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Introduction (6)
Mission Command
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Introduction
Mission command refers to military command style. Mission command is the army’s command approach and control that seeks to empower the subordinates to be able to make decisions. The style also enhances decentralized execution that is appropriate to the situation at hand. In terms of mission command, subordinate units are given a ‘mission’ or purpose by their commander. This ‘mission’ is a statement of the desired end-state, not how to reach that end state. The commander delegates authority to the subordinate level and holds them accountable for achieving the mission by setting time sensitive objectives (e.g., time and place) and measures. Subordinates decide how to reach those objectives within their means and capabilities. The commander does not plan or manage for them and has no higher-level doctrines to impose on his subordinates. He provides resources, support, assistance and stays out of the way unless his subordinates require his assistance.
Mission command is a military concept that focuses on “mission” rather than purely on “command”. The concept was created to address problem areas in traditional military command structure. It has evolved over time to include many tenets of leadership, management and strategy, to help fight as well as possible with a minimal loss of life and resources. The concept advocates that team members be given the maximum amount of decision-making authority relative to their rank on how to accomplish the given mission or goal (Matzenbacher, 2018). This is to increase initiative and flexibility, as well as to reduce the likelihood of inappropriate orders being given, according to the experience and expertise of each individual.
In military command, mission command involves a leader at some level of the chain of command shows failure in their duty. The principles of mission command are mission orders, risk acceptance, commander’s intent, shared understanding, disciplined initiative, mutual trust, and competence. By applying these principles, commanders are able to command an operation with confidence. In the course of a discussion on doctrine the commander must identify the mission and the environment. The Mission Commander must also make a decision to accept or not accept risk. The commander has to specify his intent so that all commanders will know how he wants them to conduct their missions, thus there is a need for clear and concise orders, even if they are no longer used formally (Rubel, 2018).
Principles of Mission Command
Mutual Trust
The principle of mutual trust in mission command refers to the special relationship of trust and mutual respect which exists between a commander and subordinate, such that the subordinate trusts the commander to command competently and achieve success on their behalf (Mikaloff). It refers to an understanding between general and commander that the commander has complete authority and responsibility to command, direct and control all assigned or attached forces. Commanding officer has broad discretion to use his/her judgement; what we might call “the art of command.” The idea of mutual trust in mission command is at odds with the concept of hierarchy, organized with strict discipline. The degree of mutual trust varies depending on specific military leadership philosophies including rank, maturity, experience, innovation skillset, contextual awareness and so on.
Disciplined Initiative
The principle of Disciplined Initiative refers to the intent to empower adaptive and agile leaders in mission command. The focus of this principle is on the work to do in response to any given task or situation no matter what obstacles may be present. The goal is not just a desired outcome but also strategic planning and leadership capabilities. This principle can only function when it has been adopted as part of the culture or mission command manual and incorporated in the training regimen for all leaders. To accomplish this, there must be an understanding that mission command means different things for different people, the most important factor being that it needs to make sense in relation to the current situation. This approach has proven relevant in wartime because it lessens hesitation from unplanned decisions based on higher priorities which leads to increased efficiency and more success with fewer resources.
Mission orders
The principle of mission orders in mission command is used in military organizations to allow the commander to order subordinates to carry out specific tasks. There are two principles of mission orders: a. Mission command system b. Principle of mission orders. The principle of mission orders is the decision-making process that ensures that every task and every subordinate is focused on completing the missions as quickly, efficiently, and effectively as possible. There is a need for the principle of mission orders to ensure that subordinates understand roles and responsibilities and the objectives of the mission. The principle of mission orders also improves unity of command (i.e., unity of effort), simplifies command relationships, enhances situational awareness, results in self-sufficiency, and results in subordinates focusing on completing their role/responsibilities with minimal disruption (i.e., self-sufficiency).
Risk acceptance
The principle of Risk acceptance in mission command is a principle which states that the commander of a military unit, responsible for military operations, should be responsible for deciding whether to take particular risks to accomplish the mission. The commander who has accepted responsibility for a decision should not pass it on without very compelling reasons. This principle was one of the guiding principles of General Norman Schofield’s life and career. General Norman Schofield was born at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1881 into an upper-class English family with connections with royalty. He attended Harrow School and then studied modern history at Oxford University before training as an army officer at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, where he won many prizes including Queen Victoria’s sword.
