Been a long time coming actually,
Over the course of the many months, I have been, in addition to the numerous and overwhelming amount of current day to day things, have been implementing radical changes in processes to effect how the overall departments perform.
I suppose if you were to find 'electronic efficiency' as a recipe in a cookbook the ingredients would read to something as follows;
- Two Cups of patience
- A Dozen parts of 'competence'
- A Dallop of Persistence
- and a pinch of luck
I am lucky, given that in the environment I am set in, enables me to exercise a great deal of control and just as importantly, an equal amount of 'structural change' via direct access to an in house development team of the highest caliber.
The advantages are just too many, and in addition you're able to customize what you need with the finest of touches.
Even then, it amazes me how 'long' it takes - during these kinds of conditions to get these of some magnitude complete. It makes you think for multi billion dollar businesses how anything is managed to get done given the ridiculous set of parameters in order to accomplish something. Let me give you an example from a project plan I received some weeks ago(generically speaking of course);
*Sales designs rate plans; - 10 days.
*Commercial performs a pricing analysis of the plans and advise Marketing & Sales; - 5 days.
*Marketing compile sign off pack and circulate for sign-off; - 5 days
Now I'm no mathematician;
But...
From what I can see here, 20 days would have to expire JUST to get the required rates for approval and notification.
I just don't understand it. Perhaps it could be the environment I am in (an ever growing but in the grand scheme of things, minor-sized company) but I would be at my wits end, knowing these kind of practices still exist. I once asked a very wise man;
"Is it just the nature of any company that reaches epic-scale proportions to effectively become a slow lingering behemoth?"
"No" Was his firm reply.
So then what is it? Is it the people? The processes? The product?
Perhaps a mixture of all three. But what really hits hard, is when minor, much speedier and efficient groups are forced to lag at the pace of the big boys - especially true in the Telco industry. It defeats one of the key and crucial advantages of a company at this size, in addition to the cost saving being SPEED. The ability to change, adapt and supply services like the falling leaf in the wind.
Maybe I'll give them my recipe book sometime