Conference 7.286::digital

    OK, Inspire me.

    What is Digital's plan to restore the company to profitability?

    Will Digital regain or give up the role it has an alternative supplier
    of computers to IBM from the desktop to the data center, to Sun, Apple,
    or HP?  Or will Digital shrink to half its 1991 size and become a niche
    competitor with a stable-to-shrinking base?

    I need more than the assertion that the plan exists or that because
    Digital has recovered from other setbacks, recovery from this is
    assured.

    re .0, "let the customer to them sweat"
    
    There's absolutely no reason for a Digit to have a customer see him/her
    sweat.  One thing that's become painfully obvious to me is that Digital
    can no longer "do it all".  Before anybody starts flaming replies, let
    me qualify that.  Digital *needs* our third party software vendors for
    *many* applications that we just don't do, or at best don't do well or
    cost-effectively.  Digital *can* "do it all" from a Systems Integration
    point of view, but there's many people within Digital these days who
    refuse to believe that we don't have the ability *within Digital* to
    "do it all" anymore.
    
    And imho, there's nothing wrong with that.  As long as the ultimate
    customer has a single point of contact (ie, Digital) who is willing
    (and getting paid) to take the responsibility for integrating umpteen
    different pieces of hardware/software into one cohesive solution, I
    don't think that's a reason for a Digit to sweat it in front of a
    customer.  We do, however, need to let our people know that the way we
    do business today is *not* the same way we did business 5-10 years ago.
    
    imho
    Jon

    This company has people at various levels of skepticism about plans,
    strategies, and our ability to carry them out.  Some of us have been
    here long enough to see five cycles (lasting at most 2.5 years) of
    "revitalization".  Others are on just their first or second cycle.
    
    Depending on how often and sincerely we believed in the past (and were
    deceived by the course of events), we may view any new claims to a
    "great new strategy" with a jaundiced eye.  
    
    All the hopes for the next version of "the vision" will be dashed as
    the next but one takes its place.  
    
    Our skepticism will not be overcome by ad-campaigns, lip-service, or
    other public-relations gimmics.  We're waiting to see some meat.
    
    fwiw,
    
    Dick

    Perhaps our customers are not so much seeing Digits sweat as reading
    their resumes.  And that may be where the air of desperation is
    showing.
    
    

    Did you mean "seeing their resumes" as in, "it's obvious that Digital's
    employees want to jump ship because they have lost confidence in the
    company," or "seeing their resumes" as in, "it's obvious from the resumes
    of Digital employees that they stopped keeping up with technology N years
    ago?"

    :-)

Re: .0 et al: I'm in front of customers quite a bit and although I don't 
necessarily share my skepticism with where we are heading, I am honest with 
them regarding the tough times we are faced with. Fortunately for me, I 
BELIEVE that we have excellent people and products. Our vision, strategies and 
decision-making capabilities are questionable, however. Although I don't 
really see how, I do have confidence that we will deliver ourselves from this
difficult period and I think I convey that confidence to our customers.

Unfortunately, the sweat and concern I see on the faces of management makes it 
all that more difficult to convey optimism in our future to our customers.

Regards,

Jim
Sales Support
Xerox/James River Account Group
Rochester, New York

    I feel that alot of DEC employees have a real good feel that we
    can and will pull out of this little dip. I for one, am starting
    to wonder if our present Management can do it. Corporate keeps trying
    to do the New style of management (empowerment,TQM,JIT) and all
    the other new buzzwords.. Problem is our middle management still
    won't let go of the 50's style... So basically we just vasilate(sp)
    back and forth and make no progress at all... That's what we(in the
    field) see anyway... 
    
    Joe

    re .7  I agree with you, the question becomes how do we get middle
    management out of the way so that we can "do the right thing"???
    

    re .9
    
    Keep your boss busy on the "big issues" that you don't need to worry
    about.
    
    "Hey, boss.  I'm confused about the latest reorg announcment.  Can you
    find me something written about NMS that I can understand?"
    
    works for me,
    
    Dick

    re .10 
    I love it!!  :*)
    
    Given how fast organizations change, perhaps they could be in charge of
    org charts!!