The Language of Discovery #UXLX
#languageofdiscovery

Joe Lamantia UX Lead: Discovery
Products Oracle @moJoe JoeLamantia.com Joe.Lamantia@oracle.com http://slideshare.net/mojoe

designed many
discovery solutions

discovery is...?

more than
visualization

not just search

Discovery Act or experience of
seeing, finding, learning, or solving something. Something seen, found, learned, or solved.

search
prediction
visualization
analysis

discovery is making sense of
the world search prediction visualization analysis

Insight Grasping or understanding meaning,
significance, and/or a solution. A valuable change in perspective or understanding that enables or guides further action.

Welcome to The Age of
Insight

“In the next ten years,
digital data alone is expected to grow 44 times. By 2020, there will be 4 billion people online creating 50 trillion gigabytes of data.” HP Intelligent Research

Volume: yotta, yotta, yotta Varied
data ‘materials’ social, cultural, personal, environmental, economic, scientific Full spectrum of granularity Real-time & historical perspectives Commoditized infrastructure storage, processing, distribution, publishing Data ecosystem(s)

“The ability to take data
- to be able to understand it, to process it, to extract value from it, to visualize it, to communicate it's going to be a hugely important skill in the next decades, not only at the professional level but even at the educational level for elementary school kids, for high school kids, for college kids. Because now we really do have essentially free and ubiquitous data. So the complimentary scarce factor is the ability to understand that data and extract value from it.” Hal Varian http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Hal_Varian_on_how_the_Web_challenges_managers_2286

Everything is
discoverable

Horizon of Discoverability future soon
present past

urban status
http://citydashboard.org/london/

WAYWT?

social activity

influence

data journalism

‘Cliodynamics’ is a transdisciplinary area
of research integrating historical macrosociology, economic history/ cliometrics, mathematical modeling of long-term social processes, and the construction and analysis of historical databases.

“The instability of large, complex
societies is a predictable phenomenon, according to a new mathematical model that explores the emergence of early human societies via warfare.” “Capturing hundreds of years of human history, the model reveals the dynamical nature of societies, which can be difficult to uncover in archaeological data.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119151816.htm

“What we found are the
constants that describe every city,” he says. I don’t know anything about this city or even where it is or its history, but I can tell you all about it. And the reason I can do that is because every city is really the same.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19Urban_West-t.html

cultural analytics

Everyone
discovers

ready data

viz tools

management tools

engagement models

consumer devices

“The datasexual looks a lot
like you and me, but what’s different is their preoccupation with personal data. They are relentlessly digital, they obsessively record everything about their personal lives, and they think that data is sexy. In fact, the bigger the data, the sexier it becomes. Their lives - from a data data as lifestyle perspective, at least - are perfectly groomed.”

Discovery is the leading emerging
interaction category of the Age of Insight

mediated sense making

As I was waiting for
a table at a local restaurant the other day, I flipped through a couple of the free classified papers. I was shocked to realize how dependent I’ve grown on three simple features that just aren’t available in the analog world: search, sort and filter. http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/04/10/ui-patterns-for-mobile-apps-search-sort-filter/

Complex ecosystems: multi-channel experiences everyware
environments network & service models dynamic perspectives fluid data

How to design discovery
experiences...?

Need & context vary wildly
Patterns of form are inadequate.

Task patterns = vague...

Activity Centered Design

The Language of Discovery: A
concrete descriptive language for human discovery activity in diverse contexts. A simple and consistent vocabulary that is independent of domain, role, information type, etc.

