| "Companies run on information, not data."
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| | consumed by human beings, not by
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| - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONI have been
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| | machines. True, machines process data
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| doing a lot of reading lately regarding
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| | but only humans require information. I
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| the latest fads in the industry,
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| | get into a lot of arguments over this
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| particularly in the area of "Agile
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| | concept. Let me see if I can clarify it.
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| Methodologies," "Business Rules,"
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| | Let's imagine a totally automated
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| "Information Architecture," and
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| | company (what I like to call a "company
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| "Enterprise Architecture." There is a
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| | in a closet") whereby customers interact
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| considerable amount of material to wade
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| | with a computer through a network
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| through. Of interest, I have noticed all
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| | connection to place orders for a product
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| stress the importance of requirements and
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| | or service that can be delivered
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| warn of the consequences if they are not
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| | electronically. The owner of the company
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| defined properly. This sounds nice, but
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| | is retired and spends most of his time
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| I found them all to be very evasive in
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| | playing golf and checks on his stocks and
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| terms of describing the inherent
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| | other investments. I contend the machine
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| properties of information and how to
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| | is just
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| document them. I guess this shouldn't
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| | processing data and will continue to do
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| come as a surprise as the industry for
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| | so until there is some sort of mechanical
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| years has been wallowing in how to define
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| | malfunction. However, under this
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| information requirements.Many think it is
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| | scenario there is still a need for
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| nothing more than a set of data or output
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| | information by such people as:
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| specifications; others see it as nothing
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| | Customers who want to check prices,
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| more than a programming spec. Rarely,
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| | product/service availability, terms and
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| does anyone want to take the time to
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| | conditions, order status, and to report
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| truly understand information requirements
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| | problems.Vendors who offer upgrades or
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| and prefer, instead, to get down to the
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| | additional support.Government regulators
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| business of programming where they feel
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| | who need to know about sales volumes and
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| more comfortable. It should, therefore,
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| | taxes.And the owner himself who needs to
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| not come as a surprise that requirements
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| | know about how his "company in a closet"
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| definition is left to the interpretation
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| | is performing, thereby making decisions
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| of the individual. Inevitably, this
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| | regarding modifications to the business.
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| leads to inconsistencies and errors. For
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| | Processing data is one thing, making
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| something that is supposed to be so
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| | business decisions and taking actions is
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| critical for success, information
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| | something entirely different. Until such
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| requirements definition is too often
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| | time as machines become true freethinking
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| taken for granted.Let's see if we can
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| | entities, they will only need data, not
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| clear this up by describing the
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| | information.D. Information is not
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| characteristics of information and end
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| | stored, it is produced.Information is
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| with a definition. This may all seem
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| | produced and consumed as required. On
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| very elementary, but the problem of
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| | the other hand, data can be stored and
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| requirements definition is very real.
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| | retrieved as required. We have long
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| Perhaps a simple description of the
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| | touted the concept that:INFORMATION =
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| properties of information may provide the
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| | DATA + PROCESSINGThis simply means there
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| insight needed to adequately perform this
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| | are two basic variables in the production
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| vital task.CHARACTERISTICSFirst,
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| | of information; data (the facts to be
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| information is not synonymous with data.
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| | processed) and the process itself (the
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| Data represents the facts and events of a
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| | logic). Assuming this is correct, if the
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| business consisting of primary values
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| | data remains the same, but we change the
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| (such as "Customer Number," "Unit Price,"
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| | processing, then the
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| "Name," etc.) and generated values
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| | information will be changed.
