CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Personnel, Training, Project Management, Trends, Changes,
Communications
Subject Index, 910906
Information Management
Automation Trends
Automation, Implementing, 930119
90% Managers Time Communication

1109 -    ..
1110 - Summary/Objective
1111 -
111101 - Article in Feb 1994 Pmnetwork on page 26, ref OF 3 line 13, describes
111102 - a system developed by the author to use the computer disk directory
111103 - system to manage information on the disk according to subjects, and by
111104 - extension organizational objectives, a core POIMS concept.
111105 -
111106 -     Author uses "communications" relative to distributing documents,
111107 -     showing this bogs down productivity (see below), which is
111108 -     addressed by SDS at ref OF 1 line 261, and at ref OF 1 line 288,
111109 -     and also ref OF 1 line 657.
111110 -
111111 -     Stephen Covey views "communications" as dialog per ref SDS 3 line
111112 -     329, but this article points out that often there is not enough
111113 -     time for "emphatic listening."
111114 -
111115 -
111116 - Author developed system on project to integrate all of PMBOK
111117 - management elements, ref OF 3 line 32.
111118 -
111119 -
111120 -     •  Ready access to information is challenge to communications
111121 -        system, ref OF 3 line 22.
111122 -
111123 -     •  US car manufacturers have been using PM for 15 years, ref OF 3 line
111136 -        58.
111137 -
111138 -            [See Air Force Institute of Technology paper on information
111139 -            entropy that causes cost growth, ref SDS 11 line 267.]
111140 -
111141 -     •  System called PIRS (ref OF 3 line 102):
111142 -
111143 -               Project Information Retrieval System
111144 -
111145 -        ...to (ref OF 3 line 116):
111146 -
111147 -           View correspondence, schedules, reports, open issues,
111148 -           meeting minutes, engineering change orders, cost tracking
111149 -           reports, and any other information deemed necessary...
111150 -
111151 -     •  PIRS uses computer disk subdirectory system to organize
111152 -        information; main catagory is "Customer", then project, then
111153 -        "catagory," per ref OF 3 line 133.
111154 -
111155 -     •  Each category contains files generated from a single source
111156 -        (WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, etc.).  Since the system was
111157 -        programmed to launch a specific software package for each
111158 -        category this reduced the cost of implementation, ref OF 3
111159 -        line 142.
111160 -
111161 -     •  The PIRS viewing module provides access to release versions of
111162 -        the files, not working versions. This necessitates transferring
111163 -        private files into a public system (PIRS) using E-mail, ref OF
111164 -        3 line 154.
111165 -
111166 -     •  Access to a specific document or file within PIRS is
111167 -        accomplished via a customized menu system. The information
111168 -        system provides a series of menus whose choices allow the user
111169 -        to first select a customer, then a project, and finally a
111170 -        subject category, ref OF 3 line 170.
111171 -
111172 -        Comment
111173 -
111174 -        I am a bit confused at this point.  At line 142 "Catatory" is
111175 -        defined as a program file, like Wordperfect.  At line 170,
111176 -        these are called "subjects," which are quite different.
111177 -
111178 -     •  System Administration staff receives data files from all
111179 -        sources, pre-release review of the files, moving the files into
111180 -        the viewing system, and adding new customers, projects and
111181 -        categories.
111182 -
111183 -     •  Challenge of PIRS is maintaining the menu system as customers,
111184 -        projects, and categories are added and deleted.
111185 -
111186 -
111187 - This system applies some POIMS concepts of information organization
111188 - through the subject index.  The recognition of the need to manage
111189 - project inforamtion cited in this article is reflected in the POIMS
111190 - concept of "Command & Control of the Record," ref OF 1 line 579.
111191 -
111192 -
111193 - Send author information on SDS.
111194 -
111195 -     [Followed up 940721, ref SDS 10 line 30, talked to Dennis at 616
111196 -     654 8000; he asked me to send information on POIMS to his home at:
111197 -
111198 -                   Dennis Bolles
111199 -                   120 Beth
111200 -                   Holland, MI  49424
111201 -
111202 -
111203 -
111204 -
1113 -
1114 -

SUBJECTS
Personnel, Training, Project Management, Trends, Changes,
Re-Engineer Project Management
Integration, Balancing, Visualization
Automated Integration applying SDS/POIMS
Promise of POIMS v. Power of POIMS
Poetry, Harmony, Creativity

