Lack of Work

[Opieo]

Okay, this is a really long post.
I have a problem with my job in that there is now a lack of work approaching far faster than I originally foresaw.

I am a computer guy, but got hired onto a Sales team as their tech guy. The manager of Sales felt that the tech people (who develop a company wide SAP program, not the IT people) do not pay attention to his team. The SAP program is more so for engineering, finance, and logistics than it is anything for Sales. We have a rather small section. I am the key user for sales for the contracts, along with the lady who enters most data that was here before me (and there are no end users for that part). They recently added a new module to the SAP program, and I am the only key user for that for Sales.
However, even with the new module Sales has a small part. So I am not really doing much in the way of supporting users even though that is part of job, simply due to the lack of demand.

My position was custom created by the Sales Manager for 2 main purposes.
1) Speed up the process of the Sales team getting data into the SAP system.
2) Develop a small database program to house Sales data that the SAP system does not handle.
It is a French company, and they govern us. It is really hard to get them to add on anything into the system that will help us, unless they see a need for them over there in Europe (North America is less than 20% of business, and it would have to affect everyone, not just the North American Sales Team).

It has taken the Manager two years to get one thing from them. That is a module added on to allow automatic uploading of the contracts we get. I have been manipulating the system since I got here finding newer ways to speed up the process (such as hotkeys and more efficient forms). The guy before me (3 month contract, was first in my job position) got them a program to read the contracts and spit out a formatted excel sheet.
The module that we are finally getting will take an excel spreadsheet and auto-upload the data into the system. All I have to do is be given the form, and write a macro to convert from the spreadsheet the text recognition program spits out to the data auto uploading form. Once this macro is written, I honestly have NO idea how I can speed up the process any further. All other parts of getting those contracts in are not part of the Sales team.

The new module that is just now coming into effect will auto upload the data, and I still have to make the macro (I haven’t gotten the final official form to upload yet). Once that is done, the only real part of my job left is the small custom database. Now the guy before me started one in Access forms, but it sucked, and all of North America is supposed to use this to look up data. Anyways, I fixed a lot of bugs and finished it enough so that it could be used. The users didn’t like it, which leaves me the only option to start over.
Instead of me starting from scratch, one of the users (there are 3 sales people who would enter data all the time, and only 8 of us on the team including the manager) knows somebody from a previous job who makes database programs. He came and gave a demo of his program. It is really powerful. He has been working at this for 20 years though. I can make one that would function just fine for Sales. It just will not look as flashy or have all of the functionality (at first). This guy is his own company though. So, the IT director, and the Finance director, do not want to rush into spending what I am going to assume is at least 10K$$ on this guy’s program. I tried making the plea to my manager, who is the Sales Director (more than manager really), to allow me to make the system from scratch. I told him I could have the program ready for the users to start entering the basic data within 2 weeks. He said they would have this whole program from the guy for me to start from within a month. It has been 3 months.

So, overall, the small program has been put on the backburner, and the contract part of my job is pretty much accomplished. The directors are all talking about meeting and reviewing about the program, which won’t happen until a couple weeks or more into next year. There is no chance I have of making a macro take me 3 weeks. It will take me one week if I draw it out (supposed to get form on Tuesday).

I have almost nothing to do. I am caught up on everything I have to do. I have already spent I do not know how much of my job time researching online stuff about coding and improving our methods. To be honest, even though I know this isn’t the best thing, I used work hours to study for getting an A+ certification. I just got certified yesterday btw. I never even used my home time to study. I just do not know what to do with my time at work.

I can still go and make a database program, when everyone OKs it, which won’t be for a while. So what do I do until then?
It still seems that even after the program is up and running, other than support and minor further developments, I will not have too much work to do.
Being fresh out of college and this being my first job, I really do not want to lose it so soon, especially with how great the team is. Right now I do not honestly see how there will be enough work left within two months to have my position even been needed as full time.

The only ideas I have come up with are go to my boss and tell him I need another project, or go to boss and suggest it become a part time position (like 3 days a week perhaps), but they can keep me on call during operating hours (just usual 8 – 5 weekdays) so that I can put more time towards the new business, or simply find another job. The new job idea I do not particularly care for though because this is a nice place, and I do not want to move around much right now because I think it would look poorly on my resume to bounce around so much being fresh out of college. My boss also fought to make my job a full time position, but he is largely computer illiterate and I am going to become full time instead of contract really soon. The thing is, he fought for me to make sure I got direct hired, and he is a really nice boss to have. I just do not know what to do with my job.
And I am afraid if I go to him and tell him I do not know what to do for my job, that they may deem it completely not needed, and fire me. Please help.
And to anyone who read this entire post, thank you just for that.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Ed2020]

This is a problem I have on a regular basis (in fact all of the time I don't have so much to do I don't know where to start!).

