I'm Back...
I just returned back to the IT field within this last week and the funny thing is it's back to the original place I wrote about in my very first post, and still as a contractor, of course. It's been 1 year and 1 month since I've worked there and it's as if I never left and it's a day later but with total disorganization. Many faces have changed over the last year and the routines and policies and the corporate overhaul are still moving along.
Some things haven't changed, those sucking their way up the corporate ladder are still trying to work their way up even higher. Things are still run half ass, those I talked about are still there and doing what they do best. Only those who obviously weren't sucking properly or even swallowing for that matter no longer work there. The few people that I do respect and work with daily, somehow have survived and know how to hide from the corporatemongers and are getting by just showing up and following the rules and policies that have since been implemented. More cuts are in the works and many are just simply jumping ship before it reaches the deep blue abyss.
I'm happy to be back don't get me wrong it's a job and a pay check. I'll probably only be back for a short time because they have me filling in for a guy that needed surgery. So a possibility of 4-6 weeks and if an EOL rollout is done maybe longer? As I said nothing has really changed, what did I expect? Now there are more policies, more paper trails and more chiefs and less Indians.
Heck you can't even breath without someone asking what are you doing? I was simply thrown to the wolves since I've been there before, now mind you it's been a full year since I've been in this place. They were like, here you go, just do it and here you go, here you go. Since I haven't been there within this last year none of the things I had done to make life easier was kept up to date and instructions and software locations were just simply let go.
I have a tendency to make things work as simply as possible not only for myself but for others, there is nothing I hate more than disorganization. While I was there I kept a list of all software and links to the setups of this software and instructions for all of this software and as I said now none of these links function and the instructions are totally botched.
Not sure if you've ever been asked to do something you have no clue of doing? Well this place loves nothing more than doing this to all the tech's that come in to do their EOL process. For those of you that didn't read my first post this is End of Lease. This company leases all of it's hardware for a set number of months and then everything then needs replaced with new. Last year this process was totally put off and all leases extended.
My question is, do Corporations ever look at the long term? Obviously not. Yeah they saved huge last year by not doing a EOL process but the funny thing is when it does come time to do this, instead of doing say 200-300 pcs per quarter it will be quarters with 1200 or more at a pop. This also means more tech's to do so and with everything else let go, instructions, software locations, policies, routines or should I say anything that was done to make it easier. It's going to be one huge debacle, I'm sure.
While I was in their support center they did something similar they got rid of all their EOL tech's that had been doing it for a few quarters and now had it down pat, and these guys actually enjoyed doing the EOL rollouts, they knew where the software was and just had all the processes down and routines down and knew how to get to all the locations, but at a nice bill rate. They replaced them with nickel and dime tech's to save money, by taking bids by contract companies for the lowest bill rate. Haven't you ever heard? You get what you pay for...
In the long run with support costs to fix all the screw ups because these guys didn't have a clue of the normal processes for doing EOL and were thrown to the wolves it ended up costing two fold. So much for savings. I can't complain it was just job security in my case.
Another thing they constantly say is how can we make this process easier and more routine? I had all of this taken care of for those tech's they had originally, and with me keeping tabs on all the software installs and instructions and bios updates for all of this being on my computer. They'd attach to my PC create bios disks, install what they needed or at least have instructions on how to install certain items. If all else failed they could call me, and if it wasn't for what I called my STUFF folder these poor tech's would have all died of confusion, and shot nerves.
Think of say 15 tech's running around doing images on new pcs and backing up the clients old pcs then doing installs on peoples pcs and not knowing or ever seeing some of the software before, that they needed to re-install and the proper processes to set up a computer on this companies network etc. This is what is going to happen when it comes time to do this again and probably those tech's brought in will have never worked here, making it that much worse.
