CONTACTS 
0201 - Wideman, R. Max                    604 736 7025
020101 - Mr. R. Max Wideman

SUBJECTS
Ambassadors for Change, PMI, Wideman, Max
SDS Design Unique, Automated Management
Research for competing products
IMS Integrated Management System
Calculate Risk Management Exposure
Enterprise Workflow

1308 -    ..
1309 - Summary/Objective
1310 -
131001 - Follow up ref SDS 14 0000, ref SDS 13 0000.
131002 -
131003 - Received information from Max about IMS which is a program that seems
131004 - similar to Expedition and RMS, in providing support for automated
131005 - enterprise workflow.  The information from Max reflects efforts across
131006 - industry sectors and presented in professional journals on criteria
131007 - and performance objectives for better project management. There is no
131008 - record of successful implementation, except the U.S. Army Corps of
131009 - Engineers' report on Communication Metrics found technology can
131010 - support effective business intelligence.
131011 -
131012 -     [On 980827 received response from Max. ref SDS 16 0000]
131013 -
131014 -     [On 971021 article in PM Network on using Internet for
131015 -     construction management. ref SDS 17 0000]
131016 -
131017 -     [On 980630 article in PMJ on using Interneet Web site for project
131018 -     office support. ref SDS 20 0633]
131019 -
131020 -     [On 990221 Max submits an online glossary for project management
131021 -     that supports goal of using automation. ref SDS 22 0000]
131022 -
131023 -
1311 -
1312 -
1313 - Progress
1314 -   ..
131401 - Max passes along letters he has sent and received about software
131402 - to integrate project information.  Descriptions in the documents
131403 - indicate potential to support Communication Metrics, as follows:
131404 -
131405 -    •  The subject of Max's initial letter...
131406 -
131407 -       Management of project related information,
131408 -       ref DRT 1 8845
131409 -
131410 -          What does "managing" information mean?
131411 -
131412 -          After "management" is performed, what is the result?
131413 -
131414 -          How does information look that has been "managed" that is
131415 -          different from information that has not been managed?
131416 -
131417 -    •  A respondent, David Curling, cites an article by Harvey Levine
131418 -       in a recent PMnetwork on "repositories." ref DRT 1 8488.
131419 -
131420 -       The May 1997 PM Network has an article by Levine:
131421 -
131422 -
131423 -                 "The Project Office - Revisited"
131424 -
131425 -
131426 -       Levine suggests setting up a department for Project Management
131427 -       in the organization.  Levine says the Project Office can provide
131428 -       a...
131429 -
131430 -                   "repository of experience"
131431 -
131432 -
131433 -       ...but he offers no method or process by which the Project
131434 -       Office can accomplish this benefit, ref SDS 11 4700.
131435 -
131436 -       In fact, an effective "repository of experience" requires a very
131437 -       complex design and support effort that no one has accomplished,
131438 -       outside of using Communication Metrics. ref SDS 9 5368  Levine
131439 -       cites not examples where this has been done.
131440 -
131441 -       Enterprise Workflow
131442 -
131443 -    •  <3391 Max says a lot of data/information will be
131444 -       gathered/produced... word documents, specifications, spatial,
131445 -       designs, images, scanned information, etc. that will in many
131446 -       cases be required to be updated.  As well as the normal project
131447 -       related requirements, schedule, resources, costs, etc..........
131448 -       ref DRT 1 9504
131449 -
131450 -       The DEC white paper reviewed on 940522 on...
131451 -
131452 -                       Enterprise Workflow
131453 -
131454 -       ...covered this objective. ref SDS 3 0453
131455 -
131456 -           [See article in PMJ received on 971020 that describes
131457 -           intranets using the Web for automated construction
131458 -           management, ref SDS 18 2222.]
131459 -
131460 -           [Notified Max of the PMJ article on 971024, ref SDS 19
131461 -           0105.]
131462 -
131463 -           [On 990218 reviewed GEM which seems to be an Enterprise
131464 -           Workflow system. ref SDS 21 8034]
131465 -
131466 -       On 960627 Dave Vannier says Intel is trying to advance from
131467 -       "data" to "information," ref SDS 7 5002.
131468 -
131469 -       Communication Metrics, as reported on 960627, converts
131470 -       information into knowledge, wisdom and vision, ref SDS 7 4833.
131471 -       The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports this produces business
131472 -       intelligence that improves management. ref DRP 1 6172
131473 -
131474 -       DEC issued a White Paper on Enterprise Workflow that describes
131475 -       efforts to automate and integrate data/information, as Max seems
131476 -       to have in mind. ref SDS 4 0453
131477 -
131478 -       Dave Vannier reported Intel is trying to use the Web and/or
131479 -       intranets to manage information more effectively. ref SDS 10 3333
131480 -       There is no apparent reason why this will work.
