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1...a. Plans and specs online
2...c. Contacts online
CONTACTS
0201 - A. R. Construction Company 415 656 2800
020101 - Mr. Ronald Arana; President
020102 - aramet@aol.com
0202 - A. R. Construction Company 415 656 2800
020201 - Mrs. Sylvia Arana; Office Manager
020202 - sarana2199@aol.com
0203 - A. R. Construction Company 415 656 2800
020301 - Mr. Wes NLN; Estimator
020302 - Estimating Department
0204 - A. R. Construction Company 415 656 2800
020401 - Mr. Patrick Heffernan
020402 - Project Manager
020403 - patheff@jps.net
020404 - Construction Operations
SUBJECTS
Inquiries
0403 - ..
0404 - Summary/Objective
0405 -
040501 - Follow up ref SDS 15 0000, ref SDS 14 0000.
040502 -
040503 - Met ARC's team, including Sylvia, Pat, Jacki, Wes and Mel. Reviewed
040504 - planning issues for the new project. Explained Communication Metrics,
040505 - and the SDS program. Ronald showed an office he feels can support my
040506 - work at ARC. He wants to meet on Monday to discuss terms of
040507 - engagement. Sylvia provided the name and phone number for the firm
040508 - that supports ARC's computer systems.
040509 -
040510 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0001 linked to this record, copy to Pat, per his
040511 - request for an example of SDS. ref SDS 0 2065
040512 -
040513 - Linked to discussion on 990915 showing cooperation at Kaiser Medical,
040514 - on using Com Metrics. ref SDS 13 2255
040515 -
040516 - [On 991019 met with Ronald to review scope of services. ref SDS 18
040517 - 0001]
040518 -
040519 - [On 991019 Pat sent letter on why City needs to be contacted about
040520 - supporting Com Metrics. ref SDS 19 0001]
040521 -
040522 -
040523 -
0406 -
0407 -
0408 - Discussion
0409 -
040901 - ..
040902 - Preliminary Planning Issues to Launch Reservoir Project
040903 -
040904 - Follow up ref SDS 15 2673, ref SDS 14 2189.
040905 -
040906 - Reviewed initial planning scope for ARC's new project, per Ronald's
040907 - request yesterday. ref SDS 15 4033
040908 -
040909 - Submitted USACE Communication Metrics report, ref DRP 1 6172, which
040910 - shows Construction Launch Planning in the scope of services as
040911 - checkpoint 1. ref DRP 1 4480
040912 -
040913 - There is an example of a CPM for Construction Launch planning in
040914 - appendix E.
040915 -
040916 - Ronald wants to meet on Monday about specific terms for Welch support.
040917 -
040918 - [On 991018 called Ronald to follow up. ref SDS 16 0001]
040919 - ..
040920 - Discussed following preliminary planning...
040921 -
040922 -
040923 - 1. Project Management Plan
040924 -
040925 - Goals, objectives and scope
040926 -
040927 - Ronald, Pat and Rod - Pat review, Ronald approve
040928 - ..
040929 - Organization
040930 -
040931 - Ronald and Rod, Pat review and comment
040932 -
040933 - Develop organization chart showing structure of
040934 - relationships within ARC, the City, the Engineer, subs and
040935 - related agencies, per example submitted to Ronald on
040936 - 991014. ref SDS 15 0499
040937 -
040938 - Ronald has reviewed examples, which are, also, shown in
040939 - appendix E of the Com Metrics report issued by U.S. Army
040940 - Corps of Engineers.
040941 -
040942 - ..
040943 - Automation Plan
040944 -
040945 - Rod, Pat review and comment, Ronald approve
040946 -
040947 - Goal is to use the Internet to support what is commonly
040948 - called...
040949 -
040950 - Enterprise Management
040951 -
040952 - ...also...
040953 -
040954 - Virtual Office
040955 -
040956 - This is easy to say, but difficult to accomplish with
040957 - conventional tools, as reported in the record on 980613.
