THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: April 7, 1995 11:57 AM Friday; Rod Welch

Pic -up car at S&C Ford for maintenance prior to trip to Arizona.

1...Summary/Objective
.......29320 329 ROTATE TIRE INSPECT BRAKES FRONT 9/32 REAR 8/32
.....Comment
2...Not Enough Time to Prepare Good Records
3...Too Busy Fixing Mistakes Caused by Poor Records
4...Poor Records Cause "Alice in Wonderland" Comedy of Errors Management
5...Examples from work with S&C...


..............
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CONTACTS 
0201 - S & C Ford                         415 553 4400 fax or 800...
020101 - Mr. Carl Redling; Service Advisor; Service Department     =Telephone/fax

SUBJECTS
Millie's Mercury Sable, 940423
Mercury Sable, 1993
950404 service

0405 -    ..
0406 - Summary/Objective
0407 -
040701 - Follow up ref SDS 6 0000.
040702 -
040703 - Received S&C's invoice, ref DRT 1, in the amount of $207.14. Reviewed
040704 - with Carl.
040705 -
040706 - Submitted comments requesting assistance understanding the invoice.
040707 - ref DIT 1 linked to this record. Included reminder about need for
040708 - information on the R12 air conditioning matter. ref DIT 1 4730, in the
040709 - record on 950404. ref SDS 4 5670
040710 -
040711 -     [On 951023 followed up asking for response, citing problems that
040712 -     occurred due to inadequate service. ref SDS 14 7565]
040713 -
040714 -
0408 -
0409 -
0410 - ëCM4J Progress
0411 -
041101 - What is status of work order 238805.  Julie said it is ready.  I
041102 - called but could not get a cab at noon.  So, picked up the car oa
041103 - 1700.
041104 -
041105 -
041106 -
0412 -
0413 -
0414 - 1640 picked up car
0415 -
041501 - Talked to Carl and received explanation of invoice, ref DRT 1, which
041502 - is a copy of the work order with same ID, but this version of the
041503 - document has the results of the work and actual costs incurred.
041504 - ..
041505 - In paying for the invoice, S&C requested we fill out an
041506 - evaluation form on S&C's work.
041507 - ..
041508 - I asked about reports from inspections, for example on tires and
041509 - brakes shown at ref DRT 1 6666.
041510 -
041511 - Is there a report of observations by mechanics, and an explanation of
041512 - implications for impact on performance, safety, wearability, based on
041513 - S&C's experience?
041514 -
041515 - Carl said S&C's invoice shows inspection results. He pointed out line
041516 - 29320, ref DRT 1 6666,
041517 -
041518 -       29320  329 ROTATE TIRE INSPECT BRAKES FRONT 9/32 REAR 8/32
041519 -
041520 -
041521 -     ...as constituting S&C's report on this matter.
041522 - ..
041523 - I asked how to interpret the valuations shown.
041524 -
041525 - Carl said S&C recommends corrective action when the values reach 2/32,
041526 - and that the base value is 12/32, so there has been approximately 15%
041527 - wear so far.
041528 -
041529 -         [On 950928 seems to conflict with interpretation by Service
041530 -         Manager, per ref SDS 10 5672]
041531 -
041532 -         [On 951006 brake inspection today may have been inaccurate.
041533 -         ref SDS 11 8766]
041534 -
041535 -     Comment
041536 -
041537 -     What is not clear is whether the report reflects tire wear or
041538 -     brake wear, and if not both what was determined from inspecting
041539 -     the other, as implied by the task description?
041540 -     ..
041541 -     What testing/inspection was performed on the brakes?
041542 -
041543 -     Were all tires found to have worn uniformly, i.e., was each tire
041544 -     inspected?
041545 -
041546 -     Was tire alignment found to be satisfactory?  What test results
041547 -     show this?
041548 -
041549 - ..
041550 - What work was performed under:
041551 -
041552 -               C  REPL PLUGS MINOR TUNE, S&C MENU
041553 -
041554 -     It is not clear from the record what steps were taken to
041555 -     accomplish "minor tune."  Is there an "S&C Menu" that lists the
041556 -     scope and objectives relative to a regular tune up?
041557 -
041558 -     What was found in replacing the spark plugs?  Was there any
041559 -     defective equipment discovered, or excessive wear relative to
041560 -     mileage from last repalcement; did the mechanic find the plugs
041561 -     were being replaced unnecessarily, as a result of
041562 -     inspection/testing?
041563 -
041564 -     What check was done on "timing."  What was the timing and what
041565 -     should it be?
041566 -
041567 - ..
041568 - The invoice summary shows no charge for
041569 -
041570 -                   Gas, oil, lube
041571 -
041572 -     ...yet items "A" and "H" appear to involve these materials.  What
041573 -     are the circumstances under which these charges are itemized, as
041574 -     intended by the document format?
041575 -
041576 -
041577 -
0416 -

