Well, it has been a while since I have posted.
The Firm and SPC (my firm) are working toward an amicable parting of ways, if you will. Almost like an uncontested divorce, but without the alimony or child support - kind of. Irreconcilable differences, of sorts. Hopefully, in the end, there will be no hard feelings on either side. Actually, the jury is still out until we see (and debate?) the final invoice for a fair settlement. Just kidding, but I do mean fair for both sides. They have clearly provided and we have been on the receiving end. We all just have to agree on what exactly that was.
'Nuff said. In the end, we are both moving on "to more productive endeavors."
I just want to get back to Revit-ing!!
Now we are venturing into the Revit Unknown to see what awaits. Gotham can be an ugly & unforgiving place.
I'll keep you posted - literally.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
First look at "new" template...
Monday came and files were posted to their FTP site a few minutes before noon with the "I don't know what happened on the FTP site" comment.
I haven't had the opportunity to look at the "new" file that was updated for a few days - sometimes production gets in the way. Go figure.
Well, the first thing I looked at to check how different this file was from the last was the logo in our titleblocks. And that's where I stopped looking - for now. I've been told (by the Specialist & the Apprentice) that it was going to be converted to an image. I'm not sure exactly what difference that will make, but that's why we hired these guys. Anyway, the logo hasn't been changed from any of the other templates I have received from them. So I stopped looking at the new template.
Another email came in the afternoon explaining how he fixed the column footing schedule so that it didn't include the wall footings (oops) any longer. Not quite understanding what he said about what he "fixed", it didn't mean much. If we could learn what we needed to know from the manuals without being shown examples, we wouldn't have needed this whole process. Without him showing me what he did, it is useless because not much was even mentioned in the classroom about schedules - how they work, or a working example.
Which gets me back to "Why wasn't the content created before training?" If it was, like it was supposed to be, we could have fine-tuned the initial mistake inside (or after) class and my crew would know what to expect and how it works.
I really don't know how they ever expected to get content created without being on-site, asking questions, showing how things work. All they did was ask me to upload some files. Totally ineffective and inexcusable in my opinion. Whoever made that decision should not be making them.
Lesson to others: Do not agree to arbitrary content creation without you being there. In other words, do not agree them (whoever "them" happens to be) creating content on their own. Insist on them being on-site (yours or theirs), especially when the contract calls for it. Otherwise you'll do what we are doing and spend countless days trying to fix things before you can get down to business.
Shouldn't there have been some kind of checklist of what was to be created/done prior to commencement of training?
We are also being charged for one-half of a day of services for "Client Environment Prep." What that consisted of was mapping one drive letter and adding a folder to it - and that didn't even work correctly on some of the computers.
Also, shouldn't someone be assigned temporarily as our Project Manager when he goes on vacation?
The hole becomes deeper.
I'll post more once I have a chance to delve deeper into the "new template" in the next few days.
I haven't had the opportunity to look at the "new" file that was updated for a few days - sometimes production gets in the way. Go figure.
Well, the first thing I looked at to check how different this file was from the last was the logo in our titleblocks. And that's where I stopped looking - for now. I've been told (by the Specialist & the Apprentice) that it was going to be converted to an image. I'm not sure exactly what difference that will make, but that's why we hired these guys. Anyway, the logo hasn't been changed from any of the other templates I have received from them. So I stopped looking at the new template.
Another email came in the afternoon explaining how he fixed the column footing schedule so that it didn't include the wall footings (oops) any longer. Not quite understanding what he said about what he "fixed", it didn't mean much. If we could learn what we needed to know from the manuals without being shown examples, we wouldn't have needed this whole process. Without him showing me what he did, it is useless because not much was even mentioned in the classroom about schedules - how they work, or a working example.
Which gets me back to "Why wasn't the content created before training?" If it was, like it was supposed to be, we could have fine-tuned the initial mistake inside (or after) class and my crew would know what to expect and how it works.
I really don't know how they ever expected to get content created without being on-site, asking questions, showing how things work. All they did was ask me to upload some files. Totally ineffective and inexcusable in my opinion. Whoever made that decision should not be making them.
Lesson to others: Do not agree to arbitrary content creation without you being there. In other words, do not agree them (whoever "them" happens to be) creating content on their own. Insist on them being on-site (yours or theirs), especially when the contract calls for it. Otherwise you'll do what we are doing and spend countless days trying to fix things before you can get down to business.
Shouldn't there have been some kind of checklist of what was to be created/done prior to commencement of training?
We are also being charged for one-half of a day of services for "Client Environment Prep." What that consisted of was mapping one drive letter and adding a folder to it - and that didn't even work correctly on some of the computers.
Also, shouldn't someone be assigned temporarily as our Project Manager when he goes on vacation?
The hole becomes deeper.
I'll post more once I have a chance to delve deeper into the "new template" in the next few days.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Still no usable template
Well, they are now 13 days past the date when they were supposed to provide content to us and still not even a usable template.
