| "100% of your design documentation is
| |
| | cross-referenced to each other. Consider
|
| contained in
| |
| | a parts manifest as included in a major
|
| the specifications of your information
| |
| | appliance maintenance bookley (or lawn
|
| resources."
| |
| | garden tool), I am sure this type of
|
| - Bryce's LawThere are many companies
| |
| | diagram is familiar to any homeowner who
|
| today, most overseas, still tackling
| |
| | has reviewed product maintenance/warranty
|
| major systems projects particularly in
| |
| | booklets.Every part in the product is
|
| the areas of banking and manufacturing.
| |
| | identified by number and name (see
|
| These mammoth application development
| |
| | section to the right in the figure). To
|
| efforts contrast sharply with American
| |
| | the left side in the figure is a
|
| companies who have failed in such
| |
| | schematic showing how each part relates
|
| undertakings and are now content with
| |
| | to the other parts and, as such,
|
| chipping away at systems,
| |
| | represents the assembly of the product
|
| program-by-program, with the hope that
| |
| | for maintenance purposes.The concept of
|
| disjointed software will somehow/someday
| |
| | "Bill of Materials" provides the means to
|
| interface with each other. Whereas
| |
| | inventory resources thus allowing us to
|
| foreign competitors talk in terms of
| |
| | share and re-use them. For example, many
|
| enormous systems with hundreds of
| |
| | of the parts shown in Figure 2 are
|
| programs and millions of lines of code;
| |
| | re-used in other lawnmower models offered
|
| large integrated systems tend to
| |
| | by the manufacturer. How can we share
|
| intimidate the most ardent of American
| |
| | and re-use resources without such a
|
| developers. But this is not so much a
| |
| | concept? The answer is simple: we
|
| story about competition as it is about
| |
| | cannot. And this explains why there is
|
| understanding design complexity.People in
| |
| | considerable redundancy in our
|
| both the east and the west recognize the
| |
| | information resources and work effort.
|
| design and development of a total system
| |
| | It also suggests most of our design
|
| is no small task. A system can consist
| |
| | decisions are maintained "by the seat of
|
| of many business processes, procedures,
| |
| | our pants." Most college courses
|
| programs, inputs, outputs, files,
| |
| | involving computing are unfamiliar with
|
| records, data elements, etc. The problem
| |
| | the Bill of Materials concept. Their
|
| lies in how to best control these
| |
| | focus is on programming and file design,
|
| information resources and the design
| |
| | and little else.The concept of "Bill of
|
| decisions associated with them. Two
| |
| | Materials" has three objectives:
|
| approaches are typically used:
| |
| | To uniquely identify each resource by
|
| progressively break the problem into
| |
| | number and name (as well as by aliases).
|
| smaller, more manageable pieces, or;
| |
| | Names are nice, but numbers offer a more
|
| tackle a minuscule portion of the problem
| |
| | precise way to uniquely identify a
|
| at a time. Whereas the former requires a
| |
| | resource. Identification is critical.
|
| long term perspective, the latter can
| |
| | After all, we cannot share and re-use
|
| show a quick return, which is more
| |
| | something if we do not know it exists.To
|
| appealing to a company with a "fast
| |
| | record the part's specifications. Thus
|
| track" mentality.Some time ago we
| |
| | providing a way to determine if the part
|
| conducted a study of customer application
| |
| | can be re-used in another product
|
| development projects. Our research
| |
| | (thereby promoting the sharing of parts
|
| centered on two types of projects: those
| |
| | and eliminating redundancy).To record
|
| aimed at building a total system, and;
| |
| | where the part is used in a product(s)
|
| those aimed at building a single program.
| |
| | (aka "Where-used"). This specifies the
|
| One obvious conclusion was that the
| |
| | relationship of parts to each other and,
|
| number of information resources used in a
| |
| | thereby, their assembly. This is also
|
| major system was considerably more than
| |
| | extremely useful for "impact analysis"
|
| in a program.However, the key observation
| |
| | whereby we can analyze where the part is
|
| made in the study was that there is a
| |
| | used in all of our products, not just
|
| finite number of design decisions
| |
| | one, which is vital for making
|
| associated with each type of information
| |
| | intelligent decisions about modifying a
|
| resource. As an example, for an output,
| |
| | part. For example, if we change the
|
| decisions have to be made as to its
| |
| | specifications of a part in one product,
|
| physical media (screen or report), size
| |
| | this will severely impact other products
|
| (number of characters), messages
| |
| | it is also used in.
