... Plus c'est la même Chose!

I was going to head this post 'All Change', and then I realised that not everything has changed.

Nearly forty years ago, the MD of my then employers announced to the workforce that he had sold the firm to an American company.  This company's UK subsidiary had been one of our suppliers, and the event led directly to personal excitement for me, as I was one of two employees delegated to visit this operation in Southampton.  Part of the deal was that as we became part of this international group, we would incorporate their present UK distribution into our manufacturing base.  The mission assigned to the two of us was to absorb in a week the key elements of their operation, so that we could help to ensure that business would continue as smoothly as possible following their move to Norfolk.

As he made this announcement, our fatherly MD, who had founded the firm in the late 'fifties, explained that, as he drew closer to his own retirement, he had decided to preserve the business from similar 'decay' by selling his interest in it ... not that that meant his departure!  He was still to be seen pottering about the place, doing lots of otherwise neglected administrative 'chores' for years afterwards.

I learned last week that our courier firm has now suffered from the same 'preservative'.  Fast forward ten years from the narrative above to a time when the print industry was undergoing great change, covered by the general term 'new technology'.  This was a change of which I witnessed the tail end during my year working for the publisher of a number of local newspapers. Technology change has been our fate this week, as we have seen an overnight switch from what had been an essentially manual operation to the sophisticated digital system demanded by a nationwide organisation.  In addition to new uniform and new faces, we have had to get used to recording our movements and collecting signatures on a hand-held device (I've still not learned what the term PDA actually means!)

I'm sure I've not been the only one to experience 'teething troubles' with these machines.  At first it was like driving in a daze, dealing with the usual traffic hazards while keeping an eye on my new dashboard companion lest it should try to tell me something.  Every time that a message does arrive, twenty loud pips are generated, jarring you out of any distant thoughts; and can I read black text on a red field in this week's strong sunlight?  I leave you to guess that one!  Other problems have included losing the signal, so there's no digital connection ... even where there was ten minutes ago ... and the consequent adventure of re-booting the PDA; and the sad occasion when I mis-remembered which button is where on the tiny screen, and accidentally deleted the signature I'd just collected!

Despite these 'improvements', I've managed to clock up nineteen jobs this week, although the majority of them have been fairly short range.  The only ones worthy of note were to King's Lynn on Tuesday, to a village in Derbyshire called Loscoe on Wednesday, to the centre of Derby itself on Thursday, and to Norwich yesterday evening.  We now have to await an internet glitch being overcome so that we can address the website to download our invoices next week.  I have to say, however, that the courtesy and helpfulness of the company staff who have descended on our office this week have been superb - so far as my own experience is concerned, that is.  It must be much worse for the office staff, who have new computer systems to contend with in order, not only to process all the work from their existing customers, but also to link in with other depots across the country.  I'm glad - once more - that my office days are over!