Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

[cheesy]

I stirred up a hornets nest a few weeks ago, from the top on down, regarding functions on a new 360. The swing was 'jerky' and when lifting the front end off the ground and releasing the control, the boom would drift back down. Jean-Luc and I had our first altercation over it.

Jean-Luc-"It is forbidden to release the controls when the machine is in the air."

Me-"Oh, sweetie. You have a lot to learn about machine operation in the US. What's 'Forbidden' in Europe is another day on the job here. Get used to it."

Then I pointed out that the Users' manual states to lift the front end and swing to line up the front wheels to the rail. Because of control locations you have to let go of one to reach the other.

Emboldened by Jean-Luc and I going toe to toe, a couple of the drones got into the fray to screw with me. It didn't end well for them. Told the drones that in 25 years, I've built and commissioned 250 of these machines. You've built four in four years and have yet to do one correctly. And walked away.

Two weeks ago, I was in Denver and was asked to look at their 360 if I had time. I fired it up and shoved the boom in the ground, lifting the front end a good 4' in the air. Jason was with me and I had him take a pic of it with both my hands out the door, proudly flying two middle fingers. He sent the pictures to management, including the drones and Jean-Luc.

Yesterday morning, I get an email from one of my contacts in Italy after they received the pic. They were kind of reserved, stating that the Russians had had the same problem earlier in the year and it was due to the new hydraulic distributor that is now being used. There was a fix and that one kit had been sent to the US. The kit would also take care of the jerky swing. That kit had been used on the machine that replaced this one. We have another four machines with the new distributor in the pipeline and they only sent one kit.

Last year, I would have gone ballistic. With 8 months to go and a bonus waiting at the end of that time, it's now "Ok, whatever". Yesterday I wrote, "I was right" and hit reply all.

[TominMO]

Two drama updates in two days!

[Falkon45]

Cheesy is a menace!!!! I love it!

[cheesy]

It sounds like, finally, the SHTF in Beaufort. So far, the Paperwork Monster has been silenced. His evil creations have been rendered useless, he has been told to stay away from my department, and given the choice of doing what he was hired for, actual quality control, or the door.
Also, and this one I really like, no phones on the factory floor. The exception to that is the Service Dept, because we are in contact with sales guys, customers, and vendors all day.
And lastly, Purchasing is being revamped into something that works. Jean-Luc is bringing in his own people. The Self Important PA is gone, the PITA Jersey guy is being moved back to CS with a warning that one complaint from a customer regarding his attitude means that he is out the door. I understand that the new girl hired in Purchasing will stay there for now, as she is an unknown quantity and Jean-Luc is willing to give her chance.

Kind of glad I stuck around to see this happen.

[TominMO]

Until proven otherwise, my money is on you instigating the whole thing with your Machiavellian schemings.....

[cheesy]

Off now until Dec. 1. Unless something BIG happens, I plan to be silent on this thread. As to the new guy, I think he's a keeper and I told Harold not to do anything stupid to cause him to leave.

It was kind of nice to not have to crawl over and under the current effed up 360 and just mentor. I was smiling quite a bit when I'd hear him swearing up a storm about the quality of the work that is coming out of Beaufort. We had a joint email going back to the powers that be with pics and videos of what we found on a machine that was supposedly QC passed.

It's almost like they hired another me.

[minimac]

Originally Posted by cheesy

It's almost like they hired another me.

Make sure you have him keep us posted here when you finally leave!

[cheesy]

Well, for the continuing story...

There was a new Beaufort built tie inserter sent to our facility in Canada. The guys in Canada sent back 5 page report about what was effed up on the machine. A shorter list would have been what was correct. They had every right to because they used to build them before production was moved to SC.

So, powers that be in Beaufort decided to have the frames of these machines built by a local fabricator in SC, supposedly to 'control' the quality. The first frame they built failed miserably. Not even close to spec. Yet, our COO at that time ordered 16 frames, reasoning that the fabricator would improve.