Commander’s intent
The principle of Commander’s intent refers a clear expression of an operation’s purpose and the desired end state of the military. This expression provides the staff with focus, supports mission command, and assists the subordinates act to achieve the commander desired results. At the operational level, ‘intent’ is a general statement describing what the commander intends to do or wants done during a mission. Intent is not an order. It does not give any particular action, but rather describes the operation that needs to be accomplished and leaves how it will be accomplished up to subordinate units. The difference between intent and orders is that orders are explicit instructions on how something needs to be done and must be obeyed, whereas stated intentions remain within the scope of responsibility for each subordinate unit commander.
Shared understanding
The principle of shared understanding in mission command refers to the idea that the commander must share an understanding with subordinates as to what is occurring in the mission. As a leader, you provide clarity and insight through your words to ensure your team can apply these same guidelines to their day-to-day operations. The principle helps leaders relay instructions in a way that inspires confidence and trust in the members of their team while also creating an intimate bond by having “one voice” among leaders and teammates throughout a mission (Pearce et al., 2021). These are two key ways in which teams avoid confusion and continue operations without major issues or errors along the way.
Competence
The principle of competence in mission command involves the capability of a unit’s leader to lead by virtue of their competence, without the need for detailed plans. The theory was developed during World War II and espoused by British military officer Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The principle is considered central to the success of every military unit in battle from then until now, as it provides clear leadership that would not be possible if units had to be micromanaged constantly by officers on the ground. Competence in Mission command is most effective when commanders can exercise discretion and independence, with orders being given clearly on an “as needed” basis. This allows for better cooperation among staff members who are able to take initiative day-to-day activities with minimal guidance from above.
Command and Control
Elements of command
Command can be defined as the process by which someone or something gives a set of orders to others for a specific purpose or goal. There are different types or levels of command but most fall into one category in particular: strategic management. Strategic management consists of three types of management: business level, system level and tactical level. The main elements of command are authority, responsibility, decision making, and leadership. There are other elements that are important, such as supporting the mission, achievement of mission objectives, and performance. All these elements help to make up the command structure in any given organization or group. This article is meant to introduce you to command and give you an overview of its nature and importance.
Elements of Control
Elements of Control in mission command are direction, feedback, information, and communication. The element of direction involves defining objectives and making sure those objectives are clearly understood by the task force. The element of feedback uses assessments and results to provide timely feedback to the military commander on whether or not their plan is working as intended. Information is key with this element as it helps in managing resources and giving the commander an accurate overview of what is going on within his/her mission area. And finally, communication ensures that they have all the important information necessary for continued operations. This blog post discusses these four elements that make up mission control and how they work together to give a clear understanding of what’s happening within an operation.
Command and Control as a Warfighting Functions
Warfighting Functions
Warfighting Functions refers to systems and tasks that enables a commander to effectively synchronize and converge all elements of combat power. The functions of mission command are Planning, Direction, Support, and Training (Ploumis, 2020). Take for example; an Infantry platoon is tasked with search and destroy missions in an urban environment during warfighting operations. A commander of this platoon needs to make sure he has his maps updated with correct coordinates of the target building before engaging in armed conflict. He also needs to ensure his subordinate leaders are aware of the current situation prior to them deploying their troops into that area of operation. Once they have calmed any unruly civilians any critical infrastructure outside the area they will be entering, he coordinates air support for troops on the ground while making sure there is no collateral damage nearby buildings or lives on either side.
Tasks
Major tasks in mission command are command forces, control operations, establish command and control systems, and drive the operations process. Command forces task to manage operational procedures, personnel, and resources. Control operations tasks are to plan and execute the operation with available resources. Establish command and control systems tasks are to develop systems that ensure commanders can easily exercise their authority during the operation. Drive the operations process tasks are to establish priorities for an operation, synchronize operational actions across different lines of effort, employ all available assets for maximum effect, and coordinate or train subordinates on a particular skill set. The significance of these is that they all work together in order to create one coherent mission with many different objectives that were made prior by the commander.
Command and Control System
Command and Control System in mission command involves people, processes, networks, and command posts. Military operations are not simple tasks to take on, especially when taking into account the many projects that need to be completed given any typical operation (Chen et al., 2021). It might seem like chaos at first, but each step is carefully planned out and assigned to someone who can execute it best; this makes it possible for things like missions to go through without a hitch if everything goes accordingly. Command and control system ensures that everything remains under control throughout the course of any given operation.
