- M - ============================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 08:14:56 GMT From: Sarah Mould Subject: Re: Introductions I am Sarah Mould, a self-employed Computer Systems Engineer in the UK. I have been on my own since graduating as a mature student two years ago; my company is Business Technical Support Ltd. What do I do? Well, not a lot to do with the content of this list, which is why I have been lurking heretofore. I spend most of my time designing, producing and supporting (smallish) data-based systems for semi-government bodies' subcontractors' reporting/claim requirements. Plus lots of hand- holding of the 'this is how to amend your batch file' variety. My background? I initially started a degree in Information Science, long before anyone had heard of PDP11s, let alone PCs (which is probably why I dropped out!). Science-based education finally led me into electronics production (ie soldering); moderate intelligence combined with insufficent good sense not to point out better ways of doing things got me into management. Interest moved me to a training organisation where I could learn to play with computers, in 1982. Lack of formal training kept me there too long, so I finally jumped ship to become a full-time student again. I _loved_ it, even though I lost the lovely long vacations I had expected, by getting sponsorship with British Telecom. I had intended to aim for self-employment, but more as a technical writer/trainer. In fact, I discovered that I was good at analysis and design of software, and pure chance got me the contacts that led to my current client list. Why do I subscribe to this list? Ten years' management experience, with the usual feeling of irritation at the general incompetence of so many 'managers'; desire to run my own business as well as possible; general interest. I promise to contribute when I have both time and something to say! Best wishes to everone here. --- Sarah Mould "The life so short, the craft so long to learn" Hippocrates, tr. Chaucer ============================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 17:16:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Rachel Monsour Subject: introduction (no time like the present) My name is Rachel Monsour and I am an MBA student in Vancouver. I am really an Australian here to do some study whilst experiencing life in the northern hemisphere. Basically I joined this list to get a feel for the types of issues and thoughts that are current in the world of consulting - I am thinking I may someday join the ranks. My main interests lie in the micro aspects of management - my thesis is looking at the changing risk attitudes of organisational decision-makers in response to positive or negative performance feedback. Basically, a decision theoretic perspective applied to the firm level to investigate the motivations for certain decisions. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff but you'd be surprised at the situations to which it can be applied. (Sort of like the sigmoid curve that keeps popping up in nature) Regards this list... To be frank (is this really what you want to hear?) I haven't seen any discussion in this list that does not appear to be about the current, hip, transient processes - BPR and change management is IN (in a big way). I am wondering what happened to the Porter proposals that I heard about in Strategy - the core competencies, competitive advantages, cooperation with competitors. Is all this stuff outmoded? Is it really all about reengineering your own outfit? Are profits really made or lost on the efficiency of staff in an organisation? Or am I being too narrow in my outlook and not realising that these things must go on as well? It is altogether possible that I am off the track by speaking to the list participants about these matters - it shows how much I don't know about "consulting". Please don't hesitate to put me back on track with regard to the current practices. I await responses eagerly. Rachel monsour@sfu.ca =========================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Mar 95 19:19 EST From: Barbara Meyers <0005526378@mcimail.com> Subject: Introduction Greetings, from Barbara Meyers, President, Meyers Consulting Services, e-mail: 5526378@mcimail.com Over the last 20 years, I have worked with NFP publishers/prganizations as well as commercial consulting firms before starting my private consultancy in 1983. I specialize in the areas of management, marketing, planning, and research for producers of scientific, technical, and medical information (in the old days, we used to call them publishers). Since my work on a project involving innovation in the 1970s, I have been consumed with the concept of change and its impacts. With the application of new technologies to information transfer, it is rare that I lack food for thought. Looking forward to sharing experiences and challenges, maybe even a problem or solution with all of you on the Consulting List. (typos and all) ============================================================================ Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 19:56:33 -0800 From: "Nancy P. Milligan" Subject: Introductions Hello, I just joined the list and I wish to introduce myself. I just started consulting and have been doing it for barely a month. I'm happy to report that I have two customers and I'm working very hard for them right now. I'm consulting primarily in unix/network/pc/mac kinds of system administration and integration areas. I'm also working with companies to install Internet connections, firewalls and security areas. I've got 12 years experience in the areas of system administration and programming. At the moment Perl is my "favoritest" programming language but I do C and just about any flavor of shell programming. I turned to consulting because I never really liked being an employee. The rigid regime of working every day between certain hours has always been against my nature, and it seems like the higher I went in the organizational ladder, the more I felt and resented the rigidity, not to mention the