Analysis Products (II)

Ms Dixon was correct of course. But then that diagram had a specific job to do: help me sort out the analysis. Once done, I had summarised the results in to a set of readable and re-useable (i.e. electronic) documents.

In my experience, people seem to get hung up on every document at every stage being beautifully presented and understandable by anyone who picks it up whether they know about the subject material or not. I take a different view: every analysis document should have specific purpose and an intended audience.

If it does not satisfy the purpose or is not useable by the intended audience then it is quite literally a waste of time.

For example, the purpose of my diagram was to sort out who was where doing what when. The intended audience was me. The diagram had done its job. Tick in the box.

Given the understanding the diagram had helped me gain, I needed to summarise and reformat the findings in to other documents whose purpose was to communicate the findings of the analysis to Ms Dixon (to progress our processes) and Lord Todd (who wanted to know this information and was paying for it).

It seemed to me that the logical way to do that was to define the core components (people and rooms) in a table and building plan, then have another table to show which people were in which rooms at what times doing what. I could then use these documents to talk through the analysis products with their intended audiences.

Anyone else who picked up the room plan or tables and didn’t understand them could go whistle: they should not have been reading the documents anyway and so can hardly complain they don’t understand them. Not every analysis document is for everyone as every analysis document should be tailored for purpose and intended audience.

People

Name	Initials	Role
Lord Todd	LT	Rock God, Lord of the Manor and employer
Arthur Court	AC	Butler to Lord Todd
Brian Bates	BB	Gate and grounds guard
Connor Chambers	CC	Gate and grounds guard
Danny D’Eath	DD	Bodyguard for Lord Todd
Erica Echoes	EE	Housekeeper
Frank Flowers	FF	General handyman and gardner
Gareth Garfield	GG	Cook

Locations

 

Who was doing what, where and when between 31/12 18:00 and 01/01 09:00

Who was doing what, where and when between 31/12 18:00 and 01/01 09:00

All times approximate to nearest quarter hour except where indicated by exact times.

All parties had an evening meal, but for some it was before 18:00.

Initials	Location	From	To	Doing what
LT	Dining Room	18:00	19:00	Having evening meal
LT	Reception Room	19:00	23:15	Watching TV, some admin work and reading
LT	Lord Todd’s bedroom	23:15	00:59	Getting ready for bed, reading in bed. Hears scream from upstairs, rushes to investigate.
LT	AC bedroom	01:01	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
LT	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
LT	LT Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
AC	Dining room and Kitchen	18:00	19:00	Serving Lord Todd’s evening meal
AC	Kitchen	19:00	19:25	Assisting GG clear up and prepare for tomorrow’s breakfast.
AC	Staff room	19:25	22:00	Watching TV, socialising.
AC	AC bedroom	22:00	00:59	Getting ready for bed, in bed (asleep?), being attacked, screaming.
BB	Gate house and grounds	18:00	21:00	Guarding
BB	Staff room	21:00	22:30	Watching TV, socialising.
BB	BB bedroom	22:30	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping. Woken when hears scream from downstairs, rushes to investigate.
BB	AC bedroom	01:02	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
BB	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
BB	BB Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
CC	Gate house and grounds	18:00	21:00	Guarding
CC	Staff room	21:00	22:30	Watching TV, socialising.
CC	CC bedroom	22:30	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping. Woken when hears scream from downstairs, rushes to investigate.
CC	AC bedroom	01:02	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
CC	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
CC	CC Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
DD	Dining room	18:00	19:00	Tasting LT’s evening meal, protecting LT.
DD	Reception room	19:00	23:15	Protecting LT.
DD	LT’s bedroom	23:15	23:20	Inspection of LT’s bedroom
DD	DD bedroom	23:20	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping, Woken when hears scream from across corridor, rushes to investigate.
DD	AC bedroom	01:01	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
DD	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
DD	DD Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
EE	Staff room	18:00	22:00	Eating evening meal, watching TV and socialising.
EE	EE bedroom	22:00	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping, Woken when hears scream from across corridor, rushes to investigate.
EE	AC bedroom	01:00	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
EE	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
EE	EE Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
FF	Staff room	18:00	22:00	Eating evening meal, watching TV and socialising.
FF	FF bedroom	22:00	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping, Woken when she hears scream from across the corridor, rushes to investigate.
FF	AC bedroom	01:02	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
FF	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
FF	FF Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping
GG	Kitchen	18:00	19:25	Preparing LT evening meal, clearing up and preparing for breakfast.
GG	Staff room	19:25	21:30	Watching TV and socialising.
GG	GG bedroom	21:30	00:59	Getting ready for bed, sleeping, Woken when hears scream from across the corridor, rushes to investigate.
GG	AC bedroom	01:02	01:35	Investigating attack on AC, waiting for police
GG	Reception Room	01:40	03:30	Helping police with their enquiries
GG	GG Bedroom	03:35	-	Sleeping

“Well,” Ms Dixon said happily. “Case solved, don’t you think?”