References
Burke, R. P. (2018). Command and Control: Challenging Fallacies of the’Military Model’in Research and Practice. International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters, 36(2).
Chen, X., Li, L., Zhang, W., & Li, L. (2021, December). Command and Control System in Intelligentized Warfare. In 2021 IEEE Conference on Telecommunications, Optics and Computer Science (TOCS) (pp. 951-954). IEEE.
Matzenbacher, M. B. (2018). The US Army and mission command. Military Review, 2018, 61-71.
Mikaloff, M. R. S. School of Advanced Military Studies United States Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Pearce, A. P., Naumann, D. N., & O’Reilly, D. (2021). Mission command: applying principles of military leadership to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) crisis. BMJ Mil Health, 167(1), 3-4.
Ploumis, M. (2020). Mission command and philosophy for the 21st century. Comparative Strategy, 39(2), 209-218.
Rubel, R. C. (2018). Mission Command in a Future Naval Combat Environment. Naval War College Review, 71(2), 109-121.
Usage of Management Information System in Supply Chain Management
MIS usage in Supply Chain Management
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Usage of Management Information System in Supply Chain Management
A project management information system is of critical importance to Supply Chain because it is one of the key delivery systems for effective project management and Supply Chain. It thus presents a means for building solid relationships and trust that can eventually lead to effectiveness and efficiency in suppling products and hence in productivity. In the process of building this important communication link, the management information system integrates project data into a management description that is in line with the project’s performance (Brown & Vessey, 2003).
Any project has the potential to produce multiple varieties and large volumes of data. This data is very essential in supply chain management because it is not very useful in supporting management decisions in its raw form. Management Information System plays a critical role through addition of value by selective moulding of the project data into information products that are used in the management of the project, reporting as well as in decision making (Shield et al, 2001). Automation of management systems usually supports important portions of the task that are associated with operating a Project management Information System. Normally, tasks that are performed manually can be found at various stages along the Management Information System information path.
Management Milestones
There a few occasions during the project’s life cycle when all the different activities and processes that are related to the particular project converge at the same time during the project’s life cycle. Normally, these moments occur during the management’s decisions to initiate, plan for, execute or terminate the project. At all these important decisions, there is need to focus attention on providing a solid synthesis of information relevant to the project’s progress and a comprehensive snapshot of the project’s development profile (King, 2005).
If a management Information System designed to support milestone decisions is aligned, it has to be aligned in accordance with the decision maker’s directives and usually through their leadership perspectives. Further, it has to take into consideration the provision of information necessary to manage all intermediate tasks that lead to the realization of the milestone targets and objectives.
MIS is responsible for defining Requirements before Planning the Project
A management Information System cannot be relied upon to effectively provide what is not designed into its product coverage. Before planning for a project, all the management Information System projects status reporting and decision makes have to be determined both at the project level and also with the stakeholders of the project. There can arise very heavy penalties if a project’s Project management Information System products are not established at the beginning of tat project’s lifecycle (Monk, Ellen; Wagner & Bret, 2006).
One of the most important risks here is the potential to make decisions based on inappropriate or insufficient information. One other risk is the possibility of friction between stakeholders and the project’s team members due to mismatches in expectations for information. The third risk is the unexpected cost of planning again or having to manually extract data from the plans to use on correcting the deficiencies arising from stakeholder’s information needs. There can be no logic in expecting the project-planning data to match the management and stakeholders informational needs.
What to Include in Management Information Systems relevant to supply chain
The specifications for effective management Information System products are derived from answering the following fundamental questions:
What is the status of the particular project’s accomplishments in relation to the project’s scheduled commitments? This is important in determining the type and kind of supply to make.
What is the status of the actual cost of the project as compared with its initial budgeted cost?
What is the actual effort consumed by the project as compared with the effort provided for in the original budget?
What is the level of the current deficiencies as compared to target standards and previous work levels?
How many changes have been made in respect of the project’s requirements and processes used in developing the projects products and services?
Information requirements for any project vary with the five questions as identified above and these are relevant to supply chain management. The resulting management profile thus describes the current status of the project and tends to point towards the future. All the information products derived from these five key areas provide the necessary intelligence required for efficient and effective management of the project (Sheilds & Mureell, 2001).
