Conference 7.286::digital

    
    
    My understanding was that MCS were targeting contractors/temps/etc and
    not permanent employees. Basically, the gist of it was all employees
    of this nature would have their current contracts reviewed and their
    Management Team would have to justify their next extension.
    
    	

    We have been told that some percentage of permanent employees will be
    included in the process.

    .2
    Yep, I heard we (I) will know on Feb. 19th. They said temps first but I
    don`t think we have any here in KYO Admin. There will be permanent
    employees effected but know idea how many. 9% seems high but not out of
    the question.

    
    re: .-1 I agree on knowing by the 19th, although we were given no firm
    date, "in a couple of weeks" was the term used. A real morale booster
    there, let everyone stew *again* for a couple of weeks, wondering who
    is gonna get it, and when. What do you think customers will think about 
    the firings *this* time? I really fail to see the point in deleting
    your Service Engineers when you are supposed to live up to real-time
    contractual obligations, Hell we can't cover what we have now, never
    mind do it with LESS.
    
    I suspect that the temps we have left are CRR's and admin types from
    what I've heard, but in Upstate-Connecticut they killed off the temps a
    while ago, so I have to believe that so-called "permanent" employees
    will be targeted now. Isn't "permanent employee" now considered an
    oxymoron at digital these days?
    
    My understanding of all this is that the indians are to be killed to
    make up for gross mis-forecasting by some bean-counters in the amount of
    profit/revenue in the "Productivity Services" area. That was the only
    area significantly off in profit/revenue. It's not like we actually
    LOST money, what was that about "the best quarter" I just read the
    other day? Oh Well...
    
    .mike.
                         

    
    	Number I heard was 4% of the US workforce (maybe that is where the
    4% in your pension is coming from?) before 1 Apr 96. MCS and the ABU
    I believe are first. SBU, etc. rolling thru during March.
    
    	Personally, I am getting whacked Monday. I'm relieved. Enough is
    enough. The long and short for this cowboy is real simple, I don't
    believe these guys anymore.
    
    	Not going to rant and rave. It has been a real slice. Will put all
    my "official" thoughts in the Goodbye Note when the time comes.
    
    		the Greyhawk

Well, the same goes for SI in Canada.  Major blood letting... not
sure of the numbers yet.  Many good friends...

-- sadenned,
   Guy

    We were told today, SI in Canada goes from 110 to 80. It was not clear
    from the double talk if the 80 figure has been reached already or if
    there are still more to come. 
    
    We're locked in a death spiral, we can't make the margins the company
    needs on the skills we have, so we shed people instead of reskilling. 
    At the end of the day in SI what you sell is people so as staffing goes
    down less get's sold, we have plans to hire more when the business
    picks up but customers won't pay premium price for new hires off the
    street they want names and resumes and experience, so we have to lure
    skilled people away from the competition at top dollar and even at our
    premium price we can't make the margins the company needs...
      

      Do I read .5 aright? We're losing Greyhawk? If so then there's still
    something seriously wrong with this company, profits and a soaring
    share price notwithstanding.
    
    Ken

    
    Best of luck Greyhawk, I think we (Digital) are making a big mistake!
    
    But I know you'll land on your feet running!
    
    All the best, I've enjoyed reading your informative strings.
    
    /art

    Good luck Grayhawk. I`m waiting to find out for myself.

    
    	I've gotten dozens of messages. Thanks all. Watch this file for
    my goodbye open letter. It's gonna be fun. But all things considered,
    I'd rather be in Philadelpha...
    
    		the Greyhawk

    
    Re: I'd rather be in Philadelphia...
    
    I don't think so!  We're gonna get hit hard here on the 19th 
    as well..."significantly," to quote our manager.
    
    ---Mar()
              

    re: last,
    
    Good luck Mar()!
    Hope you come thru this ok.
    
    Kim (cook island pen pal)
    
    

    Just coming back from an MCS Change Forum day, I'm surprised to see
    this type of news coming back up again. -- How will be doing the 
    additional Compaq deal? -- And how will we be able to digest 
    the 'Paradigm Shift' we are supposed to go through with this
    uncertainty poping up again? -- How are we meant to go to a much harder
    'solution provider' attitude from the cozy high-margin insurance type
    of remedial work that is deteriorating? -- John: this needs a lot of
    high-skilled and high-motivated workforce to succeed !!
    