On my first day back while I had time to breath I created a simple batch file that would install all the Windows 2000 updates from the Windows updates website because while trying to do this on my first PC I had to re-image it took several hours because I had to go out to Windows Update and it took hours to download them all, (Loadbalancing on network) and then hours to install them. I cut these hours down to a 15 minute running batch file. I downloaded each update needed to a local folder on my PC and then of course created the batch file to run all of these in the proper orders and bingo when the PC reboots and you go back out to Windows Update, nothing was needed to download and since everything was now on the local network the installs flew by. I'm just that kind of guy always thinking of the little guy anything to make everyone's life a little easier.
It's simple things like this that can make a tech's life easier and if they would have a central location for all of the software seen or used by this company and instructions, anyone could come in and do this job without even batting an eye. Someone could create MSI installs of everything they use, a simple batch file for others, and instructions for the harder to install items. This would be to easy. See when myself or anyone of these other guys would state something like I just did above you'd be drilled over with all kinds of questions and concerns instead of just getting the ball rolling and getting the job done. If it isn't a full time employee or a second level persons idea it's just gone through one ear and right out the other.
Just by my creating of this batch file and having all the files installed, I'm the one that will get the grief because I did something without consulting a second level or full time guy about doing it. They don't care if it saves you 4 hours to re-image a machine and that I've now cut that down to a half hour, that doesn't matter, it just wasn't one of their ideas or they state they have been to busy to do it themselves. One little thing that I find funny is I created a batch file a long time back for them and it's used on a daily basis and soon as I got back I checked it and of course it still has who created it within the text of it - Me. I sign every file I create. They don't realize that, but it's still there and used daily by the company. LOL.
I have eyes constantly watching over me because they consider me a loose cannon already. Why they think this is beyond me? I'd never do anything to tamper with the system or to lose my job by doing anything illegal. I'm just trying to help and make life easier for everyone and if that is what is being a loose cannon, so be it.
Most probably ask why do I keep going back to this company? Well it's very local for me, it's a good pay check, it is a great place to work by the most part and those I enjoy seeing on a daily basis are there, it has more good than bad. Living near Pittsburgh and all corporations and good jobs being in the city you have to travel 30 or more miles a day, pay parking, traffic, you name it, it's just a royal pain. This company is in a rural setting, free parking, and is only 12 miles away. Where would you rather work??? Well that would just about cover it and I am a glutton for punishment. Until next time.
Some things haven't changed, those sucking their way up the corporate ladder are still trying to work their way up even higher. Things are still run half ass, those I talked about are still there and doing what they do best. Only those who obviously weren't sucking properly or even swallowing for that matter no longer work there. The few people that I do respect and work with daily, somehow have survived and know how to hide from the corporatemongers and are getting by just showing up and following the rules and policies that have since been implemented. More cuts are in the works and many are just simply jumping ship before it reaches the deep blue abyss.
I'm happy to be back don't get me wrong it's a job and a pay check. I'll probably only be back for a short time because they have me filling in for a guy that needed surgery. So a possibility of 4-6 weeks and if an EOL rollout is done maybe longer? As I said nothing has really changed, what did I expect? Now there are more policies, more paper trails and more chiefs and less Indians.
Heck you can't even breath without someone asking what are you doing? I was simply thrown to the wolves since I've been there before, now mind you it's been a full year since I've been in this place. They were like, here you go, just do it and here you go, here you go. Since I haven't been there within this last year none of the things I had done to make life easier was kept up to date and instructions and software locations were just simply let go.
I have a tendency to make things work as simply as possible not only for myself but for others, there is nothing I hate more than disorganization. While I was there I kept a list of all software and links to the setups of this software and instructions for all of this software and as I said now none of these links function and the instructions are totally botched.
Not sure if you've ever been asked to do something you have no clue of doing? Well this place loves nothing more than doing this to all the tech's that come in to do their EOL process. For those of you that didn't read my first post this is End of Lease. This company leases all of it's hardware for a set number of months and then everything then needs replaced with new. Last year this process was totally put off and all leases extended.
My question is, do Corporations ever look at the long term? Obviously not. Yeah they saved huge last year by not doing a EOL process but the funny thing is when it does come time to do this, instead of doing say 200-300 pcs per quarter it will be quarters with 1200 or more at a pop. This also means more tech's to do so and with everything else let go, instructions, software locations, policies, routines or should I say anything that was done to make it easier. It's going to be one huge debacle, I'm sure.
