A financial institution in the 21st century is not only a bank, insurer, pension fund or investor, it is also an accountability factory. Employees are engaged daily in demonstrating compliance and translating the specifications of various reports into the complex landscape of systems.
Through hard work, we manage to get that report up and running every time. But this does mean that we are constantly pushing the limits of those few experienced colleagues who have to keep applying their experience and knowledge to the next project. They seem to be the only ones who understand the complexity of that beautiful Excel, in which the mapping was made at the time that we can use again now...
Isn't there a way to record things in such a way that this knowledge becomes accessible in your organisation? In a way that makes it easy to reuse experience and knowledge that has been gained, without always claiming time from the same usual suspects? And can we also ensure that everyone can see the connections between systems and reports? Without always needing the colleagues who realised the solution at the time?
A perfect means to capture information in a way that makes it understandable and reusable is a model. Examples are data models, process models and control models. A well-developed model makes the structure of large amounts of information clear. It makes it possible to look for the right information in a complex reality. A model ensures that the results of analysis can be used for different purposes, without having to repeat the analysis. And a model connects different things together, so that the impact of a change in a law, new policy or adapted system becomes visible at a glance.
It is sometimes thought that the use of models is a technical affair. We challenge anyone who has this view to take a broader look at the use of models! It is precisely the use of central models, to which everyone can contribute from their own expertise, that creates a clear shared picture. The use of models prevents misunderstandings between cooperating parties.
How can you work with different knowledge holders of different expertise on one model, in a way that is consistent and repeatable in many projects? We at PNA know a thing or two about that. We have been successfully working on the answer to this question since 1989. And we are more than happy to share our knowledge!
The cogNIAM core workshop provides a half-day overview of the core of our method: the structured and understandable translation of information from documents and the knowledge and experience of colleagues into a model, determining the right type of model for the right type of knowledge and making connections between different types of models.
After this workshop, you can apply the principles of our method to the way your organisation works. If necessary, you can then follow a more in-depth workshop, or make a flying start via coaching-on-the-job under the supervision of our trainers and consultants.