diagram(4/0)
Encompass complex thought with diagrams
The software project I’ve been building has grown to the point that it’s no longer simple enough that I can reason about it without the assistance of a diagramming tool. To my surprise, there are a proliferation of such tools, but few open source versions I could spin up today. Then I discovered PlantUML! I was a little turned off by the simplistic website, but once I began to use the tool I was thoroughly impressed.…
Visualize open source data
img.tall-chart { display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 50%; } Did you know that datasette is a mature tool to display and inspect sqlite databases via your browser? And did you know that Open Data Inception collects thousands of data sets published across the globe? Let’s see what we can do with this information. We’re going to use datasette, Vega, and a subset of open source data published by the Cook County Medical Examiner COVID-19 Related Deaths to grasp how COVID-19 has affected Cook County, Illinois.…
Flowcharts expose waste
My first insight, that process maps are primarily to make processes more efficient and not to document them leads naturally into this - flowcharts which identify all non-value-adding activity are most valuable in illuminating inefficiencies. An initial draft of a flowchart that describes one’s own work process is likely to miss waste. Users don’t naturally think of a wait they’re familiar with as a non-value-adding activity that might be removed or shortened.…
Process maps are tools for change
The clarity of a process map may lead management to believe that an updated flowchart is an excellent tool for on-boarding instruction. “Each step of the process is painstakingly accounted for,” a manager might reason, “so why don’t we give this chart to new hires so they know how to do their jobs?” There’s enough truth in this sentiment to make it attractive to those who aren’t familiar with the process in question, but those who actually perform the work incorporate other influences outside the flowchart’s context.…