Background.
We're essentially a project-sale driven department, in that I mean our customers don't just browse to a web page and buy a product then get a box a few days later and are left to their own devices. Each solution we do is essentially a 'project' - it could be for a single location, or hundreds, but each customers' requirements are different so the solutions and environments we install in/provide for in are very different. Some require custom software to be written, a lot require custom hardware to be designed and manufactured.
I primarily look after project management of most sales projects, and generally work with the department manager on the operations of the department to keep it running.
By far my biggest criticism of the way things are run is the department is very reactive, especially in project management. In the past I've tried to preempt workload requirements based on customer's expectations and complexity of work - essentially timing how long it would take us to configure and install a solution, times it by the amount of locations, then figure out how many people we need by comparing this level of man hours to the amount of time available until the client's deadline.
This approach at worst has been met with hostility, or refusal to accept this is an approach we need to devote time to. The conversation is essentially always the same; if we can't complete the workload with the people we have then we just need to do more overtime.
Separate to that, our sales aren't looking too healthy compared to last year. We had two large projects last year, and now they're currently inactive our month on month number aren't looking too good. The execs essentially want us to increase our numbers 4x .
My main concern with that is that our workload is currently full, and while it probably wont require 4x the manpower to do 4x the revenue there does need to be analysis into what what kind of workload this could look like, and what we need to do to ensure we can cope.
A lot of our work is done in Excel, One Note and Trello - as well as internal stock and invoicing systems. There is a huge amount of data duplication, and everything you need to do needs to be stored in 2/3 different places, and there are a lot of manual processes that risk human error.
I've been researching systems we could potentially use, but all are too narrow in their scope. We need something that combines sales, project management, asset management, and support tickets - whist being able to be configured and tested by 1 person, and not cost that much. A massive ask.
I've been working with a developer on the team to build a prototype database, to show how relational data will increase our efficiency, minimise human error, minimise duplication, automate dozens of tasks, and to allow us to scale up.
Two things then happened this week.
This work was killed this, saying we don't have the experience to do this and it could create a data security risk. I asked what the plan is to ensure we have the tools available so we can easily do our jobs. I was told I need to submit a document to the head of IT of what I want. Issue being, I did this 2 years ago, and got told since our department doesn't make enough money then resources aren't going to be allocated to us.
Then later, my manger took us all into a meeting room, and explained we need to get more sales, and that I'm going to have to be more involved in sales leads (be a sales rep essentially - be main point of contact, build the quote etc). I have most of the skills to do this as I've assisted others with their quotes, but considering my workload is already too full I asked how they intended to manage this. I got a comment about how my manager didn't really know fully what I was doing, and implied he thinks I'm spending my time on things that aren't essential. Yet, I've got multiple projects I need his sign-off or instructions before I can continue because he's too busy to sit with me.
Also, he keeps wanting me to watch his workload and realise what he's falling behind on, and jump in and do some tasks for him. I tried to explain this just wont work, it opens up the possibility of duplicated work, or work not done to his requirement. I explained, if we have a meeting with a client and he has a list of 5 things he wants doing then he needs to distribute these out to specific people and explain to them how he wants them doing, not just expect people to come out of a meeting and instinctively know what they're doing and what he's doing himself. He disagrees, and things people need to take more charge on projects he's the lead for - somehow.
But we have several very, very large projects that are getting close to coming off that I've been working on him with - which have the possibility of us reaching those targets.
I also asked about commission for sales, and he said this hasn't been discussed but he'll look into it.
There's a bit more, but that's the bulk of what's swirling around in my head. I'm still looking for another job, and it seems the job market is picking up after a lull at Christmas, but it's still a very frustrating environment.
Sigh.