August 4, 2008

THE "PRIDE" METHODOLOGIES FOR IRM (SPECIAL)

There seems to be general confusion in the industry regarding systems development; there is a plethera of vendors offering a wide variety of solutions many of which are complicated and somewhat esoteric. To overcome this confusion I am going to devote the next several braodcasts to the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. You have heard me talk on a variety of management and systems subjects in the past, now I will walk you through the mechanics of "PRIDE" and explain the rationale for its construction. These podcasts, therefore, will be real "keepers" and I encourage you to download and rename them accordingly.

It has been my observation that systems development has become an overtly complicated process and, frankly, it doesn't have to be that way. Although "PRIDE" is a substantial body of work, it is actually based on some rather simple and common sense concepts. The development of industrial-strength information systems, regardless of their size, doesn't need to be complicated. Hopefully, these tutorials on "PRIDE" will help show the way.

The full text for this section can be obtained by clicking: HERE

If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Keep the faith!

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...

"Productivity = Effectiveness X Efficiency"

eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT

Folks, be sure to check out our eBook on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

The price is just $20 plus tax.

We have also produced a one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

phmainstreet.com/mba

While there, look for our MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "WRISTWATCHES"

My wristwatch recently broke and I had it taken in for repair. At first I kind of felt like a dog who had lost his collar, like an important part of me was missing. But after awhile, I got used to it and felt somewhat unshackled. I think the last time I was without a watch was back when I was in high school. Surprisingly, I discovered I didn't miss the watch that much and may go on without wearing one. I have no problem knowing the time as I can find it just about everywhere, including my PC, in my automobiles, on television and radio, and general wall clocks. Cell phones and other personal electronic devices also maintain the time. So much so that young people imbued with the new technologies are less likely to wear a watch than their elders.

One of the reasons we wear wristwatches is as a status symbol, a sort of "coming of age" thing and is an expression of our personality. Gaudy and gold watches are worn by wannabe power brokers. Sleek watches are worn by people who want to appear hip and contemporary. The super-gadget watches are worn by the techno-geeks. And the basic sports watches are worn by the jocks and naturalists.

As watch wearing declines, watch makers are scrambling to make new models that will appeal to the younger generation and include such things as temperature readings, GPS, Internet access, multimedia or whatever. In a way, it will be reminiscent of Dick Tracy's 2-Way Wrist Radio/TV.

But I think the days of wristwatches as a status symbol are winding down. Young people do not seem to look upon the prestige of watches like my generation did or my predecessors. Basically, the watch has been replaced by the cell phone with its many different features, everything from simple phones to sophisticated devices that can be used for just about anything, e.g., camera, recording device, radio/television, dictation machine, etc. As for me, I'm waiting for a model that comes with either an electric razor or a phaser.

I see many friends and business contacts constantly trying to do one-upmanship over their cell phones. This doesn't impress me, but then again neither did an expensive watch. Nonetheless, the transfer of status from watches to cell phones is a phenomenon that should not go unnoticed, as it is marking the end of an era, the start of another, and a change in our culture.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

"BRYCE'S PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK"

Folks, a couple of years ago I started to include my "Pet Peeve of the Week" in these "Management Visions" podcasts. They have become so popular that I now syndicate them through the Internet and they are available for republication in other media. To this end, I have created a separate web page for my writings which you can find at phmainstreet.com Look for the section, "The Bryce is Right!" Hope you enjoy them.

Also, if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, be sure to stop by and check out our new Palm Harbor Business OASIS, a new business venue offering local business people a place to meet, work, network, and relax. Why pay a lot for leasing office space when you can become a member of the OASIS for as little as $100/month? For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.phboasis.com/

AND FINALLY...

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Roadside Memorials":

A J.D. in Tampa, Florida wrote...

"This has been a subject I've wanted to touch on, but always avoided it. I realize that everyone grieves differently, and I wouldn't want to impose on another's means of coping with a tragic loss. But it begs the question - is the person who died at the roadside also buried there, or are they interred in a more respectable place, like a cemetery? I'll take a wild stab and guess the latter. So this then has me asking, are there two memorial sites for the loved one? Is it necessary to have more than one? The other "precedent" for such things is seen at sites where tragedy strikes a large number of folks, like where planes crash, the Towers came down or the Arizona was sunk. But that's to honor the greater loss of all, not a singular death. One good "general" use of roadside memorials is that they bring about an awareness of the deadliness of driving, prompting us to be ever more vigilant behind the wheel. But I also happen to agree that they are distracting and in some cases, hazardous when overdone. And if it were to be done at every roadside point whenever someone died, well, given the sheer numbers of road fatalities, we'd likely have trouble seeing the signs we need to see amid all the memorials. I really have no answer to this, and I'm sure my "peeve" would be altered if someone close to me died tragically on the road."

I received the following e-mails from my "Pet Peeve" entitled, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World":

An M.S. in Royal Oak, Michigan wrote...

"Go back in history. You will find depression, war and famine. Economic times change. In the case of the Stock Market, what goes down, must come up. We have had dictators and egomaniacs who as one poem puts in 'wade through slaughter to a throne and shut the gates of mercy on mankind.'"

Again, thanks for your comments. For these and other comments, please visit my "Bryce is Right!" web site.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

If you have any questions or would like to be placed on our e-mailing list to receive notification of future broadcasts, please e-mail it to timb001@phmainstreet.com

For a copy of past broadcasts, please contact me directly.

We accept MP3 files with your voice for possible inclusion in the broadcast.

There is no charge for adding a link to "Management Visions" on your web page, for details and HTML code, see the "Management Visions" web site.

Management Visions accepts advertising. For rates, please contact yours truly directly.

Copyright © 2008 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END