Structure Diagrams

Using the travelling salesman example we can see here a very simple example. This is actually the most common scenario:

The first thing to note is that each Site (machine) has been allocated a unique reference number (B000, B100, B200). Our next example clarifies this structure with B000 being the master machine. We use the letter B for future expansion as we might at some stage want to add a new Master machine and make the Head Office a subordinate of that. In that case the new master machine would be identified as A000. In most case however you will only be dealing with B000 (the office machine) and B100 (the laptop on the road).

As you will see, the Head Office controls all of the information. It hands down information to each of the subordinate machines. So the Sales Person can update their information independently of the Branch Office. When the Sales Person synchronises their information with the head Office, they in turn will share that information with the Branch Office if that is the way the system has been set up.

The important thing to understand is that the Sales Person and Branch Office operate entirely independently and it is the role of the Head Office to determine who has what information at any one time.

If we now take that a step further we can see a far more complex scenario:

As you will see here we again have the master machine as B000. Beneath that are 3 independently operating machines B100, B200 and B300. We have use the 100 series to indicate the next level down from B000. They could have been called B100, B101, B102 and only you can decide what works best for you. However by using larger numbers it is easier to identify machines.

Below the 100 series we then drill down to another level. So under the B100 we have a B110 machine. Under the B200 we have 2 machines, B210 and B220. In the case of the B210 and B220 machines you can see that these machines are serving the B200 machine. So their information is synchronised with their own "master machine". The B200 machine in turn will synchronise with it's master the B000. At that stage, the B000 machine has the choice to send the information from the B210 and B220 machines it has now received back down to any of the other machines.

So whilst this structure might appear something you would never imagine using here is a scenario that might be relevant...

B000 would be the office machine.

B100, B200 and B300 would be 3 workers travelling independently of each other.

B110 would be an apprentice working for B100, whereas B210 and B220 would be apprentices working for B200

Using that example, taking the B200, B210 and B220 relationship you can see how those 3 machines interact in their own mini environment whilst at the same time being part of the overall organisation structure. Again the master controller would manage the information flow between machines although they would effectively have the information from all the machines available to them.