CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
WMA Marketing, Evaluations
Line Numbers
Difficult to Understand
All Inclusive, Takes a Long Time to Learn
Learning/Education, SDS is Complex, Hope
SDS Design Shocking Conflicts with Common

1208 -
1209 -
1209 -    ..
1210 - Summary/Objectiveom Pat a few days ago.
1211 -
121101 - Received 2 letters from Pat, analysed in sequence below.
121102 -  ..
121103 - Training Procedures
121104 -
121105 - He is "... trying to devote a couple of hours a day studying SDS."
121106 - ..
121107 - This will be a good experiment to see how long it takes for
121108 - someone to learn the thing under this regimen with minimal support.
121110 -  ..
121111 - The dialog will provide a means to test ideas and form language to
121112 - flesh out the concepts of POIMS technology.
121114 -  ..
121115 - Customer Perceived Value
121116 -
121117 - Pat explains a scenerio where managers and staff are linked by
121118 - computer and apply SDS.  The first part of this scene is already in
121119 - place throughout much of American business.  Until POIMS, no one has
121120 - figured out how to apply the hardware efficiently.
121122 -  ..
121123 - Future Improvements
121124 -
121125 - Pat suggests that release of version "6.6" might enable management
121126 - to "...issue orders and instructions..." and that SDS itself might
121127 - issue instructions.
121128 -
121129 - On these points, the future is NOW!
121131 -  ..
121132 - Under the current version of SDS, management can access the CSF
121133 - (Current Schedule File) of any staff member to see what is scheduled
121134 - and comment on it (i.e. give instructions).  He can decide who has
121135 - too much to do and who may have time to do more, or whether addition-
121136 - al help is needed.  He can ascertain progress on difficult issues in
121137 - order to alert the customer of delays or request changes.  All of
121138 - this can be accomplished without putting staff members on the carpet.
121140 -  ..
121141 - Equally important he can obtain the evolution of the difficulties and
121142 - opportunities encountered on complex long term matters, and the steps
121143 - taken and ideas promulgated by each member of the staff.  This makes
121144 - meeting less necessary resulting in more productive time, and when
121145 - there is a meeting, the discussion is much more sharply focused.
121146 -
121147 -
121149 -  ..
121150 - Schedule Coordination
121152 -  ..
121153 - This is a new feature availabile with the Schedule Summary func-
121154 - tion, F1 F2, and so is not explained in the Manual yet.
121156 -  ..
121157 - Simply put the cursor in the Reference section and enter an "s" or
121158 - "S" in column 30 or 32, and hit F1 F2.  It opens a screen with
121159 - instructions on how to obtain summaries of schedules for any group
121160 - of people, rooms, or machines.
121161 -
121162 -
121164 -  ..
121165 - Issuing Instructions
121167 -  ..
121168 - SDS provides an environment in which people set up to give
121169 - themselves instructions, or so management can supplement same as
121170 - described above.
121172 -  ..
121173 - The objective is to provide an efficient way for management people
121174 - to figure out what needs to be done based on what has transpired.
121175 - It is thus, interactive rather than passive.  The type of people
121176 - who are amendable to receiving instructions from a compter beyond
121177 - the meaning set out above, are followers not leaders.  SDS is
121178 - directed to assist leaders.
121180 -  ..
121181 - In this limited sense, SDS gives a lot of instructions.
121182 -
121183 -
121185 -  ..
121186 - Management Application
121188 -  ..
121189 - Pat poses a hypothetical where a manager and his key assistants would
121190 - review at the end of the day the report from the field and issue
121191 - instructions.
121193 -  ..
121194 - This is sort of how I see it applied also with perhaps some
121195 - qualifications.
121197 -  ..
121198 - It is crucial to remember that the main benefit of writing the record
121199 - is for the writer.  The process of writing alone signifi- cantly
121200 - improves the level of understanding of the writer and informs him of
121201 - things that need to be done that are otherwise not apparent, and which
121202 - thereafter can be immediately scheduled (i.e. converted into a
121203 - controllable "action item").  That is the key to productivity -- as
121204 - you think of things, being able to immediately get them into the
121205 - "system."
121207 -  ..
121208 - Higher level (off-site) management, can apply this record, as Pat
121209 - suggests, to develop discussion points with those directly involved,
121210 - even enter suggestions, and obtain a better understanding of whether
121211 - additional temporary or permanent staffing is needed to carry out what
121212 - needs to be done.
121214 -  ..
121215 - Particularly on construction projects, there are many occassions when
121216 - things become very hectic -- the list of things to do gets quite long
121217 - suddenly for just a few days or hours.  Unless it is written down in
121218 - SDS or some other form, it often is not apparent that this is
121219 - occurrying.  People "think" they are handling things.  That is when
121220 - mistakes are made; not because site-management does not know what to
121221 - do, but because critical details are overlooked due to the short term
121222 - press and volume of current events.
121223 -
121224 -     [This problem was later identified as "limited span of attention"
121225 -     in 1997. ref SDS 3 4476]
121227 -  ..
121228 - Planning Avoids Rework
121229 - Font End Investment in Organization and Analysis
121230 - ..
121231 - The hardest thing for upper management to recognize is the need
121232 - to budget sufficient time for on-site management to do this writing,
121233 - because it seems the time would be better spent doing the tasks rather
121234 - than writing about doing them.  Doing is important, but it must be
121235 - thought out.  When it is not, then the endless cycle of correcting
121236 - corrections begins sucking the money out of the budget. Everyone is
121237 - busy being busy -- working hard instead of smart.
