Re: TDS project

You might hear of this, so I thought I better forward to you.

---------------------- Forwarded by Mary Solmonson/HOU/ECT on 06/08/2000
08:53 PM ---------------------------

Mary Solmonson
06/08/2000 08:57 PM
To: Scott Mills/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc: Joel Henenberg/NA/Enron@Enron, Stephen Stock/HOU/ECT@ECT
Subject: Re: TDS project

I guess I have several comments to make to this string of mails....so why not
add one more mail...

First off, Thomas is following up on my suggestion to check into TDS as when
we met a few weeks ago (on other issues) I heard about TDS by name for the
first time - although I admit I was aware of work being done to replace the
Applix functionality. You had remarked that you liked the TDS functionality
and wondered whether that was the way to go rather than continue to evolve
Enron Grid. It is unfortunate that Bill is not more cooperative with Thomas'
request - more in the continuing saga of poor communication and information
sharing between our two teams.

Clearly there needs to be much more communication and sharing of information
as Global Rate Services for many months 'bowed' to the Sitara team's
priorities for Enron Grid - which you now say probably won't be used. There
are many priorities in the wings to benefit the processes of Global Rate
Services that without has caused us to continue to experience a high rate of
errors - causing large impact to the P&L ($600,000 just the other day) and to
the invoicing and payment processes.

I have been proceeding under the impression Enron Grid was a shared
application. You clearly don't share that view as below you stated it is the
responsibility of another group. Is that why you dropped pursuit of Enron
Grid and began developing TDS?

Perhaps IT could meet deliverables if we provided them with a well
thought-out plan and set of priorities, good communication, and solid project
management. To pursue separate solutions to try to save a struggling Sitara
project may not have been the best answer. We have exacerbated the IT
resource problem by having three applications that overlap in functionality
(Phoenix, MKM, and TDS) - oh, and pieces of ERMS too. If that's the right
answer, let's be sure we've discussed it before frivolously and selfishly
pursuing our own solutions. The 'users' you cite as knowing of TDS are not
users at all - they are IT project managers. Will you not have expectations
of Global Rate Services to provide settled pricing as an input to derived
curves ? Will Global Rate Services responsibility end at the Phoenix door
and it's someone else's problem if the price doesn't reflect correctly in
TDS?

Finally, it was certainly the intent that MKM would be the ultimate solution
for all time series publishing in the organization-but I believe there is
question as to whether it is the better technical solution and whether the
design can fulfill the requirements. I wasn't aware that the pilot version of
MKM contained any curve generation functionality. It would be interesting to
know how that got done, when ENA IT wasn't able to meet the basic
deliverables of the MKM pilot. Another disturbing element in all this
regarding IT is - why IT did not raise a red flag that on the business side
there were requests for overlapping functionality and conflicting priorities
- you know, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

As all have said before me, a gap analysis needs to be done and a plan
developed. I look forward to increased communication and cooperation between
our teams.

To: Thomas Araujo/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Yannis Tzamouranis/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc: William E Kasemervisz/HOU/ECT@ECT, Judy Barnes/HOU/ECT@ECT, Vanessa
Schulte/Corp/Enron@Enron, Joel Henenberg/NA/Enron@Enron, Larrissa
Sharma/HOU/ECT@ECT, Allan Severude/HOU/ECT@ECT, Stephen Stock/HOU/ECT@ECT,
Mary Solmonson/HOU/ECT@ECT
Subject: Re: TDS project

Users outside of Sitara do know of TDS! Yannis and his group have had
discussions with Allen Severude's group regarding the TDS/Tibco
infrastructure as well as review of "current state" Enron Grid. Myself,
Larrissa Sharma, Allan Severude, Steve Stock and Yannis have also had similar
approach discussions.

Please note that a small portion of TDS is the replacement of the curve
manager functionality that APPLIX currently provides (APPLIX is a trader
tool). There has been much user input on how the curve manager in TDS will
be used. Since EnronGrid/Rate Sever has not had an opportunity to handle the
real-time (publish/subscribe) updates yet, it was suggested the
infrastructure provided by TDS (i.e. Tibco) may be something to look. Note
that TDS is mentioned because of the infrastructure. The functionality
provided by the TDS curve manager does not encompass all the requirements
outlined in the EnronGrid documents (functionality lacking the most is
security, updating of "Published" pricing and the tie in to Rate Server -the
TDS curve manager is built on ERMS pub/curve codes because all the trade data
is TAGG). Either way, the functionality that we have all been working
through regarding how curves get published as well as subscribed to does not
change. Keep in mind that MKM also has curve generation functionality (to my
knowledge, no one in Houston was part of this development).