Leverages what is common in
human discovery. Allows for what varies in contexts of discovery

Enables understanding of discovery needs
and context

Generative tool for discovery capability
and experience

works like musical notes

grammatical
structure & behavior

visual grammars

activity grammars

Research-based

scenario analysis

Call Centers & Maintenance Data
Quality & Knowledge Repair & Governance Mgmt Overhaul Claims Analysis Enterprise Search Digital Asset & Knowledge Mgmt Mgmt Warranty Analysis Field Service Operations Financial Analysis & Planning Analysis Service Measure Customer Human Capital Risk Analysis Support & Plan & Management Maintain Operate Market Research Program & Portfolio Pricing Sell & Develop & Mgmt Analysis Deliver Produce Manufacturing & Quality Inventory & Inventory & Demand Visibility Sales & Delivery Customer Part, Commodity Analysis Product & Supplier Information Analysis Market Spend Mgmt Intelligence diverse roots Analysis

User Scenarios “Understand the quality
performance of a part and module set in manufacturing and the field so that I can determine if I should replace that part.” - Engineering “Understand a lead's underlying positions so that I can assess the quality of the investment opportunity.” “Understand a portfolio's exposures to assess portfolio-level investment mix.” - Portfolio Manager “I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices.” - Procurement

DISCOVERY S

Literary Modes “a broad, but
identifiable literary method, mood, or manner, that is not tied exclusively to a particular form or genre.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_(literature)

Argumentation The purpose of argumentation
(also called persuasive writing) is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader.

Discovery Modes “a broad, but
identifiable discovery activity that is not tied exclusively to a particular context or domain.”

MODE

Identifying Modes “Understand the quality
performance of a part and module set in manufacturing and the field so that I can determine if I should replace that part.” - Engineering “Understand a lead's underlying positions so that I can assess the quality of the investment opportunity.” “Understand a portfolio's exposures to assess portfolio-level investment mix.” - Portfolio Manager “I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices.” - Procurement Mode = ‘Comprehend’ (understand)

Comprehending ‘To generate insight by
understanding the nature or meaning of an item or data set’ e.g. “I need to analyze and understand consumer-customer-market trends to inform brand strategy & communications plan” – Director, Brand Image

Identifying Modes “I need visibility
into the parts my colleagues are using globally in order to find the best part possible for my assembly.” - Engineering “I need to identify customers/marketers/dealers failing & at risk of de-branding based on performance problems.” - Account Rep “I need to identify problem/success areas and where to intervene and reward.” - SVP Sales “I need to identify the best customer/consumer/region targets for our brand/ products.” - Brand Manager Mode = ‘Explore’

Exploring ‘To proactively investigate or
examine an item or data set for the purpose of serendipitous knowledge discovery’ e.g. “I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices” – Procurement

Modes are the verbs of
discovery scenarios.

You can explore: people places
events objects data topics ...?

Explore something to... result or
goal. verb object predicate

Locate Verify Monitor Compare 9
distinct Comprehend modes Explore Analyze Evaluate Synthesize

Modes seem to be internalized
& common.

domain independent scale independent structurally
consistent semantically distinct each orthogonal mode is... conceptually connected sequencable combinable

you said they work like
music?

Chains &
Sequences

scenario analysis: multiple / sequential
modes

1. Replace a problematic part
(from sourcing, cost or technical perspective) 2. ...with an equivalent or better part 3. ...without compromising quality and cost.

1. Replace a problematic part
Analyze (from sourcing, cost or technical perspective) 2. ...with an equivalent or better part Compare 3. ...without compromising quality Evaluate and cost.

Comparison–driven Search 1. Replace a
problematic part Analyze (from sourcing, cost or technical perspective) 2. ...with an equivalent or better part Compare 3. ...without compromising quality Evaluate and cost.

1. Analyze 2. and understand
gaps between current cost of commodity 3. versus best in class manufacturing costs.

1. Analyze Analyze 2. and
understand gaps between current cost of commodity Compare 3. versus best in class manufacturing costs. Evaluate

Comparison–driven Search 1. Analyze Analyze
2. and understand gaps between current cost of commodity Compare 3. versus best in class manufacturing costs. Evaluate

recognizable mode chains

Comparison- Analyze Compare Evaluate driven
Search Exploration- Explore Analyze Evaluate driven Search Strategic Analyze Comprehend Evaluate Insight Strategic Monitor Analyze Evaluate Oversight Comparative Analyze Compare Synthesize Synthesis

