• About this project: This project includes (1) conducting extensive literary research and (2) subsequent publishing of new books with carefully edited selections of quotes by “BetaCodex heroes”. Niels Pflaeging started the series of books in 2023 with the volumes “What would Deming do?” and “What would Drucker do?”. Both volumes were authorized by the respective heirs. Two fresh volumes of the series are now under development, and even more quote books can be tackled. This project is conducted by Niels Pflaeging, Rijon Erickson and Stefan Schmeing, and the books will be published by BetaCodex Press.
• Participation requires willingness and ability to conduct systematic research into each of the author's entire range of publications, as well as research into media interviews. Sources of quotes must be rooted in original work and identified. The quotes (approx. 150+ per volume) will be clustered by a series of topics, with short introductory texts per chapter.
• Start: May 2025. Publication of the first new volume edited by Stefan and Niels should happen during the 2nd semester
• Status update Sep 2025. One of the two volumes is largely completed, awaiting final editing and design. Publication should happen in late 2025
• Status update Oct 2025: What would Ohno do? is being announced. It will be published in November and can already be pre-ordered.
• Status update Nov 2025: The What would Ohno do? book is available in bookstores internationally. Work on the 4th volume of the series, to be published in 2026, has begun.
• Status update Apr 2026: The What would Ernst Weichselbaum do? book is becoming available in bookstores internationally. Both the Ohno and Weichselbaum books are becoming available as E-Books. Work on the 5th volume of the series, to be published later in 2026, has begun. 

• About this project: Led by Silke, this research project is aimed at making the connection between modern, or contemporary organizational leadership and sustainability explicit, and at inciting insight and action on several levels: not just organizations, but also on a societal level, and politically. The focus is on connections that have so far been ignored, misinterpreted or overlooked. In the context of this research, we will assume that action on sustainability will have to swiftly tackle the three big problems of climate change, global extinction of species, and the achievement of a circular economy. During several stages of the research process, there will be opportunity for network members to discuss the intermediate results and draft versions with Silke – based on commitment by network members to earnest involvement. The research results are going to be published and shared in several formats, and also made available to the wider public.
• Participation requires relevant and proven practical experience in the field of sustainability, as well as willingness for continuous and reliable collaboration in the project.
• Start: Feb 2023

• About this project: Starting in early 2023, this group will work on a mid-term basis to make more in-depth findings around the use of OpenSpace Beta available. The task is to extract specifications, special features and meaningful interpretations for practice from field work with the OpenSpace Beta approach. All group members were involved with OpenSpace Beta processes, in active roles. This peer work serves to provide insight for new practitioners of OpenSpace Beta. The format or formats in which the research results will be published and successively extended is to be clarified.
• Participation requires relevant and proven practical experience with OpenSpace Beta, as well as willingness for continuous and reliable collaboration in the project.
• Start: Jan 2023
• Project update Mar 2023: Available on the BetaCodex LinkedIn group
• Project update Feb 2024: The research and writing phase of the project is to be concluded until late 2024. Publication of the resulting book should happen still in 2024, through BetaCodex Press
• Status update Jul 2024: Publication of a related BetaCodex research paper, OpenSpace Beta patterns, with 14 patterns described. Check out this video for background and context.

• About this project: Led by Niels Pflaeging, this research project aims at developing a completely new take on software development - beyond the rather vague, fuzzy and stalling software development concepts like Scrum or Kanban. The core idea behind this project is that time is the only viable structure in software development. Time-orientation, however, was largely ignored by the agile movement and its software development approaches. Scrum and Kanban didn't go much beyond postulating “iterative” attitudes, time-orientation through “sprints” alone was always rather sloppy. This project will build on insights from Beta transformation consulting projects and the Slave to the Rhythm research. It will build on conceptual ideas from the Weichselbaum System, Cell Structure Design and Relative Targets, and OpenSpace DEV. This project should lead (first) to the publication of a BetaCodex Network research paper, and  realization of Time-Oriented Software Development (TOSD) systems with (client) companies. Other publications or conceptualizations may arise from the research.
• Participation requires relevant and proven practical experience in the field of software development, as well as willingness for continuous and reliable collaboration in the project. Get in touch with Niels to get involved, and be prepared to answer his questions.
• Start: Jul 2025
• Status update Sep 2025: Sebastian Kubsch, CTO of Pradtke GmbH joins the research project. Pradtke is already putting the TOSD approach to use, which is giving us yet more insight into realization in software companies. Research and paper writing are advancing nicely.
• Status update Oct 2025: Publication of the paper happened in late October 2025. The TOSD open source license and a TOSD launch page are published and a TOSD support team is being formed. The team of TOSD founders and accredited experts will help development teams and tech companies make time-orientation in software development real - for good and fast. The research paper can be ordered in printed format, from Red42. This concludes the research project.