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| ("Percent Complete," "Net Profit," "Total
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| | Conversely, if the processing remains the
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| Ordered," etc.). By itself, data is
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| | same, but we change the data, then the
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| meaningless. It is only
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| | information will also be changed. This
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| when it is put into a specific context,
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| | means it is important to manage the
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| at a specific point of time, and
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| | resources needed to produce information,
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| delivered to a specific human-being, does
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| | which is the premise of Information
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| data transform into information. From
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| | Resource Management (IRM). If we can
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| this perspective, let's consider the
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| | control the resources, we can manipulate
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| fundamental characteristics of
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| | them accordingly to suit the information
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| information:A. Information supports
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| | needs of the business. Therefore,
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| actions and/or business decisions.This is
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| | "Information Management" is a fallacious
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| a critical characteristic that is vital
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| | concept; we are not truly managing
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| to define. If an action and/or business
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| | information as much as we are managing
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| decision cannot be made from the data
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| | the resources needed
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| presented, it is not information, it is
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| | to produce it.E. Information
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| just raw data. In this world of
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| | changes.The actions/decisions of the
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| application development there is a
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| | business are greatly influenced by such
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| tendency to produce too much data and not
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| | things as:
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| enough information.During my "PRIDE"
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| | Customers and Vendors
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| classes I usually illustrate this point
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| | Government/political changes
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| by describing a "bookmaker" or "bookie"
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| | Economics and competition
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| (slang for someone who accepts wagers on
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| | Market expansion/contraction
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| sporting events). Among the bookie's
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| | As an example, suppose the government
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| actions/decisions include paying off
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| | decides to impose a new regulation on a
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| bets, and collecting on
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| | company's manufacturing process or
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| bets. Using a blackboard, I would write
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| | institutes a trade embargo on a country
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| down the following scores:6
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| | the company does business in.
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| 54
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| | Inevitably, this will cause a change in
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| 3I would then ask the students to play
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| | the actions/decisions of the business,
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| the role of a bookie and asked them if
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| | thereby affecting information
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| what I wrote on the blackboard could
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| | requirements.Let's also consider the
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| support their actions and decisions. Of
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| | affect new shipping methods might have on
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| course they said, No, that they needed
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| | keeping the company competitive. Again,
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| more data; to which I wrote down:New York
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| | this will undoubtedly affect the
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| - 6
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| | company's information requirements.In a
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| Chicago - 5Cincinnati - 4
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| | static world, information requirements
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| Los Angeles - 3Still not satisfied, they
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| | would not change. The reality is we live
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| wanted to know what sport I was
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| | in a dynamic world. The more we know
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| describing; to which I added:Sport:
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| | about our external influences, the better
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| BaseballNew York - 6
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| | we can adjust and adapt our information
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| Chicago - 5Cincinnati - 4
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| | requirements.F. Information is conveyed
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| Los Angeles - 3Since a city can have
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| | through outputs.Media such as screens,
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| more than one team, they also wanted the
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| | printed reports, and audio/video
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| team names.Sport: BaseballNew York
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| | represents the human interface by which
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| Yankees - 6
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| | information is transmitted. Hence, the
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| Chicago White Sox - 5Cincinnati Reds - 4
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| | temptation by a lot of developers to
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| Los Angeles Dodgers - 3They also needed
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| | think of outputs as the starting point
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| to know who the bettor was, so I
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| | for specifying information requirements.
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| added:Sport: BaseballNew York Yankees -
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| | The business rationale for the
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| 6
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| | information is much more important than
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| Chicago White Sox - 5Cincinnati Reds - 4
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| | physically how it will be delivered. If
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| Los Angeles Dodgers - 3Bettor:
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| | we do not understand the rationale for
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| John Doe - $30 - New York Yankees -
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| | the information, we will inevitably make
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| Odds: 3:1
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| | erroneous conclusions regarding the
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| 123 Main Street, Tel: 123/456-7890They
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| | outputs. Also consider this, there is
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| then said they had the information needed
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| | not necessarily a one-to-one relationship
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| to fulfill their actions or decisions
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| | between information requirements and
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| (e.g., they would pay $90 to John Doe for
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| | outputs. One information requirement may
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| betting on the Yankees).This example
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| | be implemented by multiple outputs,
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| demonstrates two things; first,
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| | and one output may be used to satisfy
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| information is data that is arranged in a
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| | multiple information requirements.Knowing
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| specific context, and; second, it is
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| | the relationship between information
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| based on the actions and decisions to be
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| | requirements and outputs, existing
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| supported. This means we must first have
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| | screens, reports, etc. provide a
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| a clear understanding of the actions and
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| | convenient road map for documenting
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| or decisions to be supported before we
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| | requirements. Simply ask the user what
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| can determine the required data elements
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| | the business purpose of the output is and
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| (primary or generated). This is an area
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| | what he/she will do with the information
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| commonly
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| | (better yet, ask him/her what would
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| overlooked in application development.