Comparison–driven Search Analyze Compare Evaluate
Identify parts used for same function as candidates for commonization and complexity reduction - Core Engineer Replace a problematic part (from sourcing, cost or technical perspective) with an equivalent or better part without compromising quality and cost. - Engineering Compare our module set teardowns with competitive teardown information to see if we’re staying competitive for cost, quality and functionality. - Engineering Compare a lead's performance claims with relevant benchmarks to assess the lead's claims - Portfolio Manager See the difference between what we are spending and what we should be spending to maximize savings (between actual PO and should costs). - Procurement Analyze & understand gaps between current costs of commodity versus best in class manufacturing costs - Cost Estimators

Strategic Oversight Monitor Analyze Evaluate
Monitor how well we are tracking to revenue and margin targets by division - SVP Sales Monitor and grade incoming incidents; close incidents, add incident close codes - Supervisor/Inspector Monitor global commodity use in relation to plan/guidelines to identify gaps that require corrective action - Core Engineer Monitor how well we are tracking to revenue and margin targets by division - District Manager Monitor & evaluate how our brand is performing in re: revenue, margin, and market share targets - Brand Manager Financial Analyst: Monitor & assess commodity status against strategy/plan/target

Exploration-driven Search Explore Analyze Evaluate
Identify opportunities to optimize use of tooling capacity for my commodity/parts - Core Engineer Identify sales opportunities and targets (increased key customer market share across categories/brands; upsell-cross sell; promotional targets - District Manager Evaluate & optimize our product portfolio: Which products should we de-list and retire? What new products should we be making/selling? - Category Manager Identify the best customer/consumer/region targets for our brand/products - Brand Manager Determine suppliers to use for parts in my program and execute sourcing agreements - Core Buyer Identify customers/marketers/dealers failing & at risk of de-branding based on performance problems - Program Administrator

Strategic Insight Analyze Comprehend Evaluate
Track module cost versus functionality over time to determine trends. - Engineering Understand the quality performance of a part and module set in manufacturing and the field so that I can determine if I should replace that part. - Engineering Understand a lead's underlying positions so that I can assess the quality of the investment opportunity - Portfolio Manager Understand a portfolio's exposures to assess portfolio-level investment mix - Portfolio Manager I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices. - Procurement

Comparison–driven Synthesis Analyze Compare Synthesize
Analyze and understand consumer-customer-market trends to inform brand strategy & communications plan - Director, Brand Image Find out how many parts I have in my module set of parts and find ways to reduce cost across them - Engineering Formulate scope & strategy for sourcing and gap closure - Core Buyer Analyze and understand a market: marketer network, competitive position, customer sat, & share, etc. to inform brand strategy and communications plan - Brand Image Analyst

Mode Networks Verify Analyze Comprehend
Synthesize Compare Evaluate Monitor Analyze Explore

Mode

When I use the tool,
I can... Monitor ...currently popular colors over useful intervals Explore ...currently popular colors, or colors popular in the past Verify That a color is popular now or in the past

As a user, I can...
Analyze 1. Analyze the popularity and importance of colors over time to see patterns 2. Compare colors in terms Compare of importance and popularity at various cycles, trends, and moments. 3. Evaluate colors vs. their Evaluate current and historic importance and popularity. Comparison-driven Search ...of colors I may use for my purposes

As a reader, I can...
Monitor ...articles to see what is new and available. Explore ...available articles and topics to identify those of interest to me. Locate ... and read articles of interest, supporting information, and related materials.

As a reader, I can...
Analyze 1. Analyze events and topics using the data and tools provided Comprehend 2. Understand the events and topics using the Guardian’s perspective and my own. Evaluate 3. Evaluate all perspectives, as well as the actions and decisions based on them. Strategic Insight into events & actions of government & society

As a reader, I get...
Analyze 1. Analyze the causes, participants and events of the UK riots 2. Compare suggested Compare causes, insights and explanations into the events. Synthesize 3. Synthesize these insights into a coordinated perspective on the riots Comparative synthesis of all insights into the causes of the UK riots

My twitter home page allows
me to... Monitor ...the tweets of people I follow, my followers, community interactions. Explore ...trends and active topics, and suggestions for people to follow. Locate ..tweets, people, hashtags / topics Synthesize ...new tweets via composition, retweet, or favorite tweets.

