Its Inventory Time Again
NASA ARC Internal Memo: Reminder to NASA Equipment Users that Deadline is Aug. 31, 2007
“Please note however that the changes submitted by the user in the Equipment User Validation System will not automatically change the NEMS data. The user’s cognizant equipment specialist will need to make those changes to NEMS using information provided by the user in the Equipment User Validation System.”
Editor’s note: First of all, what “equipment” is covered by this memo? Desks? Pencils? Why does someone need to input all of this information if “The user’s cognizant equipment specialist will need to make those changes to NEMS using information provided by the user in the Equipment User Validation System.” Why can’t the software do that on its own once the data is entered by the user and skip that step – after all, you are asking employees to verfy the information? On the other hand, why can’t the “cognizant equipment specialist” do the data entry and thus remove the need for someone else to enter it and then have this “cognizant equipment specialist” actually make the changes?
No wonder NASA can’t find things – it sends out confusing memos to its employees like this – and expects them to figure things out. Moreover, on one hand it trusts employees to have accurate information – but it does not trust them to enter that information into a final database. But NASA spends money instead on additional warm bodies to do that data entry. You know, I’ll bet NASA could spend the same amount of money it wastes on hiring “cognizant equipment specialists” (and lost staff time) and have RFID tags put on everything. That way, things will update this database every time they are moved – without human intervention. If you can put a property tag on something, you can put an RFID tag on it. Besides, Ames, Silicon Valley is just outside your gate. Someone out there must know how to do this.
