I’ve been pretty clear over the past few months how I feel about my boss, but I do give him credit in one area: we have several systems we use that are supposed to be the systems of record, and he makes sure we use them. Even if we’re the only subsidiary who uses them correctly. 

We have one system, for example, that is supposed to show the schedules of our engineers: where they’re going to be and what they’re going to be working on, if they’re on vacation, if they’re training, whatever. Every week we have a team meeting where we review this system for our subsidiary, and it’s incumbent upon all of us to keep it accurate. 

Recently we had someone resign, which meant there was a space in the calendar I had to fill with another engineer. Since there was no one available in our subsidiary, I pulled up the other subsidiaries and looked at their schedules. I found seven people who were supposedly available during that time and messaged their managers. So far, I’ve heard back from one of them, and he said both of those engineers were tasked with other projects. 

Fine. But the system didn’t say that. The system showed them as available. Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked. 

The point of having a system of record is that it’s the one source of truth for a certain piece of information. If we’re not all using it the way it should be used, then it’s useless. Apparently that’s something our subsidiary just has to deal with.