040958 - ref SDS 9 0526 Communication Metrics provides a possible
040959 - solution, as evidenced by this record. The payoff is
040960 - significant, if effective communication can be achieved.
040961 -
040962 - Ronald showed Pat's office on the first floor that has a
040963 - computer and a fax machine, which is a typical "equipment"
040964 - configuration on prior projects, reflecting industry-wide
040965 - practice.
040966 -
040967 - Ronald recalled analysis in the record of our meeting on
040968 - 991013 for two new computers, and DSL. ref SDS 14 1612
040969 -
040970 - Cost for two systems will be about $3K. Actually two
040971 - systems may be needed for the project office at the site,
040972 - one for the PM and one for a secretary, if one is used; so
040973 - that might be another $3K. Possibly some of ARC's existing
040974 - systems can be used, but usually the time and effort to
040975 - configure an exist systems, exceeds the cost of a new one.
040976 -
040977 - Rod needs 2 - 3 days to configure these systems.
040978 -
040979 - We may be able to avoid any initial computer acquisition
040980 - expense, if Rod works from his office and simply delivers
040981 - content via Internet, since that only requires a web
040982 - browser, which is an industry standard.
040983 -
040984 - Reliable Internet access is essential.
040985 -
040986 - DSL costs vary like cell phone pricing. Some vendors have
040987 - recently quoted as low as $40 per month. On 981018
040988 - Mountain Computer quoted $175 per month, so prices have
040989 - dropped the past year. ref SDS 10 4456
040990 - ..
040991 - Ronald recalled last year requesting automation
040992 - support using the Internet, as proposed by Communication
040993 - Metrics criteria. On 960410 General Hatch explained
040994 - similar frustrations when IBM was unable to understand nor
040995 - fulfill goals set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
040996 - automate their management processes. ref SDS 6 5577
040997 - Applying technology to help "management" is very difficult
040998 - because managing is primarily a complex "intelligence"
040999 - function. ref OF 1 5884 Everyone has been disappointed by
041000 - lack of progress using technology to improve management, as
041001 - related on 980206 reviewing IBM's gambit with "Business
041002 - Intelligence." ref SDS 8 2716 Ronald related discussions
041003 - yesterday that a lucky hunch led him to click for the
041004 - Welch resume on the Internet, after initially rejecting the
041005 - idea since everybody these days submits resumes by fax.
041006 - ref SDS 15 4823 So, it takes luck to discover that better
041007 - results come from improving methods everybody is using,
041008 - rather than follow accepted paths.
041009 -
041010 - Pat advised that the LAN system ARC installed last year is
041011 - a precursor to using the Internet. He noted the benefit of
041012 - faster access on the Internet using DSL or similar high
041013 - speed access for supporting the pace of daily management,
041014 - as we plan to do.
041015 -
041016 - Ronald requested an estimate of cost for the automation
041017 - plan to review on Monday.
041018 -
041019 - Rod will contact ARC's computer consultant to discuss the
041020 - existing system. Sylvia gave the number for...
041021 -
041022 -
041023 - Yves Barbero
041024 - Computer Consulting
041025 - 415 285 4358
041026 -
041027 -
041028 - [On 991018 called Yves and set meeting for 991021,
041029 - ref SDS 17 0001, obtaining pricing from Pac Bell.
041030 - ref SDS 17 0710]
041031 -
041032 - ..
041033 - Rod needs to visit with City Engineer before 991025
041034 - meeting, to develop planning for raising Com Metrics at the
041035 - meeting, per planning below. ref SDS 0 5796 We want to get
041036 - a feel for receptiveness. Early notice is generally
041037 - effective, rather than "springing" the ideas on new people
041038 - at a formal meeting.
