Conference 7.286::digital

I too would very much like to know the answer.

MCS swapped my working modem for an unusable one, but when i asked for
the original back they simply said that it was "lost in the system"!!

mb

    Can't really answer the question, but here is something.  MCS engineers
    are forced to turn in bad parts asap, and they generally go out of
    logistics the same day (my experience).  They are not tracked by serial
    number at that time, and therefore can't be located "exactly".
    
    I hesitate to ask why a working modem was swapped out.  What was the
    call that was logged for?  Where were you while the engineer was
    working the problem?  Was any attempt made before the engineer left to
    ascertain functionality? On and on and on...
    
    Bryan, MCS

RE .0

    There is no universally accurate short answer but in general:


 Engineer -> Local Stockroom -> SR126 -> repair source(internal or external) ->

	SR17(good Material) or FACC(Read Vendor Site) -> Field as good material


	Some material skips SR126 and goes directly to internal/external repair 
sources, Some material gets scrapped from the Local stockrooms. Some material...I 
could go on and on. If you would like a answer to a specific parts path mail me 
the part # and I might be able to find out.

Re .1

	Once a piece of defective(suspected) material leaves the Local Stockroom 
it is EXTREMLEY difficult to recover. This is due mainly to the volume of material 
flowing through  SR126 and the non existent/very cumbersome communication channels 
between Local stockrooms and SR126/repair sites. These communications channels are
 cumbersome etc mainly because they are Rarely needed IMHO.



Hope that sheds some light


	Gordo

ps - This was my first ever post...constructive criticism appreciated..Spelling 
      lessons ignored.

    
    	Gordo
    
    	Good note, just format for 80 columns next time.
    

Re: .2

>    I hesitate to ask why a working modem was swapped out.  What was the
>    call that was logged for?  Where were you while the engineer was
>    working the problem?  Was any attempt made before the engineer left to
>    ascertain functionality? On and on and on...
 
... it's a (very) long story. 5 weeks ago the cable between my PC-Card
Modem and the phone socket was failing, so i logged a call with MCS
for a replacement. Unfortunately 1), they can only replace the whole
unit (card _and_ cable), and 2) they could only do an immediate SWAP,
rather than me pick up the new part and leave mine behind (i spend most
of my time on customer site, hence the need for the modem). To cut a
long story short, the replacement was a non-UK approved modem (illegal)
with a US-style cable - absolutely useless in the UK. Since then they
have sent FIVE more "identically incorrect" modems/cable units, and i am
still waiting.

If they could get my original Modem back, i am sure that i could order
the defective part for a few quid directly from MultiTech, rather than
the fortune that must have spend so far couriering duff parts around
the UK (and from Holland).

The sad thing is that EVERYONE that i speak to says - "it's not my problem,
you need to speak to the duty day fault temporary something-or-other
manager" - thats over TWELVE names so far!!!!!

Their latest "plan" is to P1 every PC-Card modem on the parts list, in the
hope that at least one of them is correct.

I am afraid that in my case, "Logistics" is a bit of a contradiction!

mb

    RE .3
    
    Gordo,
    
    That you very much as you answer is what I suspected.  But I have one
    customer who is insisting that "I" know the answer and can't understand
    why I don't.  Trying not to be flip I attempted to explain that the
    reason that I've never inquired is that it's a process that I'm not
    concerned with as my "expertise" is in service and getting your
    system up and running.  
    
    As for as the note format, I'm just glad that you replied.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dave

    re -1
    
    This troubles me. What troubles me even more is that I am no
    longer surprised at what goes on in this company.
    
    Earth calling the SLT. Wanna know why we can't show a profit?
    
    Reis
    MCS Engineer

    Notes collision.

Until someone comes up with the financing and staff to manage serialized 
returns, tracking of repairable parts will not occur.

Suspected defective parts go into a big bin, so to speak, as soon as they 
are turned into the local logistics office for return to Andover (or where 
ever)

A "serialized returns" program is not the fastest way to get parts back into 
someone's failing system so it's not really something people want to deal 
with. 

