Design Challenge #7 - We live in a world of classifications
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Let's assume your organization has a globally agreed upon definition of a classification: "A way of grouping similar items together based on the physical attributes of the product." So a candy product for example, might have these classifications:
Your company a very large ERP tool that makes it relatively easy to add these new classifications without customizing the software. However, this ease of adding new classifications also has a dark side, as there have been attempts to add classifications that really aren't classifications at all. They have been proposed as classifications because it is easier (and cheaper!) to add a new classification than to add a completely new field. In other words, it is easier to add a new row than a new column. Would you add these "fake classifications" to the system? Lets say someone comes up to you, and says they want to add a new classification. It is the region the product sells in, such as North America, Europe, etc. You know that this has less to do with the physical attributes of a product and more to do with the relationship of a product to a geographical region. You believe it is definitely not a classification - would you add this one and others like it to the system? Yes or no, and why? If you answer "yes", what effect will this have on your true classifications (and your business)? If you answer "no", what good argument can you give to counter the time and money savings of adding these as classifications? |