A little history first of all.
have carried out for
50 years 50 % of its turnover in Defense industry. Half of information processed is
classified. There are whole rooms of computers under Cage of Farraday, i.e. that no
electromagnetic signal can enter or come out. As much to say that the company's culture is orientated toward secrecy .Heterogeneity of databases.The main data base run on AS400, is connected to the 17 agencies or production centers . Reliable, this system is dedicated to more or less analytical accountancy. It presents the disadvantage of being a proprietary system in text mode, expensive to maintain. CCMAIL messagery is installed on this system.There is no way to update CCMAIL except changing the whole AS400 system.
Each department has its own database not connected, sales departments, Development and even production, which is not every time written. On Internet there are search engines. There the engine is between the coffee machine an the elevator. Talk with people, earring their constrains and motivations, identify strategic center and try to identify marketing needs..Information is power comply with especially sales people, about fifteen people, not so young (about 45 years old) and who have not wait for me to make their business. Success of operations goes through tools, services, analyses... that I will provide them.
I listen to their problems, their ambitions. Many are disappointed .There is is no reporting, no databases. Beginning of integration, they all gave me a nickname to me: TING, I adapt myself it immediately and signs my documents :
.
My main goal is to convince them that I need them to give them synthetic and productive information. It works with more dynamic of them.
Except CCMAIL and telephone, no channel of information between them and me. And still some of them reproach me to pollute their mail box ...It is necessary to adapt the channel to the interlocutor. Nothing better than coffee machine in order to communicate with sales people.
I must dispatch some information via the network. There I run up against the hardware and software heterogeneity of my customers. The majority do not have Netscape, or/and obsolete computers. But what was really a problem is that many of them are unable to load a HTML page or even an attachment file on CCMAIL. My hierarchy does not want to invest in training. I'll do it my self ! I install myself dozen of NetScape licenses (attracting me the anger of maintenance service ) and I take advantage to initiate them to Intranet.
I set up on the intranet :
- a competitive intelligence repository
At the end they naturally they ask me to manage our participation to the EQUIP AUTO Exhibition. New leaflets, new demos, corporate Film, Powerpoint Demos...