Alternative Energy Forecast

Forecasting alternative energy is not an easy task.  I think if you ask any individual, they are all for having alternative energy that does not pollute the earth.  The problem is, the oil industry has a big stake in the world market and definitely does not want to lose their massive profits.  It’s clear to people in the Gulf States, which endured BP’s oil fiasco, that a different, safer solution needs to be made.  The problem is how does the average tax paying voter make a difference when big corporations get to lobby directly to politicians for their agendas?  It’s an unfair system, so I think we either need a revolution forcing change or oil needs to run out.  It may be that the 2024 prediction is when oil is projected to run out, but I doubt that from what I’m seeing in the world news.  With a market size so big and so much at stake, something needs to be done. 

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References

TechCast Authors.  Bubble Chart’s of TechCast’s Latest Results.  Retrieved 7/7/2012 from http://www.techcast.org/TrategicAnalysis2.aspx?FieldID=19.

New Agora SDP Process Analysis

The first four steps in the SDP process are vital to figuring out what the problem is.  In the case of the inventory cycle count application, the situation is complex, which would make it an ideal candidate for the SDP process.

Asking questions helps to deconstruct the many facets of a complex situation. This methodology is similar to the methodology used to develop software applications where the first step is to talk to each user and get their input on the problem areas they have.

The third step is to articulate observations, which is an important step that I think many individuals fail to take into account. I feel the primary reason this is overlooked is because it is time-consuming to make observations and put them down on paper. It's much easier to look at the problems that we think are there and make solutions for those. By observing the problem areas in action, we often catch many things that were overlooked in the initial phase of questioning.

The SDP process supports planning for innovation and change by figuring out what is missing and making a plan on how to make a solution for that missing piece.

References

Schreibman, Vigdor, Christakis, Alexander.  New Agora: New Geometry of Languaging and New Technology of Democracy.  Retrieved 7/7/2012 from http://www.harnessingcollectivewisdom.com/pdf/newagora.pdf.

Microsoft Team Foundation Server

Developing software is a staged process involving several teams of people to produce a quality product. In the past, development teams used varying tools to accomplish their jobs. Most often these tools were specialized and not something the entire team could utilize. Microsoft created a product called Team Foundation Server to bridge this gap and provide a set of tools that all teams can use to develop the software.  The technologies that make this package work are SQL server, a source code repository and a front end using a Microsoft SharePoint web portal.

Visual Studio is the development platform used to create Microsoft products. In version 2010, the Team Foundation Server connection is built into the product, allowing you to interface with all of its features without having to leave the development environment.  Creating a new feature, software bug, workflow item, etc. can be performed from Visual Studio and assignable to other resources within the company. This feature, along with the source code repository that enables everyone to share source code files, make the team foundation server a great tool for social interaction necessary between varying teams of a development company.

Image taken from http://online-tfs.com/images/tfsOverview.png

References

Microsoft.com Authors.  Team Foundation Server 2010.  Retrieved 7/7/2012 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/ff637362.aspx.