Tailoring the project management information system to a specific Project
Tailoring of a management Information System product to meet the specific needs of a specified project is very important to the project’s organization. Before the actual beginning of the planning process there are three basic tailoring tasks that have to be taken into consideration. These are:
Definition of data elements to ensure integrity of meaning
Establishing the level of detail needed for each data element
Defining the time duration of the respective work packages
Tailoring of management Information System products in all these three areas as highlighted above promotes harmony which enables data input to the management Information System to follow a natural sequence for performing project tasks. This is normally provided for from data exists in the organizational information systems for instance the financial tracking system (Lowery & Gwen, 1994).
It is important to define data items so as to ensure integrity in data items and what they mean to both the management and the stakeholders. Defining of data items is also important in ensuring the integrity of the resulting project profile. For instance, if an organization’s financial system provides cost tracking system for projects, then it would be imperative for the project and its financial system to use similar definition of data elements.
Normally, the definition of costs associated with people’s efforts includes more categories than the usual salaries and benefits. In addition, people’s overtime efforts may not include additional provisions for vacation, retirement, or ill-health benefit costs. The only practical test for data consistency is the ability to produce Project management Information System management products by way of comparing similar products that have consistency in their definition (Wylie, 2009).
How MIS is important to Project integration and thus supply chain
Introduction
Project management is an integrative process in which the addition or failure to take an action in can as well affect all other areas of the project. Thus project integration is an essential process in project management. There have been relatively few efforts made in the literature of project management with regard to the development of the theory of project integration management. The development of the concept of project integration has been assisted largely through the application of system theory. It has been widely claimed that one of the most pervasive intellectual tradition to intellectual.
Project integration is derived from treating the project as a system. The integration of a system is usually applicable to almost all projects because all projects are inevitably a system in one way or the other. Major system thinking gives a highlight on the interdependencies inherent between project elements and as such provides a way of thinking appropriate for effective project integration. This is further enhanced by identifying all the systemic relationships. System integration is normally facilitated especially when all project participants including the project manager adopt a holistic stand on the project. This helps set clear coordination in the performance of the project as well as in information flow between the various stakeholders and project management.
Project integration is important especially when one is dealing with different parts of the process and wishes to combine them to form an integral whole. Thus project integration is essential because normally there are diverse projects or subsystems needed to be accomplished separately. This integration is important in the realization of the overall project success. The various project phases have to be interdependent otherwise no meaningful integration will work. The existence of interlinked but diverse project elements and subsystems can also be defined as project complexity. Hence such a system can best be expressed in terms of project differentiation and interdependency (Wylie, 2009).
Project complexity
Projects are normally characterized by the level of complexity that they exhibit. Complexity derives from the fact that different projects contain different sets of interdependent elements. It is a well established fact that interdependency and differentiation are two distinct elements that are managed by integration. When the level of complexity is higher, the difficulties and importance of integration increases so that the actual level of differentiation is matched by corresponding levels of integration. In order to effectively integrate complex project systems, a variety of integrative devices are available for use. A key device is the project manager. Integration can be effected by engaging someone to provide an integrating role. Consequently, integration is facilitated as a key role that is a responsibility of the project manager.
System analysis
The primary goal of system analysis is to determine the nature of the problem and perhaps help fix the system. This important step involves the breakdown of the entire system into different components so as to analyze the situation and engage system users in defining what needs to be created. Analysis of system requirements may at times require individuals or teams from client and also service provider sides to provide detailed and accurate system requirements. Often requirement analysis and definition is the most crucial aspect which is normally coupled with several communication gaps which if addressed well can lead to validation of errors and bugs in the software program.
Conclusion
All the system development life cycle phases serve as programmatic guides to the development of project activity and thus provide a flexible and yet consistent way of conducting projects to the depth that matches the scope and requirements of the project. Each of the system development life cycle phase objectives is clearly described with the corresponding deliverables. In any project management system, it is essential that project managers establish and monitor the control of all objectives in any phase.
Controlling of objectives is very crucial as it helps to provide a well phrased statement of the desired results and purpose. To effectively manage and control any system development life cycle initiative, each project system will be required to implement some degree of Work Breakdown Structure. This helps capture and schedule the work necessary to complete all the work associated with the project (Yusuf, 2004).
Bibliography
Cleland, David, I. (1994) Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation. New
York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994
Frame, J. Davidson.(1994) The New Project Management: Toolsfor an Age ofRapid Change.
