Having spent over 45 years in Engineering I now have ways of doing things that has become second nature and one of the basic rules Engineers work by is clarity.
Everything from drawings, instructions or systems must be unambiguous and crystal clear. The consequences of unclear instructions can be disastrous.
IT on the other hand comes from a very different world. Trying to follow instructions on how to set up a program or install some piece of equipment is rarely clear.
A typical example of my point happened a few days ago when I tried to install a new Broadband Router. No instruction except a brief letter giving me a user name, password and WEP Key code.
Need I say that I could not install the system? I contacted the helpline and they gave me a new User name and Password that differed from that sent to me in their letter. When I pointed out that the details did not match my letter I was told that there are about six user names and passwords for various parts of the system. The password I needed was in fact a Serial Number on the machine. In Engineering if it was gave something a Password it would remain so and not suddenly turn into a Serial Number. We have terminology that does not changed and names that are clear and unambiguous.
Until IT people get more discipline,consistency and accuracy in how they describe things and clearer instructions they give out we will continue to get it wrong, get frustrated and cost us all more time and money.
Cheers
Bob
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