    Can't understand it, if it's really true.. 
    
    Heard that MCS was making about 400M$ out of the 160+M$ that DEC was
    reporting for this quarter(!), so slaughtering the cash-cow is one way
    to commit suicide ..
    
    :-(
    
    Regards, 
    
    Arnold

Why MCS?  Just look at the last two quarterly reports from a bean counters
perspective.  MCS revenues are flat, with margins declining.  This is a
serious problem that needs to be addressed.

    If you get rid of all the rowers, the ship won't go...

    sorry to see this happening...
    all the best to Greyhawk....
    
    "No company ever shrank to greatness" 
    Grow To Be Great - Breaking the Downsizing Cycle
    by Dwigth L. Gertz & Joao P.A. Baptista
    The Free Press
    ISBN 0-02-874047-5 
    
    will we be the first? ;-)
    

    
    Re: -1 
    
    Sure, we will be great at shrinking!
    
    But seriously folks, how is it that a multi-billion dollar company
    does not have the s-t-r-e-t-c-h ( ie. flexibility ) to swing with a
    quarter of missed (artificial) targets planned (probably) by the
    very people who are not overseeing the downsizing? 
    
    Seems rather odd considering all the positive press I just read in 
    Digital Today (Americas) or whatever the current publication is called.
    
    jc
       

	A comment from a concerned customer :

        "You should raise the service fees and get more people, so we could
        trust you ..."

        What are we doing ?

        Tero 

    
    	Its all quite simple.  We use various excuses to LAY OFF employees
    that are well compensated, read "old timers".  At the same time business 
    is unfolding and requiring us to re-hire, weeks/months later, at cheaper 
    wages.  Hence mission accomplished, HR has righted the wages of field
    engineers which has been troubling them for some time.
    
    	Watch closely how many "new" field persons are hired before this time 
    next year.  
    
    Mark

    
    You are hitting it right on the head Mark!! The field is still making
    more money than any other part of Digital. It has been knocked down, left
    with far less manpower then what it already takes to maintain our
    current customers. JOHN RANDO AND BOB PALMER please listen you still
    have some of the best in class people working their tails , brains, and
    and literally their lifes for you guys. You have given us no modern
    tools, hardly any training, held layoffs over our heads for over five
    years. We've had every number a statistics major from MIT could think
    up thrown in our face. We rowing as hard as we can!!! 
    
    The Change Forums have been conveying the messages to reunite with the
    vision of our Senior Leadership Team, we are trying as hard as we can to
    work with you. THIS IS A PLEA BY THE WAY!!!!! We are setting forth the
    very core values that Digtial have asked us too, Why does that not go
    for the senior management team? We are only asking for some trust and
    to be treated as part of our own company. 
    
    
    Hey Mark, remember working those long nights at MCI?? I'm still at MCI
    and really loving it. They are continually on the move nothing but
    positive growth and positive attitudes. Wouldn't I love to see Digital
    that way again.
    
     Give us the tools and training and we can build MCS into the Global Leader 
    that we profess to be. Don't ruin the a powerful and profitable part
    of Digital by looking at a few quarters of numbers!! You need to invest in
    us!!! We are assets to this company not expenses. Plus what is most
    important to me just treat us as intelligent individuals that have
    something to contribute.
    
    Chris C

    Where is the latest TFSO policy ? In VTX you only get the table of
    contents. When you request E-mail softcopy all you get is table of
    contents. 

    What I've heard is that this is the last time the company can use the
    loss reserves for TFSO packages, so many organizations are trying to
    take advantage of this "last opportunity" to reduce their workforce. It
    is happening not only in MCS but in SI and ABU Sales Organization.
    
    

    re .15,
    
    MCS revenues flat, with Margin declining...
    
    I'd be happier with revenue declining, but margins flat. Don't laugh -
    some of the 'new' services lines (eg S/W utility) bring in large
    revenue streams but at signif low margin. When aggregated up, the bean
    counter gets confused - aka margins declining in total, whilt revenues
    flat. Can we report MCS money 2 ways please:
    
    'Old MCS' (broken, so I'll fix it for you).  Revenue, Margin.
    'New MCS' (newer services, low margin)       Revenue, Margin.
    
