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How to define a process

2201e887-d520-4dcc-a367-f2f00599c99a (Lucia Seißler) — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:18:34 GMT

A method for eliciting goals, needs and the path towards them

When looking at different aspects of analytics and, more specifically, of business analytics, I stumbled upon requirements engineering . I realized that it is something we do very frequently - normally at a fairly low level - without even knowing it.

It is about defining something we want to achieve (potluck event with friends), including roles (friends who can cook and who can't), activities (invite people, coordinate what they'll prepare), outcomes (food, drinks and fun games), tools (online list vs. post-it on the fridge) and the milestones (consult partner if he/she likes the idea before inviting).

I found this great series of online lectures by Birgit Penzenstadler surrounding the topic of requirements engineering in the software development space. Among the wonderfully detailed and cristal clear lectures, there is one session on the Generic Process Model , which anyone can use in life or on any job. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did.

Making sense of statistics

2201e887-d520-4dcc-a367-f2f00599c99a (Lucia Seißler) — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 12:37:41 GMT

A great way to casually learn how numbers shape our world

I discovered More or Less by the BBC when I was looking for fun material on statistics that could be enjoyed in between times. The claim reads "Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life". And that is what he does in clips and podcasts that are all available on the website at the above link.

While sometimes the topics seem quite basic, it is those basic ideas and principles that are often overlooked numbers are being used or cited as arguments in media, public discussions or even at the dinner table. It is for anyone new in the area or who needs help making sense of statistic information, or even challenging them.

From there, you can also access changing content produced in cooperation with the Open University or even make your way to the University's free courses, for instance the one on Using data to aid organisational change .

Weekly Check

2201e887-d520-4dcc-a367-f2f00599c99a (Lucia Seißler) — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:55:38 GMT

This week, I looked at something people keep telling me.

Recently, somebody just told me that in the most cases, the bikers themselves were to blame if they get caught in an accident. In fact, they were even the ones to blame for most accidents involving cars. It was not the first time I heard this, but I never actually checked if it was true.

However, this time I went ahead and checked the data available at the German bureau of statistics. I found the table showing the involvement and wrongdoing of vehicle drivers related to accidents with personal injury (2020) on page 35.

The cake graphs above showed what I learned from the numbers. It is true that in total, bikers are more involved in accidents involving personal injury, which is not really surprising. However, most accidents are due to the vehicle driver's own wrongdoing, no matter if he/she sits in a car or on a bike.

It may feel differently if you see bikers in big cities such as Berlin. However, the mistakes seem to be distributed more evenly than we instantly suspect.

Source: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Verkehrsunfaelle/Publikationen/Downloads-Verkehrsunfaelle/unfaelle-zweirad-5462408207004.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

Cargo Bikes in Germany

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 16:48:38 GMT

Germany owes its municipalities for the ramp up of cargo bikes especially in the individual space. The German cargobike advocacy company cargobike.jetzt lists purchase support provided by the different goverment levels on its website. I was surprised to learn that in the years 2020/2021 alone around 100 German municipalities conducted their own cargo bike funding programs. Two programs in Saxony (Sachsen) are not active due to different reasons, even though the municipalities involved have expressed clear commitment.

The visualization could help policy makers and individuals gauge the municipal interest for supporting cargo bikes. Since conducting a public funding program involves a significant administrative effort, this finding supports the guess that many local authorities attaches a big importance to this topic.