The Dirty Secrets of Your TradeSo, Television is a hot bed of lies, deceit and made up competitions. We can't say that we are that surprised... every job is full of this stuff. It's not like the newspapers currently kicking TV whilst it is down are all that innocent.
We'd like you to even things out a bit. Spill the beans on your own trade. Tell us the dirty secrets that the public need to know.
(
chthonic, Thu 27 Sep 2007, 10:31)
« Go Back
Dirty Secrets ??OK, so it’s another post about the I.T. industry, but the big IT companies out there have basically got a license to print money once they’ve got their foot in the door.
I work on a contract basis for a large concern, who Internationally make Business Machines, and who may or may not have been responsible for the design of the HAL computer in the film 2001.
They in turn have a contract for the maintenance of the software systems for a large manufacturing company based in Switzerland.
On occasions, this manufacturing company will identify a requirement for an enhancement to the systems. This may be something very small. Like changing the positioning of an address on their invoice. At this point, The International producer of Business Machines comes to me and says
“Hey Demeter, how long do you think this work will take?”
I then reply “Well, I can make the changes, run all the necessary testing, and produce the finished article in about 2.5 hours”…….
HAL then takes over……
By the time that a quote for this change has reached the customer, the 2.5 hours has been plugged into the HAL recalculation machine:
Programmer says 2.5 hours – so double that. We’re now up to 5.0 hours.
There will of course be a “Work Assessment element” – 1.0 hours, and so it goes on…….
Then there is the “Functional Specification” – 2.0 hours
Add on the “Technical Specification” – 2.0 hours
“Test Plan Scenario Definition” – 1.5 hours
“Risk Assessment” – 1.5 hours
“Contingency” – 2.5 Hours
“Unit Testing” – 2.5 Hours
“Module Testing” – 2.0 Hours
“Test Evaluation against Test Plan” – 1.0 Hours
“Implementation Planning” – 2.0 Hours
“Project Management” (WTF!!) – 3.0 Hours
“Implementation” – 2.0 Hours
“Post Implementation Assessment” – 3.0 Hours
So the 2.5 hours which I have allowed myself to comfortably do the job in question has now spawned over 30 hours of chargeable time to the customer, all of which will be at a rate about three times more than I am being paid.
Strangest thing? - The customer will invariably swallow this charge.
Who’s the Mug?
Length? Every inch turns into ten when you’re paying for it.
(, Tue 2 Oct 2007, 15:17, Reply)
« Go Back