    Don't believe me ? Run the figures on a large S/W Utility or PC Utility
    deal... The Sad thing is these *may* be great service lines to get
    into, as long as we *understand* how the money gets added up, and what
    it actually means once it has been.
    
    
    AW
    
    
    
    
    

    re: -1 and -2 (I think)...
    
    You both hit that nail right on the head.  MCS revenues being flat
    *is* a good thing.  Thousands of older (cash cow-type) machines are 
    being replaced by Alphas.  Your average 6xxx machine BMC's (Basic 
    Maint. Charge) is about $584+ for just the system, your average 
    Alpha 2100 is about $223.  If revenue is flat, we're actually increasing 
    our customer base and the number/type of services we are selling to 
    each customer.  And yes, the two big revenue services we are pushing 
    these days (PC Utility and SW Utility) are very low margin.  I would 
    not be surprised, either, based upon the differences in reliability, etc.,
    if the margin on break/fix for an Alpha is a lot lower than on a VAX.
    
    And we *will* make another cut, then find ourselves re-hiring in 4-6
    months, this time at a lower wage for a different skill set (desktop
    and networking, etc., instead of VAXes and other large servers).
    Reducing MCS headcount again is about the worst mistake I've heard yet.
    This rivals the post-it note ban a few years ago for poor logic.  What 
    we need is to re-skill and re-deploy the people we have, give them the
    tools they need to do their jobs, and then bring on a few fresh faces 
    for the desktop markets, etc., to boot. 
    
    But it's easier to lay people off and make that bottom line look really
    good for a quarter or two, then re-hire the same folks as temps or hire
    younger people at a lower wage.  Why invest in people?  It's only what
    made Digital great in the first place and has made MCS the strongest
    part of this company for all the bad years.  Remember a short 5
    quarters ago when MCS was part of a select group of Digital businesses
    making any money, and was shoring up the poor profits/revenue from
    hardware sales, etc.?  
    
    Sigh.  Life goes on in its inexorably idiotic way.  Murphy's Law that
    we'd get another layoff just when everyone was starting to feel pretty
    good about working here again.
    
    M.

>    What I've heard is that this is the last time the company can use the
>    loss reserves for TFSO packages,

  Why? 

    
    	'Cause I'm taking it all...
    
    
    
    	Sheez, ask a dumb;-) question.
    
    
    		the Greyhawk

    I think NBC NEWS referred to 'corporate anorexia'.  I can relate.  The
    person(s) remaining will cover not just 4-5 vacant positions, but 6-7. 
    And, we've got to pay the leaders' salaries!
    

Hi,


	I have 2 questions for you:

1) Are these MCS layoffs global or just in the U.S? I've not heard a whisper so
far about this in the U.K.

and

2) Is this the bad news that caused our stock to drop by 4 dollars in 1 day??


regards,

Trev

p.s. I wish the best of luck to those being capped!

    .30
    Just in the U.S.
    
    It COULD have sent the stocks down but I still think it was the
    announcement of grawhawk that sent it down. 

    It was the Cirrus Logic maybe not going through with the 
    wedding with Digital Semiconductor.  Stay tuned...

    If that's so then the fact of HP stock also shedding a couple of $
    is due to 'contamination' from our fall?  If so, then that's a nice
    twist on the usual way of things!
    
    Calvin

    HP is up more than 7 today on better than expected earnings

    
    Well, I am a casualty of the latest round.  Was a big one here in the
    COP BASE unit, around 20%.
    
    
    Mike

    I also got it Mike. Not so big here but I am a victim never the less.
    Who is to say its all that bad? Good luck Mike.

    Exactly half of my counterparts in the US were hit Monday.  We are a
    very small group anyway, only 8 people to begin with.  I expected
    perhaps 2 people to "get it", because revenue in our product is in a
    serious and unavoidable decline, but not four!?!  Yeesh.  What a shock. 
    And what a combination of guilt and relief to still be here when others
    equally well qualified and experienced are not.
    
    Deep, depressed sigh.  
    
    Sign me --
    
    Home alone and lonely,
    
    M.
    