1609 -
160901 -  ..
160902 - Automated Integration
160903 -
160904 - The authors recognize that automation creates opportunities to improve
160905 - traditional information management methods, ref OF 12 line 24, through
160906 - automated integration.
160907 -
160908 - It applies the ideas of "integration" and defines a promise of better
160909 - productivity at ref OF 12 line 30, similar to the "promise of POIMS,"
160910 - which was developed initially at ref SDS 1 line 41.
160911 -
160912 -      There is a "promise" graphic at ref OF 12 line 78.
160913 -
160914 -
160915 - This supports the idea of integrating information with project
160916 - objectives, which is the core SI concept.
160917 -
160918 -
160919 - Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
160920 -
160921 - This is explained at ref OF 12 line 59, to describe E-mail, but
160922 - essentially grasps the POIMS concept of investing intellectual
160923 - capital, as a process of automated integration of information.
160924 -
160925 -
160926 - WBS has been traditional tool to define and control scope, ref OF 12
160927 - line 164, supplemented by material control systems.
160928 -
160929 -
160930 - Informationalized Objects
160931 -
160932 - The article points at ref OF 12 line 208, to application of objected
160933 - oriented programming to provide a new medium for better integration
160934 - between design, cost budgeting and scheduling.  This seems to their
160935 - vision of improved "information management," rather than capturing the
160936 - analysis and understandings of people from meetings, discusisons and
160937 - calls.
160938 -
160939 - ProjectVisualizer
160940 -
160941 - This is an automated tool the authors recommend for viewing on a daily
160942 - basis the actions taken, and comparison to plan, for virtually all
160943 - activities associated with the project, ref OF 12 line 297.
160944 -
160945 -     This indicates they are still trying to build the job without
160946 -     controlling the details of the activities taken to accomplish the
160947 -     work.
160948 -
160949 -
160950 - PM Workstation
160951 -
160952 - This is a strong point of the article, in defining an automated
160953 - command center concept of project managers, using a computer to
160954 - access and generate all needed information, ref OF 12 line 315.
160955 -
160956 -     I should write the authors and point out the advantages of using
160957 -     workstations even without the tools they describe, or to say they
160958 -     are available in Windows and OS2 provide there is a glue that
160959 -     binds them together.
160960 -
160961 -     Mention the organizing concept in the article above on using the
160962 -     computer directory.
160963 -
160964 -
160965 - Saving Money
160966 -
160967 - Author claims their firm realized savings of 30% over previous
160968 - projects using improved information technologies, including 3D CADD
160969 -
160970 -     This argues that a "critical mass" of capability has to be
160971 -     integrated in order to improve productivity.
160972 -
160973 -
160974 -
160975 -
1610 -
1611 -

SUBJECTS
Personnel, Training, Re-Engineer Project Management
Integration, Balancing, Visualization
TQM Change & Buy In
Leadership & Change, 930119
Conflict with Existing Computer Methods
Credibility
Teamwork, Cultural Diversity

2110 -
211001 - Article at ref OF 23 line 12, uses a simple lawn mowing project to
211002 - show how changing work practices can improve productivity.
211003 -
211004 - This indicates the "reengineering" concept is a derivitive of the TQM
211005 - movement, ref OF 23 line 16.
211006 -
211007 - Reengineering is defined at ref OF 23 line 23, as:
211008 -
211009 -      ...making an objective evaluation of an existing process or
211010 -      system with the goal of changing it to make it more stream-
211011 -      lined, efficient, and productive.
211012 -
211013 -
211014 - The article is really about the challenge to experienced managers to
211015 - try new methods in order to improve productivity.  Experience puts
211016 - blinders on us, and fear of the unknown hinders trying new methods.
211017 -
211018 -
211019 -
211020 - Teams Without Walls:  Third Millennium Groups
211021 -
211022 - This is another article, ref OF 30 line 10, by Jaclyn Kostner,
211023 - supplementing two others she has done, the last was entered at ref SDS
211024 - 5 line 270.
211025 -
211026 -     [Submitted follow up letter to Jaclyn at ref SDS 9 line 198.]
211027 -
211028 -     [See related paper on "virtual" corp at ref SDS 12 line 128.]
211029 -
211030 - The author discusses problems of distributed teams, where most work is
211031 - done via phone and computer, rather than having all team members at
211032 - the same site, which she calls "second millenium groups," ref OF 30
211033 - line 53.
211034 -
211035 - So this is another article on how to communicate effectively without
211036 - really doing so, using voice mail and E-mail.
211037 -
211038 -
211039 - TQM Elements
211040 -
211041 - Author shows key tenants of TQM marketing at ref OF 30 line 149.
211042 -
211043 -
211044 - Distributed teams can "flourish if ...leaders and teams communicate
211045 - effectively across distance." ref OF 30 line 175.
211046 -
211047 -     How is this accomplished?
211048 -
211049 -     Author says:
211050 -
211051 -     ... creating a feeling of rapport and unity across
211052 -     distance--especially through technologies.
211053 -
211054 -     ...recommends video conferencing at ref OF 30 line 187.
211055 -
211056 -
211057 -
211058 -
2111 -

SUBJECTS
Personnel, Training, Management Skills
Project Management, Fundamentals & Overview
Correlation to accepted practice and
Project Management, Methods, Procedures
PMBOK

2508 - General
2509 -
250901 - The article at ref OF 36 line 20, sets out 8 fundamental principals
250902 - which the author feels are not addressed in the PMBOK.
250903 -
250904 -     The 8 principals deal with launching a project, but do not tell
250905 -     anyone what to do to carry out the plan.
250906 -
250907 -     Does not address "feel good" management, nor how to "convert
250908 -     information into knowledge," a theme developed at ref SDS 4 line
250909 -     219.
250910 -
250911 - PMI editor requests comments on article at ref OF 36 line 135.
250912 -
250913 -    Completed the response at ref SDS 8 line 42.
250914 -
250915 -
250916 -
2510 -