Conference 7.286::digital

    A note in the Wall Street Journal today linked this announcement to Bob
    Palmer's future by saying that "Analysts speculate her departure could be
    significant because she has close ties to Robert B. Palmer...whom she
    has long served as an aide and strategic planner.  They say her
    departure could be a signal that Mr. Palmer's tenure is short."
    
    Viable speculation, or are analysts once again looking for something to
    talk about?
    
    PC

    My concern is that the FEW high ranking women Digital ever had have
    departed in droves...  and THAT sends a negative message...

    I certainly don't know much about A.S. or her abilities, but I think it
    interesting that someone from Digital thinks to go into the business of
    change management and business process re-engineering consulting. 
    Change we've had, plenty of it...have we managed it well?  Not judging
    by the many notes in this conference.  Business process re-engineering? 
    Can't say much good about that, either.
    
    M.

Re .2:

Who besides Willow Shire?

    
    RE: .3  My thoughts exactly.
    
    
    Mike

    Adriana was in charge of Digital's BPR effort up until this resignation
    (CVC).
    
    If CVC fixes Digital - she may have the experience needed for the start
    up.
    
    Otherwise, I agree that this may be a bit out of her realm of
    expertise.
    
    
    Michael

Please explain your TLAs.

        BPR = Business Process Reengineering
        CVC = Customer Value Chain

    For those who inquire about (high ranking) women departing in droves, I
    did not make my terminology clear.  Whilst Willow and Adrianna were
    very high ranking and very visible...  there were many other well
    placed women whom I knew, worked for/with who left the company under
    their own steam in distress over what was/is happening, and lessen you
    traveled in the same circles as I, you may well have not known them. 
    IM&T managers, Finance managers, and so on.  Sorry.
    
    If you will look, there is now ONE, ONE woman on the SLT, and I know
    that Roseanne Giordano is still a Veep...  but the point I was trying
    to make, and I guess did not make well, is that there were darn few
    women in high places to begin with, and now those are pretty much gone,
    and that sends a poor message, to women within the company, and the
    general public, IMHO.
    
    Does that do it?

    Maybe this is so we can outsource the BOR and CVC work to the new
    company, and reduce our expenses.
    
    }8-)}
    

>                                           there were many other well
>    placed women whom I knew, worked for/with who left the company under
>    their own steam in distress over what was/is happening

Clearly there are lots of people of both sexes who are leaving in distress
over what's happening.  Are you talking about something that affects
women specifically?  If so, what?

    re:.10
    
    That may be closer to the truth than you think. Or, A.S. knows DC is
    going to sold, and reckons that line of business is up for grabs. 
    
    The timing is certainly odd given the detailed announcement of her
    start up operation.
    
    -pb

    Ilene Jacobs our treasurer is still around, and high ranking also.

    Anyone see that Bruce Ryan just resigned to take the CFO position for
    Amdahl Corp?  There are also bunches of people resigning whose names
    will not be so public, guys who were right up there in the
    "re-engineering" effort...  I say something's afoot, all of a sudden
    all these high-up types jumping ship about one week before the end of
    the fiscal year...  man the lifeboats, gonna be an interesting
    ride.
    
    Re:  .13...  yup, you're right...  but there have been RUMOURS swirling
    'round 'bout her, too...

    At least one of Adriana's direct reports complained openly about the
    amount of politics and backbiting that went on, instead of real work
    rescuing this company. That employee and several others have all left
    for better jobs outside the company. Maybe she saw the handwriting on
    the wall for her group and her career.
    
    As far as the useful output from that group, all I can see is that
    lots of "chains" are broken. We in the field can't get "supplies".
    We lack information, product, and any useful response from management.
    
    As far as "value" to the customer, we are rapidly experiencing almost
    a total breakdown of many basic functions. DC is laying consultants off
    who are in the *middle* of delivery, without regard to customer impact.
    Hardware and basic software support are declining in quality as over-
    worked and under-trained personnel struggle to meet our contractual
    obligations. Sales support is all but extinct.
    
    All of this is directly affecting the bottom line. For all of our
    vaunted "reengineering" efforts, I think we could have accomplished
    the same levels of fear, turmoil, and gridlock much more economically.
    By just laying off every fourth person on the payroll, regardless of
    function, payscale, or performance, we could have easily created chaos,
    destroyed our lines of communication, reduced expenses and headcount,
    delayed shipping product, panicked our customers, and lost our position
    in the industry. And it would have been a lot quicker and cheaper to
    implement than what we actually did.
    
