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Jeff, no
we can’t send the servers directly to the counties because our field support
people can’t support Windows NT 4.0 server(lack of training), let alone new and
upcoming O/S’s which we will move to. By sending a reply to my email and
stating “If the
object of the support people is to be able to handle everything from top to
bottom, then we might as well just have all Servers and components sent
directly to the Customer, and all be configured there”, gets absolutely nothing accomplished because you know that this
is not an option. If you want to focus on training alone then you should be a
trainer, but I think our customers would like to know that every support person
we have are able to handle any problem from top down. Of course, I could be wrong in assuming that our customers
believe that “support” embodies support of the system(including hardware,
software and O/S). And I’m clearly
looking at your QMS printer request and I did not see a request for a duplexer
and I did not physically get to see this machine in the mckinney office! Microphones are shipped directly to the
customer and if they are not, I never see them. I do not have the ability to purchase a microphone through
our company so do not filter this request through me, filter it through those
that control the purchasing. And
you specified an 8 port Digi box setup, which it was done,,all you had to do
was install(and by install I mean simply load the driver via the RAS console!)
the particular modems whether it be an actual modem or a serial to serial modem
was up to you and the county. If
you can’t install a RAS capable device, how can you actively support our
product? The setup on your end was
minimal, mandatory and easy. No
one asked you or any other support person to configure the machine from bare to
finish, all we ask are minor setting to be made on the customer end. Trust me when I tell you that it takes
me a lot longer on my end. I’m not
so sure you understand how things work in the McKinney office and what process
we have to go through to get things done, but unless a common ground is met
between our field support, sales and the McKinney office these problems will
continue to happen. And Jeff, a
direct phone call with me, Steve Moreland and Bob at the same time would get a
lot more done than sending an email to us. I feel a conference call needs to be made, so that needs to
be scheduled soon. As I stated
before, feel free to call me at any time, day or night, with any concern you
have. Thanks, Robert
McDonald Home:
972-644-0926 Work:
972-542-6000 x156 Cell:
214-403-4736 -----Original
Message----- Rob, Here is a copy of your acknowledgment
along with my e-mail with the requests for Shelby County, TN. Within the request below, I specified
that a 8 Port Digi box, with 4 ports be set up for Central Count,
- this was not done. Within the request below, I specified
a microphone, - which is not included. Within the request below, I specified a
QMS 4032 Printer, configured and tested, - this was not done. Within the request below, I specified
GEMS 1.17.22, - installed was GEMS
1.17.17. . If the object of the support people is to be able to handle
everything from top to bottom, then we might as well just have all Servers and
components sent directly to the Customer, and all be configured there I think that this e-mail explains
exactly what I needed, yet several items were not done. This would save
the cost and time of having the Server & components shipped &
setup in the McKinney office. Jeff -----Original Message----- BRAVO, This is by far the best and only response
the mckinney office has gotten on a detailed spec of what is needed.
Although a march 18th get there time is steep, but hey, small steps. And
why would we quote them a QMS printer, we shoudln't even be selling or
supporting these machines,,5si's or 5000 is what need to be sold. No need
to upgrade the monitor but I will need the digi card and box sent to mckinney
so I can install it and test it to the specs that Jeff has so graciously given
us below. But seriously though, I am very impressed with this email, this
is the kind of email we need to be more efficient and competent to our end
users :) . Jeff, I would really appreciate you sending this email to the
support list and sales list as a template or guideline as to how request should
be made. Thanks, Robert McDonald -----Original Message----- Hi Bill, Here is the list of hardware along with
the computer system that we discussed earlier today: ·
Medium Computer Server
with Windows NT Server 4.0 ·
R/W Internal CD ·
Sound Card with Speakers
and Microphone for VIBS
·
8 Port Digi box - 4 Ports
Configured and Tested for Central Count ·
Internal Network Card -
Configured and Tested and 1 Network cable 6' long ·
16 Port Network Hub -
Configured and Tested
·
4 PCMCIA Network Cards
for AVTS R6 Units and 4 Network cables 20' long ·
QMS 4032 Printer -
Configured and Tested with 6' cable ·
GEMS 1.17.22 full install ·
Adobe Acrobat, Ghostview,
GEMS 1.17 Users Guide, AVTS R6 Users Guide, AVTS R6 Hardware Guide I am trying to shoot for the week
of March 18th for final setup, testing, and training. It is
extremely important that we have the above setup and tested
before the system is shipped, so my time there can be more focused on
training with just some additional setup and testing if necessary. I will need the 3 User's Guides put
on the system in electronic format, and also 1 copy of each printed out
and put into a binder to be shipped with the system. The current system that they have, already
has a 8 Port Digi box, so I guess we could use that one if
necessary. However, it will save me time if I do not have to do any setup
and testing on site. We can always ship the old equipment back to be used
with other accounts. They currently have a 20'' monitor with their
old system. We can use this monitor, unless we think that it is necessary
to replace the old with new. We need to order the QMS 4032 printer to
replace the Minolta Pageworks 20, that they currently have.
