Dr. Tyson R. Browning
Research
Tyson's research focuses on modeling and analyzing complex projects
To increase our understanding of how such entities operate and
To provide insights for improving their planning and management.
Tyson's areas of expertise:
Business Operations
Enterprise engineering
Product design and development processes
Process modeling and analysis
Process improvement (including Lean and Six Sigma)
Processes as complex adaptive systems
Measures and metrics; leading indicators
Design structure matrix (DSM) applications
Project Management
Project design
Project progress and value at risk (VaR)
Risk management
Cost and duration estimation and optimization
Technical performance and quality management
Resource management
Systems Engineering
System architecting
Modularity
Design for adaptability
Measuring life-cycle value
Design structure matrix (DSM) applications
Key Insights from Tyson's Research:
Managing complexity
Design structure matrices (DSMs) and their relatives provide insightful representations of the structure/architecture of complex systems (now used by thousands in a variety of contexts). LEARN MORE
Rather than model a complex process with a specific tool like a flowchart, interact with a rich process model through a variety of views, organized into a process architecture framework (PAF). Attain both simplicity and richness. LEARN MORE
Managing projects
There are occasions in projects where more rework is better. LEARN MORE
Particular resource priority rules make a big difference in the durations of projects in a portfolio. LEARN MORE
Work policies have a big effect on projects in the presence of activity iteration, crashing, and overlapping. LEARN MORE
The “value added” by an activity depends on (1) the inputs it uses and (2) when it occurs. It’s an emergent property of its network, not just an intrinsic attribute. LEARN MORE
Rather than coming up with a singular plan for a complex project, plan the project’s potential activities and let them adaptively self-organize into the most valuable path to success. LEARN MORE
Managing projects and risks
A project’s goals and capabilities jointly determine its risks. LEARN MORE
A new way to plan and measure progress in projects involves reducing the risk of not getting what is wanted. LEARN MORE
Many unknown unknowns (“unk-unks”) in projects are actually knowable—if one knows where and how to look. LEARN MORE
Designing products
Cycles in high-level software code structures allow bugs to fester. LEARN MORE
The value of product modularity depends on how small components are grouped. Too little and too much modularity are bad. LEARN MORE
Designing enduring products for adaptability (DFA) increases their lifecycle value. LEARN MORE
Managing knowledge
Knowledge about complex product development can be captured, managed, and used effectively by building and using process models. LEARN MORE