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were developed. Another problem that arose was the development of
a so-called pointer system which allowed the end user to access
information about a customer through one of various identification
sources (e.g., name, account number, Social Security number, etc.).
The pointer system was one of the more critical functions of the
SBS software.
Many of the problems were reviewed and corrected during the
testing phase by Norwest technical staff, who would inform EDS
personnel of the problems and recommend corrective changes to the
software. (A small group of programming experts was assembled
specifically to handle the SBS problems through the use of a
specialized case tool called PACBASE, which was selected by EDS.)
Norwest employed a repeatable testing process to isolate problems
and find solutions.12 A running list of these technical problems
was maintained in a system provided by EDS. Not all problems were
resolved in this process, and often new problems arose from the
correction of old ones. Some of the problems that arose in the
development of SBS were attributable to poor programming and the
12 This was a particularly difficult process because three
different entities were working on the development of SBS.
Norwest had to reconcile all of the changes and discover the
source of the problems. This process required the isolation of
each change made by each entity for testing purposes. Often the
attempts to correct one set of problems created new ones.
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