Bruce
Change Engineer
6:00 – I awake to the morning headlines. After fifteen minutes, I feel like I've got enough info—news, traffic, weather—to start the day. I enjoy a few minutes of quality time playing with the dogs in the back yard, and then savor a few more peaceful minutes to plan my day. Our client's aggressive software release schedule presents our team with new challenges on a daily basis, but we've made a lot of progress. The new system we've helped build from scratch has already been rolled out to 1,000+ users in 400+ stores.
7:15 – With my breakfast-to-go, I begin my commute to the client's office. The analytical side of me considers which of the five possible ways to get there will be the fastest today.
7:45 – My account executive, Phil, calls as he does every Thursday morning to discuss the latest on our project. I'm pleased to share our latest progress and accomplishments. We can see the impact on the client's organization as they move closer to their sales objectives.
8:15 – I arrive at the client's office, get logged in, and review my day's schedule. I have several meetings planned as we simultaneously manage next week's system deployment and releases for the next two months.
10:00 – On a status call with the system's business owners, we're able to close several items on the action register and work through some additional details for next week's deployment. We discuss training, pricing, and regulatory approval, among other topics. As with every other day, I find myself learning something new. Today I learn more about the complexities of our client's back office support. It's fascinating how many groups must coordinate activities to support orders taken by the system.
12:30 – A group of us, both Infinitivians and clients, grab a quick bite at the deli across the street. We represent different, but related, projects so we take advantage of the time to compare notes. It's not all work, though; we also go around the table to discuss our planned summer vacations.
1:30 – I get an IM from a client with a question about orders we've taken through the new system. It's not a question that I can answer without some further investigation. I promise the client that I'll get back to her shortly and dig into some data I have. An hour later I have the analysis we need. This is a typical scenario for our team. Much of the work we do from day is day isn't necessarily planned; we're constantly wearing 'different hats' depending on the situation, and responding to ad-hoc requests.
3:15 – In an impromptu meeting with two Infinitive team members, Erin and Kim, we discuss several issues and work out a strategy to bring each to closure. After tasking those involved to implement our solution, the team plans a celebratory happy hour to follow our system deployment next week.
4:30 – One last call for the day—our third design session for future functionality. For a change of scenery, I print out hard copies of the screen mockups and take the call from a conference room with a window. I look across the river at the National Cathedral as we make our final design decisions. It's satisfying to think the system we're designing will be used by thousands of people for years to come.
5:30 – I catch up on email. As a rule, I hate to leave the office without having read and responded to most of my email. I flag a few items as to-dos for tomorrow and schedule a few follow-up meetings. As I pack up for the day, I feel a sense of accomplishment. We're busy, but we have something to show for it. Our team has handled everything the project has thrown at us and our efforts are directly impacting the client's bottom line.
6:30 – The commute home. There's no avoiding DC traffic, but on the upside it gives me time to catch up with friends. I've made many new friends at Infinitive and call Marshall to see how things are going with the Richmond gang. I spent six months down there last year and like to stay in touch.
7:15 – Home after another busy day. It's a beautiful evening and my wife and I decide to take the dogs for a walk before dinner, giving us a chance to catch up and share today's challenges and successes.