While I was in their support center they did something similar they got rid of all their EOL tech's that had been doing it for a few quarters and now had it down pat, and these guys actually enjoyed doing the EOL rollouts, they knew where the software was and just had all the processes down and routines down and knew how to get to all the locations, but at a nice bill rate. They replaced them with nickel and dime tech's to save money, by taking bids by contract companies for the lowest bill rate. Haven't you ever heard? You get what you pay for...
In the long run with support costs to fix all the screw ups because these guys didn't have a clue of the normal processes for doing EOL and were thrown to the wolves it ended up costing two fold. So much for savings. I can't complain it was just job security in my case.
Another thing they constantly say is how can we make this process easier and more routine? I had all of this taken care of for those tech's they had originally, and with me keeping tabs on all the software installs and instructions and bios updates for all of this being on my computer. They'd attach to my PC create bios disks, install what they needed or at least have instructions on how to install certain items. If all else failed they could call me, and if it wasn't for what I called my STUFF folder these poor tech's would have all died of confusion, and shot nerves.
Think of say 15 tech's running around doing images on new pcs and backing up the clients old pcs then doing installs on peoples pcs and not knowing or ever seeing some of the software before, that they needed to re-install and the proper processes to set up a computer on this companies network etc. This is what is going to happen when it comes time to do this again and probably those tech's brought in will have never worked here, making it that much worse.
On my first day back while I had time to breath I created a simple batch file that would install all the Windows 2000 updates from the Windows updates website because while trying to do this on my first PC I had to re-image it took several hours because I had to go out to Windows Update and it took hours to download them all, (Loadbalancing on network) and then hours to install them. I cut these hours down to a 15 minute running batch file. I downloaded each update needed to a local folder on my PC and then of course created the batch file to run all of these in the proper orders and bingo when the PC reboots and you go back out to Windows Update, nothing was needed to download and since everything was now on the local network the installs flew by. I'm just that kind of guy always thinking of the little guy anything to make everyone's life a little easier.
It's simple things like this that can make a tech's life easier and if they would have a central location for all of the software seen or used by this company and instructions, anyone could come in and do this job without even batting an eye. Someone could create MSI installs of everything they use, a simple batch file for others, and instructions for the harder to install items. This would be to easy. See when myself or anyone of these other guys would state something like I just did above you'd be drilled over with all kinds of questions and concerns instead of just getting the ball rolling and getting the job done. If it isn't a full time employee or a second level persons idea it's just gone through one ear and right out the other.
Just by my creating of this batch file and having all the files installed, I'm the one that will get the grief because I did something without consulting a second level or full time guy about doing it. They don't care if it saves you 4 hours to re-image a machine and that I've now cut that down to a half hour, that doesn't matter, it just wasn't one of their ideas or they state they have been to busy to do it themselves. One little thing that I find funny is I created a batch file a long time back for them and it's used on a daily basis and soon as I got back I checked it and of course it still has who created it within the text of it - Me. I sign every file I create. They don't realize that, but it's still there and used daily by the company. LOL.
I have eyes constantly watching over me because they consider me a loose cannon already. Why they think this is beyond me? I'd never do anything to tamper with the system or to lose my job by doing anything illegal. I'm just trying to help and make life easier for everyone and if that is what is being a loose cannon, so be it.
Most probably ask why do I keep going back to this company? Well it's very local for me, it's a good pay check, it is a great place to work by the most part and those I enjoy seeing on a daily basis are there, it has more good than bad. Living near Pittsburgh and all corporations and good jobs being in the city you have to travel 30 or more miles a day, pay parking, traffic, you name it, it's just a royal pain. This company is in a rural setting, free parking, and is only 12 miles away. Where would you rather work??? Well that would just about cover it and I am a glutton for punishment. Until next time.
posted by Cellar Dweller at 1:10 PM
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