131481 -
131482 -       On 970828 Keith Kwasney reports a project at Intel to improve
131483 -       support for project information, ref SDS 12 7773.  Max was
131484 -       notified of this effort in my letter on 970802, ref DIP 1 0000.
131485 -
131486 -       Gio Wiederhold at Stanford is developing a system of "Mediators"
131487 -       ref SDS 5 0000, intended to provide Enterprise Workflow support,
131488 -       described in the DEC paper.  There is no implementation of this
131489 -       technology.
131490 -
131491 -  ..
131492 -
131493 -    •  Integrated Management System (IMS) is a program from a in
131494 -       Australia. ref DRT 1 9488, ref DRT 1 8478
131495 -
131496 -       Chris Maryssael with OSS Enterprises Pty Ltd., says IMS may
131497 -       accomplish Max's objective or can be customized. ref DRT 1 0773
131498 -
131499 -       IMS costs AUD1500. Customising is at an hourly rate of AUD135
131500 -       for analysis and AUD85  for coding,
131501 -
131502 -       Developed in Filemaker Pro 3 (for Apple, Windows 95 or Windows
131503 -       NT).  Features include: ref DRT 1 6883...
131504 -
131505 -          •  document/notes management system for research,
131506 -          •  library/records management system (under development),
131507 -          •  ancillary modules to manage special processes.
131508 -          •  contact management (clients and suppliers),
131509 -          •  staff registration,
131510 -          •  project tracking (project, stage, task, component),
131511 -          •  budgeting, tendering, reporting for contract and control,
131512 -          •  timesheet entry and occupation reporting,
131513 -          •  invoicing,
131514 -          •  account modules including project allocation
131515 -          •  integration of disbursements in project costing,
131516 -          •  project costing
131517 -          •  other financial and productivity reports.
131518 -
131519 -       This scope appears to reflect capability in Primavera's
131520 -       Expedition program, and the Resident Management Program being
131521 -       implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
131522 -
131523 -       Expedition is reviewed on 890930, ref SDS 1 9442, and on 960627.
131524 -       ref SDS 6 5952
131525 -
131526 -       RMS is reviewed on 961224. ref SDS 8 4005
131527 -
131528 -
131529 -       Preliminary Analysis
131530 -
131531 -       IMS scope, like that for Expedition and RMS, et al., does not
131532 -       integrate time and information to produce knowledge, nor provide
131533 -       organization and analysis for effective business intelligence.
131534 -       Communication Metrics needs SDS to supplement IMS.
131535 -
131536 -       Training and consistent implementation of IMS will be a major
131537 -       challenge, as it is for Expedition and other enterprise wide,
131538 -       cross-functional management "systems."  Who inputs the "data",
131539 -       how is it collected, how is the "data" converted into useful
131540 -       knowledge and ideas needed for decision support?
131541 -
131542 -       How easy will it be to evolve the "system" as new technology
131543 -       arises that overtakes various aspects of the IMS technology?
131544 -
131545 -       What level of support will be available from Australia?  Is
131546 -       there a US based staff?
131547 -
131548 -
131549 -       Cost/Benefit Calculation for IMS
131550 -
131551 -       Morris Jones at Chips & Technologies, and Steve Rule at Turner
131552 -       Construction have asked about cost/benefit of Communication
131553 -       Metrics.  This has led to a search for ways to evaluate costs
131554 -       and benefits of project management methods and tools, generally
131555 -       described as "overhead," in order help decision makers try new
131556 -       methods like the automated tools Max has in mind, including IMS.
131557 -
131558 -       It will be interesting to see how consideration of cost and
131559 -       benefits is made in Max's research.  How will risk management be
131560 -       applied in selecting, implementing and operating an enterprise
131561 -       workflow system?  To what extent will personal work practices
131562 -       have to change, and if those changes are not made, what will be
131563 -       the effect on the value of the automated system?  (For example
131564 -       see "Saving IT's Soul" HBR Mar - Apr 1994, p. 119, explaining
131565 -       the need for human centered and empathic design considerations
131566 -       for enterprise wide automated systems), ref SDS 2 line 205.
131567 -
131568 -
131569 - Tom Keesling said yesterday that the San Francisco District Corps of
131570 - Engineers is commissioning a study of RMS, Paragon, and Communication
131571 - Metrics, ref SDS 15 0000.
131572 -
131573 -
131574 -
131575 -
1316 -