I spoke with the Apprentice for about an hour on the phone on Friday, and we appeared to be making progress. I then received email from The Specialist saying that an updated version was on their FTP site, but I checked in all of the folders that have been used by them to post for us and (of course) nothing was there. I sent out an email to The Specialist, The Apprentice, and the Project Manager saying what wasn't there. To his credit, the Project Manager replied at 6:48 p.m. Saturday night and asked "can you forward your cell number on so that maybe (The Specialist) can call you..." That's all. I didn't check my email until Sunday morning, and that's the only contact.
So much for me trying to make up a lot of time and create content on my own over the weekend. I'm tired of wasting my weekends & spare time waiting for something that is long overdue.
Wow. All I'm going to say right now is that what I expected is 180 degrees from what we got.
I'll post again tomorrow. This has got to end. The level of concern on their part for how this is affecting us as a business is becoming more obvious every day.
One last note on the bright side: try a Google Search for "Revit Structure 2009" and #1 on the list is the Revit Structure page of my website: lukewarmcoffee.com. It is even ahead of the Autodesk entry. How did that happen?
I spoke with the Apprentice for about an hour on the phone on Friday, and we appeared to be making progress. I then received email from The Specialist saying that an updated version was on their FTP site, but I checked in all of the folders that have been used by them to post for us and (of course) nothing was there. I sent out an email to The Specialist, The Apprentice, and the Project Manager saying what wasn't there. To his credit, the Project Manager replied at 6:48 p.m. Saturday night and asked "can you forward your cell number on so that maybe (The Specialist) can call you..." That's all. I didn't check my email until Sunday morning, and that's the only contact.
So much for me trying to make up a lot of time and create content on my own over the weekend. I'm tired of wasting my weekends & spare time waiting for something that is long overdue.
Wow. All I'm going to say right now is that what I expected is 180 degrees from what we got.
I'll post again tomorrow. This has got to end. The level of concern on their part for how this is affecting us as a business is becoming more obvious every day.
One last note on the bright side: try a Google Search for "Revit Structure 2009" and #1 on the list is the Revit Structure page of my website: lukewarmcoffee.com. It is even ahead of the Autodesk entry. How did that happen?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Still waiting...
The conference call that was supposed to happen yesterday was canceled (more or less) by mutual agreement, so I'm still in a "semi-limbo" state.
However, I am in contact fairly regularly with The Specialist (even though he's in the middle of nowhere he has found the time) and his Padawan Learner. The Apprentice has emailed me some content & posted some to FTP. The template is shaping up somewhat and things should be taking a turn for the better - even more after a Webex (?) in the morning with The Apprentice that I hope bears much fruit.
Honestly, the Project Manager seems content with the fact that they have completely blown the first part of their commitment by not providing the content before the training (as agreed) so that we could immediately put RST to work. It is not his concern that we are falling behind our targets because he made false promises. I was told (by him) that he received a promotion recently and is now extremely busy. That's great, fantastic, and I'm happy for him. Does that mean that maybe someone else should be in charge of our implementation if he doesn't have the time? Very possibly.
Example: on Tuesday, he set up a conference call between myself, him, and The Specialist for yesterday morning. Before the end of the day he told me that he couldn't attend and it would just be me and The Specialist. !!!! I would have thought, with all of the trouble we've been having, that a 'project in distress' would garner the Project Manager's priority. That is, unless all of his projects are going down the same path because "other duties" are getting in the way of managing projects.
I'm curious about one thing. If Avatech doesn't follow through with the terms of the contract during the first major phase, can we count on them to deliver quality for the duration of the contract? I wonder what they would think about us if we didn't keep our side of the bargain: $$$.
I do think that the worker bees in the firm are very good and want to get things done. I'm going to check out the new template that the Apprentice gave me today. Wish me luck.
However, I am in contact fairly regularly with The Specialist (even though he's in the middle of nowhere he has found the time) and his Padawan Learner. The Apprentice has emailed me some content & posted some to FTP. The template is shaping up somewhat and things should be taking a turn for the better - even more after a Webex (?) in the morning with The Apprentice that I hope bears much fruit.
Honestly, the Project Manager seems content with the fact that they have completely blown the first part of their commitment by not providing the content before the training (as agreed) so that we could immediately put RST to work. It is not his concern that we are falling behind our targets because he made false promises. I was told (by him) that he received a promotion recently and is now extremely busy. That's great, fantastic, and I'm happy for him. Does that mean that maybe someone else should be in charge of our implementation if he doesn't have the time? Very possibly.
Example: on Tuesday, he set up a conference call between myself, him, and The Specialist for yesterday morning. Before the end of the day he told me that he couldn't attend and it would just be me and The Specialist. !!!! I would have thought, with all of the trouble we've been having, that a 'project in distress' would garner the Project Manager's priority. That is, unless all of his projects are going down the same path because "other duties" are getting in the way of managing projects.
I'm curious about one thing. If Avatech doesn't follow through with the terms of the contract during the first major phase, can we count on them to deliver quality for the duration of the contract? I wonder what they would think about us if we didn't keep our side of the bargain: $$$.
I do think that the worker bees in the firm are very good and want to get things done. I'm going to check out the new template that the Apprentice gave me today. Wish me luck.
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