041039 -
041040 - This is set out in the letter to Ronald. ref DIT 1 0875
041041 -
041042 - [On 991019 Pat sent a letter asking about advantage of
041043 - early discussios with City. ref SDS 19 4940]
041044 -
041045 - [On 991020 Ronald raised this matter. ref SDS 20 3224]
041046 -
041047 - [On 991021 City might defray all or part of cost to create
041048 - HTML construction management forms. ref SDS 21 6468]
041049 - ..
041050 - Facilities Plan
041051 -
041052 - Pat, Superintendent, Ronald
041053 -
041054 - Need to get requirements from contract, and inquire about
041055 - special needs at meeting on 991025. ref SDS 0 2993
041056 -
041057 - Need to coordinate with subs on their yard needs, in laying
041058 - out contractor facilities at the site.
041059 -
041060 - Communication Plan
041061 -
041062 - COs
041063 - COPs
041064 - RFIs
041065 - Submittals
041066 -
041067 - Pat and Rod can review existing procedures, develop
041068 - integration with SDS and HTML for approval by Ronald.
041069 -
041070 - Organic Subject Structure
041071 -
041072 - Rod will develop this SDS control criteria.
041073 -
041074 - Safety Planning
041075 -
041076 - Environmental Plan
041077 -
041078 - Partnering
041079 -
041080 - Partnering may be part of the project, and if so this
041081 - needs review for effective application.
041082 -
041083 -
041084 - 2. Buy-outs and Budgets
041085 -
041086 - a. Plans and specs online
041087 -
041088 - Rod and ARC staff
041089 -
041090 - Will try to develop at least the specs from the Engineer
041091 - in a preliminary meeting, per ref SDS 0 3630.
041092 -
041093 - b. Budget online
041094 -
041095 - Rod and ARC staff
041096 -
041097 - c. Contacts online
041098 -
041099 - Rod and ARC staff
041100 -
041101 - d. Review plans and specs
041102 -
041103 - Rod
041104 -
041105 - e. Review budget (estimate file)
041106 -
041107 - 1. Preliminary meeting with estimators.
041108 -
041109 - Rod
041110 -
041111 - Wes drove me home after the meeting. He explained
041112 - that Mel does the quantity take-off, and his figures
041113 - are entered by Wes into an Excel spreadsheet that
041114 - calculates the prices.
041115 - ..
041116 - 2. Need list of all potential issues that are
041117 - known.
041118 -
041119 - Ronald wants a careful review of subcontracts,
041120 - particularly on piling, which may provide an
041121 - opportunity to save about $100K in forming costs
041122 - duplicated under another scope of work.
041123 -
041124 - Ronald, estimators
041125 -
041126 - 3. Preliminary meetings with key subs
041127 -
041128 - Rod, estimators, Ronald
041129 -
041130 - 4. Develop specific targets of opportunity.
041131 -
041132 - Rod, Ronald approve
041133 -
041134 - e. Obtain opinion from counsel on review of subcontract
041135 - form.
041136 -
041137 - Rod and Ronald
041138 -
041139 - f. Continue buy-outs
041140 -
041141 - Estimators, Rod, Ronald
041142 -
041143 -
041144 - ..
041145 - 3. Hire superintendent
041146 -
041147 - Ronald and Rod
041148 -
041149 - Since the second meeting with the City has not yet been
041150 - established, other than a target period for the week of
041151 - 991119, Ronald estimates the date for start of construction
041152 - will occur OA 991215.
041153 -
041154 - Superintendent should attend meeting on 991025, however,
041155 - may not be active until OA 991110.
041156 -
041157 - [On 991019 Ronald is meeting with Superintendent
041158 - candidates. ref SDS 18 3465]
041159 -
041160 - 4. CPM Planning
041161 -
041162 - WBS
041163 -
041164 - Rod, Pat review, Ronald Approve
041165 -
041166 - Pay Estimate Schedule
041167 -
041168 - Rod, Pat review, Ronald Approve
041169 -
041170 - Since this is an engineering bid, the pay estimate
041171 - requires less planning, but there may some definitional
041172 - and scope issues to develop.
