As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm up to my ears in workplace training. More specifically, I'm on the receiving end. As I previously mentioned it's an online training course. I got through the GMP module quite handily, and was fairly impressed with it. I am somewhat less impressed with their GLP module. If they proof-read it at all, they did a pretty rubbishy job of it. I (and I am not alone) suspect that they simply didn't bother.
They refer to information buttons that are simply not there. They use an out-of-date ICH table. They refer to an ISO that we don't actually have (okay, so that's our fault, not theirs - but some warning that we'd need it would have been nice.).
Now, it's all very good and well going through this sort of thing when you've already got a background in labwork, but if you, like me, are a Document Control person who dropped out of a Bachelor of Science because you were failing before eventually stumbling into Quality Assurance, then when you find yourself confronting this sort of thing, you're going to be in trouble.
Mind you, even with the degree you'd be in trouble - university science courses (or so I have been told) simply do not prepare you for a regulated working environment. They don't tell you about GMP, or the prospect of going to jail if you get it wrong. Badly reviewed training courses really don't help the matter.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Online training with Firefox and Explorer.
I've been up to my ears in workplace training lately, which is why I haven't had much to say. We've got this online training program going at work, which means that every spare computer in the place is being used by our normally computerless Production staff - including the computers of those who are home sick.
At least one staff member is going to come back to find Firefox mysteriously installed on his computer - I've had a remarkable opportunity to compare Firefox and Explorer since this whole training excercise began, and I am having my opinion of the superiority of Firefox confirmed at every turn.
If you find yourself missing a plugin, for example, in Explorer - you have to chase through what seems like a hundred links, each leading to web pages crammed with tiny text. If you find yourself missing that plugin in Firefox, on the other hand, the software throws up a link to the version of the plugin that it recommends, without all the unnecessary commentary.
That's the main one. The rest of it revolves around a myriad of glitches and whatnot, all of which seem to make Explorer close down in the middle of what you're doing. Firefox has far fewer glitches, and when it does have to close down, it remembers what websites you were visiting, and asks you if you want to go straight back to them.
Firefox is so much simpler to use, and so much friendlier. I like it so much better!
By the way, if you want it yourself, make sure you have administrative priviledges on your computer - if you don't, you'll probably get blocked.
At least one staff member is going to come back to find Firefox mysteriously installed on his computer - I've had a remarkable opportunity to compare Firefox and Explorer since this whole training excercise began, and I am having my opinion of the superiority of Firefox confirmed at every turn.
If you find yourself missing a plugin, for example, in Explorer - you have to chase through what seems like a hundred links, each leading to web pages crammed with tiny text. If you find yourself missing that plugin in Firefox, on the other hand, the software throws up a link to the version of the plugin that it recommends, without all the unnecessary commentary.
That's the main one. The rest of it revolves around a myriad of glitches and whatnot, all of which seem to make Explorer close down in the middle of what you're doing. Firefox has far fewer glitches, and when it does have to close down, it remembers what websites you were visiting, and asks you if you want to go straight back to them.
Firefox is so much simpler to use, and so much friendlier. I like it so much better!
By the way, if you want it yourself, make sure you have administrative priviledges on your computer - if you don't, you'll probably get blocked.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
The unfair comparison post.
I'm starting to reach the conclusion that I just plain don't like taking orders. It's not just Anarchist Prime (although so far he's proven worse than the others) - I reacted badly to Darth Chaos, too. Why? I tend to reach the conclusion that they are interfering old sods who insist on changing systems around just because they like to make their employees stressed. (Still, I need to keep myself housed, clothed, and fed...)
So far, the only thing that Anarchist Prime has done that I fully support is in implementing the training software that his predecessor, Darth Chaos, was pushing for. Okay, the software has a few bugs in it, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the problems we've had with it have been pure incompetence on Anarchist Prime's part, but I'm sure we can sort it out.
I got used to Darth Chaos eventually - but she gave me the impression that she cared about more than just personal aggrandisement, which is more than Anarchist Prime has done. Sure, it's probably not fair on either of them to be comparing them like this, but Anarchist Prime has managed to make himself fairly unpopular since he started.