My solution has been to either spend time on here, trying to assist others or hit the books and learn something new.

I've probably learned more during spare time at work than I did whilst I was in full-time education and getting paid for it is a very nice added bonus.

I try to stick to things that are (reasonably) relevant to my job, but then I find any background knowledge in techy subjects can come in handy at some point.

In my experience a lot of jobs in IT involve periods of intense activity interspersed with periods of very little to do - it's something you're going to have to get used to!

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[Opieo]

Thank you for the input.
I have put a large amount of my spare time into studying.
For starters, even though my company does not sponsor me in this way, I recently studied for and got my A+ certification (achieved 12-14-06).
Perhaps I shall just move on and start getting Net+ or some other certification by studying in my free time.
The thing is, my job is more of a database job. I actually do no IT at all.
I run a lot of reports, and deal with the tech people who develop the company database trying to get the Sales team the functionality they need (which is mostly ignored since it won't affect enough people).

I have recently just been classified as Project Leader for a new database that is external to the company wide one.
I just keep telling myself that "something will come up" to keep me busy. So far for the most part that has held true.
But it has partly only held true because I spend about 2 to 4 hours a day not working on designated work. That is not to say I hand stuff in late. Anything that comes up urgent of course gets focused on, and everything else I do is generally handed in early.
Again, it is just the general lack of work, and me spacing out what I do to help fill up more time.

On the other hand, aside from stressing out over the lack of work and fearing for my job, I do feel really relaxed that I am not under a ton of pressure by too much work.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[lb63640]

Anytime I have the rare amount of "free time," I make sure that documentation is up-to-date and prepare training documentation for new users.

 

[SQLBill]

Opieo,

Check your company's open job listing. See what positions need people. Apply for them.

or

Ask around to see which group is short of people. See what it would take to work with them. Go to your manager and say "Because of.....I don't have enough work to fill my day. While I still need to do my job, I have found that group X could use some help and I would like to work with them when my work is finished. How do I go about getting this approved?"

Most businesses are very happy to have an employee be willing to fill in with another section. They don't have to pay two people for positions that might not be an all day job. So it's a cost saver for them and also lets the work get done while they are hiring.

-SQLBill

Posting advice: FAQ481-4875

 

[LadySlinger]

Definitely the study thing for me. The way I look at it is the more I develope myself (on or off company time), the more I become valuable to that company for when they need you to do something.

 

[Ed2020]

LadySlinger,

My thoughts exactly.

It also has the added benefit of being something I will (hopefully) never tire of.

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[Opieo]

I find both of these approaches appealing.
I thank you for the input.
I have often pondered perhaps helping out the IT lady in my spare time.
It would give me more experience with the server management as well I am sure she could use the help since we are expanding rather rapidly these days (was 60 people when I joined 6months ago, is now about 100).
I will probably continue my studies, but also check up on helping out the IT lady and see what the boss thinks of it.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[chiph]

Whenever you're looking for some "fill-in" work, you might try following the principles of 5S

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[JD5241]

It's a French company, you say? Stop working altogether, and you probably won't get fired. I would think they're used to paying people to do nothing that have been on the job for a certain period of time, because they can't fire them over there. It's ruining their economy, but at least everyone has job security!

All joshing aside, SQLBill's idea is what works for me. I was hired for IT, but I've branched off into marketing and sales when needed if things are slow in my department. I'm learning more about other aspects of our business while making myself useful. Not a bad tradeoff.

 

[AndrewTait]

At my last place of employment, it was written into my contract (and that of the other team members)at the say so of the Managing Director, that at times of low work we had "Permission to poke noses into other departments work" to see if we could improve the way they did things.

Worked quite well too, but ended up with a load of carp jobs that no one else wanted to do, such as building maintenance co-ordination. (Where the devil is that IT???!!!???)

=======================================
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key

Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum
======================================

 

[NetIntruder]

Personally, i would find another job. A person can only study so much during the course of his/her career and if you are never utilizing your talents, you will get rusty and may find yourself way behind in a few years.

