Around 1967, Melvin Conway observed that how organizations were structured would have a strong impact on any systems they created.
Conway’s Law is a principle that says the structure of a team or organization will often reflect the structure of the systems they build. In other words, the way a company is organized will influence the way its products are designed.
Think of it like building a big Lego tower with a group of friends, the way you all work together will determine how the tower will look like in the end.
The law is based on the reasoning that in order for the software to function, multiple authors must communicate frequently with each other. Consequently, the software interface structure of a system will reflect the social image of the organizations that produced it, across which communication is more difficult.
“… Any organization that designs a system (defined more broadly here than just information systems) will inevitably produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization’s communication structure…”
In other terms, it means software or automated systems end up “shaped like” the organizational structure they are designed in or designed for. Some interpretations of the law say this organizational pattern mirroring is a helpful feature of such systems, while other interpretations say it’s merely a result of human nature or organizational bias.
Conway’s Law reflected the perception of the mirroring of organizational idiosyncrasies in its solutions and software – in practice, the quality, complexity, and waste in the development of a project reflected the social reality and communication of the organizations that produce it.
In reality, software is often a very complex subject, and producing software is an incredible challenge that requires an understanding of psychology, art, design, digital logic, data relationships, systems, tooling, leadership, teamwork, and much more.
From Google to the financial sector, companies in every industry have adopted Conway’s Law as a way to spur innovation.
Exactly because of that, large organizations have been investing in digital transformation, where technology, products, and services are the consequence of a change in mindset, the breaking of a paradigm, and structure secular. Not a single copy of “how things work in here”.
As new communication networks are formed, communication is established in a fluid and self-organized way as needed.
Conway’s Law can affect your work in several ways. For example, if a company is organized into separate departments, each with its own goals and priorities, the systems they build may also be separated into different components that don’t work well together.
This can make it difficult to create a cohesive and efficient product.
On the other hand, if a company is organized into cross-functional teams, where people with different skills work together towards a common goal, the systems they build are likely to be more integrated and work together more smoothly.
Another way Conway’s Law can affect your work is by influencing communication and collaboration within the team. If the organization is siloed, with limited communication between different departments or teams, it may be more difficult to share information and coordinate efforts, which can lead to delays and wasted effort.
Conclusion about Conway’s Law
It’s important to keep in mind that Conway’s Law is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a principle that can be observed in many organizations.
The goal is to be aware of how your organization is structured and how it might be affecting the systems you build, and make changes to improve the overall efficiency of your team and the quality of the final product.
In conclusion, Conway’s Law is a principle that highlights the relationship between the structure of an organization and the systems it produces. It states that the way a company is organized will influence the way its products are designed.
This principle can have a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of a team or organization, and it’s important to be aware of how it might be affecting your work.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business environment, organizations that are aware of Conway’s Law and take steps to apply it, are more likely to be successful in creating high-quality and efficient systems.
By keeping Conway’s Law in mind, teams can work together to build better products and achieve their goals more effectively.
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