121239 -  ..
121240 - Today, people are busy than every working for computers.  POIMS and
121241 - SDS let computers work for people.
121242 -
121243 -     [See cost savings from Communication Metrics by avoiding "rework"
121244 -     ref SDS 4 2464]
121245 -
121246 -
121247 -
1213 -
1215 - ëQ86P
1216 - Received DRT 2 from Pat today.
1217 -
121701 - Pat requests written response, which I can do easily after analysing
121702 - his letter.  In SDS, as soon as the analysis is over, the response
121703 - can immediately be put in the mail.  In fact he is probably going to
121704 - get a lot more than he expects.
121705 -
121707 -  ..
121708 - Written v. Discussion Response
121710 -  ..
121711 - I addressed this in my memo to MK, ref SDS 1 line 041225, and will
121712 - submit those remarks to Pat so he can see I appreciate his point.
121714 -  ..
121715 - Management analysis of the kind in Pat's two letters is different from
121716 - computer support.  The latter is simply informing someone about which
121717 - key to hit or procedure to follow in accomplishing a specific computer
121718 - task.  90% of the questions on using a computer can be answered in 10
121719 - seconds by someone who knows the answer. There is no productivity
121720 - gained by putting such questions in a letter, because the
121721 - communication requires dynamic response, rather than deliberation.
121722 -
121723 -
121725 -  ..
121726 - Line Numbers Intimidate and Confuse Users
121727 - Learning Curve SDS a Fuction of Management Complexity
121728 -
121729 - Pat states
121730 -
121731 -    "...most of the people who would use a program like this are not
121732 -    computer hackers.  Their skills are far removed from the ins and
121733 -    outs of how computers work other than the few clear directions
121734 -    they read in the program menus for their particular situation.
121736 -     ..
121737 -    No way will people put in the time to figure it all out even if
121738 -    they are smart enough to do so.  In the first place all those
121739 -    numbers showing [in the record vertical fields] just scare the heck
121740 -    out of them."
121742 -  ..
121743 - Pat suggests making the numbers invisible, except for "...an identity
121744 - line which would include necessary numbers for user recall and
121745 - reference."
121746 -
121747 - "...user would not have to learn the significance of all those
121748 - numbers. ... Users want things like TurboTax that take little learning
121749 - but do extremely complicated takss with little effort by the user."
121751 -  ..
121752 - Pat makes some good points, but lets look a little deeper.
121753 - ..
121754 - The mere fact that something is initially difficult (even
121755 - "scary"), does not mean there is a better way.  No doubt people were
121756 - scared of fire for eons, before finally recognizing it was actually
121757 - quite useful.  Continued use made it less scary.
121759 -  ..
121760 - Of course we do not want to wait eons for our ship to come in.
121762 -  ..
121763 - SDS is an environment for managers to enable them to apply their
121764 - writing and anlaytic skills in a new and much more productive
121765 - manner.  It is a skill that requires a. learning, and b) daily
121766 - practice to keep it sharp.  I made scheduling and reporting the
121767 - heart of SDS because that is something managers are and should be
121768 - doing all day long, which in turn maintains and increases their
121769 - skill.  Thus, as with fire, once learned, regular use eliminates
121770 - the fright of line numbers.
121772 -  ..
121773 - We need to convince managers of the tremendous improvement SDS can
121774 - make in their productivity, so they will bite the bullet on the
121775 - learning curve.  That's all we have to do.  It is a selling job.
121777 -  ..
121778 - If they will devote a week to learn SDS, then they will find that
121779 - the line numbers are actually quite useful and simple to apply.
121780 - Daily use will make them second nature, they will look familiar and
121781 - routine and "normal," even lovely -- no longer a frightful, hideous
121782 - visage.  But first they need to achieve "understanding."
121784 -  ..
121785 - I am reminded of Dad's story about his Father's reluctance to use
121786 - automotive tractors, insisting that horses were the better way.  I
121787 - can well imagine his reasoning:  all those "scary" buttons and
121788 - handles and "things" to oil and adjust.
121790 -  ..
121791 - Most people are interested in their ideas and knowledge.  When
121792 - people experience the "sugar" of having access to their knowledge
121793 - and ideas, and being able to create new ideas in the manner I am
121794 - doing now in analysing Pat's comments, they will love the line
121795 - numbers because line numbers give "structure" to their writing, and
121796 - structured writing is the best way to organize ideas, and that is
121797 - what management is all about.
121799 -  ..
121800 - We just have to give them a taste of how easy it is.  Personal
121801 - interest will drive them to it.
121802 -
121803 -
121805 -  ..
121806 - Education
121808 -  ..
121809 - Essentially, SDS is like a special form of writing.  It takes
121810 - training and practice to apply it like the alphabet and numbers.
121812 -  ..
121813 - Learning each system took some time, and for those who have not
121814 - learned either, they probably look pretty scary.  For those who
121815 - took the time to learn, letters and numbers are not scary at all.
121817 -  ..
121818 - I am meeting with the Dean of the Stanford School of Engineering to
121819 - present POIMS technology as the only truly new idea in management
121820 - that has come along in a long time.  If we can create a class for
121821 - students to take in SDS then this will provide a supply of folks
121822 - who have the skill and can migrate it into the work force.
121824 -  ..
121825 - If this is successful, we may be on our way.
121826 -
121827 -
121828 -