    The interesting thing about this "return bad part" process, is that is
    one tracked. Even if I had a legitimate need to receive feedback from
    the repair center, I have no mechanism. 
    
    John
    MCS (aka Field Service)
    
    P.S. There is one or two exception to this statement. I have gotten
    "good" parts from Njimen (sp?), the good part came with a "special" tag,
    and on this tag was a spot for "DO YOU WANT FEEDBACK  ? If so Include
    VAXmail address". 
    
    P.S.S. This note entered while waiting for parts to arrive via courier.
    

    If you are quick, you can stop Logistics from returning the bad
    part(s), it's all in how effective your logistics people are. Gordo is
    one of the good ones.
    
    Even if we had a mechanism for tracking the parts, it would break when
    logisitics is finished outsourcing itself. The indications are that the
    talent we have now will go away when that happens. We depend on these
    guys and gals to know what parts they have and what parts I want. The
    model now is "parts hander outers" who have no concern for what they
    are handing out, other than the part number.
    
    Try getting an obscure part from someone who has no clue what part goes
    in what option. Just one more layer being peeled from the Field.
    
    .mike.
    Field Service (aka MCS)

    Late last year, I had to replace a failed RZ25 disk drive at a customer
    site.  Two days later, the customer called to state that his backup was
    "NG" (that's a long story in itself) and he needed to know if it were
    possible to recover the data off the old drive.  Well, yes, there are
    places that specialize in recovering data, but the bad drive is "in the
    system".  The folks in logistics made several phone calls to trace the
    returned parts.  They were located in a bin, I presume in stockroom
    126.  Within the week, the drive was returned to the local office, and
    I returned it to the customer.
    
    Sometimes it can be done - but I wouldn't want to bet my life on it!
    
    

    >> Their latest "plan" is to P1 every PC-Card modem on the parts list,
    >> in the hope that at least one of them is correct.
    
    Gobsmacked! Is that a cost effective way of running a business?
    

    file under "Moonglow" ...
    
    during the "Year of Logistics" (ie, 1983 thru 1989), there were systems
    in place to do "Serialized Repair and Return", "Checkbook-based R&R",
    Barcode-supported DM receipt, and the only thing we didn't know about
    a part from the time it left Gordo's stockroom in Toronto to the Kanata
    LSC was the license of the truck.   I know we networked DM ship BOMs
    to SR126 that had serial numbers for each part with each shipment.
    Those were the days !  SCS, IMPS, FLS (the source of the nice tag from
    Nijmegen, I'll bet!), even, gulp "OSCAR" yuk, fabulous trips around
    the world to install inventory aging and valuation based on MRP
    consumption forecasting using outrageous heuristics.... Take me Back!!
    

    Hey Greg,
    
     It still works and it still provides some of that interesting
    travel. It ain't over until it falls over!
    
    Regards;
    Reed

    Excuse me, Greg and Iceman Reed!  Rathole alert.
    
    Let's not bring up too much FLS nostalga, about the times when people
    actually put some effort into trying to make logistics work.  Next thing
    Chris and Terri will be replying and Greg will be drinking the lemon soup
    in Thai restaurants again. :-)
    
    regs
    Waz

    re: previous few
    
    Ah... I thought we had put the Greg and the finger bowl incident to
    bed.... as with Brett's run in with the dreaded shots in Brazil.
    
    Yes, I think our friends in South America have still not forgiven
    you for installing all the FLS applications.
    
    Maybe FLS could save logistics?  I see the light!!  We're putting the
    band back together!    Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' ...
    
    Chris

    
    Ah, the good ole days of glamorous FLS implementation travel (not that
    I did any) - 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.  When you guys were young
    enough, and had hair (sorry Greg and Warren), to work all those hours
    and still manage to entertain the locals after hours (hollow legs
    helped).  And FLS keeps on ticking...
    
    Terri

    It sure 'nuff does ;') sorta like one of them time-bombs :')
    
    Harry

    re .5
    What was the P/N ?
    
    BTW  MCS logistics have a home page on http://piper7.jgo.dec.com/
    Buried in there you have a section called "4.0 Escalations and
    complaints "
    
    JC