OCI-Open Communications Interface Knowledge Management Model for Corporate and Educational Universities

?Developing a Standards-Approach for Knowledge

Design, Development, Delivery & Disciplines

?Researched and Written by Thomas B. Cross - TECHtionary.com

Quick Summary 1-2-3

1 - Re-assess - evaluate all existing and new training and organize using a standards approach.

2 - Re-think - integrate and organize content into a learning management and delivery system.

3 - Re-organize - build new or re-organize company or organization.

Here are some insights on the OCI model. "The OCI-Open Communications Interface model is an important and compelling companion concept to the OSI-Open Communications Interface model.?For without the OSI model, the internet would not exist today.?The OSI model addresses such critical issues as physical, data, network, transport and other layers it focuses on the technology interfaces rather than the human interfaces that are needed to make the internet work.?Today and in the future, cybersecurity, digital transformation, wireless, AI and other technologies coming to these complex issues need to be explained to the people of all levels from private networks to environmental public policy.?

This is where the OCI model is critical to the future?of the internet.?By bringing communications from human touch, language, business, strategy and other issues together to solve the issues yet to be explored and discovered.?The OCI is an important process for every business, policy makers and standards groups to use with their own education design, development and deliver frameworks, architectures and business?models now and in the future."

Dan Baldwin, Executive Director, Telecom Association

Click on image for 2-minute video detailing OCI model.

Here's the details.

1 - Re-assess - evaluate all existing and new training into a standards approach.

In this paper - for a PDF click here - we explore the various issues that are performs within each layer of the OSI or OCI protocol.?

Like the role of grammar rules, style and guides to language, this concept to content development is critical as expressed there are no courses, curriculum or college without content.?Yet without standards for content, it is little value to the company, student or community.?This is not the only approach but a viable one.

The OSI-open systems interconnection model provides a global recognized approach to building standards, quasi-standards for software, hardware, interfaces and common language protocols which are vital to the growth of any system including the internet.?

The 7-Layer OSI model breaks each layer provides unique functions:

- Breaking issues into distinct activities - separates the functions from one another

- Simplify processes - provide unique functions

- Means to create standards - allows all the different companies to work together

- Means for compatibility - at least gives it a chance - that is, how "common" training programs are used by staff such as fundamentals of management, supervisory skills, communications skills, regulatory compliance, etc.

- Don’t have to do everything at once - solves the problem of too few or too many functions

- Allow for overview, security and management checks at each layer

- Provides for management view and consensus building

One way to built standards is to see how other industries build them under similar circumstances.?There are many organizations that work on standards but few where the standards are built by volunteers.?Of course, this is not the only one but having worked in and followed the progress of the internet for nearly 15 years; it provides an interesting approach to building standards.?The IETF or Internet Engineering Task Force https://ietf.org?The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is an organized activity of the Internet Society (ISOC).?ISOC is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. ISOC is supported by more than 90 organizational members and 26,000 individual members.?The point is that the IETF is a global organization devoted to expanding the use of the internet and since we all use the internet every day and will increasingly do so, it may be a relevant model to consider as a standards organization.

With the OCI-open communications interface model, we provide a framework for use in human management communications.?

?In order for everyone to “see the sing the same song” and then begin to build standards, breaking key elements into identifiable areas needs to occur.?By combining the collaborative approach of the IETF and the OSI model, we can begin. Of course, this can be modified and debated going forward; however, we need to start somewhere.

?Layer 1 or Physical Layer is where humans touch, lift, sit, drive, turn, open/close, move a mouse, talk, listen or interface systems other humans, equipment, tools or even observe.?The point of this graphic is that one of the greatest challenges to the Physical Layer is to reduce/eliminate injuries and worse but also increase safety beyond the minimums.?Safety is a great concept; however, as you will see that unless safety is addressed at the highest levels including public policy, then Physical Layer activities are at risk.

Physical Layer 1 standards could be as simple as the processes for lifting a box or as complex as flying an airplane.??