The profile snapshot lets me...
Evaluate ...the author of a tweet to decide if I am interested in them Locate ...the profile and homepage of the author of a tweet

A twitter profile page lets
me... Explore ...the authors profile to learn more about them Evaluate ...their activity, followers, tweets, relevance to me Comprehend ...the author’s interests, point of view,

Twitter Profile viewers can... Explore
1. Explore the author’s profile, activity and community interactions. 2. Analyze the author’s Analyze followers, activity, tweets, community interaction, who they follow. Evaluate 3. Evaluate the author to decide their relevance and value. Exploration-driven search ... for valuable people streams to follow

MICRO view - visual art
data: 25 canonical paintings representing transition from realism to modernism, 1849-1916

Strategic Analyze Comprehend Evaluate Insight
Comparative Analyze Compare Synthesize Synthesis

Strategic Analyze Comprehend Evaluate
Insight

Analyze Synthesize Explore Compare Comprehend
Cultural Analytics software running on HIPerSpace (May 2009)

Comparative Analyze Compare Synthesize
Synthesis

Using the language

To inform the core principles
for the user experience of the product To coordinate the design of product features and functions across channels and form-factors product To evaluate the quality and success of strategy, product designs, in terms of usability, engagement, value, etc. definition To establish a roadmap for the product's & design evolution and determine development efforts To shape strategy for a portfolio of products by understanding the value proposition of current and potential new products

To guide the deployment of
the product as part of a solution for customers solution identifying needs via scenarios and other solution specification tools design for crafting functional requirements and product interaction designs for deployed applications customers To describe and publish patterns and best practices in implementation of the product - workspace, application, application suite

Mode-based design

application Supply Chain Planning and
Management template

Role / Persona Scenarios &
Goals • Create and update accurate forecasts on a weekly basis at a very detailed level, such as the number of packs of each product SKU needed for a single store. Forecasts evolve through several iterations before reaching their final state, allowing and requiring Planners to incorporate data on sales, inventory, customer activity, etc. as it accumulates in real Planner / Analyst time. • Improve the accuracy of forecasts and forecasting methods by understanding the nature, degree, and source of forecasting errors in reference to a large number of defined metrics and performance measures • Analyze and understand changes in the factors affecting forecast accuracy, and enhance forecasting methods to reflect these changes • Monitor and review the accuracy of Planners’ forecasts to assess individual and team performance • Determine the specific metrics and performance measurements that Planning teams use Planning Manager for reference, based on the long-term goals of the organization. • Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of forecasting practices and tools used by planning teams • Achieve 100% forecast accuracy • Maintain forecast accuracy over time, and in all situations. Planning Team

Role / Persona Modes &
Mode Chains Planners needing to create new forecasts based on previous forecasts and newly identified causal factors will follow the Comparison-driven Synthesis chain (Analyze-Compare-Synthesize): this involves analyzing their previous forecasts and comparing them to accuracy baselines and the expected impact of known causal and correlating factors such as seasonal events or weather, then creating (synthesizing) new forecasts that Planner / Analyst reflect insights realized from these activities. Comparative Analyze Compare Synthesize Synthesis Planners working to improve forecasting accuracy will follow the Strategic Insight chain (Analyze – Comprehend – Evaluate), when they review previous forecasts to understand their accuracy and identify possible sources of error: analyzing cumulative and historical accuracy and error rates to understand the factors affecting those forecasts, then evaluating the relevance and usefulness of newly identified causal factors by retrospectively including them in previous forecasts. Strategic Analyze Comprehend Evaluate Insight Planning Managers will follow the Strategic Oversight chain (Monitor – Analyze – Evaluate) when assessing the performance of Planners: monitoring the accuracy of forecasts made by individual analysts and the team, analyzing forecasts for patterns and trends in variance and accuracy, and evaluating the effectiveness of analysts, and forecasting methods. Planning Manager Strategic Monitor Analyze Evaluate Oversight