• About this project: Undertaken by Silke Hermann and Niels Pflaeging, this project aims at producing a research paper that outlines a fresh approach to OpenSpace large-group method that's fit for organizational development contexts. Silke and Niels have developed and used this approach since 2011. The paper will discuss why conventional OpenSpace falls short in organizational development contexts and outline 14 concepts of OpenSpace DEV.
• Participation by others will probably be limited to editing.
• Start: Jun 2025. Publication of the research paper should happen in July or August 2025.

• Update Jul 2025. Publication of the paper happened in July 2025. With this, the project is concluded.

   

• About this project: Undertaken by Niels and Andreas Schlegel, this project aims at examining the commonalities and differences between the “Big Three” time-based lean approaches, which are Lean RFS, the Weichselbaum System and Quick Response Manufacturing. The paper will also discuss why lean transformations should have at least one of these Big Three approaches at their core, and it will highlight principles of Time-Based Work Systems
• Participation by others will probably be limited to editing.
• Start: Dec 2024. Publication of the BetaCodex Network white paper should happen in 2025.
• Status update May 2025. Paper writing is proceeding well, recently. Publication should happen in June 2025. An announcement is published.
• Status update Jun 2025. The “Slave to the Rhythm” research paper is published. With this, the research project is concluded

• About this project: Undertaken by Niels and Silke, this tightly framed research project aims at publishing insights and key learnings from 20 years of Cell Structure Design and Relative Targets-related work, 6 years of OpenSpace Beta work. This project is intended to raise awareness to the unique potential of decentralization, organizational democracy, and the three “work the system” social technologies. The project led to the production of three free BetaCodex Network white papers so far – as this is a great way to reach the widest possible audience, with serious and well-designed content. The output from this research is however supposed to also be published through other channels and through other media. The white-paper(s) will not be derived from  forthcoming book in English. Instead, they feature distinct structures and contents, newly written texts and a distinct visual language that’s appropriate for online publication and for describing the patterns in 50+ consulting and advisory projects around Beta transformation.
• Participation by others will probably be limited to editing. It thus requires willingness to edit and review additional publications authored by Niels, prior to publication. Contributions to content can be made in any shape, at any time, and are highly welcome.
• Start: Jun 2023.
• Status update Jul 2023: Publication of the BetaCodex Network white paper with 10 patterns happened.
• Status update Aug 2023: A second BetaCodex white paper on the topic is being worked upon. This paper is also supposed to cover another set of approximately 10 patterns. Publication will happen within the next 6 months.
• Status update Jan 2024: The second Cell Structure Design Patterns white paper with 10 new patterns is published
• Status update Aug 2024: The OpenSpace Beta Patterns white paper with 14 patterns is published. It is the third paper of the series
• Status update Jan 2025: A new paper related to Relative Targets patterns is published. It is the fourth paper of the series. This concludes the project.

• About this project: Based on a draft translation from German to English done in 2021, this group is preparing publication of the Cell Structure Design book in English.
• Status: Publication will be through BetaCodex Press. Date: to be defined, during the 1st semester 2025

• About this project: This group will develop the network’s 3rd generation website long-term, design-wise and content-wise. Launch should happen until Q1 2024. The website is developed with Typo3 technology.
• Participation requires relevant website development mastery, and willingness to contribute long-term.
• Status update Feb 2024: The Typo3-based website is launched. To do's for the coming months: Add content in languages other than English; expand content; add features
• Concluded late 2024

Valérya Carvalho
Niels Pflaeging