    

>>    All of this is directly affecting the bottom line. For all of our
>>    vaunted "reengineering" efforts, I think we could have accomplished
>>    the same levels of fear, turmoil, and gridlock much more economically.
>>    By just laying off every fourth person on the payroll, regardless of
>>    function, payscale, or performance, we could have easily created chaos,
>>    destroyed our lines of communication, reduced expenses and headcount,
>>    delayed shipping product, panicked our customers, and lost our position
>>    in the industry. And it would have been a lot quicker and cheaper to
>>    implement than what we actually did.
  
Amen to that.

Taking this one step further, why not institute DEClotto.  1 in 4 chance of 
hitting the big one.  Winners get the package.  Sure as heck would be a lot 
more fun than what we're living through now.
    
Rev

PS - An example of DEClunacy.  Apparantly the US sales force was FORCED to hire
500 reps (US-wide) recently.  Branch managers were threatened with personal
responsibility of the increased budget if they didn't hire.  We added 2 reps
in NY.  Guess who got TFSO'd this week.

    re: .-1
    
>PS - An example of DEClunacy.  Apparantly the US sales force was FORCED to hire
>500 reps (US-wide) recently.  Branch managers were threatened with personal
>responsibility of the increased budget if they didn't hire.  We added 2 reps
>in NY.  Guess who got TFSO'd this week.
    
    This appears to be happening everywhere.  At least it happened in the
    Bay Area (WRO & SZO); 8 reps total then layed off.  At least two of
    them were new hires...

    I have yet to see anyone from the "executive" level who has been
    fired/resigned/quit who has done anything to help this company.
    
    Thank god Ed bit the dust. Did nothing for the salesforce. Ain't
    there anybody up there with good management skills/ideas?
    
    We'll be an extremely profitable 10K employee company.
    

RE:                     <<< Note 3196.19 by POCUS::BOESCHEN >>>

>>    I have yet to see anyone from the "executive" level who has been
>>    fired/resigned/quit who has done anything to help this company.
  
     Ken will be disappointed to hear that you said that.

                                  Greg

    Those are not rumours, but actual fact about DC people getting TFSOd while
    they are in the middle of $1000-$1400 a day contract. There are lots of
    examples of this. Many of these people have gone back and taken the
    contract on their own (double hit to Digital's bottom line). This is a
    prime of example of what happens when you downsize without the proper
    business plan being in place. Anyone who is out at $1000+ dollars a
    day, no  matter what the so called internal desired margin is, is more
    than earning their keep and helping to pay for many other non billable
    peoples' (ie the overhead people) time.
    
    I do not understand how the company can complain about cash flow
    problems, when they get rid of the people generating profitable
    revenue! Do we need to draw a picture with big arrows on it showing
    them that the gun in their hand is pointed at their toes! 
    
    
    The company has put so many roadblocks up for our customers to buy
    those precious Alpha boxes from the company. Now the customer can not
    even find technical resources, if he chooses a Digital platform.

    According to Livewire report in base note, Ms.A.S's background seems to
    Personnel and Human Resources.  Is "Executive Operations"  position ,a
    duplicate of "V.P.Human Resources " functions and thus eliminated..Just 
    Curious ! 

  RE.15

You put the hammer right on the nail. I see people becoming very preemptive and
leaving of their own accord. These are some pretty good people, all the deadwood
is already gone. I feel myself wanting to flee instead of being surprised when
the axe comes down (even though I am on a billable project). Actually, nothing
will surprise me any more around here.  I have seen this pattern before and it
is really scary.  Actually can't even think of an argument that would make me want
to stay given the current climate. Personally, I don't want to continue living
like this, for me it has to stop. I trust the people at the bottom , but I have zero 
trust for the people 2-3&up layers above me. My perspective is they don't even have 
a clue.

Dan Ward

    
    re: .-1
    
    	i beg to differ with you "all the deadwood is already gone." 
    
    	This couldn't be further from the truth. We have plenty of 
    	"deadwood" left in this person's humble opinion. In fact, as each
    	day passes it is exacerbated since voluntary attrition of "good"
    	folks increases along with the good ones "caught" by the involuntary 
    	TFSO program.