041173 -
041174 - Schedule
041175 -
041176 - Superintendent, Rod, Pat Review, Ronald Approve
041177 -
041178 -
041179 - ..
041180 - 5. Meeting on 991025 1430
041181 -
041182 - During the meeting today, Ronald read a letter from the City
041183 - that sets the date of this meeting.
041184 -
041185 - [Push, Pull, Prod, Probe for opportunities and constraints]
041186 -
041187 - Introduce project manager, superintendent and major players
041188 - from Engineer and Owner's team, per scope of services for
041189 - Richmond. ref DRP 1 4480
041190 -
041191 - Submit USACE report on Com Metrics
041192 -
041193 - Submit initial project management plan.
041194 - ..
041195 - Facilities Planning
041196 -
041197 - Special needs of City, Engineer, ref SDS 0 4785
041198 - ..
041199 - Communication
041200 -
041201 - Rod will try to visit with key people in advance of
041202 - meeting on 991025, per PM Plan. ref SDS 0 3630
041203 -
041204 - Special needs/requirements of City, Engineer
041205 -
041206 - Communication Metrics - explain goals
041207 -
041208 - Submit Corps of Engineers report to explain Welch
041209 - credentials, ref DRP 1 6172, and scope of services.
041210 - ref DRP 1 4929
041211 -
041212 - Common Administration, from 990328. ref SDS 12 9641
041213 -
041214 - Virtual Office needs email and computer files for...
041215 -
041216 - Forms - Welch create in HTML
041217 -
041218 - Specs and other information.
041219 -
041220 - Submittals - difficult because subs have greater
041221 - variety in use of computers.
041222 -
041223 - Transition Issues
041224 -
041225 - One foot in manual and one foot in automated
041226 - world
041227 -
041228 -
041229 - 6. Meeting week of 991119 - date to be confirmed by City
041230 -
041231 - Introduce subcontractors
041232 -
041233 - Submit RFIs
041234 -
041235 - Pay Estimate Review
041236 -
041237 - This is not that big an item because this is a pay item
041238 - project.
041239 -
041240 - During the meeting today, we reviewed ARC's bid, except it
041241 - did not have mobilization.
041242 -
041243 - Need to review contract for rate of payout on mobilization.
041244 - Often 80% is paid out early, and the last 20% is held until
041245 - notice of completion.
041246 -
041247 - Project Management plan review...
041248 -
041249 - 1. Automation plan
041250 -
041251 - 2. Organization plan
041252 -
041253 - 3. Communication plan and submittal schedule
041254 -
041255 - 4. CPM Schedule
041256 -
041257 - 5. Facilities
041258 -
041259 - Office
041260 - Utilities
041261 - Equipment
041262 - Furnishings
041263 -
041264 - 6. Safety Planning
041265 -
041266 - 7. Environmental Planning
041267 -
041268 -
041269 - 7. Notice to Proceed
041270 -
041271 - Buy-outs complete
041272 -
041273 - CPM
041274 -
041275 - Meet Subcontractor Key players
041276 -
041277 - Owners, GM, Design people, Field staff
041278 -
041279 - Mobilize
041280 -
041281 - Facilities planning, finalize with Engineer, Subs
041282 -
041283 -
041284 -
041285 -
041286 -
0413 -
SUBJECTS
SDS Explanation
Technology Applied to Management, POIMS
0605 - ..
060501 - Explain Welch methods...
060502 -
060503 - Used ideas from meeting with Intel on 970728, ref SDS 7 3002, to
060504 - explain Com Metrics, per meeting with Ronald on 991013. ref SDS 14
060505 - 2176
060506 -
060507 - Simple concept is...
060508 -
060509 -
060510 - Plan the work and work the plan! ref SDS 0 1111
060511 -
060512 -
060513 - ..
