Couple of Things

I have been delayed a little in updating the results pages. Sometimes trying to debug a program (problems with contingency allowance) is like trying to chase a mouse through a giant block of Swiss cheese with a thousand variations on escape exit. It'll take a couple more days.

Next thing - I was reading a blog on a news site yesterday and saw something like "Is the Manufacturing Sector Worth Saving?". Just a thought beyond this. We are told that we are good at design, technology and innovation.

OK - yes, perhaps - but remember that 40 or so years ago we were good at a whole load of manufacturing but found that the hassle of organising making things (industrial relations, safety regulations, recruiting, training, maintaining equipment etc) was best had by people in the far east.

Now - think forward just 20 years (or even 10 or maybe even 5 years) when our current providers of electrical goods in the far east (and everything else) have taken over the design - which they are already doing. What then?

And don't forget the present, not everybody can design computer games - our old industrial society found a job for most people.

Soon our post industrial society might not even provide jobs for our clever designers. Our suppliers of goods will be designing and marketing them as well.

Nearly There

Thanks to the people who have downloaded so far. The more that download will mean more user experience and feedback to me so I can improve the whole thing.

The update with better control of the result areas will be ready in a few days. Please look sometime after the 20th October to download a new Analysis. I just have to kill a bug or two in the contingency allowance that has crept in during the reprogramming.

I noticed that there were quite a lot of viewings of the web page but not all resulted in a download. I know that some were put off by the need to submit an email - I did this so that I could provide advise to users of updates - I certainly would not provide any names to spam merchants. On reflection I suppose that I would feel uncomfortable so I have disconnected that part of the site code that requests the address.

Now, please feel free to stay anonymous and download as much as you like!

Edit Boxes and Tables

Isn't it always the way? You think you're finished and then something goes wrong.

One thing I am keen on in data entry is, where you have a table it is nice for the user to enter straight into the table as you might in a spreadsheet rather than, the old way of putting it into a box then, pass the entry into the table. It is something that better software companies do and of course, I think my customers should expect it. Anyway it is quite hard to do actually because of problems with multiple dimensional validation.

Long story cut short - I thought I had succeeded in the Process Books but, not all cases are taken into account. I know there are still editing boxes in the study and stack results but those will be gone soon.

Most users should not see the problem - but, for those who do, sorry there will be an update next week.

Ready

Today is target day. Apart from some help page work still to be done in TDX Analysis, we're ready. Now I want to get the stuff out to see more British companies using computer aided work measurement (CAWM) without being put off by initial and continuing costs.

CAWM is after all, a 1980s technology that frankly should be cheaper and very much more widely used now (heck - I bought a licence to use Tel-time way back in 1989). If more of our middle range companies used the techniques to lift the light on their costs and see the huge potential for improvement in their workplaces, then they might not be so willing to send our jobs to the Far East. I want everybody to use it and if the only way is to give it away then, fine.
If it saves at least some businesses from thinking that far eastern labour is the best option then, we’ve made a start.

Developing and programming the Analysis has been a massive task for one person - it has taken me from February this year to get to this point with a usable Analysis program (and still try to make a living). Actually I have been using it for months and you can define usability against diminishing bugs. Certainly I have been operating the main core of it on my own projects since April to good effect.

The web site was hard work, all my own work and took the last couple of weeks of just about all my spare time. It is not particularly modern looking but I hope it conveys a message. For web creativity, I defer to my son Ben, a particularly talented artist and interactive web designer. I have to thank him for the code to drive the download arrangements on my site.

In the event of any particular issues with the software please feel free to contact me – I still do project work (when people want me!) but I’ll respond quickly to queries and constructive suggestions.

Almost there!

Well, Nearly there,

It has taken me 6 months to get the TDX Analysis up and running so that Timedex and its sister programs have got somewhere to be analysed.

The hardest part has been the last few weeks building up the site and paricularly the on-line tutorials. I hope that these will all be ready for 14th September.

Actually, if they are not, I think I have put plenty into the system descriptions to give most users a pretty good idea of how to do things.

Anyway, I hope my efforts will at last lead to more companies using computerised work measurement.

Start to Blogging

This is a start - the blog goes with my website and give a personal view of what I see going on in the industrial engineering community.

I will do all I can not to offend anyone who I do not mean to offend - so, if you are thus offended, please feel free to let me know. However, if the cap fits - let us all know what your point is.

I hope that the comments will be about useful points that mean something in what is very largely a contractor based workforce both from our own point of view and perhaps more importantly, how we see issues that relate to our clients.