holy moly

[msmemory_archive]

What a POS package we have just been handed for our timekeeping. It's an Excel spreadsheet except with an awkward UI overlaid, and it doesn't even understand basic concepts like "I worked on the same three projects today as yesterday, so please populate today's cells with the accounting codes and leave me space to type in my hours."
The two offices use different means to access the same program, except one office was given a handout on how, and the other wasn't. The list of task numbers is still forthcoming. There is a max concurrent user limit of less than half our employee headcount, "So please don't all do your timesheet at 4:30 on Friday." (Um, and when exactly did you have in mind instead?) Our IS and Accounting departments have made no effort at all to get us info before rollout, and I was given to understand that the "final" version of this software was just sent to us on Monday. There is no manual. No effort was made to sell us on why this package is any better than the old one, except that "it gives more data to Accounting."

Supervisors' training starts in 15 minutes.

Comments

[baron-elric.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the pointy-haired bosses have moved in. Good luck. I envision that training as being something less than complete or helpful.

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

I won't name names, because you didn't, but this sounds remarkably like the accounting software we got saddled with. I honestly thought it was something that the IT department cobbled together in their spare time. My second guess was that it was done by the teenaged kid of one of the accoutants, but no, it's commercial software.

At one point in the training, I asked "Did someone really accept this as a functional and complete user interface?"

[laurion]

Funny how anyone who gets a copy of Access thinks they're now a database programmer, and can put together half an app, and sell it. Shame there's people who don't know what Access is who keep buying these products and encouraging the lather, rinse, repeat.

[dryfoo.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that with the talent available, ways could quite easily be found to render this POS app non-functional and throw the entire accounting department into chaos. This is the only thing that will prevent the PHBs from forcing you to use this turdule, and worse, from continuing to enforce similar turdules upon you in future. I'm not saying you should hack it, I'm just saying that ways could be found, by someone, in a passive-voice kinda way.

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain.

Eventually, people will realize that the job of accounting is to remove work from the people who are doing billable hours, not increase it for the ease of those NOT doing billable hours...

[isisofcool.livejournal.com]

Hey, I work in accounting, and I resent this remark. The job of accounting is to minimize the work, but if you want a solvent and responsible company, then there is no way to remove work from the people doing the billable hours. The job of accounting is making sure that people are being responsible with money that is not theirs.

Having said that, not preparing staff for any significant change in procedure or software is something that definitely merits a smack upside the head at the very least. Having been in the implementation side of things, I know its hard enough when you have attempted to train new staff. You have my sympathies!

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

I am not sure why you resent it, I wasn't implying that this was somehow the fault of the accounting dept.

But, every time we got some new POS timesheet software, the excuse was always this will make it easier for accounting. We could have hired a new accountant for what it cost us in billable hours. Sigh.

And timesheet software is always high on the list of suckage as far as I can tell.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

You will make an excellent case study.

That's it. That's the only benefit.