When life is like a dilbert cartoon..

Scenario
Asked by management why an 8 year old unit had a scratchy pot, when a customer complained of a scratchy pot....

If they had an 8 year old car, they would not ask. But I guess that, as being management, they change wheels every other year...

abbey road d enfer said:

If they had an 8 year old car, they would not ask. But I guess that, as being management, they change wheels every other year...

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Maybe? 

I always say that if you are going to manage the team that is designing/fixing the car, you should spend some time fixing the car first that way things like an 8 year old pot needing replacement is not an issue,  but wear and tear maintenance.

pucho812 said:

Maybe? 

I always say that if you are going to manage the team that is designing/fixing the car, you should spend some time fixing the car first that way things like an 8 year old pot needing replacement is not an issue,  but wear and tear maintenance.

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That's right, unfortunately the more manufacturing techniques of electronic products are improving cost, the more they are making any kind of repair a real chore.

abbey road d enfer said:

That's right, unfortunately the more manufacturing techniques of electronic products are improving cost, the more they are making any kind of repair a real chore.

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tell me about it.

pucho812 said:

tell me about it.

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In case you are not just being sarcastic (I don't see an emoticon), there are multiple factors conspiring to make rework/repair harder.

Years ago (last century) repair and serviceability was considered a feature for sound reinforcement gear.  I recall how much effort, and how proud the mechanical packaging guy was about, how easy it was to take apart and work on one of the multiple generational re-releases of the CS800. Peavey even used to put through hole ICs into sockets, making repairs easier.

Now I suspect the last thing a customer is thinking about at POS is repair ease/cost. Further product cycles are getting shorter and shorter, with many products becoming disposable (like computers). Cost and effort spent on repairability is a cost that the typical customer will not see or appreciate, so it just makes the product less price competitive.

JR

Well it makes things more difficult, management has no audio background,  so something like a pot lasting 8 years seems short, but to people in audio, knowing what can go on, 8 years is pretty good. Without knowing how  it was used in the field,  8 years is not bad at all.  I have seen other gear where it is brand new and less then 6 months down the road the pot is so bad it needs replacement. 

many warranties have exceptions for normal wear and tear...

JR

pucho812 said:

Scenario
Asked by management why an 8 year old unit had a scratchy pot, when a customer complained of a scratchy pot....

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Edit:

1.Tell them to fire the sales team. They should have sold that customer four new models in that time.

2. Tell them if they do not already know the answer to that question they are not fit to manage product development.

3. Tell them planned obsolescence.

Managers like these really make nm blood boil. It is no wonder a lot of indusctry is going down the tubes with morons like that 'managing;'

Cheers

Ian

JohnRoberts said:

many warranties have exceptions for normal wear and tear...

JR

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So does the one we provide. a year from purchase.

ruffrecords said:

Edit:

1.Tell them to fire the sales team. They should have sold that customer four new models in that time.

2. Tell them if they do not already know the answer to that question they are not fit to manage product development.

3. Tell them planned obsolescence.

Managers like these really make nm blood boil. It is no wonder a lot of indusctry is going down the tubes with morons like that 'managing;'

Cheers

Ian

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Mine too, they are positions of authority and are dangerous because they lack the know how of what is and what is not. So when a customer has an issue, it's automatically  the fault of the staff because they do not know any better. In the end when the truth comes out, damage has already been done.

Dilbert part two....

When put in positions of management and you have no idea what the team you are supposed to manage actually does or how long their work takes to complete, you increase the paperwork for them to sign off on so that it shows they have done their work.  You then come by hourly to ask how  many units have been calibrated since the last hour or how many quality checks have been done.  You  visit hourly  and interrupt their workflow and thought process asking what is being repaired, or what is being built as a proto-type,  or how far along we are at, all day long.  If the paper work has not been signed then  the team must not be working,  Taking a standard work day and cutting it short by taking working techs and tripping their paperwork is a way  to ensure something is happening. If any issue comes up, have a long extended meeting about  it further taking the techs away from the bench and add more paperwork to sign  turning them into paper pushers.

What's funny is all the checks  and balances we do are already in place, we just did not do triplicate of paper work until now.  We also never had any real  catastrophic issues until the new people managing the show. 

pucho812 said:

Dilbert part two....

When put in positions of management and you have idea what the team you are supposed to manage actually does or how long their work takes to complete,

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did you mean "have no idea"..?

you increase the paperwork for them to sign off on so that it shows they have done their work. 

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in many jobs time sheets are used detailing how a worker's hours were spent for budgetary allocation and management.

You then come by hourly to ask how  many units have been calibrated since the last hour or how many quality checks have been done. 

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Is it possible this manager is trying to learn more about the operation? Or is he suspicious that workers are slacking off?