|
| associated with it, etc. For a data
| |
| | By controlling parts in this manner, a
|
| element, its logical and physical
| |
| | product's design is fully
|
| characteristics must be specified
| |
| | documented.The "Bill of Material"
|
| (definition, source, label, size, class,
| |
| | concept can easily accommodate
|
| length, etc.). For a program, the
| |
| | information resources and offer the same
|
| language to be used, program logic,
| |
| | benefits of sharing and re-using
|
| required file structures, etc. These
| |
| | components. By doing so, we can easily
|
| design decisions can be simple or
| |
| | manage the 50,000 design decisions
|
| complex; regardless, they are all
| |
| | accompanying a system design project.
|
| required in order to design a system or a
| |
| | Our system/software products may be less
|
| program. When we multiply the number of
| |
| | tangible than an automobile, aircraft or
|
| design decisions by the number of
| |
| | lawnmower, but we can still apply the
|
| information resources, we get an
| |
| | same concept to their control.Therefore,
|
| idea of the magnitude of a systems
| |
| | an IRM Repository should have the ability
|
| design project versus the design of a
| |
| | to identify, specify, and cross-reference
|
| single program (see Figure 1).FIGURE
| |
| | all of the resources mentioned in Figure
|
| 1NUMBER OF RESOURCES IN AVERAGE SYSTEMS
| |
| | 1. This can certainly be done manually
|
| PROJECT: 2,006
| |
| | with paper but this may lead to
|
| NUMBER OF DESIGN DECISIONS TO BE MADE:
| |
| | bureaucratic and access problems for
|
| 49,850NUMBER OF RESOURCES IN AVERAGE
| |
| | developers. Instead, automation is
|
| PROGRAM PROJECT: 98
| |
| | recommended. There are several such
|
| NUMBER OF DESIGN DECISIONS TO BE MADE:
| |
| | commercial products on the market, but it
|
| 2,070NOTE: Decisions are design oriented
| |
| | is also fairly easy to create such
|
| only; they do not include Project
| |
| | software using today's Data Base
|
| Management related decisions (such as
| |
| | Management Systems (DBMS) which are now
|
| those associated with planning,
| |
| | fairly easy to define and relate
|
| estimating and scheduling).From this
| |
| | resources (they also provide excellent
|
| perspective, the average system design
| |
| | documentation services).The IRM should be
|
| project is nearly 25 times larger than
| |
| | viewed as the hub of all development
|
| the average software design project in
| |
| | efforts and provide the means to
|
| terms of complexity. As a footnote, our
| |
| | interface (import/export) with a myriad
|
| findings also revealed the "average"
| |
| | of other development tools; e.g., CASE,
|
| system design project is seven times
| |
| | prototyping aids, program generators,
|
| larger than a "complex" software design
| |
| | etc. Such tools will use the
|
| project.This discrepancy in system
| |
| | intelligence of the information resources
|
| software complexity provides a clue as to
| |
| | as contained in the IRM to function
|
| how companies address the problem. Since
| |
| | accordingly. As an example, a program
|
| a software design project is smaller and
| |
| | generator should be able to interpret the
|
| seemingly more palatable to implement
| |
| | program and file specifications in order
|
| than a total systems project, some
| |
| | to produce the necessary code. Such
|
| companies will focus on software
| |
| | development tools should also have the
|
| engineering tools and techniques, and
| |
| | ability to turn around and import
|
| abandon total systems engineering
| |
| | resource specifications back into the
|
| practices. This is one reason why
| |
| | IRM. This is particularly useful for
|
| programming tools enjoy popularity
| |
| | documenting existing systems/software
|
| today.Contrast this with the size of
| |
| | (aka "Reverse Population").For
|
| Japan's "Best" project to build the
| |
| | information on how to create an IRM
|
| country's next generation of on-line
| |
| | Repository, please see => concept of
|
| banking systems. This was a major
| |
| | "Bill of Materials" is an important part
|
| application development effort resulting
| |
| | of an overall strategy to implement an
|
| in 72 "average" systems; a considerably
| |
| | "Information Factory" environment to
|
| larger project than what is typically
| |
| | design and develop information resources.
