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Entries Tagged as 'Analysis'

That Sure is a Large Number!

September 26th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Beware of those who provide large numbers. Is anyone asking, let alone answering, the next question? Many times in my endeavors I have heard persons proudly quote large numbers. “We are bringing in gazilli-tera-humongous bytes of data every day!” “We can access the data on every grain of sand on every beach […]

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Tags: Analysis · General Systems Thinking · Systems

Close Enough for a Good Approximation

August 26th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Somewhere, somehow we forgot what a good approximation was. We used to tell this “joke” a long time ago in a place far, far away. Consider the situation with an amorous young gentlemen on one side of a room and an amorous young lady on the other side of the room. Every […]

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Tags: Analysis · Approximation · Computing · Mathematics

How Did We Mess Up This One?

August 15th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Really smart persons continue to blunder. How? I read this article recently about how women are hurt more often and more severely than men in automobile accidents. Why does this happen? The crash dummies used in safety tests work well, but are almost always the size and shape of a man. Crash […]

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Tags: Analysis · Notice · Observation · Stupid · Testing · Thinking

The Clipboard and the Pencil…and the Database

June 20th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Before embarking on a new database, or any new system, learn what it is we want and need. “Let’s create a database to track this,” said an eager and well-meaning person. “But,” interjected another well-meaning person, “do we know what we need or want or anything?” My livelihood has been technology. Of […]

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Tags: Analysis · Testing · Time · Tools

The Bend in the Curve(s)

June 6th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips When will the curve bend? When should I change? Will I be willing to change? There are curves we can draw that show cost, performance, and lots of things. Take note of them. Take note of the bend in the curve… when USB thumb drive air gap is faster than a network […]

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Tags: Analysis · Change

The Database and the Floor

May 2nd, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Take care how we state the requirements for a database. A spot on the floor often meets the requirements. I attended a meeting recently wherein a senior official with a long, impressive title stood in front of a crowd of several hundred persons and spoke at length (three hours). A major part […]

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Tags: Analysis · Communication · Design · Requirements

Small Wheels, High Center of Gravity, and Physics

March 4th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Once again, we observe that physics—notably gravity—wins. Sometimes I venture outside the suburbs of Federal Virginia go into “downtown” Washington D.C. I see them, those funny-colored little skateboards with handles. These are the eScooters or whatever we choose to call them this week. They have little electric motors and speed pedestrians (I […]

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Tags: Analysis · Science

Behold the Marvel of the Crease

February 25th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips No new materials. A simple pressing. Structure appears. Value from almost nothing. This is a primary task of a manager (and the rest of us). Fold something. Press the fold. It becomes a crease. And now there is a structure that has strength and increased utility. And how did that happen? A […]

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Tags: Analysis · Change · Concepts · Improvement · Management

Please Remove Your Sticker from My Car

January 31st, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We tend to allow others to use us freely. A simple example. About every ten years I buy a new automobile. Yes, I am “cheap,” and yes, today’s automobiles are built well enough to drive efficiently for ten years or more. After buying my last automobile, I arrived at home and noticed […]

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Tags: Analysis · Choose · Communication · Customer

Assessment

July 26th, 2018 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips When assessing a system, remember the correct order of tasks, and always remember that persons are involved in any system that matters. When assessing a system, proceed to: Observe Learn Converse Please, do these tasks in this order. This is especially recommended when persons are part of that system, and persons are […]

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Tags: Analysis · Process