One of the biggest events for someone who is involved in project work is a go-live. This is when the switch is flipped and lights start flashing on the new system. It is also when the old system is generally turned off and all the hard work for the past months or years come together. Early in November I had my 3rd system go-live since I started working at my current firm. I have now been had 4 projects, 3 clients, and 3 go-lives. Each on is different. However the past few have always been extra exciting as there were a lot of last minute problems, issues, or surprises to take care of. This time that didn’t happen at all. It was the smoothest go-live I have actually ever even heard about.
In my first go-live many of the interfaces were not ready and a lot of the data had not been converted properly. We were up every night until 3am and back again in the Morning at 7am working everything out. When the system did go live we all took turns manning a phone bank to help the client’s users through problems arising from the new system. This is normal but the number of defects, unresolved issues, and work-a-rounds was quite high. We kept working on them for several months after go-live to stabilize the system. In fact instead of rolling people off the project we actually brought more in for the first few months of usage.
On my second go-live things were much better. We still had a lot of unresolved issues but for most of the team we never noticed because the client kept everyone busy upgrading the new system! It was live a week before we added functionality and upgraded one of the modules to the new version. This time though we didn’t need to man a phone bank and the users were able to use all the functionality from the beginning. We did however have to spend a lot of time working on the performance of the system. So again for several months after go-live we had more not less people on the project.
Having talked to a lot of people and watched people get staffed at various phases of projects it is amazing how often stabilization requires more resources than development. My personal view is this may be because development wasn’t completed thoroughly and cost cutting had been done at the beginning causing more costs at the end of the project. But every go-live story I hear is about the hours put in, the excitement of last minute items, and so on. So it was interesting for me to go through the go-live earlier this month.
Our project certainly didn’t skimp on resources. In fact we probably had about the right number of people (we could have used more client resources and less consultants but don’t tell my partner that). But a lot of time and energy was spent not just on the development/configuration of the system but also on the data conversions and testing of the system as well. The last two items being what really drive the quality of new system. In fact there was probably 50-100% more effort put into these areas than I have scene on any other implementation. And it worked! We went live on time and with very few issues. In fact the support team that was not actively training users was somewhat bored. Within two weeks of going live the client was discussing issue that most clients don’t worry about for a year.
Because of the smoothness of the go-live and the incredibly low number of issues we were actually able to roll people off the project quite quickly and save the client a lot of money. Hopefully in the future I have more go-live experiences like this, because even though I like a little excitement, you are much more proud of a system that works so well out of the gate.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mmm mmm mmm
Does anyone remember that Crash Test Dummies song about a kid with white hair and all that jazz. The guy sang in a baritone that was really over the top. Just wondering, that isn’t what this entry is about I just thought I would bring it up, I mean really how can you name a song MMM MMM MMM? No this entry is about something much more exciting. The string of home cooked meals I have had over the last month and ½. More home cooking than I have received in the last decade since I moved out of my parent’s house. Truthfully I can cook, and cook well, but when I am left to my own devices I tend to stick to finger food. Sandwiches, wraps, cereals, oatmeal, and microwave meals. On occasion I might have a BBQ and on very extreme occasions I may have even cooked a whole meal. These were the exceptions well beyond the rule.
So the last month and a half has certain been a change, and a good one at that. Though it will soon be over it is nice to come home to a fresh cooked dinner. RG though she once told my parent that she “Doesn’t Do Cooking” has a natural knack for it. I think having a hundred little steps to accomplish in a tight time line in the right order actually appeals to her nature. The same things that make so good at supply chain work in large business, though this connection may be a stretch. She also likes variety and is not scared to experiment. Both things I think are necessary for a good cook. Generally when she does put a meal together it is a well rounded meal too: Rice, Fish, and vegetables, or Pasta and vegetables, or Chicken and potatoes, or other similar dishes. And even when something goes wrong she can get creative and pull it off. For instance when the lamb roast didn’t cook through she cut it up and finished the cutlets.
