CLAS KICKOFF MEETING ON 26 FEBRUARY 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00191R000100080005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 28, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/01 :
CIA-RDP90-00191R000100080005-0 DATE
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/01 : CIA-RDP90-00191R000100080005-0
25X1
CON
NTIAL
28 February 1986
MEMORANDUM FOR THF RFC01211.
FROM:
SUBJECT:
CLAS Kickoff Meeting on 26 February 1986
25X1 1. chaired the meeting and the
Agency attendees included just about the same tolks as attended
the earlier tion ( 17 January 1986 ) with the
25X1 addition of as the policy advisor for the inventory
25X1 module as the policy advisor for purchasing, and
25X1
25X1 c le as the policy advisor for accounts payable.
of IMSS and oss, was also in
atten ance. On the MSA side, o Hunt, the head of the
Washington support office, was there in addition to Virgil
Bagdones, the integrator and senior coordinator for the Agency
contract, John Holmes, the chief support person for the
inventory control (which is included in the manufacturing
package that will do much of the integrating of purchasing and
accounts payable), and Ed Winkler, the chief support person for
the purchasing module. Vince Lopano, the accounts payable
manager was not there. Don Moen, the manager for TRW of the
site support for the test facility, was also in attendance with
two of his people who will work on the test under OIT direction.
2. Bagdones emphasized the importance of doing a careful
environmental analysis, i.e. definition of what you want done,
without succumbing to "analysis paralysis". He also advised
that the Agency thoroughly familiarize itself with the MSA
packages and design their operations to utilize the MSA
functional capabilities most effectively and develop "hard
procedures" only after acquiring some experience in using the
packages even if this experience is gained only in a trial or
test situation. He indicated that the implementation
methodology guide would be of great value. He cautioned
against modifying MSA programs and repeatedly urged that policy
questions be addressed up front.
3. Holmes also stressed that successful implementation was
dependent upon good planning by the customer. Hunt noted that
the Agency had negotiated an extended support agreement that
assured that MSA support people would be available to assist in
the further enhancement of capabilities as the system began to
be used more extensively in a real-world situation. In
,25X1 response to comment that the Agency had spent some
four years in defining its procedures for purchasing and
inventory, Bagdones recommended that the present documentation
be revalidated because in his experience procedures often
changed substantially over such a span a time. He noted that
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/01: CIA-RDP90-00191R000100080005-0
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25X1 "
25X1
25X1
CONFIDENTIAL
the Agency processes needed to be mapped to MSA screens and
reports but that a work flow diagram would probably be
sufficiently detailed for this purpose. Hunt urged that the
Applications Guides be studied closely.
4. In response to a question as to what the major pitfalls
of implementing MSA software were likely to be, Bagdones said
they included:
a) failure to establish a steering committee to
monitor the project and/or failure to have the project team
report to the steering committee on a regular basis -- say
monthly.
b) making changes to the MSA programs in the process
of tailoring the system.
c) poor communications among people working on the
project both laterally and vertically.
5. closed out the morning session
the TRW test environment. He introduced
assist him in the technical effort, and
from the corporate data base staff and is assigne
duration of the test. It appears that the key Agency people
will have access to the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. While the installation is unclassified for purposes of
this test (hence its use for CLAS), badges will be required for
access.
6. An afternoon session was held but I was unable to
attend.
describing
who will
who is
or the
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/01: CIA-RDP90-00191R000100080005-0