060514 - Knowledge Space a New Paradigm for a New Age
060515 -
060516 - I drew a graph on the marking board showing how technology integrates
060517 - management tasks essential for effective leadership, as set out in the
060518 - explanation of Intelligence in the POIMS paper. ref OF 1 6011
060519 -
060520 - Civilization, business and government are transitioning from a manual
060521 - world to an automated world. Historically, information from the time
060522 - of Gutenberg's printing press has used information in finite sets
060523 - called books, magazines, letters, memos, that have a beginning and an
060524 - end. The human mind synthesizes the connections between these
060525 - discrete sets of information. Technology now makes it possible to
060526 - support human intelligence by converting into alternate forms for
060527 - planning and reporting. This provides a continuous "knowledge stream"
060528 - that contains the connections of cause and effect.
060529 -
060530 - I drew a time line illustrating this concept.
060531 -
060532 -
060533 - Projects are comprised of "Subjects" (also "categories"):
060534 -
060535 - Objectives People
060536 - Requirements Organizations
060537 - Scope Policies
060538 - Schedules Procedures
060539 - Budgets Physical Objects
060540 - Contracts Operations
060541 -
060542 - ...from analysis of cost/benefit on 970726. ref SDS 14 6639.
060543 -
060544 - [On 001219 steps using SDS new way of working. ref SDS 22 QT6F
060545 -
060546 - These "subjects" cause a constant stream of information. Over time the
060547 - number of subjects explode into thousands of sub-structures that must
060548 - be remembered along with a huge volume of information. The mind
060549 - buffers, i.e., suppresses, the complexity by summarizing details so
060550 - that people are not overwhelmed. But summary causes mistakes under
060551 - "Murphy's Law," due to mental blind spots, per analysis on 940609.
060552 - ref SDS 1 0020 Henry Kissinger characterizes the resulting
060553 - environment as Alice in Wonderland, also on 940609. ref SDS 2 4238
060554 -
060555 -
060556 - Schedule Diary System (SDS)
060557 -
060558 - Supplements cost and schedule control
060559 -
060560 - "Audit trail," traceability to original sources called
060561 - out in ISO Project Management requirements reviewed on
060562 - 950721. ref SDS 5 1740
060563 -
060564 - Automated integration of time and information
060565 -
060566 - Plan, Perform, Report, ref OF 1 6649
060567 -
060568 - Plan, Do, Study, Act - Deming. ref OF 1 0336
060569 - ..
060570 - Ronald noted that Command and Control of the record
060571 - can reduce mistakes that cause claims, and it reduces the
060572 - time and cost of dispute resoluton, as related in POIMS.
060573 - ref OF 1 1113
060574 -
060575 - [On 991019 example occurred when ARC's superintendent
060576 - quit unexpectedly. ref SDS 18 0660]
060577 - ..
060578 - Pat requested an example using SDS. He gave his
060579 - email address...
060580 -
060581 -
060582 - patheff@jps.net
060583 -
060584 -
060585 - ...submitted copy of ref DIT 1 0001 linked to this
060586 - record, which shows how the planning agenda we reviewed
060587 - today, is converted into a Diary record of what was
060588 - accomplished. This Diary record is then used to plan
060589 - follow up tasks that are linked back to his record,
060590 - showing alignment with objectives, requirements and
060591 - commitments. See again POIMS. ref OF 1 6649
060592 -
060593 - Pat noted that automated management using the Internet
060594 - for organization and delivery of daily details is the
060595 - direction of the future. Common descriptions for this
060596 - goal are...
060597 -
060598 -
060599 - Enterprise Management
060600 -
060601 -
060602 - Business Intelligence
060603 -
060604 -
060605 - ..
060606 - CPM - Pat asked how it relaetes to SDS "schedule"
060607 -
060608 - SDS is a micro planning and reporting process for
060609 - implementing day-to-day macro planning guided by CPM,
060610 - PERT and CSCS/C methods.
