If it isn't broke, why fix it?
- Jeff Hackel, Product Manager-Precision Measurement
- May 2, 2013
- 2 min read
I recently participated in migration process where a large automotive manufacturer was mandated by their corporate IT to have all PC’s involved in the manufacturing process to be upgraded to a Windows 7 Operating System. This was quite a large installed base for ASI DATAMYTE and required careful planning and implementation practices so as not affect the overall manufacturing process. There were two facilities involved and the strategy we employed was to do one facility, measure the results, modify the implementation plan if required and then do the next facility.
Corporate IT notified the plant the date this was to take place, what will be involved, and the resources required to do this migration. We began the installation and changed out 10 measurement stations, and monitored the behavior. What we discovered was resentment from the users on all phases of the migration process. Hence the purpose of this article, “If it isn’t broke, why fix it? Although the communication was done through corporate IT, Plant level management, ASI DATAMYTE personal, neither of the groups communicated to the “users”. The reaction was expected to some degree because of change, but not to the level of feedback we received. That evening we formulated a plan on how to prevent the negative feedback. Successful plans need be dynamic in order to have a successful outcome. We took the following steps:
We notified the team leads on the changes that were going to take place.
We took the time to explain to the users the reason for the change.
These discussions were such as, “The Operating System supplied by Microsoft is no longer supported. In an effort to take a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach it was deemed necessary to make this change so as not to be put in a negative position in the future.
Included in these changes are request you have asked for and we showed them the improvements.
Security of the system is suspect and the change enhances the overall security.
We met with all three shifts and discussed the changes and the reasons for them.
The rest of the migration went very smoothly. There were some complaints as there always will be but they were minor. We took these learned lessons into the following facility and the migration went very smoothly. The plant took the time to inform every one of the changes, the reasons, and why. We were so efficient with the migration that we had a complete day to be utilized on training. From the users perspective they are still right, “if it isn’t broke, why fix it?”
The answer is really quite simple…….”To improve it”
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