So, first machine is built. Junior inspects it before it ships and fails it. Harold says Junior is being too 'picky', overrides Junior, and has it shipped. Unfortunately, it was shipped to a customer for a demo that I had to do. The customer wanted it off their property before I showed up. I managed to talk them into at least letting me run it. Wish I hadn't. What a POS. It was shipped back to Beaufort and has sat in a corner in the building for the last year.

The new machine being built for Canada was happening while I was down there last time. The assemblers(Not the same guys that build the 360)are complaining to me about the quality of the frames. I ask them if they've let management know and they said that they were told to shut up and just build the machine. I kind of winced and told them that I know this is wrong for me to say but to follow their orders. I will have your backs.

That five page report ended up on the desk of Jean-Luc. He is very unhappy. Unhappy enough that he has called a meeting next week in Beaufort, of all the personnel involved in this cluster, from the top down, which the exception of Junior and myself. We had conference call with him. He wanted our side of the story and nothing else.

I want to be a fly on the wall when Harold explains why he thought Junior was being too 'picky', and why, if the assemblers thought the frames were effed up, why production wasn't stopped. Lastly, why are we still using this fabricator who has yet to build something to spec. I don't think "because he's cheap" will fly anymore.

And, I was told to go back into all my requests to Purchasing and see if they were actually ordered. It looks like the PITA PA acted on less than 25% of requests made. Seems like she was lying to the CEO when he'd ask whether something was ordered and she said it was. She was also told not to order from the lousy fabricator, but still was doing it anyway.

[TominMO]

I'm not sure which I like better--Haagen Dasz Chocolate Chocolate Chip or your updates.

[minimac]

Sadly, that there is part of the reason a lot of manufacturing has gone offshore.

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by minimac

Sadly, that there is part of the reason a lot of manufacturing has gone offshore.

Because stupid people in charge cant figure out that mediocre quality for top of the line price will cause said company to loose revenue and good employees hand over fist?

A little side note on my personal changes story.... got out of the craphole i used to work in... long story there... but just started at a small time mom and pop shop fixing lawnmowers, best move i could ever make ... in the 3 weeks i have been there i have been told repeatedly how much they appreciate my knowledge and work ethic... two things i never heard in 7 years at the big time 20 store owned john deere dealer... makes the hour drive in worth it 100% to know that they actually give a rats you-know-what about me being there...

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by bogieboy

Because stupid people in charge cant figure out that mediocre quality for top of the line price will cause said company to loose revenue and good employees hand over fist?

A little side note on my personal changes story.... got out of the craphole i used to work in... long story there... but just started at a small time mom and pop shop fixing lawnmowers, best move i could ever make ... in the 3 weeks i have been there i have been told repeatedly how much they appreciate my knowledge and work ethic... two things i never heard in 7 years at the big time 20 store owned john deere dealer... makes the hour drive in worth it 100% to know that they actually give a rats you-know-what about me being there...

Congrats on the new gig, bogie. Before we went corpulent, I always described my place as a mom and pop shop. Or, we were like a family. A somewhat dysfunctional family, but still a family. Now, we're just dysfunctional.

Your opening paragraph is short, to the point, and spot on. My own outfits' problems stem from the fact that our CEO is a Marketing shlub and the President is a Sales dweeb. Neither are qualified for their positions. It's the Peter Principle live and on stage.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p...-principle.asp

[cheesy]

Off to corpulent next week for my final fights of 2021.

Harold calls me this morning and tells me my presence is requested by Jean-Luc. Apparently, he wants a one on one with me regarding the effed up tie inserter and he wants me to go over, with him, the two new 360 just built in SC. Plan is to red pen those two machines to death.

Also, and I learned this later today, is that every swinging Richard from International HQ will be there, too.

So much fun next week.

[TominMO]

This thread should be expanded into a short book......

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by TominMO

This thread should be expanded into a short book......

I agree... grab all the dates off cheesy's posts, compile them into a journal, call it Diary of a frustrated mechanical genious, and have amazon publish it...