Plotnick Software

Dr. Plotnick has both written code for software and assisted other software developers improve their product for the construction and other time sensitive markets since 1974:

• In 1974 then still as a student at Drexel University, Fred was provided a grant by the computer center to debug and make operative a CPM program written in APL (or A Programming Language.) This as a demonstration program for teaching purposes was limited on Drexel's hardware to some thirty activities and with a solution using the then taught "Matrix Method."

• In 1975 new graduate Plotnick assisted his new employer, the City of Philadelphia, in modifying and implementing a more powerful CPM software based upon a similar demonstration product developed at Swarthmore Univdersity

• In 1976, now as an employee of Bechtel, Plotnick studied and mastered use of the McAuto MSCS software marketed by McDonald Douglas, continuing to become known as a power user of this and other softwares for various employers. By 1980, Plotnick was the single largest user of MSCS in the Philadelphia market and embarked on training in McAuto's Saint Louis headquarters upon their customization extension known as MRCS.

• In 1983 Plotnick began work as owner and chief consultant of Engineering & Property Consultants, Inc., soon also known as EnProMaC, and began work on a new CPM software written in dBase code (an Ashton Tate database software) this then used for projects up to 400 activities and soon up to several thousand. The backbone of that code was published in 1999 in CPM in Construction Management 5th Edition and subsequent "Writing Your Own CPM Software."

• Since its founding in 1983, Plotnick worked with Primavera to improve its various software releases. In 2004 Plotnick published his development of a new format for depicting and recording the pure logic network entitled as Relationship Diagramming Method (RDM) this being an enhancement over the original format of 1956 known as Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) and the Precidence Diagramming Method (PDM) of the early 1960s. Assistance was provided Primavera to incorporate the new format and associated technology now known as Relationship Driven Critical Path Method or RDCPM® into various products including its Pertmaster product and for which Primavera and now Oracle continue to pay an annual royalty.

• In 2011 Plotnick was engaged by Vico Software to review and and suggest improvement to that product. After consulting in Miami and reviewing actual usage on two projects in California, improvements were implemented eventually resulting in Vico being acquired by Trimble. Trimble then requested Dr. Plotnick present on this product at its Dimensions conference in 2014 and 2016.

• In 2020, during the lull in workload related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Plotnick determined to further develop a new software for the industry, incorporating RDCPM® and other improvements developed over the past forty-some years, and to be known as PSCS™ or Plotnick Scheduling and Control System™.