Opposing interests in the same company. Perhaps strange, but still common. A sales manager being judged on sales, while the supply chain manager needs to keep the cost of inventory as minimal as possible. Which interest is greater? A difficult decision for several reasons: there are several stakeholders involved with different opinions, it is difficult to estimate the ideal situation, a possible solution cannot be tried just like that because of too many possible setbacks, and there are multiple possible solutions of which not one is the best, but they are all a possibility. This is also known as a “messy” problem (Head & Alford, 2015). A method designed to provide insight into this type of problem and create agreement among parties who have conflicting interests is Group Model Building (GMB) (Vennix, 1996). With this insight and agreement, a well-founded decision can be made on the one hand, and on the other hand, the noses are in the same direction. This leads to less resistance and more effective change.
This whitepaper on IMP first describes what IMP is and the steps involved in an IMP process. Then an example is described to create an image of a possible outcome.
When GMB?
GMB is a method in which a system is visually represented using System Dynamics (SD) to support a group in decision making in “messy” problems. The goal is to structure a group process that focuses on reaching consensus on, and commitment to, the decision. The model being created is the means to this end (Vennix, 1996).
The first step in this process is to find an answer to the question of whether SD is the desired method for the perceived problem. This method is best suited for ‘messy’ problems. A ‘messy’ problem cannot be briefly and clearly defined, there is no one optimal solution in a ‘messy’ problem, it is not possible to just implement a solution because the consequences can be large, it is a unique problem and there are multiple stakeholders with different views (Head & Alford, 2015). The method is further suitable for problems that require long-term insight and are dynamic in nature. This could include the introduction of lean. Although lean tools exist that can be used individually, the introduction of the lean philosophy is a transformation of an organization’s vision (Arlbjørn & Freytag, 2013). This has long-term impact, is a dynamic process and cannot be “tried once.
If you would like to learn more about Group Model Building, download the entire study below.
