Technology, Schmecknology
I work in the Corporate Purchasing department of a large, international investment bank. My role is to “source” goods or services that the Bank purchases – this could include everything from office supplies to the black cars that take employees home late at night. Part of my job is to create proposals, asking suppliers questions that range from their financial situation to their technological capabilities.
As I was reading some supplier responses this morning, something occurred to me. With the way technology cuts costs today, we are always looking for suppliers who can do more processes via internet, or those who have the latest technology. However, right now I am sitting at work using a computer that is running on Windows NT. The Windows XP rollout is not expected until late this year, and I’m reading a response from a supplier that states they are planning to upgrade to Windows 2003 in the next few months.
Is there something wrong with this picture?
How can a cutting-edge, leading, international investment bank still be running on Windows NT? Or maybe a better question is, why? Where is all their revenue going, if not upgrading internal systems to improve business processes and create an overall more efficient method for their employees to work?
I started working here in June, and imagine my surprise when I was handed a brand new Dell Latitude laptop. “Wow!” I thought. “This company is really on top of technology!” I was even more surprised to find that the computer was running Windows NT and takes exactly five minutes and 22 seconds to get to the log in screen. I know this because it is the exact amount of time it takes for me to walk from my desk, heat up breakfast, get a glass of water, walk back to my cubicle, and sit down. Trust me, I’ve timed it.
With the amount of time I spend using Excel, I was shocked and frustrated to find that my computer also had Office 97. Now, the last time I distinctly remember using Excel 97 was in a musty and dark temp agency, when I nearly failed their Excel test because many of the typical functions were not in the same menus as in Excel 2000. I was even more frustrated to find that many of the shortcuts I used did not work in Excel 97 either.
A month ago I found out my boss managed to get Office 2000 on his computer from the tech guy. With a gasp of surprise and a giggle of excitement, I hurried to my cubicle to call tech support and request Office 2000 on my own machine. I spoke to tech support with a big smile on my face.
“Hi, I’m calling to request Office 2000 on my computer.”
“Okay, let me look for that package and set you up with it,” tech support replied.
My smile soon faded when tech support informed me that the Office 2000 package was not yet authorized and could not explain to me why my boss had it installed on his machine. I felt so tricked and deceived! I felt like a child who had been offered a lollipop like the ones the munchkins from the Lollipop Guild in the Wizard of Oz had, only to find that it was made out of liver! So much for cutting down analysis time with newer (can Office 2000 really be considered new anymore?) technology.
The next morning I found that tech support had called back and left me a voice mail. They were trying to determine how to legitimately get Office 2000 on my computer. Mr. Tech Support even came down to my cubicle to try and install it. My hopes started rising like a phoenix from its ashes.
Now, maybe it’s just me, but I have never seen a tech guy of any sort type with his pointer fingers. Don’t they still teach keyboarding in junior high? And then Mr. Tech Support took three tries to type in the correct URL of the tech support site. Watching Mr. Tech Support riddle with my computer was one of the most painfully slow and agonizing experiences I’ve had. I just wanted to push him aside and have him dictate to me. My phoenix was quickly fading away. After all that muddling, Mr. Tech Support couldn’t do anything to help me get Office 2000 installed on my computer. At this point, another tech guy happened to walk by and ask what the problem was. After being briefed, he asked if I had the Office 2000 disc at home.
“I can just install it myself?”
“Yeah, just bring it in and I can install it for you,” the other tech guy said.
Uh, thanks, but no thanks, I think I can install the application myself. I promptly went home and got my Office 2000 disc and installed it that afternoon. And that is why my boss and I are the only ones in the department who have Office 2000.
So I wonder what all these suppliers would think if they knew what type of operating system the Bank has. Would they laugh, knowing that they are required to run with electric motors while the Bank is still heaving coal into the furnace?
Because that’s all the Bank really is. An F-18 on the outside and a bi-plane on the inside.
As I was reading some supplier responses this morning, something occurred to me. With the way technology cuts costs today, we are always looking for suppliers who can do more processes via internet, or those who have the latest technology. However, right now I am sitting at work using a computer that is running on Windows NT. The Windows XP rollout is not expected until late this year, and I’m reading a response from a supplier that states they are planning to upgrade to Windows 2003 in the next few months.
Is there something wrong with this picture?
How can a cutting-edge, leading, international investment bank still be running on Windows NT? Or maybe a better question is, why? Where is all their revenue going, if not upgrading internal systems to improve business processes and create an overall more efficient method for their employees to work?
I started working here in June, and imagine my surprise when I was handed a brand new Dell Latitude laptop. “Wow!” I thought. “This company is really on top of technology!” I was even more surprised to find that the computer was running Windows NT and takes exactly five minutes and 22 seconds to get to the log in screen. I know this because it is the exact amount of time it takes for me to walk from my desk, heat up breakfast, get a glass of water, walk back to my cubicle, and sit down. Trust me, I’ve timed it.
With the amount of time I spend using Excel, I was shocked and frustrated to find that my computer also had Office 97. Now, the last time I distinctly remember using Excel 97 was in a musty and dark temp agency, when I nearly failed their Excel test because many of the typical functions were not in the same menus as in Excel 2000. I was even more frustrated to find that many of the shortcuts I used did not work in Excel 97 either.
A month ago I found out my boss managed to get Office 2000 on his computer from the tech guy. With a gasp of surprise and a giggle of excitement, I hurried to my cubicle to call tech support and request Office 2000 on my own machine. I spoke to tech support with a big smile on my face.
“Hi, I’m calling to request Office 2000 on my computer.”
“Okay, let me look for that package and set you up with it,” tech support replied.
My smile soon faded when tech support informed me that the Office 2000 package was not yet authorized and could not explain to me why my boss had it installed on his machine. I felt so tricked and deceived! I felt like a child who had been offered a lollipop like the ones the munchkins from the Lollipop Guild in the Wizard of Oz had, only to find that it was made out of liver! So much for cutting down analysis time with newer (can Office 2000 really be considered new anymore?) technology.
The next morning I found that tech support had called back and left me a voice mail. They were trying to determine how to legitimately get Office 2000 on my computer. Mr. Tech Support even came down to my cubicle to try and install it. My hopes started rising like a phoenix from its ashes.
Now, maybe it’s just me, but I have never seen a tech guy of any sort type with his pointer fingers. Don’t they still teach keyboarding in junior high? And then Mr. Tech Support took three tries to type in the correct URL of the tech support site. Watching Mr. Tech Support riddle with my computer was one of the most painfully slow and agonizing experiences I’ve had. I just wanted to push him aside and have him dictate to me. My phoenix was quickly fading away. After all that muddling, Mr. Tech Support couldn’t do anything to help me get Office 2000 installed on my computer. At this point, another tech guy happened to walk by and ask what the problem was. After being briefed, he asked if I had the Office 2000 disc at home.
“I can just install it myself?”
“Yeah, just bring it in and I can install it for you,” the other tech guy said.
Uh, thanks, but no thanks, I think I can install the application myself. I promptly went home and got my Office 2000 disc and installed it that afternoon. And that is why my boss and I are the only ones in the department who have Office 2000.
So I wonder what all these suppliers would think if they knew what type of operating system the Bank has. Would they laugh, knowing that they are required to run with electric motors while the Bank is still heaving coal into the furnace?
Because that’s all the Bank really is. An F-18 on the outside and a bi-plane on the inside.
posted by danielle at 1:06 PM
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