Covey Resignation (was: Re: IS THIS TRUE??????) -- BPCS-L

Lu,

In a message dated 98-04-09 15:39:32 EDT, you write:

> For me, it would be VERY important to know that. As you people know (I 
>  think) IBM is taking place in important job positions in SSA. Does this 
>  mean that AS/400 products will have priority, leaving the UNIX world 
>  behind? I think IBM would give priority to AS over Unix.

It is quite true.  Despite having heard it from an SSA employee, I checked out
their web site (www.ssax.com, as was suggested earlier) prior to posting the
note to be sure.  The site didn't have its' usual 3 week delay in posting new
announcement that might be viewed as negative -- click the "Hot News" button.

>  Other issue is - what can we expect about Mixed Mode in 7.0? If, as it 
>  seems, DFS programs are changing to OPS, we could expect that even CEA 
>  and OLM would give up to character-based programs - COM already did, 
>  hehehe...

Here are the rumors I've heard from both inside and outside.  Remember that
they are _JUST_ rumors at this point, and these are just my _OPINIONS_:

1.  Covey was _forced_ out by the stockholders and "outside influences" due to
SSA's inability to stabilize either profits _OR_ V6.  Ummm, just how many free
upgrades or services _CAN_ you provide because you missized the box or
provided a non-functional application?

EDITORIAL MODE(*ON) (stick around, they'll get shorter after this -- skip to
the next paragraph if you can't stand it)  I to believe this account of the
situation, and believe that Covey _himself_ is responsible for a large portion
of the current release's problems.  I am not "disappointed" at all -- the fact
is that SSA had _ALREADY_ lost more "customers/business" than it can even
_HOPE_ to recover within the next two years.  I know for a _fact_ that either
Roger himself, or in conjuction with a certain "player to be named later", was
responsible for at least 3 (last minute) changes in direction for AS/Setizing
INV500 for V6 -- to this day it averages a BMR/week for 6.0.02, heaven help
6.0.04 users.  Roger is a visionary, but did not have the patience to run SSA
when he came back, because it had become too big in his absence.  His focus is
very short, and I've heard from more than one person that "If your presenting
in a meeting with Roger, keep it under 5 minutes because he'll lose interest".
I've also heard from more than one person that the man jumps up as soon as the
"Fasten Seatbelt" light goes off on a plane flight and paces the aisles until
the light comes back on.  Like a certain President with whom I'm familiar, he
tries to be "all things to all people", and fails at both.  In 1995, Roger
evoked _LAUGHTER_ at the Pharmaceutical User Group meeting when he presented
the BPCS roll-out plan.  He needs to be designing systems rather than running
projects or managing people, or a company, IMO.  I view his departure as a
_VERY_ positive step for SSA.  EDITORIAL MODE (*OFF) (for now).

2.  Are others leaving?  "As with any management transition, it is possible
that others could leave".  I could give 'em a couple of names, if they're
interested.  If developers are leaving on this (IMO) good news, good riddance.

3.  What about V7?  It is my understanding that Mr. Stuek, in his former
position, had already halted all V7 development in favor of getting V6
"right".  Another good decision, IMO.  SSA hopped on V6 before they had V5
right -- why carry this over to V7?

4.  From a source which will forever remain unnamed, I understand that Mr.
Steuk has been speaking with customers and received the following two
responses from all:  1)  V6 is unstable and 2) The help line (forgive me)
"sucks".  "We'll be working on those for now".  The next day, it was announced
that you can now e-mail your problems to help line, with software available
for doing so -- a _REALLY_ good sign.

In short, I _personally_ couldn't be happier over Roger's departure, although
I would have preferred to see him take over a "technology thinktank" role
currently held by, uhh, that "player to be named later" -- if for no other
reason than that so many long-time BPCS customers consider him to be their
"Lord God Protector and Saviour".  After more than 5 years of development on
the IWS product without success, the "player to be named later" thought that
they could come up with a CORBA compliant GUI tool in less than _TWO_?  Come
on...I see people like Jim Franch, that truly _CARE_ about BPCS clients,
getting _bupkiss_ from SSA -- while people that want to hop on the "bleeding
edge" get all the resources.

My last primary client (a major pharmaceutical company) was nearing
installation of BPCS 5.1 on the AS/400 when they were purchased -- their new
owner was a purporter of UNIX-based applications.  While a UK location
completed their 5.1 /400 BPCS implementation without a hitch, their US
counterparts have spent the last 2+ years trying to get a _WORKING_ copy of
the UNIX version _and_ ODW.  Don't even mention the "Satanic Message
Gateways"!

My opinion in summary:  Roger leaving -- pretty much good; Others leaving --
good as well, depending upon who they are; Mr. Stuek -- maybe the best thing
that's happened to SSA in over five years...

JMHO,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"There are those that watch things happen, those that make things happen, and
those that wonder what happened." -- Anonymous
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