Whatever the meal is though – it is generally tasty. Even the stuff I normally don’t really like tastes good; I just may not be a fan of the dish. And many times I become a fan once she has cooked it. So it turns out that my wife is a fantastic cook, this of course is not why I married her, and if we were both working and living at home I assume we would trade cooking nights, but right now it is certainly a bonus. The only bummer of it is that it will soon be a thing in the past. I can probably count on one hand the number of home cooked meal left in our UK adventure as I finish my project work this week and head back to the states in two weeks. Then I be back to fending for myself for a few months. But that is ok. I will be happy to have her home whether she wants to cook or not!
So the last month and a half has certain been a change, and a good one at that. Though it will soon be over it is nice to come home to a fresh cooked dinner. RG though she once told my parent that she “Doesn’t Do Cooking” has a natural knack for it. I think having a hundred little steps to accomplish in a tight time line in the right order actually appeals to her nature. The same things that make so good at supply chain work in large business, though this connection may be a stretch. She also likes variety and is not scared to experiment. Both things I think are necessary for a good cook. Generally when she does put a meal together it is a well rounded meal too: Rice, Fish, and vegetables, or Pasta and vegetables, or Chicken and potatoes, or other similar dishes. And even when something goes wrong she can get creative and pull it off. For instance when the lamb roast didn’t cook through she cut it up and finished the cutlets.
Whatever the meal is though – it is generally tasty. Even the stuff I normally don’t really like tastes good; I just may not be a fan of the dish. And many times I become a fan once she has cooked it. So it turns out that my wife is a fantastic cook, this of course is not why I married her, and if we were both working and living at home I assume we would trade cooking nights, but right now it is certainly a bonus. The only bummer of it is that it will soon be a thing in the past. I can probably count on one hand the number of home cooked meal left in our UK adventure as I finish my project work this week and head back to the states in two weeks. Then I be back to fending for myself for a few months. But that is ok. I will be happy to have her home whether she wants to cook or not!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Are we in San Francisco.... Are we in Rio de Janeiro?
Where in the world can you go that is on the ocean, has moderate temperatures year round – think 65 in November, has steep winding roads up and down hills, that has famous sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge or the Christ the Redeemer statue, where the people speak mostly Portuguese, where there is a public street elevator built by the same team that built the Eiffel tower, where the town is surrounded by monasteries, an ancient aqueduct straddles a modern train line, and a castle sits on top of the hill watching it all? Well I just cut to it and answer the question, you would be in Lisbon Portugal; a wonderful capital city on the Atlantic with great weather, good food, friendly people, and a relaxed atmosphere. As my tour in Europe starts to wind down to the last few weekends, and after a month where I only took 2 day off, RG and I flew to Lisbon for a nice weekend get away from our get away.
I must admit that Portugal was never on my list of places to go. RG wanted to go so we went, and I am glad we did. It was certainly an eye opening adventure. Portugal is not as rich or industrious as Brittan, France, or Germany, but they a history of world exploration that puts them in a league with any other country in Europe and above most. Portugal was easily as friendly as Dublin, as Clean as Munich (a real shocker most European cities can be a bit dirty and unkempt), and as old as any city I ever been too yet. I was glad to be back in a land where people drive on the right side of the road, and our taxis were all Mercedes. Though unlike in Munich they were all at least 10 years old and my guess is that they probably came from Germany in the second hand market. Most other cars are similar to VW Golfs but of other cheaper French and Spanish brands, and again several years old at the newest.
The local scenery was great. I enjoyed the diverse architecture. The exterior of many builds were sided in painted tile work and bright colors. Most building in Lisbon are plaster covered brick buildings that had been around for generations. The one down side as my wife will tell you is that all the sidewalks were made of pavers. But the pavers used were 4 inch by 4 inch rocks that were never uniform in shape or size. They were simply not level at all. So walking wears on your feet like nothing else. Especially if for some reason you only brought heals along. Lucky for myself I don’t own any heels. We visited great ancient churches, saw the castle in the oldest part of the city, road an elevator that takes you from the downtown to the nightlife part of town, saw a couple of dozen monuments, and 2 monasteries. One that had exquisite stone work, the other has hand painted tiles that tell fables. We also spent some time just sitting and looking out of the city a great little cafe next to the castle.
