Business today is inevitably becoming more “networked” and leaders need to both facilitate change and to manage in an increasingly networked business environment.

Social Network Analysis Method

We help clients optimise their business relationships using a combination of social network analysis and facilitative methods. Our core methodology consists of the following steps:

Scope Definition

The first step is to determine the exact scope for the relationship mapping exercise. See Services for a list of typical problems we solve. We will provide assistance/guidance in the selection of people to invite to participate during this stage.

Optimice has developed one of the most praised tools globally for collecting relationship data (www.onasurveys.com) that we typically use. An electronic survey would be sent out targeting those people who are deemed relevant for the agreed scope. Sometimes data collection is done manually, or by using existing data.

Tailor/Execute Survey

The survey tool enables customised questions to be designed matching the agreed scope. Given that these kinds of relationship mapping surveys in nature cannot be anonymous, it is important that respondents know that nothing will be published or distributed which would identify an individual.

Validation Stage

A validation workshop is used to assess the initial network maps. The validation workshop is essentially a “sense making” session, where commentary from selected stakeholders will provide some initial insight into the results being presented. A deliverable from the validation stage will a set of maps, which includes observations, comments and initial conclusions captured.

Action Stage

Social Network Analysis is essentially an organisational diagnostic tool. The “Actions” stage is aimed at creating concrete actions from the diagnosis. Actions will be identified at an ‘Actions Workshop’ where selected stakeholders from the organisation will be invited and presented with the outcomes of the validation stage. We typically facilitate this session with your staff.

Optimice are experts in the following techniques which we use during project execution:

• Social Network Analysis
  Social Network Analysis  is used to identify relationship patterns between people, organisations or markets, and we have improved the basic techniques to make them more appropriate and compelling in a business-focused context.
  
  Social Network Analysis has a long history as a sociological tool for analysing personal relationship networks. Fundamentally Social Network Analysis is about discovering the often hidden trust relationships that exist in all organisations and then leveraging these relationships to help orchestrate beneficial organisational change. 
  
  
• Value Network Analysis
  VNA helps identify both the tangible and intangible flows across a business. Optimice uses VNA as a business modelling tool prior to a major enterprise systems implementation or organisational change.
  
  Value Network Analysis (VNA) provides a holistic approach to modeling a business, capturing both the tangible process flows and the more intangible knowledge based or relationship flows. We acknowledge the pioneering efforts of Verna Allee in developing the technique, as well as providing the above graphic.

The business analysis methods graphic (below) succinctly summarises the networking analysis methods that we employ by placing them aside the more familiar business process modelling approaches.

The transition from left to right identifies the migration from the industrial era, where process efficiency rules, to one where people become the core of the business; but not as process followers, but as knowledge based workers who use their creative individuality and relationships to enhance their organisations.