    
    

    ...and how many other very talented people will we continue
    to lose who voluntarily leave due to continued layoffs and
    a new found decline in moral??
    
    I'm already seeing this happen, people not in jeopardy looking
    harder at other opportunities.
    
    What a shame, Digital has been able to replace these employees 
    with folks with similar technical skills; however, the people
    skills and Digital specific knowledge for the most part are not
    present. 

    Has anyone seen an official internal or external press release, notice,
    memo  or spin etc. on these layoffs?

I would imagine that upper management feels no need for a 'spin'
on this. This is the way it works now. People get laid off when-
ever the business decides they aren't needed. Then if conditions
change they are replaced by contractors. The variable workforce has
become our reality. liesl

    And so it goes..To quote a well-known radio commentator - 
    
    "And now, Page 2."
    
    Word on the street is now that MCS Worldwide will get whacked beginning
    in Q4. I'd hope it's just an ugly rumor, but given past history, I
    believe it.
    
    .mike.

    According to CNBC this morning, the new politically-correct term in
    U.S. businesses is now "dehiring".  The terms "layoff", "rightsizing",
    and "downsizing" are now passe.  k

    Hmmm.  So, the difference between "dehiring" a marriage and annulling a
    marriage is that ...  oh, never mind ...  ;^)
    
    Steve

So if someone swears in a note, the moderators will dewrite it?  Doubleplusgood.

Paul

    You don't get off a bus, you deride it?

    
    You don't logout, you delogon?

    
         I was exiled from Japan.  Does that mean that I am disoriented?
    

    Does this mean denial is more then a river?
    
    Bright Blessings,
    
    PJ

When I go to the aeorport, I get on and off deplane.

    
    	After the beachfront fantasy, I land?
    

    If I left Des Moines, did I des Des Moines?  If I did, doesn't it mean
    I left and came back?  
    
    Better yet, would it still be Des Moines if I never left?

    And if I change a database from normal form did I denormalize it?
    
    And if I use non-normalized no-zero numbers in machine form (whew), am
    I using denormals?
    
    And if I lower the pitch of my guitar do I detune it?
    
    And if I go down the stairs do I descend?
    
    And if I ask someone about a briefing they gave, do I debrief them?
    
    And if I reply to notes like this am I deranged?
    

	I find this dehire rather ungood, unagreable and even unappropriate

	I would prefer unhire. At least it starts like unemployment.

	Joel

    this topic is degenerating rapidly

    Now... to get back to the topic....
    
    I've heard this rumor with some "other" stuff attached; like, it's not
    only MCS, it's ALL OVER THE COMPANY; that Bob Palmer's forecast was
    $50M off so he's got to make it somehow....
    
    Any other info.....?
    
    Toodles.....JPs (I'm MCS and a tad nervous)
    

    Let's see, to make things easy:
    
    $50M / ~$100K (gross cost of employee w benefits, space...etc.)
    
    That's a 500 person downsize.
    
    
    $50M / ~$50K ... double that to 1000 person downsize.
    
    
    --Steve

    I kind of liked the term that one of the news magazines gave it..
    
    	"Corporate Bulimia"
    
    Cheers,
    jeff
    

>>    Let's see, to make things easy:
>>    $50M / ~$100K (gross cost of employee w benefits, space...etc.)
>>    That's a 500 person downsize.
>>    $50M / ~$50K ... double that to 1000 person downsize.
    
    
Depends upon in what timeframe.  In my (former) organization it was
$1.8m before the end of the fiscal year - essentially a quarter.  If
for Digital it is $50M before the end of Q4 make that $50m/ ~$25k per quarter
and about 2000 people.  I think that MCS will come close to that number all
by itself when all is said and done.

I've heard the April 1st MCS layoff rumor from enough reputable sources
for me to take it as fact.  My group was cut last week...   Guess we
are back in the cycle.

Anne.
(still in Digital, no longer in MCS)

    I've heard the rumor from two different sources.  Heard that whole
    groups (ones we consider pretty essential) are going away, others will
    be shrunk to almost nil and absorbed into different groups.  
    
    Heard that MCS New Biz and MCS Base will re-join at the hip, and become
    rather like what used to be called ASG.  Since MCS New Biz and Base are
    the result of a reorg, does that mean they are going to be deorganized?  
    -:)  Sounds that way to me.
    
