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S U M M A R Y


DIARY: September 4, 1990 12:29 AM .......; Rod Welch

Received and analysed comments from Chris Quaife re SDS Theory.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Areas of Academic Inquiry
3...SDS Capability Lacks Credibility; Managers Disallusioned by Tech
4...Organizational Synergy
5...Theory of Knowledge
6...Market Resistance
....PMI Role


..............
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CONTACTS 
0201 - Deloitte, Haskens & Sells
020101 - Mr. Chris Quaife, MA, P.E. CMA; Project Management Professional

SUBJECTS
WMA Marketing evaluation, Chris Quaife
Fear Unable to Write, Like to Talk
Writing "everything" down Not Needed to
Writing Expedited by SDS
Writing First Understand Discover What We
Synergy of Automated Integration of
Remembering (Linked Records - Traceability,
Disallusioned by Technology Failed Promise
Common Sense Shattered by Prospect of
Common Sense Shocked by New System of
Common Sense Managers Ignore Information
Uncommon Sense New System Knowledge, VLSI,

1914 -    ..
1915 - Summary/Objective
1916 -
191601 - Received ref DRT 1 (see "Note" below) responding to ref DIP 1
191602 - submitted over a year ago, ref SDS 2. Chris made "...marginal notes
191603 - months ago, but didn't finish. This may be far too late to be of any
191604 - use."
191605 -
191606 -   Actually it is quite helpful, in that very few of those whose
191607 -   views were solicited took the time to respond.
191608 -
191609 -   The ensuing period has brought further evolution in the ideas and
191610 -   the product, so Chris' comments are a window into market "perceived
191611 -   value."
191612 -
191613 -
191614 - Note that Chris just submitted his business card and returned my
191615 - materials with notes he made in the margins, so there is nothing in
191616 - ref DRT 1.
191617 -
191618 -
1917 -
1918 - Objective of Presentation -- "Paper?"
1919 -
191901 - You describe this as a "paper."  Will your market respond to the
191902 - intellectual/academic approach?
191903 -
191904 -    This is an unknown so far.  Since SDS applies new technology,
191905 -    there is minimal understanding of its functionality and power,
191906 -    which impedes evaluation by the market.
191907 -
191908 -    An appeal to the intellectual community through the theory state-
191909 -    ment may garner acceptance and debate of the ideas embodied in
191910 -    SDS, i.e. POIMS.  Visibility leads to recognition and credibility
191911 -    among those who do not have time nor inclination to examine ideas.
191912 -
191913 -    Having said that, it still seems there should be some common
191914 -    sense, practical needs which people can associate with their daily
191915 -    experience; to wit:  SDS helps people plan, think and remember.
191916 -
191917 -  ..
191918 - Areas of Academic Inquiry
191919 - SDS Capability Lacks Credibility; Managers Disallusioned by Tech
191920 -
191921 - People identify with the remembering point, because it is a natural
191922 - everyday occurrence.  Everyone would like to remember better, but at
191923 - what cost?  The SDS method of writing things down, sounds like too
191924 - much work, because the present methods available for writing are
191925 - ponderous, and besides, it is much too difficult, if not impossible to
191926 - retrieve particular information needed, in a timely manner at the
191927 - moment it is needed.  That this is precisely what SDS is designed to
191928 - do is discounted because it conflicts with common sense, which is to
191929 - say common experience.
191930 -
191931 - However, as reported at the seminar in Seattle, where I met Chris, and
191932 - and asked him to comment on POIMS, an executive wanted integrated
191933 - tools, like SDS, but frustration from failed experience using products
191934 - from major vendors, made him reluctant to believe computers can help
191935 - management. ref SDS 1 4896
191936 -
191937 -
191938 - Organizational Synergy
191939 -
191940 - SDS is perceived as REQUIRING that "... everything be written down,"
191941 - whereas it simply MANAGES much BETTER information people are already
191942 - writing down, and second, because of its supple, fast data entry
191943 - capability, people can write a little more in the same amount of time
191944 - with SDS.  This EXTRA writing capacity enables people to gain a better
191945 - understanding of their work, and recognize things that need to be done
191946 - that otherwise are missed by relying on mere mental acuity.  Extra
191947 - writing also gives fast access to a lit- tle MORE information on
191948 - solving problems and working together. With each person doing a little
191949 - more and having a little better support from colleagues, the
191950 - organization can do MUCH better through improved synergy.
191951 -
191952 -
191953 -
191954 - Theory of Knowledge
191955 -
191956 - The purpose of writing in SDS is not so much to write down what you
191957 - know so it will not be forgotten (although that is always the
191958 - starting point, i.e. what happened?), but rather to find out WHAT
191959 - you KNOW.  This means knowledge is not static, but rather can be
191960 - expanded merely by thinking carefully.  In this sense, writing is
191961 - not a chore, but is rather the analysis we all do.  SDS just makes
191962 - the ergonomics of writing (taking it apart and putting it together
191963 - in different ways) simple enough in combination with fast data
191964 - retrieval, to effectively emulate human thinking, and thereby
191965 - improve its performance.
191966 -
191967 -
191968 -
191969 - Market Resistance
191970 -
191971 - So far I am finding the market for "new ideas" somewhat less brisk
191972 - than anticipated during product formulation.  Everyday all over the
191973 - world people are frustrated in business, government and elsewhere
191974 - because critical details are overlooked.  SDS greatly assuages this
191975 - by enabling people to uncover details and make them "controllable
191976 - action items," simply by writing out what happened.  There is no
191977 - other way to accomplish this universal objective, i.e. the long way
191978 - around is the short way there!  In general though, people hope this
191979 - is not true, and so resist "reporting" in favor of "doing" -- and
191980 - thereby continue the cycle of correcting corrections.
191981 -
191982 -    PMI Role
191983 -
191984 -    Accordingly, I believe there is a role for academia and others who
191985 -    are serious about improving project management, to examine the
191986 -    claims of POIMS and its application in SDS, and report on its
191987 -    power and grace in improving the productivity and quality of
191988 -    performance.
191989 -
191990 -
1920 -
1921 -
1922 - Who is the audience for Theory
1923 -
192301 - The audience for SDS theory is comprised of people like Chris who I
192302 - would expect to write in agreement or disagreement, so the theory
192303 - of POIMS and the product can be honed and refined.
192304 -
192305 - People who write for PMI magazine, and similar periodicals.
192306 -
192307 - As well, those like George Gilder who wrote "Microcosm" and Jeremy
192308 - Campbell who wrote "The Improbable Machine," the latter dealing
192309 - with current thinking on how human thinking occurs, might find SDS
192310 - theory, POIMS, an interesting and useful application and extension
192311 - of their ideas.
192312 -
192313 -
1924 -
1925 - Format
1926 -
192601 - Chris suggests making a structure of setting out a "customer need"
192602 - and a WMA solution.
192603 -
192604 - This is the aim of the POIMS/SDS brochure.
192605 -
192606 -
192607 -
1927 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"