Why must I work with morons?

[fbhjr]

One of the new products I’m working on is a little file cart with a roll
top desk.
It is a nightmare.
Last fall I flew out to MI to meet the engineer for the roll top product so
he could give me all of the details on his product. He didn’t show. The
sales man there told me what he knew about it, (that it was very good and I
should buy it) and bought me lunch. It took three months for their
engineer to finally get around to sending me the details I needed.
But, I designed my little cart.
The factory where I work is very bad at making prototype orders. The lose
them. They don’t make them. They make them wrong. Every time we complain
we are told that they “concentrate on orders for customers, not samples for
engineering”.
So, to avoid this, my boss had the guy who does part numbers and Bills of
Material make up a full, formal, part number with all of the information.
Then, we put it into the system as a customer order for us.
It’s a wooden box without a top. Bottom, front, back, left and right all
held together with little locking clips. We gave the wood shop two weeks
to make the parts.
Wednesday, two weeks later, my boss gets an email from the head of
production saying “come get your parts they’re done”. He forwards it to
me, and I ask the head of production where the parts are.
“What parts?” he asks.
“The ones you told Bill were done,” I said.
“I didn’t tell Bill parts were done,” he said.
“You sent him an email about it,” I said.
“Forward it to me,” he says and walks off.
So, I sent it to him.
Yesterday he tells me the parts are on the mezzanine on the far side of the
factory.
I go out and look for them, and can’t find them.
I get an email from the woman who does the paperwork for the factory saying
“sign off on your order so we can bill you for them”.
So, I go and look for them again. Again, I can’t find them.
I ask the head of shipping. He tells me he put them in a box on the
mezzanine near the paint line.
Finally I find the box. It’s a small box, with my name on it, behind a
door.
All that is in it is the little clips for holding the product together. No
front, back, sides or bottom.
The wood shop is called.
“Oh, we haven’t made those yet,” they said.
“They were due yesterday,” I say.
“But, the woodshop manager is out today,” they reply.
“What does that have to do with it?”
“We need his permission to make prototypes, not orders,” they say.
“But, it was for an order. An order due yesterday. So, the manager being
out today shouldn’t matter.”
“We’ll make it Monday when he’s back.”
They had two weeks. They had a formal order. They had production
paperwork.
What does it take with these people?

Comments

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

I'm still flabbergasted by the wasted trip to MI. Wow.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

At least I got lunch...


No. It wasn't worth it.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

And, it gets worse.
The head of the woodshop just called me saying "I don't think we can make this at all."
Their problem was how close a slot is to the edge.
"You know, I put it in the place you told me you could do, right?"
"I said we could do that?"
"Yes, before I ordered them," I replied.
"Oh, well, I don't think I was right about that."
This doesn't even bring up the idea that the day he checks to see if he can do it is the day after it is due...

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Proving that all of our Operations departments want in on the act, I found
out today that the head of purchasing never sent out the fabric samples to
UL as he had promised.
“You didn’t tell me to.” He said. So, I showed him the email where I told
him to.
“I didn’t say I would.” He said. So, I showed him the email where he said
he would.
“You didn’t remind me when I forgot.” He said. So, I showed him the email
from two weeks later saying “have you don’t this yet?”
Then, his boss the Chief Operating Officer (Stupid Steve) got into the act.
“Why aren’t the samples sent?” he asked. “I don’t know.” I told him.
“Why didn’t you tell Greg to order them?” More forwarded email.
“Why didn’t you get confirmation from Greg?” More forwarded email.
“Why didn’t you remind him?” More forwarded email.

I should point out, that the fabric in question was chosen by the two of
them. I told the two of them it was a lot of work to get it approved, and
we should stick to what we had.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Judging by the editing, I'm sure you had more colorful language in the orginal comments.

Sounds *just* like my shop sometimes, so unfortunately you're not alone, but I totally feel for you.

I'm surprised you haven't gotten in trouble with all of the forwarded emails, after that "don't use emails" manifesto not so long ago.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

No, actually, I just saw a spelling mistake.