I work for a state agency that has 1500+ users, and we decided rather quickly to completely change our email system. We're still using the same email client - but the Exchange servers (think of them as post offices that handle your mail along the way) will be completely different, and managed by someone else. This my friends, is a HUGE project. Management decided to empower the users and provide instructions for backing up current inboxes and then empower them to complete the switch themselves. Uhhhhh... right. This really means we couldn't agree on the most effective way to complete this, and it's way too many users for our small crew to touch each user account.
Well the plan didn't really work, but even if 20% of the staff figured it out on their own, it was 20% less users I had to deal with (that's my mantra, anyway). Another 60% couldn't or wouldn't follow directions (we even gave them pretty pictures) and the other 20% are having genuine problems. I was needing jello shooters somewhere around 1pm today!
So I'm feeling a little like that SNL character, Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy.
Well the plan didn't really work, but even if 20% of the staff figured it out on their own, it was 20% less users I had to deal with (that's my mantra, anyway). Another 60% couldn't or wouldn't follow directions (we even gave them pretty pictures) and the other 20% are having genuine problems. I was needing jello shooters somewhere around 1pm today!
So I'm feeling a little like that SNL character, Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy.
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5 comments:
This sounds like a huge cluster! Figuring all that out can't be easy. Good luck!
Ok, I work on the IT help desk and we only have 35 users. Doing this:
empower the users and provide instructions for backing up current inboxes and then empower them to complete the switch themselves.
would be asking for big trouble in my office. In yours: HOLY SHIT! What are they thinking?????
Of course your 1500 users are probably alot more savvy than the 35 I work with (most of them are pretty technically challenged)
And you're somehow still relatively sane? Or is it just because of the Jello shots?
I have to admit, I'd probably be part of the 60% who f'd it up, though. That SNL clip was funny. I wonder how many Nick's there are in this world.
I love jello shooters. As long as I have a designated driver, that is.
AFter your initial description, that's about the percentages I'd come up with as a guess. 20% got by OK, 60% did nothing, and 20% tried but screwed things up so much that it made up for the ones that did OK, plus more. Yea management! Does the boss have pointy hair, like Dilbert's boss?
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