The Fifth Column: The Lieutenant Colonel and Logistics and the Captain and the Claim

The author expresses a growing concern that with the concentration on gee-whiz software in modeling one may be implying that all to be done is: (a) define the model, (b) choose the appropriate software package, (c) get some data (from someone), (d) run the model, and (e) present management with the result. It is important to remember that the method used to collect data and the level of trust in data is of even bigger importance.