At Layer 2 Communications and Interface begins.?That is, many Physical Layer 1 activities can occur without human interaction and interface.?At Layer 2, language, communications and response takes place.?That is, you need to direct the activities of another human or retrieve/enter information from a computer database.?In many industries, training on how to use a computer/software program is the principal form of staff/user training.?All of us have entered the wrong information or control functions causing errors.?Reducing keyboard errors or verbal instructions is the “standards” goal of Layer 2.?A long time ago, my manager had a paper notebook with carbon paper for a copy upon which the form said, “avoid verbal orders.”?He felt that this was an effective means of directing his staff.?We all know of the common problem of “communications will always fail, except by chance.” This is a humorous but telling challenge for all of us to overcome the often mistakes made because the person receiving the direction did not understand what was being said.?Certainly, considerable standards can be built and maintained to reduce errors and even the most common confusion we all encounter.

At Layer 3, we see business process either internally or externally created.?Often governmental regulations demand activities or standards in order to protect customers such as food safety, medical records privacy and financial accounting.?In addition, corporations have their own sales order, customer service, return merchandise, career promotion and hundreds of others.?However, few organizations train the same standards way of training on these topics.?Layer 3 standards may be one of the easiest ways to approach standards between different organizations.

At Layer 4 Training Policy & Analysis increases collaboration and cooperation between organizations.?All organizations train their staff; however, you wonder why they do it all differently. Much can be written or said on this subject as each organization think the way they do it is often better than the next but few ever look at the way other organizations perform this task to see if it's better or worse than another.?Similar to other key points is that a “standard” process can be shared between different organizations which from “great ideas” can be created together creating the opportunity to “lift all boats.”

At Layer 5 – Corporate Interfaces can be found.?This function was added as understand and accommodate different training needs and goals.?That is, everyone in the company needs to know corporate policies for travel, payroll, OSHA, EEO and other corporate/government regulations.?However, within each department there are specific needs.?For example, customer service needs to be training on certain elements of CRM-customer relationship management software and sales on other parts of the same or sales tracking software.?Manufacturing, repair, service delivery and driver training will other job specific functions.?This means there is an opportunity to provide for industry standard training on many “core” functions while there may likely be proprietary corporate trade secret training on specific programs.?That is, the concept of a standardized approach recognizes that probably 90% of all training programs are the same whether you work for a public or private organization.?Word, PowerPoint and Windows is used by the majority of organizations, however, SalesForce.com is used by only those that sell goods or services.

At Layer 6 Leadership organizes data for presentation to top-level management decision-making.?Training is often the first-to-go and last-to-come-back when there is financial pressure to increase financial ROI.?This is where training fails to provide the C-Level with viable, proven means for ROI.?However, without a standards approach to compare one organizations’ ROI against another organizations ROI, there is no way for the C-level to measure its value.?That is, until an “inch” is an inch which everyone can measure, then training will be perceived as little more than a waste of time.?One of the other elements to this process is the concept of the corporate university.?Tried by many with various levels of success and disbanded by others, the concept of a centralized training organization using a standards approach measured by other entities has merit.?That is, course development, delivery, testing and auditing can be performed by a single entity.?This reduces costs and provides C-level management with tools to measure and gauge ROI for training.

At Layer 7 Strategic looks beyond the company to the horizon and global events and circumstances.?Certainly the image on the screen is very “time relevant” to the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. ?However, whether a bus, train, plane or product accident, companies are increasingly faced with public scrutiny for nearly every event.?While government response is sometimes slow to react with legislation such as Fin-Reg regarding the bank crisis or health care, the role of training is most often impacted sometimes significantly.?Training is not something that is an after-thought, however, with a standards approach it can be recognized as a critical part in the response to a crisis.?One will never know but it is certainly possible that the Gulf crisis could have been avoided if training policies were enforced.?At least one could guess that any oil drilling anywhere will be closely watched going forward.?In this case and others, training or performance management becomes integrated with every aspect of the organizations efforts.

?Once you have accepted the OCI model as a tactical strategy, an organizational model can be built such as below.?Of course, this can be modified into existing training organizations or become the foundation for a new one

2 - Re-think - integrate and organize content into a learning management and delivery system

Here's 20 reasons.

3 - Re-organize - build new or re-organize organization.

Here is one approach to a corporate or public university though certainly not the only one and for many changing the way education is designed, developed, delivered and managed is too hard to change.

If you need help with 1 - 2 - 3 or questions or clarifications, please email cross @gocross.com or call 303-594-1694.

#CLO #coporatetraining #knowledgemanagement #knowledgetechnology #education #edu