CONTACTS 
0201 - PMI Communications                 704 227 7401 fax 704 227 7414
020101 - Mr. Francis M. Webster, Ph.D.; Editor-in-Chief

SUBJECTS
Personnel, Training
Project Planning & Oversight
Management of Computer data ideas
Project Management, Fundamentals & Overview

0506 -    ..
0507 - Summary/Objective
0508 -
050801 - Completed scanning ref OF 1, which provides a pretty good check list
050802 - for doing complex CPM networks.  The article is particularly strong in
050803 - recommending resource analysis, rather than simply relying on physical
050804 - structure for activity constraints.  I discussed this point with Oz
050805 - West the other day at the hearing on WDG v. NL.  Oz said that while
050806 - his clients rarely are willing to pay for resource analysis, he feels
050807 - it is a valuable planning tool.
050808 -
050809 - It took about 2 hours to complete scanning and formatting the
050810 - material, to create ref OF 1.
050811 -
050812 -
0509 -

SUBJECTS
Business Systems
Management of Computer data ideas
Information Organization & Maintenance
Subject Index, 910906
Automated Integration Applying SDS/POIMS Features
Publishing Articles

1009 - Summary/Objective
1010 -
101001 - Called Fran to see if we can get these articles in the June 1993 PMJ,
101002 - on a disk.  The two hours today and several hours yesterday, ref SDS 4
101003 - line 040503, is a significant investment of time, even for important
101004 - information.
101005 -
101006 - Fran asked why I want them on a disk?
101007 -
101008 - I explained that I like to save helpful information for review later
101009 - when a specific need arises.  Typically, different aspects of pub-
101010 - lished articles are needed at different times.  Storing information on
101011 - my computer hard disk, under appropriate alternate subject headings,
101012 - is the most efficient way to store and retrieve it.
101013 -
101014 -     I can then either bump into it while doing related work, or
101015 -     quickly retrieve it when I need to investigate particular
101016 -     subjects.  Having the information on the computer hard disk makes
101017 -     it very easy to extract parts of articles with cut and paste, to
101018 -     quote in other writings, and to do a careful analysis of concepts
101019 -     and ideas, as necessary.
101020 -
101021 -     Information created, received as EM, scanned, or downloaded via
101022 -     modem, is stored on the computer hard disk in a single file per
101023 -     item (e.g. an article, memo, message, etc.) but is tagged with a
101024 -     variety of subjects, as shown on lines 0801 - 0804 above, which
101025 -     can then be used to assemble reports, articles and analyses on
101026 -     particular subjects, similar to opening a manual file folder.
101027 -     Information can also be located by person, organization, document
101028 -     ID, etc.  Keyword searches are a last resort to locate
101029 -     information.
101030 -
101031 -
101032 - Fran asked me to submit a written request, confirming our discussion
101033 - today for consideration.  I offered to pay for the disk.  An alterna-
101034 - tive would be to simply download from PMI's computer via modem.
101035 -
101036 -
101037 - I explained the article on PMBOK (page 4) is closely related to my
101038 - work in developing subject indexing concepts and methods for POIMS
101039 - technology.  The article on CPM (page 9) presents a good check list
101040 - for doing this work, including WBS.  It also could be quoted to
101041 - support recommendations to clients, and for seminar presentations.
101042 -
101043 - Since I have scanned in these two articles (pages 4 - 16), I only
101044 - need following:
101045 -
101046 -     PMI Articles from Jun 93, PMJ
101047 -
101048 -     Decision Making For Project Managers:
101049 -     When to Involve Others; page 17
101050 -     Michael Lee Smith.
101051 -
101052 -     The Matrix Structure:
101053 -     Bane or Benefit to High Tech Organizations?; page 23
101054 -     James K. McCollum and J. Daniel Sherman
101055 -
101056 -     Technology Transfer Utilizing
101057 -     Vendor Partnering and a Self-Managed
101058 -     Project Team:  Lessons Learned; page 27
101059 -     Michael Bommer and David S. Jalajas
101060 -
101061 -
101062 -
101063 -
1011 -

SUBJECTS
SDS Writing for Publication
Project Management Journal, 910611

1205 - Summary/Objective
1206 -
120601 - While I had Fran on the line, I asked about the disposition of the
120602 - POIMS manuscript, ref OF 3, submitted to PMJ for publication in 1991.
120603 - I last called about it at ref SDS 2 line 46.
120604 -
120605 - Fran said he felt it was too long and could he not convince himself it
120606 - was not an advertisement.
120607 -
120608 -    I explained my understanding that PMI would edit it to the length
120609 -    that seemed appropriate.  Some of the example screens could be
120610 -    removed to reduce the length.  These were requested by Jeff Pinto
120611 -    at ref SDS 1 line 56, so it seems curious that complying with PMI's
120612 -    request would conflict with PMI's standards for publication.
120613 -
120614 -    I indicated my article advertises a new technology that helps
120615 -    people.  Project Managers in particular are required to create and
120616 -    apply structured knowledge.  POIMS is a tool to improve that
120617 -    process.  The article sets out some new ideas in hopes of stirring
120618 -    analysis and dialog in the manner that regularly appear in PMI
120619 -    journals on using CPM, and other technologies, in order to test,
120620 -    refine and mature POIMS technology.  A simple example is the
120621 -    development of the PMBOK.  This is a very difficult task, because
120622 -    of the organic and amorphous nature of knowledge. POIMS describes
120623 -    an automated solution that emulates human capacity to divide and
120624 -    yet associate at the same time. Another POIMS innovation is
120625 -    integration of information with time management. Many people feel
120626 -    this cannot be done, or are not aware of the significant increase
120627 -    that results in the ability to think, remember and communicate. I
120628 -    explain this in the article. Another example is the tradition of
120629 -    writing documents then filing them, endemic to a manual world.
120630 -    POIMS argues that automation makes it possible to do the "filing"
120631 -    before writing, and that doing so greatly improves managing
120632 -    information.  As well, many seasoned executives regularly destroy
120633 -    the information they generate, under advise of counsel, in the
120634 -    mistaken belief this will prevent "discovery" of adverse evidence.
120635 -    POIMS argues destruction of intellectual capital inhibits the
120636 -    opportunity to discover new ideas, problems and solutions in order
120637 -    avoid harm that might otherwise be actionable.
120638 -
120639 -    It may be that these aims are not adequately expressed in my
120640 -    writing.  I certainly welcome input from the many PMI experts in
120641 -    order to make sure this new idea is effectively conveyed.
120642 -
120643 -    Fran, said he is unsure where the article is, but will look for it.
120644 -    When he responds to my request for the computer files, per above,
120645 -    he will let me know his thoughts on this matter, as well.
120646 -
120647 -
120648 -
1207 -