CONTACTS 
0201 - ICF Kaiser Engineers               415 965 8486 fax 962 9056
020101 - Mr. Sherrill McDonald; Project Manager
020102 - Mr. William J. O'Hair, P.E.; Contract Coordinator
020103 - Mr. Kelvin Yu; Project Controls Manager

SUBJECTS
SDS Marketing, Sales, Contacts with Customers
Demonstrations

0404 -    ..
0405 - Summary/Objective
0406 -
040601 - Followed up discussion at ref SDS 10 line 43, and at ref SDS 11 line
040602 - 44. Sherrill appreciated the objectives of SDS explained in the paper
040603 - on POIMS submitted at ref SDS 9 line 93 via ref DIP 1 line 30; he
040604 - recognized how SDS implements it.  He feels SDS might be useful on a
040605 - mining project Kaiser is starting in Nevada.
040606 -
040607 - Follow Up
040608 -
040609 - Sherrill will call Wayne Wetzel about the level of effort needed to
040610 - learn SDS.  He will discuss SDS with a colleague involved with the
040611 - Nevada project for further consideration.
040612 -
040613 - Submitted ref DIT 1 line 20 confirming these understandings.
040614 -
040615 -    [This was followed up at ref SDS 12 line 65, and again at ref SDS
040616 -    13 line 55.]
040617 -
040618 -
0407 -
0408 -
0409 - Discussion
0410 -   ..
041001 - Sherrill and Bill recently took the PMP examination.  They feel
041002 - it does not reflect the training materials and classes offered by PMI
041003 - to prepare for the exam (mainly true and false questions). It is based
041004 - on the PMBOK, but requires knowledge of sources referenced in the
041005 - PMBOK.
041006 -
041007 -    Bill said the PMBOK at this time is more subjective than tests for
041008 -    engineering and contracting.  He thinks there should be more
041009 -    objective questions on CPM, calculating and distinguishing types of
041010 -    float.  Those who pass an engineering exam can pretty much hire out
041011 -    to perform the work covered by the exam, like designing a beam or a
041012 -    foundation.
041013 -
041014 -    My feeling is that management is an "art" of balancing competing
041015 -    subsidiary objectives with limited resources including talents and
041016 -    egos.  I am concerned that many who get a PMP certificate are quite
041017 -    likely not qualified to manage a project, while someone who cannot
041018 -    calculate "float," make a WBS, or write a scope management, etc.,
041019 -    can still perform project management because they know how to
041020 -    "read" contracts and people. I am a strong advocate of CPM.  We
041021 -    need a "map" to see how to get from here to there, the various
041022 -    routes and resources needed along the way.
041023 -
041024 -    But we also need experience to recognize when relationships and
041025 -    float are real, when they are volatile; and we need skill to work
041026 -    the language of the contract, the CPM, the budget and anything else
041027 -    that is necessary to insure that we spend less than is received.
041028 -    So where an engineer can say "Look, I passed the test on how to
041029 -    design a beam, so let me design one for you;" the PMP does not
041030 -    impart the same level of competence in managing projects.
041031 -
041032 -
041033 -
041034 -
041035 - Status of Moffett Field Project
041036 -
041037 - Kaiser's job at Moffett is closing in a month.  It was successful,
041038 - finishing within budget and on schedule.  Kaiser provided CM services
041039 - for NASA's PM team.
041040 -
041041 - Bill's next assignment is on a mine in Ely NV.  His experience and
041042 - perspective indicates he would make a good SDS person on the job.
041043 -
041044 -
041045 -
041046 -
0411 -

SUBJECTS
Correlation to accepted practice and
Executive Challenge, Self Dialog
Thinking Through Writing
Executive Work Practices

0807 -   ..
080701 - Sherrill keeps a daily list of major tasks, and writes a diary
080702 - once a week of what gets done.  I showed how SDS automates his
080703 - practice using "Controlled Visibility" to step deeper into details of
080704 - schedule tasks, and records of performed work, called the Diary.
080705 -
080706 -
0808 -

SUBJECTS
SDS Marketing, Sales, Contacts with Customers
Linking & Citations
Capturing the Record

1006 - Summary/Objective
1007 -
100701 - We discussed briefly the concept of "automated religion" in the paper
100702 - on the "New World Order...," ref OF 2 line 10, which I delivered to
100703 - Sherrill today.  I used the record of the meeting today to step back
100704 - to the events leading to our meeting, including the Asilomar confer-
100705 - ence.
100706 -
100707 -    We considered the TQM ideas presented and the ramifications of
100708 -    Murphy's Law, per ref SDS 6 line 84.  [Murphy is discussed further
100709 -    in the papers on POIMS and "The New World Order,,," ref OF 1 line
100710 -    14 and ref OF 2 line 64.
100711 -
100712 -
100713 -
100714 - Sherrill asked how citations are embedded into narrative?
100715 -
100716 -    I showed how to click to open a particular record, then click again
100717 -    to cite a particular line in that record.  Whether it occurred
100718 -    yesterday or two years, ago, links are instantly created, including
100719 -    necessary punctuation.
100720 -
100721 -
1008 -