Also, if you find a job where you actually collaborate with other talented people in your same field, you will be learning what the books don't teach

I think i'm quite a bit like you - i can't see going to a job where it's just plain boring. Good luck either way!

~Intruder~
CEH, CISSP, MCSA/MCSE 2000/2003

 

[rosieb]

Opieo

If you've been hired into the Sales Team, why not "really" become part of the team, ask to go out on sales calls - to observe and understand the sales requirements.

You'll get a real feel for what is needed and you can then act as the "expert" if the questions get too technical for the sales people.

One possible result is you'll uncover development work that needs to be done. Another is that you'll make yourself indispensible to the sales team and so can design your own niche, and chose your own training, and development work.

Rosie
"Don't try to improve one thing by 100%, try to improve 100 things by 1%

 

[Opieo]

I am currently considering starting to look for another job. Currently being in Michigan, it is constantly said that there are a lot of technical jobs around this state. To the contrary I do not see a lot of jobs unless you have over 5+ years in several odd combinations of experience. I got a dual major degree in computer science and computer networking. I could go into either IT or into programming. I mention this because I have not even been out of college for an entire year yet. That is part of the reason I have been staying here for a little while, to gain experience in at least showing that I can be a great team player and get the job done in the real world.
I just think that I would enjoy working with others who are also computer people as well. Working with other departments, such as the idea of backing up IT, is not an option. I tried supporting the Purchasing dept. a little with the same company global database we have, and my boss told me to abruptly stop helping and only help Sales. Sales just does not need that much help. Maybe after this whole thing gets going. I am trying to convince my boss to let me develop our team's database instead of going to an external guy. He seems convinced that getting the base set of the program, and letting me develop it from there is the way to go.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Welshbird]

Opieo -- I started off in your position once, and I studied Business Analysis in my free moments. It meant that I then spent time writing specifications for the way my department currently worked, and therefore found lots of hitherto unrecongnised development work that would provide instant benefit to the team that I supported.

I too was the 'Commander Data' for the team rather than a completely technical role, althought the technical knowledge I had certainly came in useful on more than one occasion.

I would seriously consider reading up of the analysis of requirements - if you can give him the business case for the team database work, followed by the user requirements and suggestions of ways to achieve these.

Even if your suggestions don't make it to the final result, it surely can't do you or your prospects (to say nothing of your experience) any harm at all.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[Opieo]

I have an example here with me today of the program I made in college. It is similar enough to the desired program here at work to show that I can do everything myself. This would save the company money ($20K or more) plus time since I would have the program ready faster than the external guy suggested he could get it done in since it is my job.
I already wrote up a nice long report on what the current systems are for different departments and what they have and why they won't suffice for our Sales team.
Wrote that to "document the gaps" at the request of the head of IS, which my boss said fine, we will play along and please do that, so I did. I also wrote up a long description of our team's needs. This is a long document describing what we need, a short description of why other systems can't handle what we need, and a decently long description of a proposed design.
Those got emailed out to the head of IS and the head of Sales.
My coworker who would be one of the primary users of this program I would develop, or the other guy, whichever way it turns out, read the Needs document.
She said it was very well written and is precisely what they need, and liked my ideas for the layout.
I also showed her the program I previously developed and she liked that as well.
Since her and her friend who is also an Account Manager are the two main users of this desired database, and it is meant to make their work load lighter, they have a lot of pull on what the boss decides on. It was because of them that the project got proposed before I even started working with the company.
So, I give my presentation in a little over an hour to the boss man.
He is a good boss, and I am sure he will like my ideas since when it comes to technical stuff, he doesn't know that much but is still able to understand (or is that because of how I present my ideas?).

And to answer your previous question Rosie, I do not want to take up that part of Sales.
I do not have the stomach to do all of the stuff they do and deal with GM like that. That is why I went into computers, it is what I enjoy.
I feel that if I started to part with computers this early on and move to the actual Sales part of it, I would be heading where I do not want to be. Just how I feel.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Opieo]

Well, I got my project approved internally where my boss is going to use part of the Sales budget to buy the small piece of software that will enable me to code a large project for our team.
I also talked to him in a less business like sense about the work and the objectives of my job position.
We will now be meeting every 3 or 4 months to discuss new goals for me and possible places that he sees as well for improvement in our department.
This will keep a good influx of work and ensure that I always have something to work for.

I thank you all for your input and the dialogue, it is greatly appreciated.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Welshbird]

That sounds like a good result - which must mean you explained your ideas well. Good on ya! You should be very proud of your achievement.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]