From a technical perspective, several items need to be addressed:

Review/decision as to the technical direction of EnronGrid/Rate Server
infrastructure and publish/subscribe real time development.
Rate Server has no front end for curve generation. EnronGrid was modified
to provide this functionality; however EnronGrid is the responsibility of a
different group
(logically, this needs to come together under the same group).
Does the TDS/Tibco infrastructure make sense (current EnronGrid/Rate Server
design assumes the curves are always updated to the Rate Sever database and
then messaged from the database (potential performance impact); whereas
Tibco infrastructure does not require a database update first)
Does the MKM curve publish/subscribe supersede everything and provide a
"better" global technical solution (part of the London curve manager
development team will be in
Houston next week; therefore a briefing of the MKM curve manager is
something that we are trying to get done). Functionally, this will require a
more vigorous gap
analysis review before a decision can be made.

I am open to additional discussions on the technical direction, but I do not
think that alot of additional functional documentation needs to be done and
timelines are not changing.

SRM (x33548)

Thomas Araujo @ ENRON

06/08/2000 10:13 AM
To: Yannis Tzamouranis/HOU/ECT@ECT, William E Kasemervisz/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc: Judy Barnes/HOU/ECT@ECT, Scott Mills/HOU/ECT@ECT, Vanessa
Schulte/Corp/Enron@Enron, Joel Henenberg/NA/Enron@Enron
Subject: Re: TDS project

Bill,

I don't think anyone outside of Sitara knows of TDS. If you could give
myself and other interested parties a demo of TDS; I don't have a good
understanding of the TDS project. If the project is similar to the Enron
Grid as it is indicated in Yannis's response, the business users need to come
together and decide the system of choice. Yannis makes good points of how to
come to a decision. I would change that the users provide the important
features, advantages, and shortcomings of each product as they see it. I
would gather the users' needs and timeline. After deciding, I would then
like to get IT involved to finalize a decision. I would like to get the
discussion started fairly soon due to the impeding business needs.

The first thing I would suggest is have a demo of both products to inform all
impacted business users. Bill, can we setup a demo for tomorrow or early
next week.

Thomas

Yannis Tzamouranis@ECT
06/08/2000 08:24 AM
To: William E Kasemervisz/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc: Thomas Araujo/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Scott Mills/HOU/ECT@ECT

Subject: Re: TDS project

Bill,

I have had presentations of both of these projects (that is not to say that I
know them well).

Since, according to Scott the choice is still open, we have to make a
concious decision as to which way we go. In my mind, this is a decision that
has to be made by the user with my team's support. I do not want and should
not drive this decision. The decision should be driven by the user, based on
usage (business) requirements. What the Phoenix group will provide is a
server that does (or soon will) satisfy your business requirements. The
front end plug in is, I think, a decoupled issue in a server-client
environment.

On the other hand, I think we should help you with the choice (if you so want
us). I would actively consult with you to set up the choosing process, which
I imagine would go somewhat like this:
I would suggest that we do, again and all deciding parties together, get
demos of each of these products.
Business should put together a bullet point list of the functionality needed
(even a timeline) and how the tool will be used so both Allan and Mike
understand your needs clearly.
I also suggest that we ask TDS and Enron Grid to provide us with a short
document outlining the important features, advantages and shortcomings of
each product as they see it. Released features should be separated from
future improvements; the latter should be be accompanied by a time line.
Limitations should be listed explicitly.
We take our impressions from the demos along with the writeups in a room and
make the decision.
If needed, business might have to spend the time to play with each of these
products for a short period of time.

In my mind it is important to make choices like this one that will affect
business for a long time based on enumerated and well understood facts (such
that usually get lost from a short demo).

Please let me know what you think,

Yannis

William E Kasemervisz
06/07/2000 08:37 PM
To: Thomas Araujo/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Yannis Tzamouranis/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc:
Subject: Re: TDS project

I'm not sure what you want to go over. If you and Yannis would like to have
a demo of the TDS & Grid applications let me know & I'll try to set something
up with Scott also, so we can discuss GRID/TDS Curve Manager/ MKM.

Thomas Araujo @ ENRON

06/07/2000 10:13 AM
To: William E Kasemervisz/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc:
Subject: TDS project

Bill,
Can you give me more information to the TDS you are working on like the due
dates, the scope, etc. If you got some requirements documents or the
business plan on the project, it would be better. I just want to get a
better picture of how Enron Grid fits in the big picture.

Thanks,
Thomas