The Plumbing
Published by Esteban Glas on August 10th, 2007 | This post lacks all category except for: Business, Work
At work, the expression “on the pipeline” exists for a reason. I can’t think of better analogies for a team than a pipe.
Special pipes, for sure, but pipes nonetheless. Ideas get in from an end, they become projects, they shape up and, with some luck, they become realizations when exiting on the other end.
As with any plumbing system, taking good care and providing maintenance is fundamental to keep things flowing (literally). Else things start to go wrong, leaks appear, clots prevent the normal flow.
Then there’s pressure. Pipes have a designed stress level, they can handle a certain flow with some ease. On given moments they can handle more, but if such high stress is sustained things can get ugly. On the other end, if the flow is too low fouling can build up and the top and normal flow levels decrease. Unfortunately only aggressive methods can clean up fouling.
Keeping the plumbing pristine is not an easy task. It requires time and expertise. If the maintenance is done carelessly and without experience things are bound to get ugly. The pipes themselves have a key role as well, some are easier to maintain than others, some are more resistant or more flexible or can handle stress better than others. Finally cheap plumbing might sound like a saving at starters, yet on the long run chances are that the costs in repairs and to keep it flowing will be higher.
How do you take care of plumbing? what sort of pipes do you install?
2 Responses to “The Plumbing”
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August 13th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Esteban,
Great analogy. I think you covered the concept of capacity - so sizing the pipes is key when considering useage. For instance, some plumbers will run all 1/2″ line a house, but if you turn on multiple faucets, the pressure and flow will drop, because the feed line is no larger than all the ancillary lines going to the various faucets. I put in 1 & 1/4 main line and 3/4″ feed lines to avoid this. I can turn on just about every faucet at the same time and all continue to run, unaffected. Likewise, to your analogy of people and pipes, management has to consider the capacity of each piece of pipe in the network, and ensure there are no restrictions that will constrain the flow.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Indeed; companies are one huge, complex, pipe system where keeping things flowing is an enormous challenge.