    Since my function was cut from 8 nationwide to 4 nationwide a mere 4
    weeks ago today, I have high hopes that no further cuts will occur
    until they decide not to offer my product anymore or something.  Of
    course, if they lay off any more engineers, they might just as well do
    away with my service, because there isn't anyone out there to deliver
    it!
    
    Cheers,
    
    M.
    
    
    M.

    I heard that 50 out of 125 in SHR got the word, 3 weeks to find a
    job or out the door. I also heard that 12 already got new jobs
    in Digital. Sounds like they just want to move people around or
    at least keep the managers around. The Good ol Boy network is
    probably alive and well.

    What's The Package??  How many weeks?  
    
    Les

    
    RE:  .60
    
    The package is 8 weeks.
    

    Re: .64
    
    I had heard no package, only four weeks notice.
    
    JR

    I heard 12 weeks. Does anybody have an idea on how medical benefits
    are terminated?

I think "desire" comes first in this case 8-)

>================================================================================
>Note 4411.55                   MCS Layoffs <again>                      55 of 64
>NEMAIL::KENT                                          3 lines  18-MAR-1996 10:55
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                                  -< Ceipt? >-
>
>    What's the significance then of sire and desire?
>    
>    Peter
>

       the new 'package' is a well guarded secret !
    
    

    
    	I heard 12 weeks maximum with no lump sum at the end.  Ask
    somebody with 10, 15 or 20 years of service what they think of the
    package and see what answer you get.

    I heard same as last time, 4 weeks continuous pay plus
    
    0-6 years 4 weeks lump sum
    6-15 years 6 weeks lump sum
    15 + years 8 weeks lump sum
    
                                   Steve J.

    I thought lump sums were discontinued - If this part is true, you would
    just contine to receive weekly checks for that time period.
    
    JR

    I'm one of those 20 year people, but I don't believe I can tell 
    you here what I think!
    
    Any ideas on how medical coverage goes? Does it go for the 12 (or 
    whatever) weeks?
    
    Louie 

    Louie,
    
    I hope all is well.  As far as I know, you only get full benefits for
    the length of your package, e.g. if you 12 weeks pay, you get 12 weeks
    of benefits.  Thereafter, you are on your own.  They do let you sign up
    on COBRA, which does give you a discount on the normal rates for up to
    a year. If your health plan accepts COBRA, all stays as before except
    your weekly payment is higher because you are no longer subsidised by
    DEC.  Check with your Human Resources Representative (if you can find
    one) for the details.  
    
    There are lots of rumours on lay-offs here in LEX, and none of them are 
    good.
    
    Best of luck,
    
    Ken Hanly  DTN 238-4656
    

    I thought COBRA coverage was 18 months, not 12 months...
    

    If your company provides medical insurance they are required to provide
    you with COBRA as long as you pay the monthly bill.  COBRA is available
    for 18 months and is provided to you at the company group rate.  You
    must contact the company and request coverage.  You no longer get the 
    company subsidy.

    Robin

    
    
    
    Expect to pay over $1000/mo for coverage under COBRA.  The formula is:
    
    
    1.02 * (What you now pay + What DEC now pays)
    
    
    e.g. Plan B, married, no kids = $1100 
    e.g. Plan B, married, three kids = $1300
    
    
    rgds,
    
    Frank
    
                                          

 >>  Expect to pay over $1000/mo for coverage under COBRA.  The formula is:
    
    
 >>   1.02 * (What you now pay + What DEC now pays)
    
    
 >>   e.g. Plan B, married, no kids = $1100 
 >>   e.g. Plan B, married, three kids = $1300
	
	Funny, my girlfriend's COBRA for her full coverage HMO was $60.00/wk
	That's a lot less than these numbers...maybe single has a lot to do 
	with it???

    
    You should secure private insurance ASAP and not depend on COBRA. Remember 
    COBRA is just a bridge that you want to cross ASAP. COBRA is only for
    12 - 18 months. If you contract an extended illness during the COBRA
    coverage period your in big trouble since COBRA has a fixed time frame.
    When it's over it's over!  And try getting insurance when your ill.
    
