IT Disrepect in MFG

I am sure that the HR office would love to have a nice chat with the "shop talkers." I understand that not all factory workers will have finished high school, but that doesn't imply permission for a gutter mouth.

I would not tolerate the abuse and would let HR deal with the guilty, before an employee gets an attorney and a judge or the federal and perhaps state government assist you in cleaning up the language issue.

We kept a really tight rein on the computers when I worked in mfg. Users were not allowed to install anything, because they kept crashing the machines with their home software and viruses. This amounted to hundreds of hours of downtime and service calls, so we upgraded to Windows 2000 (new at the time) and really restricted what users could do. They complained a quite bit at first, but then started noticing that they didn't need to call us quite so often.

The kind of speech you mention indicates that they believe they own the equipment. Restricting their permissions back to the stone age, along with total buy in from management (which you must do ahead of time - show them the cost savings), will help tremendously in correcting their attitudes.

(Of course the shop I worked in previous to that would have been more difficult. The owners/managers engaged freely in drunkeness and sexual harrassment. But thankfully, that was before PCs were commonly available.)

...since I was 18 as a floor worker, as a manager, and now as a lone "IT guy". One of the first indoctrinations factory workers get is that without production, the money stops flowing. Sales, marketing, IT, QC, maintenance, HR all exist to serve the production floor. In many ways this is true. The funny thing is, the conditions are usually the worst for the floor crew. No A/C, crappy desks in floor offices, it's noisy, the paint looks like crap. From my experience, this leads to a degree of resentment. You really need to earn the respect of the floor workers, and that can often be done by recognizing the value of what they do.

Explain to them that what you're doing will help them work more productively. Don't talk down to them because they might not have the IT skills you take for granted. Show respect and you'll gain some respect.

A little story - Years ago, the VP of Manufacturing where I worked participated in a conference. He said that when he finished his talk, the moderator guessed by his somewhat foul language that he was a mfg guy. This VP was proud that it showed. I'm not saying this is the way things should be, they just are this way in a lot of places.

If you inform them what you are doing ahead of time so they know what is going on you might have less of a problem. Try to get to know the shop guys, don't make yourself look like you are above them or even "Big Brother is Watching" kind of thing. I have been on both sides of this. I used to work for Case New Holland assembling self-propelled sprayers and now I work for another company were I am the IT tech. For the most part they are giving you a hard time for the fun of it,but it might be because you try and appear superior to them.

How often do you walk around the should and just talk to the Leadmen? This might help you communicate with them more effectively. You might also find better ways to support the MFG facility.

You seem to be looking down at MFG workers not understanding how important they are to your company.

Don't listen to Bfilmfan he seems to only give negitive response or response that offer no real help.

for 21 years on and off.
Three tips.
1) Implementing your changes is rarely as important as stopping the job to do it.
2) Doing it wrong and stopping the job will get you sworn at, no matter what.
3) Swear back at them, the aren't going to report you to their boss for it.

Seriously in manufacturing, disruptions are bad form. The only reason for stopping the job now to do something, or risking the job being stopped because of what you've done is the consequences of not doing it will be worse. If that isn't the case, do it in downtime, if it is explain, I can assure you they will understand.
They get paid for making stuff, not for having a shiny new piece of kit attached to their workstation.

It sounds like you work in a company where manufacturing is treated as a second class part of the operation.

Does manufacturing get up to date PCs?
Or, hand-me-downs?

Not to suggest that you are not, but manufacturing personnel are judged by their hour by hour effectiveness.

The time you take to install a new application may interfere with their productivity.

If they do have older PCs, new software often will slow the PC down noticeably.

Now, do you just show up on the floor and start installing software?

Or, do you schedule a time when it is least disruptive to install software?

Where I work, we have a LOT of custom code for production.
Every new software roll-out impacts manufacturing.
ALL roll-outs are coordinated with the various manufacturing managers and area supervisors.

Chas

At the company I work for, the operational (money making units) departments usually do have rather gritty personalities. It's just the nature of their world. Over the years I've learned to appreciate the rough world they live in, with irate, foul mouthed, inebriated customers (convenience stores).

Although I've never done IT at a mfg. co., I think IT people, in many industries, tend to be viewed as the computer boys who don't know much about the "front lines."

As others have suggested, I'd agree that it's a good idea to try to put yourself in the worker bee's shoes, try to connect with them, call them by their name, nod your head when they tell you how rough things are...etc. But even all that doesn't always work.

Someone suggested to swear back; if it's in you, then fire back (it's like the playground out there, no one is gonna cry to the boss for your retaliation). I think for many people though , it's not in their personality to exchange 4 letter words. But at the very least, you gotta at least be direct, assertive and loud otherwise those blue collar guys will have a field day with ya!

Be strong, they'll respect that.

have chased management out of restaurant kitchens, as it's my kitchen. ( yet the general manager of the retaurant owned the place )
you will get far more flack and attitude when the timing is bad.

cursed repair techs cause they showed up at 4:30 pm, when dinner rush starts at 5:00 pm and it would be an hour before they got the second most important piece of equipment running.
( an old steamer, with live steam to cook seafood and veggies, it had caught fire the night before )

I'm assuming you are sheduling the work around the manufacturing schedule, for least impact.
if so, then tell the dumb sh#t that unless he can show you the receipt for buying the hardware, it's the companies, not his so stick it where the sun down shine. then even louder so entire area hears, what you like having things stuffed up your a$$

he'll leave you alone.