Role / Persona Chains &
Sequences Planners will follow the Strategic Oversight chain for visibility into the status of their published final forecasts vs. actual activity in the supply chain; when errors or variances beyond an acceptable threshold emerge in one or more forecasts, they will switch to the Strategic Insight chain in order to understand the new situation; they will move on to the Comparison-driven Synthesis chain to revise their forecasts to reflect their newly generated insights and improved understanding; they will then switch back to Strategic Planner / Analyst Oversight to maintain ongoing awareness of the accuracy and effectiveness of their revised forecasts over time. Strategic Strategic Comparison-driven Strategic Oversight Insight Synthesis Oversight Planning Managers seeking to improve the forecasting practices and methods of their teams will employ a sequences of mode chains that begins with Exploration-driven Search, to identify exemplars of particularly strong or weak forecasts and forecasting practices; they will move to Strategic Insight to understand how and why these practices exhibit strength or weakness; Comparison-driven Synthesis will help Managers Planning Manager formulate new or improved measurements and forecasting practices; and they will rely on Strategic Oversight to gauge the effectiveness of new or enhanced practices once in effect. Exploration-driven Strategic Comparison-driven Strategic Search Insight Synthesis Oversight

Application Structure 3 screen types
each composed of defined components visualization, navigation, tabular data, search, context management, alerts, etc. apps have multiple instances of screen types each populated by differing data ‘content’ supports

Dashboard Screen Type The Dashboard
screen is designed primarily to enable the Strategic Oversight (Monitor-Analyze-Evaluate) chain, by presenting an overview of the major areas of supply chain activity. Individual Planners use the Dashboard to Monitor the accuracy of their own forecasts compared with established baselines and targets. Planning Managers use the Dashboard screen to Monitor the accuracy of all the forecasts made by the Planning team. One pane enables monitoring of each major area of supply chain activity, such as Inventory or Capacity, providing summaries of the status of processes via KPIs and measurements using a component from our library, as well as a chart presenting historical values of these measures for Analysis via visualization component. A list of alerts provides a guide to notable changes across the supply chain, allowing Planners and Managers to monitor, analyze, and evaluate notable events and changes as part of a steady flow of information. The Dashboard enables Planners and Managers to execute the Strategic Oversight chain by following the linked data points in charts, metrics and alerts ‘deeper’ into the information for analysis. Strategic Monitor Analyze Evaluate Oversight Planner / Analyst Planning Manager

Trends Screen Type Planning teams
use the Trends screen to explore and understand the state of the supply chain, and the accuracy of their forecasts over time. For this purpose, the Trends screen is primarily designed to support the Exploration-driven Search (Explore-Analyze-Evaluate) and Comparison-driven Synthesis (Analyze-Compare-Synthesize) chains, in which Planners and Managers seek to identify new patterns in time and supply chain activity and suggest potential causal factors. The value of the Trends screen is best understood in the context of sequences of mode chains, such as Strategic Oversight in companion with Comparison-driven Synthesis or Exploration Driven Search in companion to Strategic Insight. Exploration-driven Explore Analyze Evaluate Search Comparative Planner / Analyst Planning Manager Analyze Compare Synthesize Synthesis

Analysis Screen Type The Summary
and Analysis screen is designed to support the Strategic Insight (Analyze-Comprehend-Evaluate), and Comparison-driven Synthesis (Analyze-Compare-Synthesize) mode chains. Each Analysis screen in the template is focused on one sub-function of the supply chain. This Analysis screen focuses on the forecasts and activity for ‘restocking’ of products in retail settings and various stages of the supply chain. On the left side, the Search, Breadcrumb, and Faceted Navigation components allow the user to manage the data that is presented in the tables, charts, and lists to the right, by exploring the underlying information space. They also communicate this context to users to keep them oriented. At the top of the screen there is a ‘metric summary’, which follows on from the performance indicators identified on the Dashboard, providing visibility into the smaller scale measures that determine the status of the supply chain; specifically, the accuracy of forecasts. Below the summary, a group of components presents a visualization and data grid of a single metric grouped by one or more variables (e.g. quantity by product type) to enable analysis. These ‘metric breakouts’ help Planners and Managers comprehend the factors contributing to the status of each metric. This combination facilitates a wider range of analysis methods than either presentation method supports alone. At the bottom of the template, tables provide lists of the individual transactions for detailed analysis and evaluation. Strategic Analyze Comprehend Evaluate Insight Planner / Analyst Planning Manager Comparative Analyze Compare Synthesize Synthesis

