The return of the databoy

The "D.B." in my nom de blog, D.B. Echo, comes from a series of jobs I held from 1993 through 1999. I started out as a Statistical Process Control Coordinator, helping to introduce that discipline to our company, and later played various roles in data collection and analysis. At one point I became part of a group of five people drawn from across the plant who were assigned the task of rolling out data collection and analysis throughout the plant. During a brainstorming session to identify potential pitfalls, one member stated the concern that the data collection responsibilities for the entire plant would be placed on our shoulders - that we would become the "databoys and datagirls for the plant."

It never got that bad. But eventually, inevitably, things changed, and data-based decision making was no longer considered as important as it once had been. In time our group of five was whittled down to one. I was the sole remaining databoy.

If you're a regular or long-time reader, you know my more recent work history: how I served as my company's DVD Asset Manager from 1999 through February 27, 2007, and how on that day I lost my job - as did with over a third of my department and hundreds of other employees. How I kicked around looking for work from then through August, and how in August I returned as a DVD Press operator at a fraction of my old pay. How grueling and physically exhausting and at times very painful this work has been.

A few weeks ago I was approached by a member of upper management whom I have known for most of my work life and was told that a data analysis position - well, more a sort of long-term special project - would likely be opening in a while, and I would be ideal for it. It was still in the planning, preliminary stages, so I shouldn't get too excited just yet. ( I didn't.)

Last week, on the first day of my four-day rotation, she approached me again with the good news: the job was approved, and I would be getting pulled off the press floor and back into the world of data analysis. The job would be Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30, and was to start the next day, last Thursday.

Immediately warning bells started to go off in my head, and I couldn't think of why for a few minutes. Then I remembered: appointments. Having a four-days-on, four-days-off schedule is great for a lot of reasons. You can figure out what days you will be free long in advance. You can do things on your weekdays off - use the bank, go to the Post Office, make appointments with doctors and lawyers or whoever.

I had three appointments scheduled for this week's days off.

Not for me, actually. Monday was cataract surgery for my mom, on one eye only. Tuesday was a follow-up appointment. Wednesday - today - was an appointment to get my broken speedometer fixed. None of these were things that could be rescheduled easily, especially since I didn't have any free weekdays to reschedule them to anymore.

On top of that, suddenly switching from a 12-hour schedule with work scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to an 8-hour schedule with work scheduled for Thursday and Friday only meant that I would be immediately losing 20 hours of pay, plus overtime. I've already taken a huge financial hit in the past year, and I didn't really want to take another hit in the month when the Christmas bills are coming due.

So I asked for - and was given - some accommodation. Last week was a transitional week: On Thursday and Friday I worked from 6:00 to 8:00 on the Press floor, assisting everyone else, and from 8:00 to 6:00 I worked at the new job. On Saturday I spent nearly the full 12 hours in the office and on the Press floor doing data collection and analysis and recasting some things to make them easier to understand, though I had to wait a bit in the morning to have security let me in to the secured office area. (Turns out the locks had already been reprogrammed to recognize my card, though we had been assured that this would not be done until this week.)

Tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday I will spend 12 hours each day on the new job. Sunday I will have off, and Monday I will start on the new schedule. We'll see if I stick with those hours - somehow I doubt it.

A few months as an Operator, getting my hands dirty and occasionally scarred, learning the processes from the inside out - just like in 1992-1993. Now back into data collection and analysis, just like before. What next? Who knows?

All I can say for sure is: the databoy is back.