Agree on some of the points made here. Many times, these shop employees make it hard to accomplish a task by harassment/bad mouthing. The IT is doing his job and if others are not cooperating...it's like, "if you're not part of the solution then stay out of the way" attitude.

These types of people are the one that I hesitate to help when asked by manager.

We're all under a lot of stress. The American economy that was the showpiece of the world 40-50 years ago never lived up to its promise. Richard Nixon promised in his 1956 vice-presidential campaign speech that we'd all be working 4-day weeks long before now. When he was president during the 1970s he watched the average American work week LENGTHEN to 43 hours. It's up to 50 hours now, just like it was in 1900. We're going backwards.

Factory workers feel the brunt of this. So many of their jobs have gone offshore. Autos, steel, bicycles, electronics... You can't blame them for being in a rotten mood.

Just remember, they're only words, just vibrations of the air molecules. They're transient, ephemeral, they can't hurt you. Be big, set a good example, let the words flow right past you like air.

Watch the way James Bond can walk through complete chaos with explosions and everything, and his lovely white suit isn't even rumpled when he comes out the other side. Surely you can do that with mere words. ^_^

remember that many of your shop rats ( I used to be one so I can call them that! ) usually have only a high school diploma. When I would walk in the morning, "F##k you!" was the standard way to say "good morning, how are you doing today?"

If the shop rats feel jelous of the suits they will be twice as bad. Often they only make about HALF what the suits do and they KNOW it so they will do what they can to try to bring you down a notch.

It typically isn't meant to be mean, just trying to socialize with someone that isn't from their social circle.

I think that your factory has a big problem with your floor staff. I support a small factory, and I have worked in factories, this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable.

Most uneducated people think that IT people spend their day ?Playing? with computers, but this is not an excuse to verbal attack another person.

Sounds like you have a few bullies on the floor.

I think the bigger problem is a total disrespect for people in general by these verbally abusive bullies.

hey, I cannot whistle either.

always figured that if the girl was good looking enough to have some sort of compliment, they deserve to have me walk right up to them to give them the complement. ( it works, never got slapped for saying they were worth talking to not just whistling at )

when it's guys, I just say, sorry guys you're not my type.
( usally get asked what's my type )
female.

At my current employer we have about 400 people spread out between 4 different plants across different parts of the state,I handle hardware,software and user issues between all plants.

I spent 6 years on the shop floor,I have only been doing the IT thing for about a 2 years now.

People on the floor look at their work area as theirs,they DO NOT care who paid for it,during their shift it is their territory, and they feel like people should respect their territory just the same as if it were a private office.

It will help you immensely if you get a feel of how thing happen out there,and know when is or isn't a good time to be making changes, around here if I tried to make changes around the time of a shift change I am liable to get lynched,just ask around find out who is in charge in that area, inform them of your intentions and find out when it can be done with the least amount of disruption(usually while they are on lunch break).

When you walk out to the shop floor be prepared for salty language that is the way of that world, if you can't handle it you shouldn't work in a mfg. enviroment

You will have all kinds of remarks fired at you while you are doing something, all you need to do is fire something right back,but be prepared for several volleys though.This is kinda like joining a club with them, they are testing you to see if your are worthy of joining,bonding if you will.

Around here we tell guys,if we didn't liked ya we wouldn't fu*k with ya,that is how it works,it is all man to man my balls are bigger than your balls kind of stuff.

I personally have 2 personalities,my in the office professional personality, and my out on the floor, how the fu*k ya doin personality.That works out really well from my stand point.

Never ever act better than them,tell them you are just doing your job to enable them to do theirs, because in the big scheme of things you are someones flunky just like them.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to listen to them. The majority of people on the floor will resent any changes coming from the front office,they assume ALL changes that come down the pipe are made by people that have ABSOLUTELY NO idea of how things happen in the real world(sometimes it is true),they think it is going to make their job even harder than it already is.You don't have to agree with them just explain how the change will make it easier,

And above all be yourself, don't try to fake being friendly or lie to them,in the shop floor world a man is only as good as his word you lie to them and tou will regret ever being born,but if you are seen as one of them you will feel like part of a big foul mouthed family,I gaurantee it.

Sorry I'm so windy I'm talking about a topic I can relate too, hope this helps.

p.s. in the eyes of the people on the shop floor HR is about as low as you can get,they would have no problem telling all of HR to p!ss up a rope.

This computer? All products you use here belong to the company and did you know that the company has the right to monitor and look at what ever you do with thier Equipment.
If they still get in your face, tell them to talk to HR and let them know that you can remove them from receiving a pay check.

dry cleaning bills 'll kill you.
Go for a beer with them is always a good idea.
Above all work with them not against.
It's strange how a lot of IT people whinge like mad when someone interfere's with us doing our job and yet some are quite happy to disrupt others in order to make things more convenient for themselves.

Knew one guy who went out and did a fix at 4:30 on the edge of plant so he could go straight home. Poor fellas who he did the fix on were there 'til 10, as was I when I got called out. Managed to p1ss off 20 people on the shift and me with that little trick. I went for a swifty with them at the end of the shift, he got a plant wide reputation as a complete w@nker.

I was just confused. Wasnt sure if you were agreeing w/ me or what..

Sometimes text sux. :)