    My advice is start shopping the minute you walk out the door of your
    current employer and use COBRA for what it was designed for.
    
    Pete

    Well, approximately 30 people in MCS here in Dallas got it yesterday.
    
    I'm the only one left out of a group of 3 contractors and 3 employees,
    with instructions to shutdown our project, finish getting my
    Microsquish certification and find a new job within Digital.
    
    Bob
    

    	2 more in San Antonio , 

    4 out of 10 in the VA, NC geography

    blood, blood, more blood....
    
    Twice I heard in June again.....
    
    Once that this was sooo deep this time, that it would be at least 9
    months before we shed more....
    
    

        Wholesale in MKO, ZKO and Stow from what I'm hearing.
        
        Andy (hit a few minutes ago - bye folks)
            

    Anyone want to start a pool to see how many new Vice Presidents this
    will be followed by?

    I have heard that the new target number is in the mid to high 40's.
    Sounds like the recent hiring spree seen by many areas is taking it's
    toll on the bottom line.  
    
    

    
    
     I've been following this note for several weeks on and off.  Replies
     were hot & heavy.  Now replies are practically non-existent.
     
     I wonder why ??  Any feedback ???
    
       

    The last one out did indeed turn out the lights.
    

    Speculative article in a recent Computer Reseller News, based on 
    COMPAQ service problems with Digital MCS Channel conflicts, that
    Digital is 1). eliminating channel conflict by reducing headcount,
    2) getting out of the MCS business and turning it over to indirect
    channels providers to increase customer and partner satisfaction.
    
    Mark
    

>     I've been following this note for several weeks on and off.  Replies
>     were hot & heavy.  Now replies are practically non-existent.
>     
>     I wonder why ??  Any feedback ???

	In my relatively short time here, I have noticed that when the axes 
start swinging, people usually keep their heads out of sight....

	C'Ya,
	Wayne

        Feedback - thanks to the current round of layoffs, many of us are
        out of here as of Friday. There's more to life than Notes! :*)
        
        All the best to those who are left - I wish you all well and
        successful, especially in MCS which has some excellent people and
        some indifferent management.
        
        Good luck folks - I'll miss you!
        
        Andy ["[email protected]"]

    Yesterday, I found brand new Digital computer equipment still in the 
    packaging in the TRASH - and promptly brought the items to security.  I 
    wonder if layoffs are the only real way of saving money or if we are
    just throwing it away in other ways. 
    

re: .92

People have successfully stolen things this way.  Someone on the inside 
throws likely-looking stuff in the trash, and someone on the outside 
retrieves it.

Ray

  This is also a ploy sometimes used for international smuggling.
  Discard the object on the airplane and the cleaners-working-
  with-the-smugglers fetch it.

  In America, all trash from international arrivals is supposed
  to be incinerated by a bonded trash hauler, I think.

                                   Atlant

    I wondered about this....when leaving one evening I noticed a
    man in front of me wearing a large backpack.  By the way
    he was walking it was obvious filled with "something" rather
    heavy.  Did security "notice/question/inquire"?  No!  I found
    this very interesting/troublesome to think about. 

    Anyway, how do you go about avoiding a cut?  I am very thankful to
    still be here. I am the only contractor in VMS still here.  So I am
    quite fortunate, and I know that contractors are the first to go...
    
    

RE:

            <<< HUMANE::DISK$SCSI:[NOTES$LIBRARY]DIGITAL.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< The Digital way of working >-
===============================================================================,
Note: 4411.89                    MCS Layoffs <again>                 89 of 96
ASABET::SILVERBERG "My Other O/S is UNIX"            8 lines  10-APR-1996 11:26
                      -< channel conflict elimination? >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Speculative article in a recent Computer Reseller News, based on
    COMPAQ service problems with Digital MCS Channel conflicts, that
    Digital is 1). eliminating channel conflict by reducing headcount,
    2) getting out of the MCS business and turning it over to indirect
    channels providers to increase customer and partner satisfaction.
 
    Mark

Unfortunately, almost nothing of what CRN printed is true. Thsi morning at the MCS 
HQ Change Forum, Rando pointed to this CRN article and show very openly his 
indignation. He plans to do something about it. I haven't read the article, but 
Rando mentioned that it reads that we are cutting about 20%!!! That would translate 
in several thousand people. My understanding is that there were about 500 people.