Apparently this was promised to them on the first contract. The Minolta
Pageworks 20 was just on loan to them at the time. If we need to discuss anything else,
or if anyone has questions, please let me know. I will be back into
the Omaha office on Thursday. Thanks, Jeff P.S. - We need to get some type of a
computer check list made up, to save us the time and effort we use each
time we have a new customer or an upgraded customer. This method of
saying we need a Server Upgrade, a Medium, or Large Server, just does not
include all of the items for the people that order and setup the systems. -----Original Message----- 1.) "I can understand that sometimes we are not able to plan in
advance" You know we can't plan in advance; What
does that supposed to mean??? we can plan in advance EVERYTIME we make a
sale. How can we even make a decent sale if we can't plan in advance, the
whole basis on a air tight operations is the planning in advance from the
beginning. Give me a break. If we get the sales people involved
from the beginning like they are supposed to be we would know the topology of
the County and be able to recreate the situation to a T in the McKinney
office. On the other hand if we have people in the field who don't
understand the technology and O/S on at least a basic level then we will never
be able to create a perfect situation. Right now because McKinney is not
involved or informed from the point when the RFP gets printed to the time the
server hits my door we are NOT capable of satisfying every request everyone needs
to make. 2.) " I had to finish setting up the Server " By finish, what exactly do you
mean. Once the O/S is installed and the services are installed the setup
is complete,,now the settings have to be tailored to the CO's specific
needs,,of which I need to know from the time the sale is proposed. 3.) "I can understand that sometimes we are not able to plan in
advance, for the ordering of computers & other components. However,
we need to establish some sort of Document, that is filled out
with a new Customer or when Demonstrations are done, as far in advance as
possible, so we can do more planning in advance, and get the Quality
Assurance & testing that is necessary for the setup of the Server and
other components. This is the second time that this has happened to me,
where the Server was not setup completely, and it also happened to Greg
Forsythe last week in Indiana." This so called Document you speak of,,is
this not the combination of a finished RFP and a work-order which we already
have in place??? And if so, it is clear that communication is the
problem. The McKinney office has to be aggressively proactive just to get
any information that originates from the beginning of the sale, then the puzzle
work begins. Greg is a salesman, and should not EVER be put
in a technical situation. I know we are spread thin at this company but
if we insist on putting not-technical people in a support position then we have
no choice but to expect problems. 4.) "If we know what is needed for a customer,
then the Server and all other components need to be ordered, shipped to
McKinney, configured and tested before it is sent to the customer site" I agree completely, right now we have
salesman who are creating these work orders who do not understand the technical
infrastructure that needs to be in place. Therefore, we have orders
being made that don't meet the counties needs. Example, Maryland, we set
them up for a PortServer II interface, when in fact (we found out later) they
needed to be setup for modem interface and they are not going to be using the
Port Server II. 5.) "Also, if the
printer would have been setup and tested, we would have found out that the
duplexer was not the correct one." "QMS 4032 Printer - Configured and Tested with 6'
cable. We need to order the QMS 4032 printer to replace the
Minolta Pageworks 20, that they currently have. Apparently this was
promised to them on the first contract. The Minolta Pageworks 20 was
just on loan to them at the time."(Jeff's March 5th email of
requests). I see nothing in this request about a
duplexer needing to be sent let alone tested with this QMS printer. Bill
has informed me that the duplexer he ordered is the same part number that it
has been since we started buying them, also the part was intended for the
