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CCDIC Refining Strategic Data Management Initiative (view source)
Revision as of 11:03, 27 March 2020
, 11:03, 27 March 2020no edit summary
Hi, I'm Bill Taylor, a Business Systems Analyst who joined the PPMG section of the Strategic Issues and Integrated Management division of the Center for Communicable Disease and Infection Control in October of 2019 to carry out an investigation of "a data gathering system" and it's culture.
Hi, I'm Bill Taylor, a Business Systems Analyst who joined the PPMG section of the Strategic Issues and Integrated Management division of the Center for Communicable Disease and Infection Control in October of 2019 to carry out an investigation of "a data gathering system" and it's culture.
Here is a summary of my findings.
1) there is a systems maturity issue that is responsible for the inability of staff to improve these systems. A CS role is required.
2) poor user experience (UX) is the single complaint that supports the current " . . . not another spreadsheet!" cultural. I have provided a breakthrough solution, ActiveX object embedded spreadsheets that look and feel like mature, full screen multi-color database forms, validate their inputs, navigate through records and automatically send their data to any drive location.
3) Database / Data Mangement practices and capability are insufficient to get to the next level. To understand and build strategies upon data collections and models based on the possible outputs is a widespread issue. Folks cannot "see" the many ways in which these systems can help. Immersing some CS expertise in PHAC will organically change this limitation as that understanding begins to take hold in the community.
Here is the story of the development of the findings as I pursued threads of opportunity through investigations, interviews, data gathering, experiments and testing. All of the BA artifacts I make reference to: Reports. Presentations, spreadsheets, databases, studies and recommendations have been uploaded.
Here is the story of the development of the findings as I pursued threads of opportunity through investigations, interviews, data gathering, experiments and testing. All of the BA artifacts I make reference to: Reports. Presentations, spreadsheets, databases, studies and recommendations have been uploaded.
2) Each of the solutions can be associated with higher levels of development in the maturity descriptions for systems: Integration, Harmonization, User Experience (UX) and Data Gathering/Transmission/ETL.
2) Each of the solutions can be associated with higher levels of development in the maturity descriptions for systems: Integration, Harmonization, User Experience (UX) and Data Gathering/Transmission/ETL.
These are not the immediate goals of system designers who start out in a modest way building an “out-of-the-box” system. truly, they are not achievable using “out-of-the-box” strategies.
These are not the immediate goals of system designers who start out in a modest way building an “out-of-the-box” system. And, they are not achievable using “out-of-the-box” strategies.
'''Out-of-the-Box''': Any functionality that comes shipped directly from the software vendor or can be configured easily (where “easily” means configured by a business, not IT user) with built-in workflow tools, templates, and/or best practices provided directly by the vendor
'''Out-of-the-Box''': Any functionality that comes shipped directly from the software vendor or can be configured easily (where “easily” means configured by a business, not IT user) with built-in workflow tools, templates, and/or best practices provided directly by the vendor
In the meantime, those who volunteered this overlay of time and effort in order to achieve the current result can make an heroic effort to achieve what is asked of them, however, they will discover that they do not have the skills as well as performing tasks outside of their current job description and classification.
In the meantime, those who volunteered this overlay of time and effort in order to achieve the current result can make an heroic effort to achieve what is asked of them, however, they will discover that they do not have the skills as well as performing tasks outside of their current job description and classification.
Most of the solutions I contrived for the issues in the User Stories, were achieved by using Visual Basic and/or database technology to configure or attempt to “shape the application to fit the business”. Excel and Access, both Windows Office products, are sold as and widely recognized as “Configurable”.
Most of the solutions I contrived for the issues in the User Stories, were achieved by using Visual Basic and/or database technology to configure or attempt to “shape the application to fit the business”. Excel and Access, both Windows Office products, are sold as and widely recognized as “Configurable”.
I was quite confident we could perform a trial of the form in March, however, the pandemic intervened. But the form is ready to go and is documented. Similarly, I have created forms for Publications and for Travel information. These forms can be used on any PC as the forms sheet to a data sheet in a Workbook. The data input can be saved to any drive location in an automated fashion using the file type that meets the requirements of the receiving workbook or database.
I was quite confident we could perform a trial of the form in March, however, the pandemic intervened. But the form is ready to go and is documented. Similarly, I have created forms for Publications and for Travel information. These forms can be used on any PC as the forms sheet to a data sheet in a Workbook. The data input can be saved to any drive location in an automated fashion using the file type that meets the requirements of the receiving workbook or database.
So the form breakthrough pushes back on the negativity, but, more importantly, it is badly needed by at least 50% of the spreadsheet initiatives in the Agency. Furthermore, it is a method of providing an Excel data-gathering and data-transmitting front-end to a database system in an organization in which database licences are rarely granted. This is an intermediate solution that will stand up well until new tools are procured which deliver database technology to each machine meaning input forms will be created by the database, sent anywhere, filled in by users and the data gathered transparently.
So the form breakthrough pushes back on the negativity, but, more importantly, it is badly needed by at least 50% of the spreadsheet initiatives in the Agency. Furthermore, it is a method of providing an Excel data-gathering and data-transmitting front-end to a database system in an organization in which database licences are rarely granted. This is an intermediate solution that will stand up well until new tools are procured which deliver database technology to each machine meaning input forms will be created by the database, sent anywhere, filled in by users and the data gathered transparently. (PMRwithForm5.xlsm. PublicationsPlanningForm3.xlsm, UXForms.xlsm (a generic, use it to build any form, do not have to update code when a field is added)
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