One interesting and unexpected thing to see was a national protest by school teachers. I assume it had to do with pay, or vacation, or any other typical employee grievances. But there in the main square that faces the ocean 10s of thousands of people gathered to march. And march they did 3 miles through the down town, by the Hard Rock Cafe, by the fancy street elevator, by dozens of monuments, to a large park with yet more monuments - followed the whole time by the media, blaring music, and set of union leader yelling slogans through a PA system setup at intervals. It was quite a different thing to see on a leisurely vacation. All in all I really enjoyed Portugal, I am glad we went, I am glad my wife has good ideas of places for us to visit, and I would actually be willing to go back and possibly rent a car and see what else Portugal has to offer. Who’d a thought it? And yes they do have a copy of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a copy of the Christ the Redeemer statue, but they have a lot of other things too, world class museums, sites, and culture.
I must admit that Portugal was never on my list of places to go. RG wanted to go so we went, and I am glad we did. It was certainly an eye opening adventure. Portugal is not as rich or industrious as Brittan, France, or Germany, but they a history of world exploration that puts them in a league with any other country in Europe and above most. Portugal was easily as friendly as Dublin, as Clean as Munich (a real shocker most European cities can be a bit dirty and unkempt), and as old as any city I ever been too yet. I was glad to be back in a land where people drive on the right side of the road, and our taxis were all Mercedes. Though unlike in Munich they were all at least 10 years old and my guess is that they probably came from Germany in the second hand market. Most other cars are similar to VW Golfs but of other cheaper French and Spanish brands, and again several years old at the newest.
The local scenery was great. I enjoyed the diverse architecture. The exterior of many builds were sided in painted tile work and bright colors. Most building in Lisbon are plaster covered brick buildings that had been around for generations. The one down side as my wife will tell you is that all the sidewalks were made of pavers. But the pavers used were 4 inch by 4 inch rocks that were never uniform in shape or size. They were simply not level at all. So walking wears on your feet like nothing else. Especially if for some reason you only brought heals along. Lucky for myself I don’t own any heels. We visited great ancient churches, saw the castle in the oldest part of the city, road an elevator that takes you from the downtown to the nightlife part of town, saw a couple of dozen monuments, and 2 monasteries. One that had exquisite stone work, the other has hand painted tiles that tell fables. We also spent some time just sitting and looking out of the city a great little cafe next to the castle.
One interesting and unexpected thing to see was a national protest by school teachers. I assume it had to do with pay, or vacation, or any other typical employee grievances. But there in the main square that faces the ocean 10s of thousands of people gathered to march. And march they did 3 miles through the down town, by the Hard Rock Cafe, by the fancy street elevator, by dozens of monuments, to a large park with yet more monuments - followed the whole time by the media, blaring music, and set of union leader yelling slogans through a PA system setup at intervals. It was quite a different thing to see on a leisurely vacation. All in all I really enjoyed Portugal, I am glad we went, I am glad my wife has good ideas of places for us to visit, and I would actually be willing to go back and possibly rent a car and see what else Portugal has to offer. Who’d a thought it? And yes they do have a copy of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a copy of the Christ the Redeemer statue, but they have a lot of other things too, world class museums, sites, and culture.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Working in the UK
One of the biggest surprises of working in the UK is the work environment itself. I think everyone has worked with people that were not from the US back home but these people tend to blend into the US work culture. Once you get out of the US though it is a different ball game. So of it is great and a ton of fun, some of it seriously just leaves you wondering. The first thing you notice is people don’t work much. I mean in volume. Most people in the UK get three weeks to a month of vacation, a ton of personal days, and there are a ton of official - “bank holidays” as they call them. It is amazing and on top of that they generally work around 7 hours a day, sometimes more but not as rule. Now when called on they are more than willing to put in the extra time, and they are pretty focused when they work. Even if most processes are a little cluegy and time consuming.