|
| addressed in the United States.MANAGING
| |
| | But this will be the subject of a
|
| DECISIONSThere are two aspects to
| |
| | separate paper.CONCLUSIONThis philosophy
|
| handling decisions: how they are
| |
| | to managing design complexity is no
|
| formulated, and how they are
| |
| | different than what is found in the
|
| controlled.Trying to make nearly 50,000
| |
| | engineering and manufacturing of any
|
| design decisions in one step is not only
| |
| | product. Engineers break their design
|
| an impossible task, it is a highly
| |
| | projects into smaller stages so that
|
| impractical way of operating. Just like
| |
| | reviews can be performed and revisions
|
| the design of any product, a system must
| |
| | implemented. A "bill of materials"
|
| be designed in gradual phases in such a
| |
| | processor is used to track
|
| way as it becomes possible to review and
| |
| | the parts or a product and how they
|
| refine the design. In other words, the
| |
| | interrelate; which is no different in
|
| 50,000 design decisions will be made
| |
| | intent than the IRM tool.For people
|
| throughout the life of a development
| |
| | imbued in programming, it is difficult to
|
| project, not all at once.It is the
| |
| | think in terms of "parts" as described
|
| responsibility of a systems engineering
| |
| | herein, but it is a practical solution
|
| methodology to define the sequence of
| |
| | and can be applied to any development
|
| events for designing a system. As such,
| |
| | effort, large or small. Standardization
|
| the methodology represents the channel
| |
| | and integration of information resources
|
| for formulating decisions. Breaking a
| |
| | is built by design, not by
|
| complex system design down into smaller,
| |
| | accident.Without a formalized methodology
|
| more manageable pieces, also provides
| |
| | for design or an IRM tool to record
|
| for:
| |
| | design decisions, a major system design
|
| Parallel development and delivery of
| |
| | is incomprehensible; there are just too
|
| portions of the system
| |
| | many variables for the human mind to
|
| (concurrent development within a single
| |
| | remember or control using manual
|
| project).An environment conducive for
| |
| | techniques. It is not that analysts do
|
| building quality into a product (as
| |
| | not want to take on a major systems
|
| opposed to inspecting for quality
| |
| | design project, they simply cannot. They
|
| afterwards).The formulation of Project
| |
| | lack the organization and proper tools to
|
| Management related decisions (such as
| |
| | perform the job effectively. Because of
|
| estimating and scheduling the delivery of
| |
| | this, they default to the things they
|
| systems, in part or in full).
| |
| | know best, programming, and tackle
|
| This philosophy of design is no
| |
| | systems in piecemeal.The difference
|
| different than any other product
| |
| | between east and west here is not one of
|
| design/development effort, such as
| |
| | working harder, but smarter. The
|
| shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing,
| |
| | Japanese and Europeans are simply better
|
| bridge building, etc. All require a
| |
| | organized and equipped to perform system
|
| specific methodology that breaks the
| |
| | design than their American counterparts.
|
| product down to its sub-assemblies and
| |
| | This can be attributed, in large part, to
|
| parts; thereby organizing the
| |
| | management's sensitivity to the role
|
| specification of parts and the design
| |
| | systems play in a company. Because of
|
| decisions associated with them.Managing
| |
| | this, they are not afraid to tackle large
|
| the decision making process for even the
| |
| | endeavors, while American companies view
|
| smallest of application development
| |
| | such undertakings as seemingly too
|
| projects can be a huge undertaking. We
| |
| | massive to undertake. As such, they
|
| estimate there are approximately 500
| |
| | sidestep large projects in favor of
|
| design decisions associated in a small
| |
| | smaller projects that may address only a
|
| software design project (as compared to
| |
| | portion of the overall problem. This is
|
| more than 125,000 decisions in the
| |
| | resulting in the unsettling situation
|
| typical complex system design project).
| |
| | where our competitors are rapidly
|
| To record and control these decisions
| |
| | becoming the world's systems engineers,
|
| requires something more sophisticated
| |
| | while Americans become the world's
|
| than just paper and pencil; it requires
| |
| | software engineers.For more information
|
| an automated "Information Resource
| |
| | on our philosophies of Information
|
| Manager" (IRM), a software tool capable
| |
| | Resource Management (IRM), please see the
|
| of inventorying and documenting an
| |
| | "Introduction" section of "PRIDE" at =>
|
| enterprise's information
| |
| | Bryce is the Managing Director of M.
|
| resources.Whether you call it an "IRM", a
| |
| | Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor,
|
| "Repository", a "Data Dictionary" or
| |
| | Florida, a management consulting firm
|
| whatever, the philosophical heart of the
| |
| | specializing in Information Resource
|
| product is based on the age-old concept
| |
| | Management (IRM). Mr. Bryce has over 30
|
| of "Bill of Materials" whereby resources
| |
| | years of experience in the field. He is
|
| (also referred to as "components" or
| |
| | available for training and consulting on
|
| "parts") are cataloged and
| |
| | an international basis.
|