Groups &
Collaboration

Discovery Profile Data Science Locate
Team Verify Monitor Compare Comprehend Explore Analyze Evaluate Synthesize

Collaborative Discovery Data Science Data
Science Data Science Team Team Team Locate Verify Monitor Compare Comprehend Explore Analyze Evaluate

Analysis Cluster Discovery Capability Model
Locate Verify Monitor Compare Comprehend Explore Analyze Evaluate Synthesize

Language of Discovery References &
Resources

Resources The sensemaking process and
leverage points for analyst technology as identified through cognitive task analysis, Pirolli, P., & Card, S. (2005) https://analysis.mitre.org/proceedings/Final_Papers_Files/206_Camera_Ready_Paper.pdf Exploratory search: from finding to understanding, Gary Marchionini, Communications of the ACM, Volume 49 Issue 4, April 2006 http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~i385t-sw/readings/Marchionini-2006-Exploratory_Search.pdf Lamantia, Joe. “Goal Based Information Retrieval Experiences” JoeLamantia.com, (June 20, 2006). http://www.joelamantia.com/informationarchitecture/goalbasedinformationretrievalexperiences Lamantia, Joe. “10 Information Retrieval Patterns” JoeLamantia.com, (June 29, 2006). http://www.joelamantia.com/information-architecture/10-information-retrieval-patterns Lamantia, Joe. “Discovering User Goals / IR Goal Definitions” JoeLamantia.com, (June 24, 2006). http://www.joelamantia.com/information-architecture/discovering-user-goals-ir-goal-definitions Spencer, D. 2006. “Four Modes of Seeking Information and How to Design for Them”. Boxes & Arrows: http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/four_modes_of_seeking_information_and_how_to_design_for_them Bates, Marcia J. 1979. "Information Search Tactics." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 30: 205-214 Bates, Marcia J. 1989. "The Design of Browsing and Berrypicking Techniques for the Online Search Interface." Online Review 13: 407-424. Broder, A. 2002. A taxonomy of web search, ACM SIGIR Forum, v.36 n.2, Fall 2002

Resources Cool, C. & Belkin,
N. 2002. A classification of interactions with information. In H. Bruce (Ed.), Emerging Frameworks and Methods: CoLIS4: proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science, Seattle, WA, USA, July 21-25, 2002, (pp. 1-15). Glaser, B. & Strauss, A. 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Jarvelin, K. and Ingwersen, P. 2004. “Information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology”, Information Research, Vol. 10, No. 1. (October 2004) Kuhlthau, C. C. 1991. Inside the information search process: Information seeking from the user's perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42, 361-371. Marchionini, G. 2006. Exploratory search: from finding to understanding. Commun. ACM 49(4): 41-46 Norman, Donald A. 2006. Logic versus usage: the case for activity centered design. Interactions 13, 6 O'Day, V. and Jeffries, R. 1993. Orienteering in an information landscape: how information seekers get from here to there. INTERCHI 1993: 438-445 Rose, D. and Levinson, D. 2004. Understanding user goals in web search, Proceedings of the 13th international conference on World Wide Web, New York, NY, USA Salton, G. 1989. Automatic Text Processing: The Transformation, Analysis, and Retrieval of Information by Computer. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA. Sutcliffe, A.G. and Ennis, M. 1998. Towards a cognitive theory of information retrieval. Interacting with Computers, 10:321–351.

