸引﹐內容沒有一項在大學管理入門沒有教過的。一來可以收取高昂的顧問費﹐二來然而管理方法雖然簡單顯淺﹐但要向高層推銷並落實報行﹐這些華麗富學術性的包裝是必須的。Sigma是希臘字母δ﹐在統計學上代表Standard Deviation﹐用來量度誤差率。目標的質素定在六個δ﹐就是要誤差率少於0.03%﹐要做到差不多完美。Six Sigma管理方法就是提升公司的效率﹐如何才可以達到六個δ的標準。
Sig Sigma強調跨部門之間的合作﹐任何決定也必須作充份的數據分析 ﹐著重改變公司內部的處事方法﹐建立一套可持之以恆的系統。正如所有管理方法改革一樣﹐可隨高層的喜好在不同范圍試驗推行﹐上至整間公司一夜間改行新方法﹐下至一個部門或單一計畫當白老鼠也可以。不過Six Sigma方法強調一點﹐就是推行改革必須要有高層作後台﹐甚至有必要讓高層把自己的前途賭在改革上﹐不然改革注定失敗。這個是想當然的常識﹐企業改革又不是攪無產階級革命﹐何曾見過由草根階層發現的企業改革﹖選定要改革的項目後﹐就可以從公司各部門抽調手來﹐組成一支Six Sigma團隊。這個團隊有五個重要工作﹐首先釐清問題﹐將問題轉化成客觀的指標﹐第二步是收集數據﹐不放過任何有關連的資料。接著第三步是分析數據﹐找出問題的成因。第四步是提出改善方法﹐並重複這幾步真至達到指標。最後就是功成身退﹐待新系統上軌道後﹐就把日常運作交回營運人員手上。
Today, I came across book sharing website at anobii.com. It is pretty much like Douban.com, except this one is focus only on books and have a better user interface. Naobii.com is based in HK, which is kinda an unusal place to start a new web 2.0 venture. The website allow users to create and share their books collection. User can enter title of the books, rating and comments, then Naobii.com will take care of the database and provide other information of the book like cover picture, publisher, etc. The website connects users share comon reading interest. The website is still in beta stage, but it has already built up a large book catalog and user base. When Douban.com first come out, I thought about using it to keep track of my books. However, I found it too inconvinent to use and dropped the idea. Naobii.com seems addressed most problem of Doubai and it also provide easy integration to your blog and export your book shelf in plain HTML for backup. The website is still in its infancy, it needs many improvement. It is still too much hassle to add a book, the book search function is not fast enough. I think Naobii.com can post a serious thread to Douban.com, which is slowly turning into an anti-intelligent getto. Probably including music and movie reviews is not a good idea, espeically music, it really dumb down the intellectual content of the users.
I went to shopping with Pat this afternoon. Unfortunately, after spending 3 hours in the mall, the only thing I bought is a polo shirt. Not a very productive shopping trip. I first went to Mountain Equiment Co-op then head towards Park Royal. This two places has totally different shopping style. I feel very comfortable selecting clothings in Mountain Equiment Co-op, while I am quite uneasy finding the right clothings in Park Royal. I don’t know much about the clothings in general. The clothings in Moutain Equiments are all functional, there are specification for me to look up. I can compare their water-proof, warm-keeping, breathness, price then make an objective judgement. On the other hand, the selection criteria of the clothings in Park Royalother is subjective. I know what kind colour I like and whether the clothes is comfortable or not, but I can never tell I bought the right clothes. If clothing style is purely subjective and there is no dispute on tastes, then at least I don’t have to care what others people think about my clothes. But this is obviously not the reality, people judge you by what you wear. Yet there is no objective rules to capture how people may judge you. To make it worst, try to use statistic approach by simpily getting the most common fashion style won’t work. Fashion is something contradictary on its own, it has to follow the trend, but at the same time blame the lack of uniqueness or character. Almost policy in the old communist China is wrong, but at least they have done one thing right by making everyone wear the same style uniform everyday everywhere. This policy is probably the only way to my problem in clothes shopping. Ok, I do agree the Mao style unifrm is ugly. Maybe we can fix the system by hiring some top fashion designers to make a better looking uniform.
明年二零零八年是選舉年﹐在美國有民主共和兩黨二擇其一的總統大選﹐在香港則有結果內定的小圈子特首選舉。當現實中的選舉是如此般乏味﹐「年度人物」正好填補這個空白﹐讓觀眾看一場精彩的選戰。這齣電影由Robin Williams當主角﹐一看他的名字就知道是套合家歡喜劇。故事的主角是個政治脫口騷的喜劇演員﹐每晚在電視上諷刺事弊博觀眾一笑。他批評美個的兩黨政治忽視人民利益﹐有個現場觀眾簇擁他去參加競選﹐於是我們的喜劇演員搖身一變成為獨立候選人。剛巧這屆大選轉用電腦投票系統﹐陰差陽錯的電腦系統點票出現錯誤﹐讓這個不可能當選的候選人勝出﹐引出連串笑話。
