We were implementing an ERP [enterprise resource planning] system for a frozen goods manufacturer in New Zealand. I spent several days alongside the workers, which involved getting dressed up like an Eskimo and spending hours inside enormous freezers, organising and counting stock. To make this job quicker and easier, the project had implemented RFID [radio-frequency identification] technology. Workers had handheld devices that scanned stock and only required minimal keystrokes. The problem was that the devices were very small and couldn’t be operated while wearing gloves. I noticed that every time a worker needed to use the keypad, they’d take off their gloves, make the entry, then quickly put their gloves back on – not surprising, given the temperature in the freezer was about −20°C. The net result was that the process took longer than it had in the past. The workers’ complaints that the project team didn’t understand what it was like at the coalface were completely justified. It was only by spending time at the coalface that we found this out and could do something about it. The simple act of MBWA had triggered a new story about the project.

Another example was when we implemented a cloud-based ERP system for a major retailer. One of the challenges of this project was figuring out what to do with the massive amounts of data available to the retailer. I spent several early mornings with the retailer’s seafood buyers at the Sydney Fish Market. This involved being at the markets at 4 a.m., something I definitely did not want to do. But I saw the buyers moving through the markets looking for value, and using iPads to search through numerous applications to determine what quantities were needed and where. I realised that using cloud-based analytics would provide a much faster and more accurate solution for the seafood buyers. Again, these buyers had been very resistant to the project until I spent time with them.