But you see, I was somewhat relieved when Darth Chaos left, too.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the two people we've had in the position here so far took on so much work and delegated so little of it to their subordinates that at least Darth Chaos had to be ordered by Mr Big to cut her workload back a bit - and the time will probably come when Anarchist Prime is either ordered to cut back, or will suffer the effects of stress. (I have a feeling that he will prove to be at least as rebellious towards Mr Big as I am towards him, when it comes to following orders from on high. Still, we all keep dreaming about the day Anarchist Prime makes his final mistake and gets his backside kicked all the way back to Melbourne.)
So far, the only thing that Anarchist Prime has done that I fully support is in implementing the training software that his predecessor, Darth Chaos, was pushing for. Okay, the software has a few bugs in it, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the problems we've had with it have been pure incompetence on Anarchist Prime's part, but I'm sure we can sort it out.
I got used to Darth Chaos eventually - but she gave me the impression that she cared about more than just personal aggrandisement, which is more than Anarchist Prime has done. Sure, it's probably not fair on either of them to be comparing them like this, but Anarchist Prime has managed to make himself fairly unpopular since he started.
But you see, I was somewhat relieved when Darth Chaos left, too.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the two people we've had in the position here so far took on so much work and delegated so little of it to their subordinates that at least Darth Chaos had to be ordered by Mr Big to cut her workload back a bit - and the time will probably come when Anarchist Prime is either ordered to cut back, or will suffer the effects of stress. (I have a feeling that he will prove to be at least as rebellious towards Mr Big as I am towards him, when it comes to following orders from on high. Still, we all keep dreaming about the day Anarchist Prime makes his final mistake and gets his backside kicked all the way back to Melbourne.)
Friday, 13 June 2008
Stress alert.
Anarchist Prime called me from somewhere between here and Melbourne, asking me to sort out his remote access, because he had a heap of work to do over the weekend. This, I realised as I hung up, is the reason why he's been such a pig to work for - stress. He's not taking enough time off. He can't keep up with the demands of the job. How long is it going to take before he (or his wife) snaps, I wonder? Hopefully, it'll happen sooner rather than later - I don't hold high hopes, though. He's been enjoying the power he's got, and it will probably take a major breakdown for him to realise that he's in over his head.
With any luck, his wife will do what Darth Chaos' husband did, and threaten to leave him if he doesn't quit. With more luck, he'll listen to her and do as he's told.
With any luck, his wife will do what Darth Chaos' husband did, and threaten to leave him if he doesn't quit. With more luck, he'll listen to her and do as he's told.
SeerPharma's GMP training program
We've got a new training system in at work - it was 'launched' today. I managed to miss getting an invitation to the meeting (thank god!) - fortunately, Anarchist Prime warned me yesterday that I would be one of the first two people to go through it, so that I could (presumably) help everybody else use it. He took about ten seconds to pass the relevant information on to me (verbally). Everybody else was in that meeting for more than an hour.
What's the verdict? Well, I'm compiling a list of points to include as feedback to SeerPharma, whose system it is (including the comment that irregularly flashing lights do absolutely nothing to aid concentration...), and it has also reminded me of just how out of practice I am at studying (not to mention how much I dislike taking tests). That said, I think that, if backed up with regular reinforcement in a fully compliant workplace, it's pretty good. It sure beats the hell out of what we had before, which was two pieces of A4 paper with a pretty diagram taking up about a quarter of it, and a collection of dot points.
What's the verdict? Well, I'm compiling a list of points to include as feedback to SeerPharma, whose system it is (including the comment that irregularly flashing lights do absolutely nothing to aid concentration...), and it has also reminded me of just how out of practice I am at studying (not to mention how much I dislike taking tests). That said, I think that, if backed up with regular reinforcement in a fully compliant workplace, it's pretty good. It sure beats the hell out of what we had before, which was two pieces of A4 paper with a pretty diagram taking up about a quarter of it, and a collection of dot points.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Hell and gone...
I have just got back to work from a couple of weeks on holiday (and most welcome they were, too!), to discover that my timing was absolutely perfect - I managed to miss the most recent hissy fit, and its aftermath.
As I think I've mentioned already, we're having a few problems with Anarchist Prime. The descriptive phrases "arrogant bastard", "sexist pig", and "power-hungry sod" get bandied about fairly regularly - especially after his latest incident. (The Office Gossip has been heard to describe him as a sexist pig, for those who work here and who may not have heard that one yet. The Grand Visier and I had talked about it somewhat seriously previously, and with a couple of of our other affected staff members, but it's interesting - not to mention a relief - to hear one of our local males come out with it too.)