SUBJECTS
Investigate, Research, Discover Conflicts, Errors
Shared Meaning, Analyst/Detective/Investigator
Convert Information into Knowledge
Internal management, Dig Out of the System, Proactive Analysis
Remembering (Linked Records - Traceability,
Comedy of Errors, Communication Manager Fixes
Time, Not Enough, So Need Communication Metrics
Proactive Management uses Communication
Dig Out of the System, Proactive Analysis
Knowledge Worker Communication Manager

2313 -
231301 -  ..
231302 - Not Enough Time to Prepare Good Records
231303 - Too Busy Fixing Mistakes Caused by Poor Records
231304 - Poor Records Cause "Alice in Wonderland" Comedy of Errors Management
231305 -
231306 - The record reflected above, ref SDS 0 5555, indicates that S&C Ford
231307 - cannot understanding what is intended and what work is needed based on
231308 - its writings, any better than customers who are not mechanics,
231309 - engineers or service representatives.
231310 -
231311 - The letter sent today, ref DIT 1, requests help.
231312 -
231313 - This record reflects Henry Kissinger's complaint reviewed on 940609
231314 - that management is an "Alice in Wonderland" effort. ref SDS 1 4238
231315 -
231316 -  ..
231317 - Daily work practice rushing to expedite, is a comedy of continuous
231318 - errors [e.g., later on 951020, ref SDS 13 8845], similar to doctors,
231319 - engineers, lawyers, and executives in all fields, who expect that,
231320 - because they seem to "understand" at the time they perform work, i.e.,
231321 - turn a wrench, attend a meeting, sew up a wound, call a client,
231322 - prepare a report (at time t1), that they and others can then use that
231323 - understanding later (at time t2).  Of course the mind will in fact use
231324 - something, but under Landauer's meaning drift, everyone will be using
231325 - something different.
231326 -
231327 -      [On 950327 defined Communication Metrics. ref SDS 3 4822]
231328 -
231329 -      [On 950620 analysed management practice. ref SDS 8 9007]
231330 -
231331 -      [On 980307 Andy Grove chairman of Intel corporation says managers
231332 -      loathe change that improves their work. ref SDS 19 1660]
231333 -
231334 -      [On 980405 managers fear accountability. ref SDS 20 5065]
231335 -
231336 -      [On 981027 overcoming resistance to help managers save money is a
231337 -      miracle. ref SDS 21 7315]
231338 - ..
231339 - The more we rush, the more cursory our understanding becomes and
231340 - the more we need thereafter to rush to fix the mistakes of the past,
231341 - leading to the implosion of management discussed in the NWO paper.
231342 -
231343 - Experience seems to show that people who are familiar with the
231344 - language and conditions of a specialized field due to expertise from
231345 - training and experience, believe they can be a Communication Manager.
231346 -
231347 - This overlooks that they are unable to recognize what aspects of
231348 - understandings they are assuming by reason of expertise and
231349 - familiarity, which, at a later time (t2), will be needed in order to
231350 - give meaning to what is entered in the record.  Such assumptions are
231351 - made by reason of expertise.  It is the constant process of aligning
231352 - communications that shows the missing assumptions.
231353 -
231354 -  ..
231355 - ..
231356 - Examples from work with S&C...
231357 - 
231358 -      Testing headlights on 941104. ref SDS 2 0870
231359 -
231360 -      Interpreting service invoice on 950615. ref SDS 7 9876 and on
231361 -      950928. ref SDS 10 5672
231362 -
231363 -      Serpintine belt replacement on 950615. ref SDS 7 4567
231364 -
231365 -      Powersteering flush on 950615. ref SDS 7 9009
231366 -
231367 -      Wheel alignment recommendation on 950928. ref SDS 10 9453
231368 -
231369 -      Tire or brake lining wear, above, ref SDS 0 5555, and on 950928.
231370 -      ref SDS 10 5672
231371 -      ..
231372 -      Spark plugs, above. ref SDS 0 9867
231373 -
231374 -      Conflicting, incomplete reports on 950928. ref SDS 10 0896, and
231375 -      ref SDS 10 4567
231376 -
231377 -      Warranty issues reviewed on 951009, ref SDS 12 5222, and on
231378 -      960724. ref SDS 17 0085
231379 -
231380 -      Interpretting record incorrectly by Charles Mori on 951031
231381 -      resulting in rework on solving problems. ref SDS 15 8530
231382 -
231383 - This record shows how "data base" reports result in inadequte
231384 - management information, and so someone has to be proactive in digging
231385 - out of the system the correlations and implications of daily
231386 - understandings.
231387 - ..
231388 - This record seems to show the value of Concurrent Discovery to
231389 - use Communication Metrics, developed later on 960620 ref SDS 16 1101.
231390 - By aligning the record with prior understandings, conflicts emerge
231391 - that can be corrected before they cause problems and extra cost.
231392 -
231393 - This is an example of why Communication Metrics works for internal
231394 - management, as well as for external settings, as in managing
231395 - contracts.
231396 -
231397 -
231398 -
231399 -
2314 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"