Karl A L Smith

human knowledge belongs to the world

Business Management

Daily P&L for Finance Risk and London Markets

Some people may be astonished to know that daily profit and loss (P&L) exists let alone the capability to delivery it across multiple separate organisations and entities in an enterprise in a 15 minute increment. Some might ask why would…

Agile Transformation

The book about Agile Transformation is not theories but real consultancy refined by the experience of working in enterprises with both business and technology leaders and workers. It is aimed at decision makers and to everyone out there who has…

Ways of Working Organizational Design Service launched Agile World Inc.

Agile World offers the service of organizational design consultancy, to meticulously define and organize the structure of companies, create job titles, and allocate resources (i.e. personnel) to improve efficiency and increase productivity including ROI.

Innovation is a Cultural Action

Having a strategy in business is critical, but a business without a focus on innovation and an understanding of how to do it efficiently and effectively won’t survive. This articles talk about quick innovation being based on truth.

Business Bullies and the Modern Workplace

Bullying has victims and is a crime against humanity. This article focuses on victims identifying the experiences that indicate they are the subject of bullying.

True Leaders grow up Emotionally

As leaders we often review our actions against our intent, sometimes we are assured we did the right thing, other times we accept we did not and more often than most people want to admit we bluff our way through and hope no one noticed (they always do).

Speeding up the Wrong Work DevOps Maturity in Business Decisions #BusinessAgility

It’s a fact that common sense it not that common and is often not a factor except in reflection after the fact. If we could simply learn from each other rather than rely upon a uniqueness agenda, businesses would stop…

#DigitalBusiness and #AI should use Hegelian Logic to find very different and valuable customer insights

There is a continuous drive for human to be more like machines, but the problem is they are not. No matter how well a business or product message is crafted everyone that hears it, hears it differently. They hear it…

#Blockchain end to financial services and banking #STP and #BPO Accounting?

In the same way that digital downloads has crippled the mass market of vinyl and CD’s does Blockchain means the end of financial services and banking straight through processing and the accountancy service model? By reviewing the cost reduction culture…

5 User Experience (Customer Journey) lies, damn lies and absolute myths

1. Anyone can do user experience, nope! I meet a lot of people claiming to do user experience, process and deliverables aside, they don’t have a usability background so they cannot do user experience. User experience is a solution capability based upon…

#SmartLiving or as we might live with #artificial #intelligence and an open #IoT in a #new #reality

I tend to think of myself as a futurist, I immediately see the possibilities of technologies as part of a much larger ecosystem than the one it is intended for. I look for ways to test and assess “How we might…

#Dependant on #dumb #data and is making #bad #choices? #Douglas #Adams

Data, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence Clients don’t understand their customers, they just think they do! It’s not for the lack of trying or spending millions on developing and building huge data systems, the problems are many but can be traced back…

#Cognition #Clash in the #IoT #SXSW

Thank you to everyone who attended our (Karl Smith and Thom Heslop) talk at SXSW, it’s the start of a long road into a really complex and contextual problem. But being silent in the crowd as the King walks by…

Can real #UX be done in a #global #consultancy?

As with Agile, UX has suffered fools having a go and failing. Focusing on titles, roles, activities or outputs misses the essential process that has not been applied by qualified, able and intelligent people who are able to deliver. No…

#Strategic and #lean #thinking in private investment and asset portfolio participants part 2

There are several types of on boarding that relate to both business and investors structure and size, their specific purpose for investing and their local regulatory constraints. The Main Participants I will be focusing on four main participants in this…

Five most #common #failures of business #change and #transformation projects

Ever since transformation and change were linked to technology some of the worst parts of both have been combined on a national level and within major companies. Giving users less functionality than they currently have and telling them it’s a…

Do #eCommerce #analytics prove #customer #affiliation?

Analytics for e-Commerce can be split between two contrasting and not necessarily companion aspects. analytics of success in terms of market development, profile or response through hit or link ratings analytics of sales or revenue Dependant upon the purpose of a company’s…

5 #UX #lies, damn lies and absolute #myths

1. Anyone can do user experience, nope! I meet a lot of people claiming to do user experience, process and deliverables aside, they don’t have a usability background so they cannot do real user experience. User experience is a personal…

#Information #Architecture (IA) the #classification of #information Part 2

Given the response from the last post I’m going to take the educational publishing example a bit further, if I have time before my next contract I will also create an investment banking example. I am also being asked for…

Agile Business Management Change Management Investment Banking

Save 35% ££ on banking change, requirements gathering should take no more than six months

Requirements gathering in Banking change programs are over detailed, over long and for the most part undeliverable. There is and has been a huge requirement for change in British banking for several years as senior bankers have sought to lever…

#Information #Architecture (IA) is not another name for #User #Experience (UX)

IA is not another name for UX User experience (UX) and Information Architecture (IA) are very different and have separate skill sets, processes and outputs. I often talk to people who add IA on the their CV as if it’s…

Getting #UX done the UX #engagement #process

UX is a highly complex set of research tools and outputs, the use of which is dependant upon time, cost and the clients willingness to accept them. Question 1, why are you there? If the client were to think in…

How to #Hire a #Director of #User #Experience

Like my last post How to Hire a Head of User Experience this post is not intended to supersede the experience of a really good HR or employment agency person but to bring clarity around the differences in the roles….

How to Hire a Head of User Experience

Head of anything is evocative of responsibility, power and knowledge, but what does Head of User Experience (UX) really mean and how do you know if your getting one? User experience in its value and effectiveness is geographical and sector…