Related to these main tasks, SDS manages documents (like this letter) subjects, and contacts (people and organizations). The Diary supports a process of thinking and planning through writing. The Schedule, too, supports planning tasks based on links to history in the diary about prior related events and documents. The short hand way to think of the whole thing is that it integrates time and information to enable people to capture a larger share of their experience, and use it productively to perform their work.

Finally, writing up daily experience and organizing it in the diary according to objectives and requirements, then linking the record to check for alignment with prior understandings and assess impacts, implications and correlations, enables people to adjust course in time to avoid mistakes. This is a proactive risk management benefit of a highly connected environment. The resulting data base is pretty close to a web of "intelligence." So, that is what we call the deliverable to the customer. And using the web, we can deliver anytime, anywhere "intelligence," which is set out on the web site home page.

Dick Karpinski recently wrote an explanation of how SDS is used, for a Colloquium at Stanford that is considering how to implement knowledge management. If he has not already sent it to you, take a look at his report by clicking on his name in the preceding sentence.

Dick also found the scenario on a typical day using SDS useful in understanding how this method adds to current practice.

Communication Metrics is a service I provide that applies expertise with SDS and management. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported on the results of a project using this service. They developed a scope of services which may help you assess this capability.

Thanks very much for asking about SDS. Please let me know if you need more information.

Sincerely,

THE WELCH COMPANY

Rod Welch
rowelch@attglobal.net

Copy to:

1. Dick Karpinski