Language of Discovery
Mode Definitions

Comprehending ‘To generate insight by
understanding the nature or meaning of an item or data set’ e.g. “I need to analyze and understand consumer-customer-market trends to inform brand strategy & communications plan” – Director, Brand Image

Comparing ‘To examine two or
more items to identify similarities and differences’ e.g. “I need to compare our module set teardowns with competitive teardown information to see if we’re staying competitive for cost, quality and functionality” – Engineer

Exploring ‘To proactively investigate or
examine an item or data set for the purpose of serendipitous knowledge discovery’ e.g. “I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices” – Procurement

Locating ‘To find a specific
(possibly known) item’ e.g. “I need to find a new part with particular technical attributes and then source it from the most qualified supplier” – Engineer

Verifying ‘To confirm or substantiate
that an item or set of items meets some specific criterion’ e.g. “How can I determine if I am looking at the latest information for a part or supplier?” – Supply Chain Specialist

Monitoring ‘To maintain awareness of
the status of an item or data set for purposes of management or control’ e.g. “I need to monitor at risk/failing customers/dealers so I can prompt my Account Reps to fix the problems” – Sales Manager

Analyzing ‘To critically examine the
detail of an item or data set to identify patterns & relationships’ e.g. “I need to know the cost drivers for a part such as materials that impact cost. Is the relationship a correlation or step function for a part cost driver?” – Engineering

Evaluating ‘To use judgement to
determine the significance or value of an item or data set with respect to a specific benchmark or model’ e.g. “I need to determine my current state in my prints so I can evaluate if I have price variation to negotiate a better price” – Procurement

Synthesizing ‘To generate or communicate
insight by integrating diverse inputs to create a novel artifact or composite view’ e.g. “I need to prepare a weekly report for my boss (sales mgr) of how things are going” – Account Rep

Language of Discovery Mode Chains
& Sequences

Comparison–driven Search Analyze Compare Evaluate
Identify parts used for same function as candidates for commonization and complexity reduction - Core Engineer Replace a problematic part (from sourcing, cost or technical perspective) with an equivalent or better part without compromising quality and cost. - Engineering Compare our module set teardowns with competitive teardown information to see if we’re staying competitive for cost, quality and functionality. - Engineering Compare a lead's performance claims with relevant benchmarks to assess the lead's claims - Portfolio Manager See the difference between what we are spending and what we should be spending to maximize savings (between actual PO and should costs). - Procurement Analyze & understand gaps between current costs of commodity versus best in class manufacturing costs - Cost Estimators

Strategic Oversight Monitor Analyze Evaluate
Monitor how well we are tracking to revenue and margin targets by division - SVP Sales Monitor and grade incoming incidents; close incidents, add incident close codes - Supervisor/Inspector Monitor global commodity use in relation to plan/guidelines to identify gaps that require corrective action - Core Engineer Monitor how well we are tracking to revenue and margin targets by division - District Manager Monitor & evaluate how our brand is performing in re: revenue, margin, and market share targets - Brand Manager Financial Analyst: Monitor & assess commodity status against strategy/plan/target

Exploration-driven Search Explore Analyze Evaluate
Identify opportunities to optimize use of tooling capacity for my commodity/parts - Core Engineer Identify sales opportunities and targets (increased key customer market share across categories/brands; upsell-cross sell; promotional targets - District Manager Evaluate & optimize our product portfolio: Which products should we de-list and retire? What new products should we be making/selling? - Category Manager Identify the best customer/consumer/region targets for our brand/products - Brand Manager Determine suppliers to use for parts in my program and execute sourcing agreements - Core Buyer Identify customers/marketers/dealers failing & at risk of de-branding based on performance problems - Program Administrator

Strategic Insight Analyze Comprehend Evaluate
Track module cost versus functionality over time to determine trends. - Engineering Understand the quality performance of a part and module set in manufacturing and the field so that I can determine if I should replace that part. - Engineering Understand a lead's underlying positions so that I can assess the quality of the investment opportunity - Portfolio Manager Understand a portfolio's exposures to assess portfolio-level investment mix - Portfolio Manager I need to understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can negotiate better terms with my suppliers and forecast business risk based on market indices. - Procurement

Comparative Synthesis Analyze Compare Synthesize
Analyze and understand consumer-customer-market trends to inform brand strategy & communications plan - Director, Brand Image Find out how many parts I have in my module set of parts and find ways to reduce cost across them - Engineering Formulate scope & strategy for sourcing and gap closure - Core Buyer Analyze and understand a market: marketer network, competitive position, customer sat, & share, etc. to inform brand strategy and communications plan - Brand Image Analyst