View source for E-mails from Murray Saul to Church Staff

Hi Sandra:

I'm working on presentation for Wednesday, and was wondering if you could provide a few pieces of information:

What year did WOW process begin?
Do you have any information to resources that explain about the process to get marriage licenses?

Thanks,
Murray

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Attached is the presentation (in PDF form) that I was planning to present. It is blunt, but honest and very realistic.

[ [http://matrix.senecac.on.ca/~murray.saul/Westminster.pdf PDF] ]

Please offer feedback,

Thanks,
Murray Saul

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Hi Sandra,

I need to know when meeting starts.
Also, I teach in T.O. at 2:25 pm. so I need to make certain I leave meeting to give enough time to get to work...

Attached is revised presentation...

Murray

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Hi Sandra,

I would just like to confirm that I will be meeting with you and lynne to get a preliminary idea of job descriptions, etc. This will NOT be the official part of the systems analysis, but see what information we need to gather to allow the analysis to take place in a smooth fashion...

I drop our dog off at the groomers at 9:00 am and could be at the church around 9:15 am tomorrow...

Murray

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Hi Sandra and Lynne,

We are entering a critical phase with the systems analysis and design project within the next two weeks. Next week will be "week 4" and I have found out that students need to have gathered up all required needs by the end of "week 7". The reason for the "rush" is that they need to adapt this information of Westminster's needs into a tool that will allow them to analyze and provide diagramming, as well as lay the foundation for a system to be developed. The good news is that the WIKI that was created will allow me to talk to Lynne and then I will represent Lynne's input. Later there may be visits, but I think this will work the best way...

For reference, you can check the "diagram" on the WIKI I created to see a general approach to the system based on some preliminary meetings. Here is the link:

http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Analysis_and_Design

As a result of this, I want to concentrate on getting the "optics" 100% correct with Lynne's job description and CAREFULLY separate what tasks are manual, and what tasks are computer related. Sandra, since your job description changes from year to year, I would recommend to concentrate solely on Lynne (the HUB), although no doubt, you will be affected to viewing information that system generates and get e-mails from HUB during her day-to-day transaction processing.

Therefore, I need to sit down with Lynne (if you are present, that is fine, but not required), for at least 3-4 hours next week. This is very important. My non-contact days are Tuesday and Friday, and I can be available. Taking this time will ensure an accurate gathering of information to "pin-point" Lynne's needs.

I will also require those forms that I requested, so I can send to students, but also "scan" into the computer system for use.

This will allow me to try to concentrate on talking to Brian H. to see what needs for web-page requirements.

Thanks,
Murray Saul

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Hi Brian,

I  need to know if the WIKI I created requires any permission from board to proceed, although I am have created it 36 hours ago and I am using it to coordinate information gathering for project students which is essential to completion of this analysis project.

Also, I suggest that this WIKI be kept just to the realm of facilitators/staff that are immediately affected by analysis, and not make available to congregation. Perhaps we hold off sharing WIKI with congregation until after the completion and transfer of WIKI's contents from Seneca site to church's domain (i.e. BSC). Do you agree?

Here is link to WIKI:

http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Analysis_and_Design

If you could provide answers to those first two questions, that would be great...

Thanks,
Murray

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Just to inform you that the current Westminster system analysis and design phase is in progress...

The next 3 weeks will be considered "time critical" where students and myself gather information to help lay a foundation for Westminster's system design and implementation. I have sent out e-mails requesting meetings with office staff next week (Lynne), and with individuals overseeing web-page needs the following week (Brian H.).

A WIKI was created 48 hours ago, and is already providing an essential "access point" to allow students to incorporate information into their analysis application framework.

Here is a link to this WIKI:

http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Analysis_and_Design

As shown in the WIKI's diagram, emphasis will be placed on the HUB with transaction processing (including scheduling) and linkages to a web-page that will streamline problematic tasks (such as file conversion to HTML or xHTML) pending HUB's confirmation of received files/documents. I also recommend a framework to manually update the webpage (like Moodle - time permitting).

This phase does not include facilitators, except for flows of data via e-mail sent automatically from HUB during transaction processing (eg. room bookings)... A more comprehensive system setup with separate facilitator/staff/volunteer accounts would have to be considered as future candidates for  development.

Unfortunately at this time, I have "no clue" how that future development would happen. Instead, I need to focus solely on this current phase. 

In addition, I strongly believe future development would be a VERY complex challenge, and would require a tremendous amount of time commitment from affected facilitators/staff/volunteers. I also believe that this period is a very busy time for facilitators that are advancing the church in other important endeavors ...

Therefore, it is my personal, professional, and academic opinion that no future system phases occur until there is a carefully coordinated, lengthy, focused mechanism to lay the groundwork for the next phase. To do otherwise would simply be detrimental to the interests of Westminster. I believe this will not occur for at least 1 year, or more...

I suggest, that in the meantime, facilitators and others learn to create, and participate in specific WIKIs to plan for future phases.

I would adopt the "Mustard Seed Parable" to this situation. I see that the WIKI, although a technology, is very fertile ground, and if used properly, will draw people together so that they can plan as "one" with a strong sense of "focus", "direction", and "collaboration". I also believe this same approach would be beneficial in other technical/education/media areas of Westminster including AVIT, CE,  and the Linux Computer Lab...

Sincerely,
Murray Saul

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