060611 -
060612 - CPM and cost control are for "planning" the work.
060613 -
060614 - SDS is for "working" the plan by adding "metrics" to
060615 - communication, as explained on 950202. ref SDS 4 0333
060616 -
060617 -
060618 -
060619 -
060620 - POIMS,
060621 -
060622 - Plan, Organize, Integrate and Measure, ref OF 1
060623 -
060624 - This paper explains the technology and concepts for the
060625 - SDS program.
060626 -
060627 - Ronald advised he read the record on 991013 which has a
060628 - link to POIMS. ref SDS 14 1488
060629 -
060630 -
060631 - Communication Metrics
060632 -
060633 - This is a management science that is supported by SDS
060634 - and POIMS, as explained in the paper...
060635 -
060636 -
060637 - New World Order Needs Old Time Religion
060638 -
060639 -
060640 - Leadership is the critical ingredient, as discussed with
060641 - Ronald on 991013, ref SDS 14 3664, and explained in the
060642 - NWO... paper. ref OF 3 5654
060643 -
060644 - Typical day scenario on implementation. ref OF 2 3066
060645 - ..
060646 - Pat asked how the record is maintained daily?
060647 -
060648 - Our plan is to segment daily site management from
060649 - Project Management, per ideas Ronald layed out in our
060650 - meeting on 991013. ref SDS 14 3068
060651 -
060652 - [On 001219 steps using SDS new way of working. ref SDS 22 QT6F
060653 -
060654 - The project manager has an analytical and planning
060655 - role; the superintendent implements planning
060656 - day-to-day on the job.
060657 -
060658 - The Project Manager supports the superintendent using
060659 - SDS. This effort will be experimental as related to
060660 - Ronald on 991013. We will discover how well it works
060661 - during the ramp up to start of construction.
060662 - ref SDS 14 0341
060663 - ..
060664 - Com Metrics can be viewed as "hiring a new
060665 - executive" in the middle of things. The new executive
060666 - cannot learn everything that has gone on before, but
060667 - gradually picks up what is important for current and
060668 - future operations. So, SDS does not have to contain
060669 - "everything" in order to add value to the management
060670 - team and improve earnings, per the record on 941004.
060671 - ref SDS 3 0785
060672 -
060673 - The basic plan is to capture a level of detail that is
060674 - doable, rather than try to "get everything," under the
060675 - theory that some "intelligence" is better than none,
060676 - as defined in POIMS. ref OF 1 0582
060677 -
060678 - Pat asked about transitioning him and others to provide
060679 - Internet content using SDS?
060680 -
060681 - People who use Communication Metrics on the Internet,
060682 - learn the basic concepts merely by observing the
060683 - record and the process over time. This drives desire
060684 - to learn how to use SDS for generating content.
060685 -
060686 - Welch can transition people gradually to accomplish
060687 - various rudimentary functions, like using the Schedule
060688 - and identifying Actoin Items. More sophisticated
060689 - features for linking, developing structure in the
060690 - diary, and formulating an organic subject structure
060691 - can be acquired at the users pace as the need arises.
060692 - ..
060693 - Scanning documents received - Pat asked about this.
060694 -
060695 - General transition to email reduces need for scanning.
060696 -
060697 - We plan to request computer files on contracts, specs
060698 - and so on from the City and Engineer at the meeting on
060699 - 991025. ref SDS 0 3630
060700 -
060701 - Some scanning will be needed, but it is very time
060702 - consuming because of the variety in quality of printed
060703 - material that makes the initial scan files full of
060704 - errors that have to be corrected manually. So we want
060705 - to minimize scanning.
060706 -
060707 -
060708 -
060709 - ..
060710 -
060711 -
060712 -
060713 -
060714 -
060715 -
060716 -
060717 -
060718 -
0608 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"