Day 6 – 9 January 2014 It is not often that we get a chance to make a direct impact upon the good people of the county. ICT is usually in the background (or in the basement in most cases) but it is different with the Digital Durham programme. Our aim is to provide, or … Continue reading A year of work in progress – day 6
Doing Lean
I’ve been fascinated by the concept of Lean ever since I read the book ‘The Machine that Changed the World’. Its description of the Toyota Production System and the dramatic effect that this had had upon automotive production was, and still is incredible. This must be at least fifteen years now and ever since I … Continue reading Doing Lean
Today we start a new job
It feels like the end of a journey, one that has lasted nigh on three years. It feels like we’ve been working to get meaningful broadband across the County forever. For the people who need it, the 170,000 on the wrong side of this digital divide, I’m sure it feels the same. And in many … Continue reading Today we start a new job
A conference I wasn’t at
This was another first for me this week. I managed to get a question raised during a live question and answer session at a conference that I wasn’t even at and it was all thanks to social media. I’ve been using Twitter for several years now. I got myself started in order to see what … Continue reading A conference I wasn’t at
A leaky bucket
Imagine a bucket with a hole in the bottom. That’s how we manage the jobs that we get within the service, or calls as we refer to them, using a leaky bucket. It could be a shiny read bucket with a strong wire handle and comfortable wooden grip or an old galvanised bucket with a … Continue reading A leaky bucket
Channel shift – it has to be more than just about money
I’ve been to a conference on channel shift, encouraging your customers to move to different forms of interaction with your organisation. It was good, perhaps not worth the five hour train ride but you always pick up something interesting from these events. Lunch was nice too. But my gripe was that speaker after speaker talked … Continue reading Channel shift – it has to be more than just about money
Colchester General Hospital targets improvement
Once again another hospital finds itself in the news because of its target driven culture. This time it is Colchester General Hospital and follows an inspection by the Care Quality Commission which found inaccuracies in recorded cancer waiting time data at the hospital. The manipulation of data to give the impression that targets were being … Continue reading Colchester General Hospital targets improvement
The road to understanding
The road to understanding is difficult and long but is paved with many interesting and beautiful things. There are things that are going to whet your appetite, things that are going to distract you, things that frustrate you, things that will lead you up some cul-de-sacs and things that will lead you to true enlightenment. … Continue reading The road to understanding
What learning a language can teach you
I’ve been inspired by a blog I read today. It was by Benny the Irish polyglot who is convinced that anyone can learn a foreign language and be fluent in three months. I came across his site when I got the urge to learn Dutch for some reason, perhaps with a view to going on … Continue reading What learning a language can teach you
Am I entitled to treatment?
I received a letter this week inviting me to attend an appointment at my local hospital. It is for some treatment for an on-going condition that I have put off for too long and am glad that the letter has now arrived. I can start to plan around it and soon I’ll be like new. … Continue reading Am I entitled to treatment?
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 