CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Cost/Benefit of Better Communications
Cost Benefit - Increase Usefulness, Reduce
Measuring Communication Issues
Money, Improving Earnings
Cost Effective SDS Saves Time
Scenario Complex Communications
Calculate Cost Benefit Level of Effort
Humorous Examples

1410 -    ..
1411 - Summary/Objective
1412 -
141201 - Follow up ref SDS 12 4593, ref SDS 11 6940.
141202 -
141203 - The need for a better calculation of project management "overhead" is
141204 - evident from discussion with Morris on 960301, ref SDS 3 4725.  This
141205 - is supported by letter from Stanford, ref SDS 13 7301.
141206 -
141207 - The error rate should be driven by the ratio of time to prepare and
141208 - number of subjects, in combination with time invested to create a
141209 - record that has relevant, material information, and further based on
141210 - how quickly the record can be researched.  If there are a few subjects
141211 - then preparation time is very effective. As the number of subjects and
141212 - relationships grows, error rate increases because the ratio of limited
141213 - preparation time to subjects decreases.  This reduces the chances of
141214 - understanding and increases the chance of overlooking critical
141215 - correlations that require attention during a meeting in order to
141216 - achieve effective coordination and cooperation which is the purpose of
141217 - meeting and teamwork.
141218 -
141219 -       [See application to calculate rework cost for USACE, ref SDS 15
141220 -       3822.]
141221 -
141222 -       [See application of "time to prepare" in USACE cost savings
141223 -       report at ref SDS 16 4820.]
141224 -
141225 - Error rate should be a function of...
141226 -     ..
141227 -     Number of things to remember from POIMS, ref OF 3 3955
141228 -
141229 -         Subjects
141230 -         Commitments
141231 -         Understanding cause and effect, i.e., complexity
141232 -
141233 -            Design of work - Details and Specifications
141234 -            Stakeholder Impacts/Interests
141235 -            Regulations and Codes
141236 -            General/Special Conditions
141237 -            Policies
141238 -            Procedures
141239 -            Cost
141240 -            Schedule
141241 -            Quality
141242 -            Safety
141243 -            Environment
141244 -
141245 -              [See use in meeting with Kieth at Intel on 970728 ref SDS
141246 -              14 3002.]
141247 -
141248 -     Number of people who have to remember, coordination
141249 -
141250 -         Degree of coordination, i.e., complexity
141251 -         Concentration of things each person must remember
141252 -
141253 -     Time to prepare, research record to remember accurately...
141254 -
141255 -         Information management methodology, i.e., design of system
141256 -
141257 -         Size of record
141258 -
141259 -         Time invested to capture and organize record
141260 -
141261 -     Number of communications required in order to finalize an act,
141262 -
141263 -     Time from a communication to performing actual work
141264 -
141265 -
141266 -          ..
141267 -         Scenario Complex Communications Re Nails
141268 -
141269 -         Simple communication:
141270 -
141271 -         Tom tells Bill to use six penny nails.  Bill nails the board.
141272 -         ..
141273 -         Complex communication:
141274 -
141275 -         Tom tells John to use six penny nails.  John tells Mary to
141276 -         advise Frank that six penny nails should be included in the
141277 -         purchase order for rough hardware, and that Tom wants a memo
141278 -         sent to Region I Superintendents directing that they follow
141279 -         specification section 06B(3) for materials, which prescribes
141280 -         the details where six penny nails are to be used.  Steve tells
141281 -         Bill to nail the board using six penny nails, even though the
141282 -         detail shows 8 penny nails, because Jim said in the team
141283 -         meeting this morning that the Superintendent got orders from
141284 -         the "top" to use six penny nails.  Bill says this detail is a
141285 -         change and so does not apply to specification section 06B(3).
141286 -         Steve says there isn't enough time to get a clarification, so
141287 -         it is better to follow orders.
141288 -
141289 -         This scenario reflects...
141290 -
141291 -             Humerous example Haley's Comet used for meeting with LTC
141292 -             Thompson at the Corps of Engineers, ref SDS 5 8330.
141293 -
141294 -             Congestion, bureauracy confuse communication ref SDS 7
141295 -             5503.
141296 -
141297 -             On 960125 "Overhead" expense for Communication Metrics
141298 -             ensures correct nails get delivered, per scenario for
141299 -             Turner's Asilomar presentation, ref SDS 2 2002.
141300 -
141301 -             Scenario of Welch Company on Redcor project illustrating
141302 -             Peter Drucker's explanation of crucial role of management
141303 -             ref SDS 3 5069.
141304 -
141305 -             DNRC example, ref SDS 1 5115.
141306 -
141307 -         Original meaing drifts away due to interceding information.
141308 -         ref SDS 4 3734
141309 -
141310 -          [On 990308 example scenario on plastic cube. ref SDS 17 6399]
141311 -
141312 -          [On 990728 risk varies along a sliding scale between need for
141313 -          security and communciation. ref SDS 18 6935]
141314 -
141315 -
141316 -
141317 -
141318 -