Many years ago my first job was as a software installation engineer. I turned up on a customer site to reinstall the EDI software (used to exchange order and invoice data) after the computer that it was on got stolen during a break in.
Unfortunately for the client, they had no backups! I spent the day on the phone to all their big customers (Asda / Tesco etc) to reset all the data needed to allow them to get trading again.
I took extra time to explain to the client how and what to back up.
A month or so later, I was back on site.
A break in through the same door. EDI computer had been stolen, again. Backups had not been taken. Sounds familiar?
This was a very painful and expensive experience for the client, but as I reminisced on it the other day, it reminded me of a few things
The small, seemingly unimportant and at times dull or tedious tasks can sometimes be the most critical and the cost/effort for failing to do them significant.
I was ignored (or my recommendation forgotten). Maybe I was seen as young / unimportant / irrelevant. Any advice should always be taken under consideration, which links to the next point.
Anyone and everyone on a team should be empowered and encouraged to contribute and their comments appraised and acknowledged, even if in the end it is decided to not take them anywhere. Sometimes the best ideas can come from lowly places.