BTW, headcount reduction was caused by being way off the expense goals. And as far 
as channels are concerned, it is much more efficient to sell services at point of 
sale. If we sell more systems through channels, it is just obvious that we need to 
sell our services through channels. MCS have several programs, both sell-through and 
sell-to partners, but in no way conflict with our goals. And as far as I know, and I 
am just a single contributor, but Rando is very open about it, Digital has no 
intentions of either selling MCS or turning the business completely to our partners.

O. Diaz
SW Support Offers Manager
MCS Availability Services

>BTW, headcount reduction was caused by being way off the expense goals. 

This is what we have been hearing. However, I want to know why the people
who MADE the bad estimate are not being fired? liesl

    I know for a fact that MCS does compete directly with Digital's
    business partners.

>BTW, headcount reduction was caused by being way off the expense goals. 

One of our needless expenses is, in my opinion, the execution of these Change
Forums.  Perhaps, if we had cut these instead, more people would be around.

BobW

RE: .100

There are many things that from a different point of view I could say we can do without, 
but I was impressed when I joined MCS in 94 to see the Change Forum program. It showed 
me that there is (or tries to be) a "group", and that the group had a vision, which not 
too many groups at the time had. I have benefited from all the information sharing and 
learnings I got from the many Change Forums I have attended, but most of all they showed 
me that MCS cares.

At Change Forum, in a workshop (and keep in mind that the Change Forum Attendance is not 
restricted), we talked obviously about the pain everybody feels when seeing coworkers 
asked to leave the company. And everybody is willing to do almost anything to save a 
job.

But at the same time we talked about the fact that those staying, because everybody 
tries to cut on every other expense lines before cutting jobs, that those staying have 
no way of doing their jobs as they are suppose to, therefore possible impacting revenue, 
which could provoke more job cuts, etc., etc, etc. This is a very difficult situation. 
If Digital doesn't cut enough running expenses, then it is left with no money to invest. 
If doesn't invest, I'll guarantee that we will never get back to a more stable position. 
Tough but that is business. And for all I know I could be next on the list.

     <<< Note 4411.101 by STOWOA::tavo.ogo.dec.com::ODIAZ "Octavio Diaz" >>>

RE: .100

There are many things that from a different point of view I could say we can
do without,  but I was impressed when I joined MCS in 94 to see the Change
Forum program. It showed  me that there is (or tries to be) a "group", and
that the group had a vision, which not  too many groups at the time had. I
have benefited from all the information sharing and  learnings I got from the
many Change Forums I have attended, but most of all they showed  me that MCS
cares.

At Change Forum, in a workshop (and keep in mind that the Change Forum
Attendance is not  restricted), we talked obviously about the pain everybody
feels when seeing coworkers  asked to leave the company. And everybody is
willing to do almost anything to save a  job.

But at the same time we talked about the fact that those staying, because
everybody  tries to cut on every other expense lines before cutting jobs, that
those staying have  no way of doing their jobs as they are suppose to,
therefore possible impacting revenue,  which could provoke more job cuts,
etc., etc, etc. This is a very difficult situation.  If Digital doesn't cut
enough running expenses, then it is left with no money to invest.  If doesn't
invest, I'll guarantee that we will never get back to a more stable position. 
Tough but that is business. And for all I know I could be next on the list.

    Re: Note 4411.96 by CSC32::R_NICKLES

�    Anyway, how do you go about avoiding a cut?  I am very thankful to
�    still be here. I am the only contractor in VMS still here.  So I am
�    quite fortunate, and I know that contractors are the first to go...
    
    I don't believe you can avoid getting cut. Long ago we discovered that
    many good people got cut, so just being good is no guarantee. I've even
    heard of consultants working for customers charging billable hours
    getting the axe. And it doesn't matter if you're in a strategic
    position: the same time that Digital is scrambling to get people
    Microsoft Certified, they've laid some off. In this day and age, your
    getting the axe is determined by seemingly random forces beyond your
    control. You're either in the right place at the right time or your
    not. Perhaps the CEO is fairly secure, but besides him I can't imagine
    anyone feeling safe.
    