While I was away, Human Resources arranged what they called a "Management Symposium". I wasn't invited, being just a humble underling (thank goodness. I wouldn't enjoy sitting through that sort of thing at all.). The focus, to those of us lucky enough to hear the true opinions of HR personnel, was (unofficially) Anarchist Prime, and getting him to cooperate.
It didn't work. I have been told that everybody had to get up and describe the role of their department, and that a 20 minute time-span was alotted. Anarchist Prime got up, and refused to stop talking, despite increasing pressure from Mr Big. (Mr Big finally interrupted him and said they'd continue this later. That was remarkably polite of him, I feel.)
HR also unveiled the new organisation chart, and this was when the brown stuff really hit the roundy roundy. The Production Manager and the Aseptic Services Manager had been put on the same level as Anarchist Prime. (Fair enough, I think, given that currently they are, essentially, Anarchist Prime's opposite numbers in Production. The other option would have been to increase Anarchist Prime's status to that of Mr Big's, and he would have been absolutely unbearable if HR had done that.) Anarchist Prime's response was, basically, to throw a temper tantrum, just like a five year old (although somewhat more coherently.). I would not have been at all surprised if he'd thrown himself on the floor and kicked and screamed.
That move has completely failed to endear him to anybody, especially our senior HR staff who were on the receiving end of this particular tanty.
Since then, our Reg Affairs Associate has managed to disassociate herself from him with the blessings and connivance of Mr Big (and well done to her for that - she gave me a rave review for her current supervisor, and I applaud him for it.).
After all that, I wandered out for morning tea, and discovered that the receptionist had also had reason to miss me dreadfully too, since the internet connection between here and Sydney had been playing up and a certain individual in Sydney had been asking her difficult questions about it. But he's the topic of a whole different rant.
At any rate, thanks to all of that, I'm a popular girl here this morning.
As I think I've mentioned already, we're having a few problems with Anarchist Prime. The descriptive phrases "arrogant bastard", "sexist pig", and "power-hungry sod" get bandied about fairly regularly - especially after his latest incident. (The Office Gossip has been heard to describe him as a sexist pig, for those who work here and who may not have heard that one yet. The Grand Visier and I had talked about it somewhat seriously previously, and with a couple of of our other affected staff members, but it's interesting - not to mention a relief - to hear one of our local males come out with it too.)
While I was away, Human Resources arranged what they called a "Management Symposium". I wasn't invited, being just a humble underling (thank goodness. I wouldn't enjoy sitting through that sort of thing at all.). The focus, to those of us lucky enough to hear the true opinions of HR personnel, was (unofficially) Anarchist Prime, and getting him to cooperate.
It didn't work. I have been told that everybody had to get up and describe the role of their department, and that a 20 minute time-span was alotted. Anarchist Prime got up, and refused to stop talking, despite increasing pressure from Mr Big. (Mr Big finally interrupted him and said they'd continue this later. That was remarkably polite of him, I feel.)
HR also unveiled the new organisation chart, and this was when the brown stuff really hit the roundy roundy. The Production Manager and the Aseptic Services Manager had been put on the same level as Anarchist Prime. (Fair enough, I think, given that currently they are, essentially, Anarchist Prime's opposite numbers in Production. The other option would have been to increase Anarchist Prime's status to that of Mr Big's, and he would have been absolutely unbearable if HR had done that.) Anarchist Prime's response was, basically, to throw a temper tantrum, just like a five year old (although somewhat more coherently.). I would not have been at all surprised if he'd thrown himself on the floor and kicked and screamed.
That move has completely failed to endear him to anybody, especially our senior HR staff who were on the receiving end of this particular tanty.
Since then, our Reg Affairs Associate has managed to disassociate herself from him with the blessings and connivance of Mr Big (and well done to her for that - she gave me a rave review for her current supervisor, and I applaud him for it.).
After all that, I wandered out for morning tea, and discovered that the receptionist had also had reason to miss me dreadfully too, since the internet connection between here and Sydney had been playing up and a certain individual in Sydney had been asking her difficult questions about it. But he's the topic of a whole different rant.
At any rate, thanks to all of that, I'm a popular girl here this morning.
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