SUBJECTS
SDS Marketing, Sales, Contacts with Customers
Subject Index

1205 - Summary/Objective
1206 -
120601 - Kelvin asked how information is identified?
120602 -
120603 -    I demonstrated the primary organization structure of a straight
120604 -    chronology, called the "diary," that mirrors the practice of
120605 -    keeping a Schedule, except it goes backward in time.
120606 -
120607 -    We looked at the Control Field that identifies a record by code and
120608 -    conventional language according to organizational objectives.  For
120609 -    most public works projects the best way to define "objectives" is
120610 -    to use the specifications, since they represent the scope of con-
120611 -    tract obligation and have a natural structure.
120612 -
120613 -
120614 - Kelvin asked if the User has to remember all the codes and enter them
120615 - for each new task?
120616 -
120617 -    The codes are looked up in the Subject Index to prompt the User to
120618 -    consider alternative objectives at each level of detail. The User
120619 -    then presses <Enter> or clicks the mouse, to assign a subject.
120620 -
120621 -    Generally this process is only necessary the first time a new
120622 -    sequence of events is started.  Since performed tasks are used to
120623 -    schedule follow up, there is a link between past and present
120624 -    activity. This process copies the subjects, prior related events,
120625 -    contacts, and documents, to the new task, so it is not necessary to
120626 -    re-enter subjects each time a follow up task is created.
120627 -
120628 -         Since every event has peculiar nuances, SDS enables the user
120629 -         to assign multiple subjects to an event, so it can be found
120630 -         and/or assembled in alternate ways.  A piece of information
120631 -         about a submittal approval, can in another context pertain to
120632 -         schedule status, and in another context be relevant evidence
120633 -         in a claim.  Managers have the experience to recognize this
120634 -         complexity.  SDS provides the tools to apply a managers
120635 -         experience, by assigning multiple subjects in seconds.
120636 -
120637 -
1207 -

SUBJECTS
Documents

1404 - Summary/Objective
1405 -
140501 - Bill asked how documents are identified to the system?
140502 -
140503 -     Prepared a test letter to show how the data entry for the
140504 -     document log is necessary in order to write a letter.  This takes
140505 -     5 seconds, and is essential in order to maintain a viable
140506 -     document log.
140507 -
140508 -     We then ran a report on documents issued for which responses are
140509 -     due.  The letter just created was already in the doc log.  The log
140510 -     shows document chronology for each project.  Reports can be
140511 -     assembled by subject and contact within a project.  The letter
140512 -     itself can be opened by clicking on the entry in the log, and the
140513 -     SDS record where the document was created can also be opened by
140514 -     clicking in the log.  This gives access to all of the related
140515 -     context, analysis and links to other sources under which the
140516 -     document was issued.
140517 -
140518 -
1406 -

SUBJECTS
Learning
Management Professionals
Design Professionals
Contractors
Learning period/difficulty

1908 -
190801 -  ..
190802 - Sherrill asked how long it takes to learn SDS?
190803 -
190804 -
190805 -     I explained that SDS requires on-site training and support gen-
190806 -     erally for a few months to transition users.  The most economical
190807 -     way to acquire this training is to use Welch for special manage-
190808 -     ment support (e.g. project start-up services like CPM, contract
190809 -     development, communications management; or things like claims and
190810 -     change order support, fixing a "sick" project.)
190811 -
190812 -     SDS has to be learned during the normal work day, so you can bump
190813 -     into the various situations that require all of the SDS tools.
190814 -     Managers are hired to turn out work.  Welch supports the manager
190815 -     so the regular work gets done, but through SDS.  Initially, the
190816 -     manager starts by using only the results of the data base begun by
190817 -     Welch.  Welch sets up the SDS Contacts data base and the Subject
190818 -     Index in consultation with project staff.  Welch shows how SDS is
190819 -     used to control the record and project agenda; prepares and
190820 -     analyses correspondence to tie everything together.  Gradually the
190821 -     manager begins creating the data base. Over time, the SDS data
190822 -     base becomes "sugar," as the power of knowledge is experienced in
190823 -     a new and more dynamic way.
190824 -
190825 -     I asked Sherrill to call Wayne Wetzel (Deputy Director of DNRC in
190826 -     State of Montana) who went through this process.  Wayne can
190827 -     explain the results an executive can expect to attain. I will
190828 -     submit some of the dialog with Wayne on this matter, as follows:
190829 -
190830 -     •  Report (from Mike Sims, plant manager for Broadwater Dam), on
190831 -        learning SDS, ref SDS 2 line 22.
190832 -
190833 -     •  Record of discussions with Wayne Wetzel that combine SDS
190834 -        training and compensable project support, ref SDS 3 line 44.
190835 -
190836 -     •  Sample of Welch expertise in fixing "sick" projects, ref SDS 1
190837 -        line 58.
190838 -
190839 -
190840 -
1909 -