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| | happen if you took the output away).A
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| If we cannot act on it, than it is not
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| | DEFINITIONOkay, now that we understand
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| information, it is just raw data.B.
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| | the characteristics of information, let's
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| Information is a perishable
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| | try to devise a definition:Information -
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| commodity.Information has value at a
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| | the understanding or insight gained from
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| specific point in time. This is because
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| | the processing and/or analysis of data.
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| we must make certain actions/decisions on
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| | Information is created as a result of the
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| a timely basis; e.g., daily, weekly,
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| | collection, processing and analysis of
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| monthly, quarterly, annually, or upon
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| | data in a prescribed manner.
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| request. Using our example above, the
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| | Information supports specific business
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| bookie requires his
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| | related actions and decisions. The
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| information daily; having it delivered
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| | accuracy of information depends on the
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| weekly, monthly, or annually will not
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| | validity and completeness of the data and
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| satisfactorily support his actions
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| | the processing logic used. CONCLUSIONIt
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| decisions. It thereby becomes important
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| | is true that defining requirements is the
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| to define "when" actions/decisions have
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| | Achilles heel of any development project,
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| to be made.There are three attributes to
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| | but a lot of people are vague or have
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| timing:Frequency - specifies how often
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| | different interpretations of what this
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| the actions/decisions have to be made;
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| | means. In the "PRIDE" world, it means
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| e.g.,4D - four times daily
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| | supplying the end-users with the
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| 1W - once a week
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| | necessary intelligence to support the
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| 2Y - semiannually
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| | actions/decisions of their end of the
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| R - Upon Request (anytime the user wants
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| | business. The more we know about the
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| it)Offset - specifies when the cycle
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| | business, the better we can service it;
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| should begin; e.g.,
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| | see:No. 77 - "Enterprise Decomposition" -
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| 8H - on the 8th hour (8:00am)
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| | May 29, 2006
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| 7D - on the seventh day (end of the
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| | on output specifications is nice but it
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| week)
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| | doesn't supersede the need for accurately
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| Note: There is no scheduled offset when
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| | defining information requirements.
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| the Frequency is "Upon Request").Response
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| | Frankly, users do not particularly care
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| Time - specifies the maximum amount of
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| | what physical form outputs come in; it is
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| time to deliver the information; e.g.,
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| | immaterial to them. All they are
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| 5S - Five Seconds
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| | interested in is: Do they have the
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| 1D - One Day
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| | necessary information to support their
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| Note: This should not be confused as a
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| | actions/decisions; is it timely, and is
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| measure of machine throughput.These
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| | it accurate?It is fallacious to believe,
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| timing attributes will ultimately
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| | "Users do not know what they want." They
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| influence the design of the system and
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| | may not know how it physically should
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| software. For example, if information is
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| | look or be delivered, but they most
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| needed "Upon Request" with a five second
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| | definitely know what they want. You're
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| response time, than in all likelihood it
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| | just not asking the right questions.For
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| will be an "interactive" type of
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| | more information on this subject, see:No.
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| application. Conversely, a weekly
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| | 4 - "Defining Information Requirements" -
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| process with a one hour response time
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| | Dec 27, 2004
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| will likely result in a "batch" process
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| | 29 - "Using Information Strategically"
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| (maybe even a manual process).C.
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| | - June 20, 2005
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| Information is a consumable
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| | Bryce is the Managing Director of M.
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| commodity.Information is received, acted
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| | Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor,
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| on, and life moves on. But there is
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| | Florida, a management consulting firm
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| little point in having information if it
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| | specializing in Information Resource
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| is not acted upon at the time it is
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| | Management (IRM). Mr. Bryce has over 30
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| received. It means actions/decisions
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| | years of experience in the field. He is
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| will not be performed as required.This
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| | available for training and consulting on
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| brings up a point, information is
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| | an international basis.
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