Group Efforts 21

Group Efforts
The Diary of a Workgroup Manager

Episode 19 (1995)

Embarrassment for our hero, trouble in the Stores and a virtual trip across the Atlantic.

Tuesday 4th
The aftermath of the department merger fiasco lingers on. The story has obviously leaked out, as wags have been sending memos addressed to 'The Surviving Manager, Contracts/Planning', and I've received three sets of retirement home details in the internal mail so far. At management meetings Llewellyn prefaces each point with 'I don't wish to alarm you gentlemen but,' at which even Costello allows himself a controlled grin. Amrat's too scared to show his face, and hasn't been seen for over two weeks. I'm in two minds about him - he was seriously out of order, especially in fiddling with our networks, but I know he's basically a good lad and I can't bring myself to seek formal retribution. Laughing stocks, Andy and I must endure our fate with as much dignity as we can muster.

Monday 10th
More Windows 95 Familiarisation, with George taking us on a trip around his 'Network Neighborhood'. Smiles makes a crack about multi-department districts, but stops when he sees the looks on our faces. George also demonstrates the Microsoft Network, a cross between an email system and a BT Chatline with pictures and American spelling. Apparently we're directly connected to Seattle, USA at this point, which Smiles obviously finds extremely exciting. I say it must be costing a fortune, and he says it isn't, as Microsoft provides the transatlantic connection free. I ask if we'll all be getting it in that case, and he says probably not and I'd better ask Llewellyn. I ask if he knows when we'll be getting Windows 95, and he doesn't know that either. Thus fully informed, we all troop out.

Wednesday 12th
Disk surface errors show that our server is definitely cracking up. This time there's been no argument, with Llewellyn authorising an immediate replacement. It's delivered by a still-sheepish Amrat, his first appearance in nearly a month. Danny skips happily off to bother the girls in Accounts, June and Rose start happily catching up on Marlow filing, and Cathy works in stand-alone mode on her Visual Basic primer. Amrat's lottery syndicate has just won its fourth £10 prize, and as an olive branch I ask to join. He accepts, says he's really sorry about the other business, and confides that Llewellyn has said he'll be on his bike if he does anything like it again. Llewellyn hasn't of course had the courtesy to tell me about that, but on reflection I'd have done exactly the same. Bridges rebuilt, Amrat and I return to our tasks.

Thursday 20th
A welcome diversion in the form of a new Solvents Stores Debacle. The word is that if the total number of litres in a stock issue is directly divisible into the capacity of the bulk containers it comes from then the system marks the last tank as withdrawn for emergency maintenance and writes its contents off as wastage, or something like that anyway. B2 Systems' hotline has apparently reached melting point, with Bill having to cancel a fortnight in Florida to sort it out. Amrat blames it on third-generation software technology, saying that it would never have happened in C++. Costello is said to be blaming it on Llewellyn and demanding a detailed review of his outsourcing policy. The Stores clerks have been booking the wastage back in as recovered stock, and think the system's fine. Happily uninvolved, I concentrate on getting Marlow back on schedule.

Friday 28th
Normality has returned at last. I'm getting the cold shoulder from Danny for leaving his lottery syndicate, the LaserJet has jammed while printing the last estimate sheet needed for the Marlow Contract Datapost, June is on holiday in the Azores, and supertemp Julie is in and asking if there are any permanent jobs going. This morning Cathy and Amrat even started arguing over the relative merits of Microsoft and Novell's office suites, with Rose chipping in that it had better be the latter. George has got us tickets for his son's first Colts match tomorrow, with a barbecue at his place afterwards. The sun shines warmly on my screen as I log out, and head off to join the Line Management All Stars for a relaxing homeward quick one in Peg's.