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Previously on "Any IT contractors up for fighting Covid for free?"

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  • perplexed
    replied
    Originally posted by eek View Post
    Sorry but that to me seems good enough for their needs. It works, uses technology people are already using and doesn't require any real effort.

    Now show me a system that requires days of admin to do things or needs confirmation that tasks are completed and I would sell them a suitable solution but given their requirements they have what they need with no change management requirements.

    Edit to add - a salesman sells solutions to pains and issues the customer is aware of. If you can't solve their current issues don't waste time and find another customer.
    Reminds me of some young buck whose nose I put out on linkedin.

    He was going on and on about everyone should use microservices as they are easy. I pointed out different clients have different business requirements and needs, you tailor solution to that. He didn't agree and ranted about how he'd worked on a £Xm project for a bank... I didn't have the heart to point out their requirements may well have aligned with use of microservices but that's not the case everywhere.

    I was tempted to wind him up by pointing out I preferred when microservices were called remote EJBs and CORBA...

    Leave a comment:


  • thelastrosbif
    replied
    Originally posted by Scoobos View Post
    I've just done it (hopefully) by reaching out to NHS national.

    If you want to help, they won't knock back free / cost labour in I.T, just write to them!
    Not a bad shout old chap. Though I remember NHS Digitals director bad mouthing us at the HMRC tribunals and will try not to hold a grudge

    Leave a comment:


  • Scoobos
    replied
    I've just done it (hopefully) by reaching out to NHS national.

    If you want to help, they won't knock back free / cost labour in I.T, just write to them!

    I should add I wouldn't really claim to be "fighting covid" but I am hopefully helping them to increase capacity and the ability to operate in general!
    Last edited by Scoobos; 6 April 2020, 14:41.

    Leave a comment:


  • eek
    replied
    Originally posted by thelastrosbif View Post
    they're managing a group with 5000+ members and hundreds of requests a week, with 5 guys and a fb account its carnage, especially when you are potentially dealing with vulnerable people & god knows how many liabilities. That level of tracability could be vital

    just because they havent figured out their problems yet doesnt mean they dont exist
    Which means you haven't sold them a solution to their problem, you just offered to sell them the things you understood probably in a way that didn't help them understand what you were trying to offer (and I say that as I see it all the time).

    Leave a comment:


  • thelastrosbif
    replied
    Originally posted by eek View Post
    Sorry but that to me seems good enough for their needs. It works, uses technology people are already using and doesn't require any real effort.

    Now show me a system that requires days of admin to do things or needs confirmation that tasks are completed and I would sell them a suitable solution but given their requirements they have what they need with no change management requirements.

    Edit to add - a salesman sells solutions to pains and issues the customer is aware of. If you can't solve their current issues don't waste time and find another customer.
    they're managing a group with 5000+ members and hundreds of requests a week, with 5 guys and a fb account its carnage, especially when you are potentially dealing with vulnerable people & god knows how many liabilities. That level of tracability could be vital

    just because they havent figured out their problems yet doesnt mean they dont exist
    Last edited by thelastrosbif; 6 April 2020, 13:48.

    Leave a comment:


  • eek
    replied
    Originally posted by thelastrosbif View Post
    It's shockingly hard to find opportunities to use our skills to help out in any way. We've PMs, Programmers, Analysts, Engineers, Specialists of every sort ready and waiting to do their bit. I'm sure we'd be of better value using these skills, no offense to those who do it but I can't see myself stacking shelves at any point soon. Seems like a waste of a whole community of consultants specifically practiced in successful remote/home working on tight budgets and timelines!

    I already tried to offer a hand to my local Mutual aid group, said I would setup a nice dashboard, some email automations, maybe a basic task management system, cheeky blighters told me sorry they were fine with Whatsapp groups and FB messaging
    Sorry but that to me seems good enough for their needs. It works, uses technology people are already using and doesn't require any real effort.

    Now show me a system that requires days of admin to do things or needs confirmation that tasks are completed and I would sell them a suitable solution but given their requirements they have what they need with no change management requirements.

    Edit to add - a salesman sells solutions to pains and issues the customer is aware of. If you can't solve their current issues don't waste time and find another customer.
    Last edited by eek; 6 April 2020, 13:34.

    Leave a comment:


  • thelastrosbif
    replied
    It's shockingly hard to find opportunities to use our skills to help out in any way. We've PMs, Programmers, Analysts, Engineers, Specialists of every sort ready and waiting to do their bit. I'm sure we'd be of better value using these skills, no offense to those who do it but I can't see myself stacking shelves at any point soon. Seems like a waste of a whole community of consultants specifically practiced in successful remote/home working on tight budgets and timelines!

    I already tried to offer a hand to my local Mutual aid group, said I would setup a nice dashboard, some email automations, maybe a basic task management system, cheeky blighters told me sorry they were fine with Whatsapp groups and FB messaging

    Leave a comment:


  • redgiant
    replied
    Originally posted by vwdan View Post
    With such limited info I'm going to have to go ahead and assume it's some cheeky firm looking for a freebie.

    Volunteering to help stand up a field hospital or something, yeah. Volunteering to help GSK or somebody save a massive IT Project bill.....mmm, not so much.
    Agreed.

    On a similar note The State of New Jersey has been asking for volunteers yesterday to look at their COBOL code for free due to the number of unemployment benefit requests in the state making their existing claims system fall over. I suspect IBM (or similar) will step in to offer their cloud services to virtualize some of their environment quickly get them over this hump and then once locked in they will put on the thumbscrews to NJ. The years of underinvestment and mismanagement in NJ are showing.

    COBOL-coding volunteers sought as creaking mainframes slow New Jersey's coronavirus response • The Register

    Leave a comment:


  • ladymuck
    replied
    I'm not against helping in principle but I would like to know a bit more about the project first.

    You won't get that from an advert, granted. It's tough to convey a genuine need for volunteer resources of this type.

    Leave a comment:


  • eek
    replied
    Originally posted by vwdan View Post
    With such limited info I'm going to have to go ahead and assume it's some cheeky firm looking for a freebie.

    Volunteering to help stand up a field hospital or something, yeah. Volunteering to help GSK or somebody save a massive IT Project bill.....mmm, not so much.
    It's strange that a firm in Birmingham seems to be trying to find people for Essex Partnership University NHS based on the locations - and it would be better all round if they said that was what they were doing.

    Leave a comment:


  • vwdan
    replied
    With such limited info I'm going to have to go ahead and assume it's some cheeky firm looking for a freebie.

    Volunteering to help stand up a field hospital or something, yeah. Volunteering to help GSK or somebody save a massive IT Project bill.....mmm, not so much.

    Leave a comment:


  • Any IT contractors up for fighting Covid for free?

    Saw this on JobServe. It’s 3-4 hours south for me. But anyone Essex way interested?


    * CALLING ALL IT PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER IN THE FIGHT - Colchester Essex England - April-03-2020 (Hv9ml)


    Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

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