Computer rant

[Mobuck]

The agency that I currently work for uses it's internal computer system plus 'the cloud' to facilitate field employee information input. UNFORTUNATELY, it has become a consistent problem near the deadline of all of the bigger projects that the computer system BREAKS. When this happens, everything stops not just the project with the fast approaching deadline--EVERYTHING associated with the field input devices(iPADS) ceases to function. I can't even check employee progress on other projects.
The last time this happened, the system was broken for 9 hours so in the great thought processes of HQ, they gave us an extra 9 hours for input. The original deadline was 11PM on a Sunday night so that was extended 9 hours--to 8AM on Monday. Sure, that helped a lot. I really don't know anyone who sat up all Sunday night playing catch-up.
I know everything breaks now and then but there appears to be a consistent problem that isn't being addressed. Yes, some of this could be avoided by getting the input done sooner but there's always a foot dragger/procrastinator whose primary goal in life is to finish at the ending bell and not a second sooner.

 

[Dave P.]

What my wife does is make ALL her direct report employees have their stuff to her either one or two days early. They only have a couple of things they can't complete a bit early due to required date ranges. This gives her a bit of cushion for "issues".
And then there's her own philosophy....if you don't like it just tell me, I'll be happy to get another job someplace else.

 

[contender]

I actually have a window into that world.

Miss Penny is the ISN & AVETA person for her company. She too has stuff that is required by field personnel, (project managers & others,) who do NOT want to take the time to input stuff. They procrastinate, they try & get someone else to do it, they don't like the computer stuff, they won't contact people at the jobs to get required info, & a myriad of other excuses for not doing their job as they should. It makes Miss Penny have to get demanding each & every month, at the deadline time to try & get what's needed.
Worse than that, the sales people & such, refuse to get ahead of anything, (like asking for a variance when needed,) prior to a job. Then when a crew arrives at a facility, and they are denied access due to improper paperwork, it makes Miss Penny have to work 3 times as hard to get them access.

Then, as you've mentioned,, the system likes to "go down" at the more critical times causing a lot of people to "play catch-up" vs what they COULD have prevented by JUST DOING THEIR JOB!

Sadly, the company she works for has an attitude of; "We'd rather try & get by w/o doing stuff until caught, then we'll do whatever minimums we need to do to get by."

Sadly, in today's world, bigger companies are being made to do certain things that cover themselves legally. The service companies are being made to comply with the requirements set forth by these companies, AND in many cases,, the laws. And in todays world, that means using IPads, or computers & uploading information that's required. Many "field types" do not want to do this,, or in some cases,, don't know enough about computers to be able to do it.
Just recently, a customer of theirs required a specific certification, or re-certification. OSHA regs say that ones this particular certification is achieved by the person, it doesn't expire, or require an update. Well, the customer required a re-certification or update if the original was over 3 years old. Miss Penny's boss got upset & pitched a fit saying it wasn't an OSHA requirement. He did NOT want to hear that it didn't matter what OSHA said,, it was the customer's requirement.

The field crew got denied access to the job site because of that,, and it delayed the work as the ones not in compliance with the company's requirement, had to re-certify.

Big companies, & the computer world we now live in. LOTS of it is not necessarily good.

 

[Jeepnik]

Folks sweat deadlines way too much. I always used the 1.5 rule when telling a customer when something would be completed.

What is the 1.5 rule you ask. Say it’s realistically going to take two weeks. Tell them three. When you finish in two you’re a miracle worker. Happy customer.

When they tell you that someone else can do it faster, you just answer with “you can have it fast or you can have it right. Pick one”.

It takes a while to establish your reputation but once you have doing things within the time frame you stated makes you look a lot better than the guy who say two weeks and misses the deadline.

Sometimes emergencies happen and a customer needs the job done ASAP. When they ask for say two days and you know that’s just not possible you tell them exactly that. Most understand. Those that don’t you invite to hire someone else. I really didn’t need folks that have unrealistic expectations as customers.

More than a few times I ended up coming in to either finish a job or fix the mess the faster guy created. In the end it took longer and cost more.

It’s pretty gratifying that now I’m retired old customers still call for advice. And from time to time I still lend a hand.

 

[Mobuck]

System is still not working. I've had to sideline all my outside work so I can be at/near/on my desktop/phone all day. Lots of stuff I'd like to be working on but can't start something else or set out to do something away from the house. Tried that earlier--got caught at the barn and spent an hour long phone session with an employee working from my memory of what his paper copy of an online report is supposed to look like.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Having spent over a decade with similar/same problems, I started doing "queries" on data
about half way into the project. It did not take long for the people I was working with to
"catch on". They found out it was FAR easier to do their input in a timely manner, than to
have me bugging them. Again, and again, and AGAIN!

YMMV, but it worked for me.

 

[blume357]

Boy, am I glad I stopped working for 'the man' 40 years ago. The worst I have to deal with is some manager who calls me with a job that has to be done tomorrow (which I accommodate and do) and when I send the corporation a bill I then get to jump through hoops like.... we need a certificate of insurance, we need a W9... we need proof of workers comp. (which I can't get) we need something else.. Not that it helps but I point out they should have required all that before I did the work!

 

[Dave P.]

Boy, am I glad I stopped working for 'the man' 40 years ago. The worst I have to deal with is some manager who calls me with a job that has to be done tomorrow (which I accommodate and do) and when I send the corporation a bill I then get to jump through hoops like.... we need a certificate of insurance, we need a W9... we need proof of workers comp. (which I can't get) we need something else.. Not that it helps but I point out they should have required all that before I did the work!

I've found the secret to those jobs are simply price them high enough that you're really happy to do them. It allows you to smile as you wade through the BS that accompanies them. I just make them stupid expensive, then I'm as happy if I do or don't get the work.
If it's after the fact, well sorry you should have put all that on the PO you signed before I did your stuff.