QMS 4032. Therefore what we have is improper onsite installation. 6.) "It becomes
very frustrating as a support person, to have to go through the same routine
over and over" I couldn't agree with you more!!!!! 7.) "The objective of the support person, when
going out to a customer site, is to focus on Training, not to have to debug and
setup a Server and other components, when we have people in the McKinney office
who are supposed to do this." The object of the support person to be
able to handle any situation from top down. If we in the McKinney office do not get a
call from each person in the field that has a specific request how are
we supposed to know when and how to tailor this install to the county's specific
need, that is why there is a default install. And this default install
allows our competent support people to make changes to tailor the setup of the
counties. Now if we need to make an out of the box system for our
"support" people, and our support people have problems setting it up
properly how can they even troubleshoot the problems that might occur in the
future. Pointing fingers to the origin of the machine will get nothing
done, if people in the field aren't capable of making the right setting and
decisions about the server's situation then a personal call to the McKinney
office prior to making the sale explaining what specific parameters need to be
set, needs to be made. It's clearly apparent we need periodical
training for our support people. This is not a topic to discuss in email,
those who have a problem with the way a system is setup may give me a call
at ANYTIME at home, work or on my cell and I will be more than happy to
handle your situation. Thanks, Robert McDonald Home 972-633-0926 Work
972-542-6000 x156 Cell
214-403-4736 -----
Original Message -----
To: Support Team Cc: Steve Moreland ; Pat Green ; Bob Urosevich ; Barry Herron Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002
1:54 PM Subject:
Election Equipment & Setup I am
currently here in Memphis, TN. This is the second trip that I have made
here due to lack of planning. I was here last week to do the Server
Setup, AVTS & GEMS training. I was only able to do the AVTS &
GEMS training, due to the fact that we did not receive the Server.
We finally did receive the Server last Friday, and Rob McDonald was able
to come in on Saturday and set it up, then shipped it to Memphis.
However, due to a FedEx screw up, it did not get here until this morning at
8:00 a.m. I accomplished the Server setup and testing today, but
encountered a few problems along the way. I had to finish setting up the
Server in order for Central Count & the AVTS to work. I had to
install the printer drivers for the QMS 4032 for it to work. The duplexor
for the printer is not the correct one, so I need to get the correct one
ordered, then shipped here, and hopefully I can get someone with some
mechanical know how, to install it. Otherwise I will need to make another
trip out here to do this. I can
understand that sometimes we are not able to plan in advance, for the ordering
of computers & other components. However, we need to establish some
sort of Document, that is filled out with a new Customer or when Demonstrations
are done, as far in advance as possible, so we can do more planning in
advance, and get the Quality Assurance & testing that is necessary for the
setup of the Server and other components. This is the second time that
this has happened to me, where the Server was not setup completely, and it also
happened to Greg Forsythe last week in Indiana. If we
know what is needed for a customer, then the Server and all other components
need to be ordered, shipped to McKinney, configured and tested before it is
sent to the customer site. I sent out an e-mail back on March 5th,
asking for a Server with other components be set up, however, it was not setup
according to the e-mail I sent. Also, if the printer would have been
setup and tested, we would have found out that the duplexor was not the correct
one. It
becomes very frustrating as a support person, to have to go through the same
routine over and over. The objective of the support person, when going
out to a customer site, is to focus on Training, not to have to debug and setup
a Server and other components, when we have people in the McKinney office who
are supposed to do this. Thanks, Jeff Hintz |