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WHERE IS MINNESOTA SMITH? 287

To integrate with Financial and other business data, we add the ability to coor-
dinate with Enterprise Resource Planning systems, such as SAP and Oracle.

To support the diversified and dispersed user base, we want a system that of-
fers the appropriate operating environment for each. For planning and control,
traditional desktop systems, optimized for client/server platforms, are preferred.
For the nonproject specialist, web-based modes are preferred, both for remote
access and for less intimidating screen forms. All reports should be able to be pro-
duced in both traditional and web formats. However, for comprehensive review
and analysis, supporting project portfolio management, the data should be avail-
able in such modes that allow for easy drill-down and interrogation.

Where in the World Is Minnesota Smith?

Gosh! While getting carried away with writing this chapter, I forgot about our
friend Minnie. I just learned that she has found her way out of the Temple of Un-
realized Dreams. While searching through the temple rubble, she came across a
set of mysterious tablets. Working with experts to decode the markings, she dis-
covered that the tablets contained maps of Northern California, Colorado, Ger-
many, and Holland. Hoping that it would lead her to her quest for automated,
integrated, Enterprise-wide Project Management, she was last seen heading for
the airport. We look into what she found in the next chapter.