Melvin Conway
Computer scientist; his 1968 paper How Do Committees Invent? gave the observation known as Conway's law, that organisations design systems that copy their communication structures.
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Organisations that design systems are constrained to produce designs that copy their communication structures.
The basic thesis of this article is that organizations which design systems (in the broad sense used here) are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.
melconway.comSaid c. 1968This on korrents
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Korrents What they believe 12 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
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Organisations that design systems are constrained to produce designs that copy their communication structures.
The basic thesis of this article is that organizations which design systems (in the broad sense used here) are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
No design group can be both organised and unbiased.
Therefore, there is no such thing as a design group which is both organized and unbiased.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
An organisation that is not fully flexible in how it communicates stamps an image of itself on every design it produces.
To the extent that an organization is not completely flexible in its communication structure, that organization will stamp out an image of itself in every design it produces.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
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The larger an organisation, the less flexible it is and the more its designs copy it.
The larger an organization is, the less flexibility it has and the more pronounced is the phenomenon.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
A design effort should be organised according to the need for communication.
Primarily, we have found a criterion for the structuring of design organizations: a design effort should be organized according to the need for communication.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Because the first design is almost never the best, organisational flexibility matters for good design.
Because the design which occurs first is almost never the best possible, the prevailing system concept may need to change. Therefore, flexibility of organization is important to effective design.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Adding people to a design effort does not simply add productivity.
There is need for a philosophy of system design management which is not based on the assumption that adding manpower simply adds to productivity.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Probably the biggest common cause of poorly designed systems is a design organisation in need of work.
Probably the greatest single common factor behind many poorly designed systems now in existence has been the availability of a design organization in need of work.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
A small, well-chosen design team gives a better system; reasoning that works for peeling potatoes fails for design.
From experience we know that the two men, if they are well chosen and survive the experience, will give us a better system. Assumptions which may be adequate for peeling potatoes and erecting brick walls fail for designing systems.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Any system design will someday be bettered by someone.
It is an article of faith among experienced, system designers that given any system design, someone someday will find a better one to do the same job.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Military-style organisations design systems that look like their organisation charts.
This is one reason why military-style organizations design systems which look like their organization charts.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
Managers whose prestige is tied to their budget will expand their organisations.
As long as the manager's prestige and power are tied to the size of his budget, he will be motivated to expand his organization.
How Do Committees Invent? Said c. 1968
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