All About Changes at ZVZ...asotp 4

Late afternoon in LA in Santa Monica at the ZVZ offices.
 
Gene O’Shea in a $1000  Armani suit is pacing behind an oak desk in his massive office while talking via wireless head phone set. “ Mel what is this bullshit about my unit costs can’t be lowered? That number is not just a target but the costs for us to have a program. The real target is 25% lower”.
 
Mel Boxner audible sighs, “Gene if you want quality merchandise to hit our reliability goals you have to pay for it. I’m sure we can get the lower price points from unqualified ISO 9001 manufacturers. They may do it at cost just to get our business, but they have no track record with us, or they have a reputation for using substandard parts, or their manufacturing process is uncontrolled”.
 
Gene kicks his trash basket across the room, “Quit giving me the techno speak crap! Drop my cost and keep my schedule or you’ll be drop kicked and blackballed from this industry”.
 
Mel replies calmly, “ So you’re gonna sign off relaxing reliability requirements?”
 
Gene answers quickly, “Sure, sure. They got to get their items repaired by us anyway. We’ll make more money on the service end. You can knock those targets down 30%”.
 
A frustrated Mel inquires, “This could effect a lot of things, don’t we need to have a project meeting to decide the best number?”
 
Gene stops pacing a moment to say, “Mel, Mel. I’m the program manager who decides the number. The rest of the team will make it work.”
 
Mel responds, “Ok, I’ll send you an email with the details, just give me an approval for the changes”.
 
Gene groans, “I’m a big picture guy, I don’t care about details. I know you’re just covering your ass. Send it today”.
 
“Ok boss but…” Mel is cut off by Gene hanging up.
 
Mel lets out a brief “Arrrah!!!”. Picking up 3 darts on a desk cluttered with papers and throwing them at a dart board forming a tight circle around Gene’s name on an organizational chart.
 
There is a light knock on Mel’s closed door. “ Come in!”, he shouts.
 
Sam Bushnic peeks his head around the door to see Mel chewing on another pencil. “You alright?... We could hear you from cube city across the way”.
 
Mel smiles at him, “Sorry about that. Sometimes upper management can be both stupid and …never mind. If  not for my pension, I would have left long ago but I think its time to reconsider”.

A surprise Sam asks, “Are you quitting?”.
 
Mel swings around his chair a complete 360, “Let’s just say when I send my next email to wide distribution, I may be forced out”.
 
“What are you going to do?”, responds Sam.
 
“Just follow our project’s required change process which some people may not like”, explains Mel.
 
“What do you mean? That seems like the thing to do”, agrees Sam.
 
“Sam, a critical part of project management is the change requirement set up to prevent cost over runs, low production yields, spare parts mismatches and schedule slips. A simple change can affect a lot of people, parts and processes too. So I’ll be sending out a fundamental change proposal to all our stake holders. Service and marketing will tear this individual a new one, tarnishing his “untouchable status”. I’m sure he will make it his mission in life to see me gone.”
 
“Wow that really sucks.” Exhales Sam.
 
“Yeah, so how is your little project going?”, as Mel peers over his glasses.
 
“It’s been tough. These investors want way too much of my business”, responds Sam.
 
Mel smiles, “Not that, I’m talking about that young woman in sales you keep tripping over”.
 
Sam laughs, “Hey she is going to come around, she just doesn’t know it yet”.
 
“I heard she has expensive taste and already has some banker boyfriend”, responds Mel.
 
“I enjoy the chase….”
 
They are interrupted by the building’s fire alarm. Mel grabs his bright red hard hat and whistle hanging by the door putting them on as he leaves his office “Come on people let’s move quickly”.

Everyone in the office walk briskly to the exits.