Corporate Reengineering, and Other Business Realities, San Francisco: JosseyBass,
1994
Lewis. James P. (1994) Project Planning, Scheduling & Control. Chicago: Irwin, 1995
Lowery, Gwen (1994). Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 4.0. New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1994
Bidgoli, Hossein, (2004). The Internet Encyclopedia, Volume 1, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Khosrow-Puor, Mehdi. (2006). Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management. Idea Group, Inc.
Sheilds, Mureell G., E (2001)-Business and ERP: Rapid Implementation and Project Planning. (2001) John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
L. Wylie, “A Vision of Next Generation MRP II”, Scenario S-300-339, Gartner Group, April 12, 1990
Sheilds, Mureell G., E-Business and ERP: Rapid Implementation and Project Planning. (2001) John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Monk, Ellen; Wagner, Bret (2006). Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning (Second ed.). Boston: Thomson Course Technology.
Monk, Ellen and Wagner, Brett.(2009)”Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning” 3rd.ed.Course Technology Cengage Learning.Boston, Massachusetts.2009
Brown, C., and I. Vessey, (2003) “Managing the Next Wave of Enterprise Systems: Leveraging Lessons from ERP,” MIS Quarterly Executive, 2(1), 2003.
King. W (2005)., “Ensuring ERP implementation success,” Information Systems Management, Summer 2005.
Yusuf, Y., A. Gunasekaran, and M. Abthorpe, (2004) “Enterprise Information Systems Project Implementation: A Case Study of ERP in Rolls-Royce,” International Journal of Production Economics, 87(3), February 2004.
Introduction
Mireya Ibanez
March 29, 2021
BME 295C
Ms. Barton
Introduction:
Health Challenges: Significance, Incidence, Symptoms or Consequences
A Traumatic Brain injury is the leading cause of disability and death amongst children and young adults. In the US it is estimated that 1.5 millions of Americans obtain a TBI each year with the number still increasing. TBI’s also contributed to the deaths of 56,8000 people including children. A Traumatic brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. Symptoms for a Traumatic brain injury are typically placed into 4 categories including, thinking/remembering, physical, emotional, and somnolence. Obtaining a TBI cause the person to potentially have physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes. People who obtain a Traumatic Brain injury tend to have effects that last several days, months, or even years and typically disrupt a person’s ability to function in their everyday lives. These effects aren’t limited to impairments related to memory, movement, thought process, sensation, hearing, emotional dysfunction. Traumatic Brain injuries are major causes to long term disability with a limit on the treatments available to people.
Current diagnosis/Treatment/Management
There are a number of tests and assessments conducted before an injury to the brain can be classified as a Traumatic Brain injury. Typically, assessment requires a neurological examination evaluate thinking, motor function sensory function, coordination and reflexes by using a CT scan and MRI. There is currently a lack of effective treatments for Traumatic Brain injuries. There are both medical and surgical interventions that can be performed to help with the management of the obtained TBI. Today there are many efforts in creating therapeutic approaches and strategies in dealing with Traumatic Brain injuries.
New biomedical engineering solution and benefits
A therapeutic approach for a Traumatic Brain Injury involves Mesenchymal stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy, meaning using stem cells from the own individual is a believed therapy to enhance the repair of the injured brain. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy has been showing promising results in ongoing clinical studies. The clinical trials have at least entered the beginning stages (safety phases) for multiple diseases and injuries including TBI’s. Researchers have been able to get a better understanding of what occurs to the body after sustaining a TBI and how Mesenchymal stem cells repairs the brain and improves functional outcomes with rats. One specific method involves transplantation Mesenchymal stem cells which release trophic and pro-repair cytokine, specifically interleukin10. The study tests the therapeutic effects when transplanted into rats that endured a Traumatic brain injury in the frontal cortex. There were significant improvements to reduce inflammation and promote functional outcomes, although further testing and research needs to be conducted. Another study was designed to promote the behavior of the stem cells by incorporating R-GSIK in rats. There was significant recovery of motor function observed in the rats that received Mesenchymal stem cells and R-GSIK. Another study combined Mesenchymal stem cells with Sox2 to improve the recovery in rat with a TBI. 26 rats were used in a study, with 2 rats being bone marrow stem cell donors. 2 days after a Traumatic Brain injury, the rats were induced with SOX-2 and the study examined the effects of SOX-2 with the differentiation of bsMSCs. The motor function was tested using NSS. (Neurological severity score) These treatments are steps to creating effective and efficient therapy for Traumatic Brain Injuries.