extra hours of unpaid labour! Plus it just seemed so hard to advance in the corporate world. No matter how proficient and capable I was, system administrators just don't have much of a corporate "career path". So anyway, here I finally am. It seems like I've been "planning" on doing this for years. But the time just seemed so right. I think there's a definite lack of senior system administrators, particularily in my part of the world. Anyway, just wanted to say "howdy". Didn't realize I was going to ramble away quite so much just then. npm@netcom.com (Nancy Milligan) Nancy Milligan Internet, Perl/C/shell/AWK programming System Administration Consulting npm@netcom.com San Diego, California ============================================================================ Date: Fri, 17 Mar 95 08:11:00 PST From: "Maultsby, Carl" Subject: Introduction I work in the internal review department for a state agency. The job requires that I be a part time trainer and quality control specialist. In the past I have worked with an outside consultant that helped us with some organizational change issues. I helped him understand our operation and culture and worked to implement the programs he presented. On a limited basis, I have worked with this same consultant at government technology conferences. We present training seminars on strategic planning, effective management, communication, and developing unique job descriptions that also serve as the training plan for the employee. In my current job, I act, somewhat, as an internal consultant. It is necessary for me to interact with all the departments within the division and some in other parts of the agency. I am interested in learning all I can to help structure this department as a consulting group, patterned after the private sector. Carl Maultsby Internal Review, Property Tax Division Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (512) 305-9839 cmau462@ptd.cpa.texas.gov ============================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 12:07:44 -0500 From: SCOTTMANDE@aol.com Subject: Intro-Scott Mandeville Scott L. Mandeville, CPIM, has more than 15 years of manufacturing experience with expertise in materials requirement planning, master production scheduling, inventory management , total quality management, just in time, and quality assurance. He is President of Scott Mandeville Consulting, specializing in the selection and implementation of MRPII systems as well as TQM, project management, and just in time. Scott has clients in the food, electronics, process, and medical industries. He also teaches rsource management classes for APICS, California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Berkeley Extension. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. Scott is Executive Vice President and is acting as VP of Education for the Golden Gate Chapter of APICS. He is a frequent speaker on a wide variety of resource management subjects. He previously held positions as Director of Quality for Cocolat Inc. and as Processing Manager and Quality Assurance Manager for Hiram Walker & Sons, Inc. Scott Mandeville, CPIM 345 California Drive #188 Burlingame, CA 94010 415-343-6078 415-343-6132 FAX ScottMande@aol.com ============================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 22:52:14 -0500 (EST) From: IOS User Subject: Introduction Name: Bob Morrissey As a new member of the consulting mailing list, I've been requested to identify myself. I previously worked as the Chief Internal Auditor for a major Third Party Administrator directing a staff of eight that performed Branch Reviews of the Workers Comp and Property & Casualty branches. In that capacity we increased the Quality of Service, Reduced Costs, Increased Revenue, Minimized and Detected Fraud and Improved the Usefulness of Information Systems and the Resultant Management Data. I lost my job due to a reorganization and to my subordinate, who had worked for me in a previous company and who I had rescued from Unemployment. Finding it tough to get a full-time job at my level (and age ? -52), and after extensive networking, I decided to join with a down-sized executive from a major Insurance Company and try our hand at Workers Comp and P&C consulting. Our programs are derived from our accomplishments at our prior employers (as stated above for myself. my partner had implemented a Litigation Management Program that cut lawyer's fees and related costs by $4 million in a 4 year period). Our programs were also based on the fact that 90 Insurance Industry Executives I networked with, pointed out our areas of accomplishments as the key concerns of the Insurance Industry (Cost Containment, Fraud Control and Detection, Quality of Service and Adequacy of Systems). We started in August,'94 and are just starting to see results. I look forward to learning from the group and assisting members wherever I can. Thank You. Bob Morrissey Senior Partner MSA Insurance Operations Consultants email: irish@haven.ios.com =========================================================================== Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 21:35:23 -0400 From: Richard938@aol.com Subject: Intro Richard Maynard President Maynard & Associates 2403 Davis Ave. Alexandria, Va. 22302 Work with other free-lance persons in U.S. and Canada with respect to information technology. CD-ROM and CD-i producer of training discs, catalogues, general information. Pioneer in developing low cost production techniques for CD-i with PC authoring approach that provides transfer to CD-i for many applications in $5-6 k range. Active in International Compact Disc Interactive Association Founder and coordinator of regional CD-i User Group Board Member of Wash., D.C. Chapter of International Interactive Communications Society. Key words for areas of specialization: multimedia data bases, productivity tools, interactive applications, technology transfer (conferences and workshops), multimedia planning from SW/HW acquisition through staff roles and production procedures. =============================================================================