    As for contractors being the first to go, that has not been true in all
    cases. I know of cases where the perms were let go and the contractors
    stayed. Again, I know of no consistent scheme that determines who gets
    cut and who doesn't.
    
    My advice, fwiw, is just be sure you're employABLE. If Digital asks you
    to leave at least be sure your skills are transportable so that another
    company would want you. And keep your personal network connections
    active.
    
    	BD�

Yo Rick!  I'm still here too, sorta...

Got bumped from SYSMGT-B in January, but found another spot in Mission Critical
- still working as a contractor.

I've heard that it is a real good feeling to be shot at and missed... but after
2 or 3 times and they're still shooting - ya get scared!

As was said in .-1, stay employable...

Still hanging on..

Tim
(vmst04)

    
    I missed the MCS Change Forum this past Wed.  Any feedback out there ?
    
    Thanks, 
    
    Bob
    
    

RE: -.1

What kind of feeback?

If it is about layoffs, Rando, same as everyone else, said he can't promise  
there will be no more. I would guess he has readjusted his forecast to the 
corporation based on current conditions, so unless another unforseeable change, 
done for now.

He did touch on the strategic planning work been done in the past couple of 
months, but since this work has not been presented and approved, he couldn't give 
us any details. We should hear something about this within a month.

The rest of Change Forum, was back to workshops, and as part of the profit theme, 
it was simple on how can we stay focused on it in this time of changes and 
lay-offs.

    
    I know it was discussed a few notes back, but I wanted to clarify the
    conditions (as I've experienced them) through COBRA.
    
    I was laid off 12/92, with 6 months severance.  I continued to pay my
    $7/week for health insurance through May, 1993, and then COBRA kicked in.
    My insurance increased to $180/month, but I maintained ALL of my health
    benefits.  
    
    According to the law, a company HAS to provide you with health
    insurance (through COBRA) for 18 months.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  At
    the end of the 18 months (which now put me somewhere around November,
    1994) I had the option to continue with Blue Cross/Blue Shield.  
    
    Again, according to the law, the insurance company can not drop you. 
    However, now I didn't have the benefit of going through Digital for my
    insurance rate, and the month fee jumped from $180 to $306.  And that's
    for 1 person.  Each additional person would have been an addition $306
    a month.  
    
    Blue Cross/Blue Shield also made one other change to my policy - they
    dropped me from drug coverage.  Despite my pleas and offers to pay more
    money (during the time I was taking very expensive infertility
    medication), I was told that all medications simply were NOT covered.  
    
    So ... bottom line ... think hard about walking away from your rights
    to COBRA.  Once you walk away, you CAN'T go back.   
    
    

    The Senate unanimously passed their version of the "Health Insurance 
    Reform" bill today. The Senate and House versions now go to conference.
    
    Dave

    
      Is MCS still going through downsizing ??
    
      

    MCS is in an unfortunate state of indecision.  They announced a CSO
    model for management which was to be implemented around March/April,
    then pushed out to May and now on hold.
    
    I've heard scuttle that not all ducks are under the wing or eggs in the
    nest or some fool metaphor. :-)  And the rumor mill drowns in
    negativity.
    
    Sure wish the Corporate office would send out some clear messages.
    
    Nancy
    

    LAYOFFS continue until moral(es) improves :-)
    
    

    /me does 200 chin-ups!
    
    ROTFL,
    Nancy

What's a "CSO model"

>   <<< Note 4411.110 by JULIET::MORALES_NA "Sweet Spirit's Gentle Breeze" >>>
>
>    MCS is in an unfortunate state of indecision.  They announced a CSO
>    model for management which was to be implemented around March/April,
>    then pushed out to May and now on hold.
>    
>
...

    CSO = Customer Service Organization.
    
    We here in South Central Territory have already realigned based on the
    "proposed" CSO Model, i.e., we've gone from 6 districts to 4.  I don't
    know that I would call it "an unfortunate state of indecision"; at
    least here in South Central.  I will say that, since the decision has
    been made a essentially implemented, there is MUCH lack of decision on
    who now handles what; hence, most of our customer DISsatisfaction these
    days.....
    
    Good Luck to ALL OF US.....
    
    Toodles.....JPs