You  visit hourly  and interrupt their workflow and thought process asking what is being repaired, or what is being built as a proto-type,  or how far along we are at, all day long.  If the paper work has not been signed then  the team must not be working,  Taking a standard work day and cutting it short by taking working techs and tripping their paperwork is a way  to ensure something is happening. If any issue comes up, have a long extended meeting about  it further taking the techs away from the bench and add more paperwork to sign  turning them into paper pushers.

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you can work, or write reports about work accomplished, but not both unless writing reports about work is the work. If so time must be budgeted for it. 

What's funny is all the checks  and balances we do are already in place, we just did not do triplicate of paper work until now.  We also never had any real  catastrophic issues until the new people managing the show.

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If the previous arrangement was so successful (profitable) why are there new people in charge?  In a competitive environment (and music equipment business is pretty competitive) Dilbert level mismanagement is self correcting with mismanaged businesses going under or being sold on the cheap.

Dilbert's comedy was funny because there was a grain of truth to the comics, but mismanagement that gross rarely continues very long in the wild  (except for government that lacks the ultimate check and balance of needing to make a profit or go bankrupt.)

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I used to have a standard speech for new hires or new workers in my engineering group...  I told them their number one task was reducing my stress... and my number one task was reducing my boss's stress, etc.  It was also my job to effectively communicate to them what was important to my bosses and important to me.

Sounds like you may have a failure to communicate. If your manager is truly incompetent and you can't figure out what is causing him stress, figure out what is causing his boss stress and try to reduce that. Sh__ rolls downhill so if his boss is unhappy you will likely feel it after he gets beat up and passes it along..

Of course easier said than done..  8)

JR

pucho, do you work for a gear dealer that also has a repair shop? Seems like a pretty unique position to be in.

John, there is a soap opera to why new management is around.  Since work  is privately owned things like we hired our friend to replace someone who is no longer a friend can happen.
As for stress I see it like this, those above who do not know what the people they cover really do or can't  do their work often make up things to do to remind you who is in charge. Adding more paper work and changing things that worked,  is purely because I'm the captain now or so it appears.
I have picked up on buzz words of the week and use them to explain what is going on. So far it seems to work until the buzz words change. Lol
As for where I work.... it's a secret for now.

Small company politics can be as brutal, or worse than large company politics. Do you have any relationship with the big boss?

If you can not make the new manager happy, without hating your job the remedy may be to move on.  Do not threaten to quit unless prepared to actually do it.

Have you looked for comparable work? May be a better job out there, or one that is less stressful on you.

JR

I am in a Bizzarro work world currently. Upper management wants to make cuts, so middle management is shuffling people around. My lab manager (that I sit next to) calls about a possible test position that could lead to an EE role. I and the other tech had an informal meeting with our Manager. The other tech yelled at him saying he was pissed off that he may have to look for another job, that he turned down a $90,000 a year job even with a $10,000 bonus because he wanted to work here. He followed that up by saying he’s not a software programmer anyway. We both express interest in the test position. I, the other tech, and our lab manager interview for the test position. I spoke with the lab manager about it, he asked me how the interview went, and I said good. He then said he thought I would be a good fit for the job and he really wasn’t interested in it. The next week we have another informal meeting with our manager. He tells us that the lab manager is taking the test position. The other tech said when he interviewed, he said he wasn’t interested in going back to school to become an EE, so he didn’t think he would get the job anyway. Our manager then tells the other tech he will be the new lab manager. Then He asked me how I feel about all this. All I could say at the time was that I would hang on in my current role, or take whatever was available. It took me a couple days before I could face my lab manager, but when I did, I congratulated him. He rushed me off to the side to talk about it, and then told me he still does not want to take this job, but they wanted him. Meanwhile our manager is on vacation, so I await my fate. Will I continue on as lab tech here, in another group, or do I go elsewhere?

walter said:

Meanwhile our manager is on vacation, so I await my fate. Will I continue on as lab tech here, in another group, or do I go elsewhere?

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Jobs are basically a financial transaction and your employers do not care about your welfare more than they care about theirs...

You are the only one who really cares about your future so you need to manage your outcome and not just wait for it to happen to you, or you may end up with the short straw.

Sorry that is kind of a non answer but only you know all the details and what you want..

JR

JohnRoberts said:

Jobs are basically a financial transaction and your employers do not care about your welfare more than they care about theirs...

You are the only one who really cares about your future so you need to manage your outcome and not just wait for it to happen to you, or you may end up with the short straw.

Sorry that is kind of a non answer but only you know all the details and what you want..

JR

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At the moment a vent of frustration is good enough. You sir as always are correct.  cheers john.