What is even more insane is what is considered acceptable dialog in the UK. In a meeting with executive management it is not uncommon to hear very crude language. They have no problem letting loose with bloody of course but you will also routinely hear the f-n-himer. It is just the way everyone talks, men and women. Beyond the words they also continuously let fly with sexual innuendo that would make sailors blush. In mixed company no less. Thing that in the US would result in a sexual harassment are opening liners to team meetings. I can not make this stuff up. A simple and example of this is when the client project manager teased in a team member in a staff meeting about his fly being down along with some off comments about his man-hood. However everyone gives as good as they get, the women as much as the men and no one seems to care. It just is the way they interact. Personally I find it quite amusing and think the British are hilarious to deal with.
Similarly we have an Austrian, a Columbian, some Indians, a Mexican, some other Americans, and a bunch of Belgians on the project. The Belgians also are much different to deal with but with for other reasons. They get twice as much vacation as the British and don’t generally like to show up on Friday. This includes the other consultants, which amazes me, in consulting the rule has always been work as much as needed and show up as often as you have to. But they seem to have a general out look that is much different. They don’t like to travel for work and they expect to get the time off regardless of the project time lines. They also think nothing of wearing the same out fit 3, 4, or 5 days in a row. They aren’t unclean, I think they just bring under wear and maybe one change of close in their bags. This is quite different than people who travel in the state. I no I usually at a minimum have a different shirt for every day and normally bring a couple pairs of pants, but whatever. They also seem to get offended and take things personally much more than the British. So watching the crazy Brits tease and harass the Belgians is actually quite fun.
It has been quite fun seeing the different way people approach life and work in Europe. It is too bad the German site fellow out of scope because I could have seen yet another perspective. All I can really say is that while there is some difference between West Coast, Midwest, Southern, and Eastern workers in the States it is not even close to as dramatic as the difference between Americans and Europeans or even as the difference between Europeans and Europeans.
What is even more insane is what is considered acceptable dialog in the UK. In a meeting with executive management it is not uncommon to hear very crude language. They have no problem letting loose with bloody of course but you will also routinely hear the f-n-himer. It is just the way everyone talks, men and women. Beyond the words they also continuously let fly with sexual innuendo that would make sailors blush. In mixed company no less. Thing that in the US would result in a sexual harassment are opening liners to team meetings. I can not make this stuff up. A simple and example of this is when the client project manager teased in a team member in a staff meeting about his fly being down along with some off comments about his man-hood. However everyone gives as good as they get, the women as much as the men and no one seems to care. It just is the way they interact. Personally I find it quite amusing and think the British are hilarious to deal with.
Similarly we have an Austrian, a Columbian, some Indians, a Mexican, some other Americans, and a bunch of Belgians on the project. The Belgians also are much different to deal with but with for other reasons. They get twice as much vacation as the British and don’t generally like to show up on Friday. This includes the other consultants, which amazes me, in consulting the rule has always been work as much as needed and show up as often as you have to. But they seem to have a general out look that is much different. They don’t like to travel for work and they expect to get the time off regardless of the project time lines. They also think nothing of wearing the same out fit 3, 4, or 5 days in a row. They aren’t unclean, I think they just bring under wear and maybe one change of close in their bags. This is quite different than people who travel in the state. I no I usually at a minimum have a different shirt for every day and normally bring a couple pairs of pants, but whatever. They also seem to get offended and take things personally much more than the British. So watching the crazy Brits tease and harass the Belgians is actually quite fun.
It has been quite fun seeing the different way people approach life and work in Europe. It is too bad the German site fellow out of scope because I could have seen yet another perspective. All I can really say is that while there is some difference between West Coast, Midwest, Southern, and Eastern workers in the States it is not even close to as dramatic as the difference between Americans and Europeans or even as the difference between Europeans and Europeans.
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