Re: procedures for procedures?

["Robert R. Milwicz" <milwicz@arundel.Princeton.EDU>]

Doug asked about the "What if" method for procedures. I find his
question interesting for historical reasons. When I first started in
this position at Princeton over 30 years ago, what we did was set up a
system of carefully planning out an administrative task by using logic
diagrams to track the flow of paperwork and to help in the development
of computer programs that were associated with the task. Yes, back
then things were on IBM cards and programs written in FORTRAN. We
happened to call our technique, "What if.." We tested the process by
using the diagram to see were a specific part of the task would have
to be done and how its completion would affect the other operations.
The same was done with the computer programs. We wrote them from
scratch. Then to test the final program we generated a test desk that
had the conditions we had identified. After running the program we
checked to see that it produced the results we wanted. The technique
took time but I think the whole process was well worth the effort.
Why? Because (to use some of the buzzwords of today) the technique had
by in by the planners, it involved the shareholders of the project and
it had feedback as to failure or success. How does that compare to
some of the things done today. Well, we have commercially available
programs that can not be easily changed. They have restrictions that
limit the user. They do not meet the specific needs of the process or
procedure and they have shortcomings that may only be discover through
use and when time and effort were already expended and thus a
reluctance to change had set in. Well those are my thoughts on "What
if."

BOB Milwicz
Princeton