Conference 7.286::digital

1231.0. "DEC Fantasy..." by AKOV06::DCARR (HOPEFULLY, you can call me Carr-nac) Tue Oct 16 1990 10:27

Dateline: Boston, Massachusetts, Monday, December 7th, 1995, 8:15 AM
                                                          = 

Ken Dec, mild-mannered salesman for Fuji-Digital, arrives in the main
teleconferencing center of the Fuji-Digital towers in the old Hancock building,
and instructs the system to connect with Jack Kodak, the CIO of his main
customer account, Nissan-Kodak.  After the obligatory small-talk, Jack
identifies an immediate need for an integrated voice, video, and data network
connecting all 8 types of computers in Nissan-Kodak.

After a few simple verbal queries from Ken, the FIST system (Fuji-Digital 
Integrated Sales Tool), goes to work. The inventory module identifies the 
complete inventory of Nissan-Kodak, and passes the information to the AI 
configuration module, which suggests a complete hardware, software, service, 
and training solution.  This information is passed to the Worldwide Inventory 
Network; Manufacturing And Delivery; Ken's teleconferencing computer; and the 
DEC Price System.  In two minutes, Ken has reviewed the compiled information,
acknowledges the standard volume and large customer discounts, reviews the
final price, and whispers the word "SEND".  

Instantaneously, the complete sales proposal arrives at Jack's Integrated
Office System.  After several minutes of discussion and review, and some minor
changes, the $150m sale is made.  The system has completed its inventory check,
which enables Ken to commit to the worldwide delivery and installation of all
hardware and software by Wednesday afternoon, with the global training of 250
Nissan-Kodak personnel scheduled for Thursday morning.

After disconnecting, Ken says "ORDER", and FIST kicks into high gear.  First, 
the products to be shipped to all 27 destinations within the Nissan-Kodak
company are identified, the warehouses within shipping distance of each
destination have begun identifying the stock items to be pulled, and those
products not available in current inventory are scheduled for production in 
manufacturing plants around the world.  By lunchtime, the shipments to all 27
destinations have been coordinated; the software products have networked
themselves to Nissan-Kodak's recipient computers at each site; the Customer
Service Installation Teams have been scheduled; the Ed Services training teams
have been notified; and FIST has notified the Nissan-Kodak systems to schedule 
their personnel for training on Thursday morning.

By midnight, the conference rooms at Nissan-Kodak have been scheduled, after
scheduling all trainers and trainees, and the satellite time has been reserved.
The complete Nissan-Kodak configuration has been updated; the invoice has been 
networked; and the coverage information has been sent to all CSC's, RDC's, and 
Field organizations that will involved in the ongoing support. Shipments have
begun to roll, and new manufacturing runs have been set up.  Ken is of course
three deals removed from the process, but everything continues to run smoothly.

By the end of the day on Tuesday, all of the hardware has been manufactured.
Some sites have already received all of the hardware, and it has already been
installed.  The remainder of the hardware is shipped overnight.  By Wednesday
morning, all hardware and software has been installed, and a slight
incompatibility glitch with one vendor's hardware has been identified and
corrected (and, of course, the master solution database has been updated as
well).  

Thursday morning, in teleconferencing centers around the world, Nissan-Kodak
personnel are provided with the finest training in the industry: customized,
multi-lingual, hands-on, interactive, complete run-throughs of the new network
are provided by the Ed Services branch of Fuji-Digital.  

Following the positive evaluations, the Nissan-Kodak computers have wired the
full payment to the Fuji-Digital banks, and Ken Dec has received credit for the
sale.  Letters of appreciation and commendations begin to flow across the
network; another happy customer.

--------------------------------------- end -----------------------------------

A Fantasy?  Sure is, if you look at today's chaotic environment!  But, with the
possible exception of the telecommunications components, the technology to
perform these miracles exist TODAY!  If the talent within Digital was devoted
to implementing visions such as these, rather than with political 
restructuring, penny-ante cost reductions, and battles over employee
empowerment versus management control, I believe such a system could be
constructed before 1995.  

You'll of course have noticed the slight organizational changes I described in
the Fantasy: but I firmly believe that unless the current environment changes, 
we will become a Japanese subsidiary before the end of the decade.  I hope it
doesn't take such an event before visions can be implemented again, instead of
simply dreamed about.

    Thanks for your time, I hope you enjoyed it.  Of course, any and all
    comments welcome...

Dave Carr
GIA Customer Service
Information Management 
DTN 244-6106

>Ken Dec, mild-mannered salesman for Fuji-Digital, arrives in the main
    
    Be careful how you use this name -- Ken Dec (pronounced Dees) is a real
    person who often times contracts with Digital...
    

    Ken Dec most recently worked in my group.

    
    "Ohio gozaimus," Carr-nac!
    
    And "harigato" for the excellent morning chuckle!
    
    Now, please extract said base note and forward it to the other Ken Dec
    
    (or if you prefer the "you propose, you do it" philosophy, post your
    permission for anyone to extract and for anyone to forward to anyone in 
    Digital; or is permisson not needed, what's "the rule" again these days
    regarding the forwarding VAXnotes replies?  Can't effect change just
    talking around the ol' global watercooler, you know.  Got to ALSO talk
    to them's with the authority to implement change too!)
    

    re: .0
    
    This is a wonderful fantasy, thank you!  Fantasies are good for vision:
    witness the Nautilus (fantasy submarine and first nuclear-powered
    submarine), the waldo and waterbed (Heinlein fantasies later invented),
    the Clarke satellite orbit, etc.  Even ugly fantasies can be useful:
    Nineteen Eighty Four may have saved us from the fate it was predicting.
    
    I don't think we can achieve what you describe by 1995, and I don't
    think Digital and Kodak will be renamed, no matter who owns them,
    but except for those minor points I think this is a viable vision.
        John Sauter

    First, I had no idea that anyone named Ken Dec could exist - it was
    obviously just a combination of our founders name and the company
    abbreviation...  Learn something every day!
    
    Second, thanks for the kudos, and sure, anybody has my permission to repost,
    extract, etc.  I'd be honored...  
    
    Third, I also really don't believe that names will change, and did that 
    kind of as a 'grabber'.   Have to have some (small bits of) humor to
    keep people reading....  
    
    BUT, I was serious, too:  I _do_ believe that at least the systems 
    connects that I was talking about can be done, and can be done even 
    before 1995.  The speed with which I had information flying around is 
    possible, but likely unjustifiable until we improve our bandwidth and 
    MIPS...
                                                            
    And, finally, I'd love to "propose and do", but I'm afraid unless Ken
    himself blessed this vision, I'd be shoveling sand against the tide...
    Hey, if Jack reads this, I'd be more than willing to assemble a team of
    a dozen or so of the most knowledgeable and talented people in these
    different departments, and go off and build a prototype - hell, I'll
    even committ to delivering something by 1993!  So let me know, I'm here
    waiting!
    
    Dave
    

    AH, so desu-ka!
    anata wa tote mo omoshiroi, desu yoooo
    
    Dozo yoroshi-ku!

    
    Fujisan wa Nippon de mottomo yumei na yama desu!
    
    Translation from my Vest Pocket "learn in one minute" Japanese Booklet:
    "Mt. Fuji is the most famous mountain in Japan."  I can also say, "Does
    not this train arrive in Nagoya at five o'clock." 
    I'm ready, by golly! ;-)