doh! Broke the bank today..

knight0334 · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:04:59 Post Subject: doh! Broke the bank today..

I was given an 8+ mile fiber project at the end of July to engineer. Start at the CO, then go 4 miles to first remote switch, turn north and go 3 miles to a cell tower, then go another mile to the last remote switch. The Network Planner estimated and funded $188K for it.

Well, the total ended up at $581K this morning when I priced it. oops.. somebody forgot to figure in the cost of the 70 poles that needed changed out due to clearances, rot and physical damage when budgeting.. Or the placement of 1/2 mile of poleline where there was no plant to begin with.

2 weeks into the design I called up the planner to warn him that he might want to pad the estimates a bit and figure in for pole work.. ..I got the reply, "well, I'm usually pretty close on estimates." Which normally he is, not this time.

I swear I heard my direct boss', and their boss' @sses clamp shut with a sound similar of thunder when they opened up the work packet this morning. lol

Of the $75Mil I was given to spend on getting DSL to every door by 2015, I just whacked a fat portion of it right there.

right hand corner

heylinder · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:21:09 Post Subject:

I can't read your pic but I'm guessing that it says you saved them some money and that you'll get a bonus out of this to make my Christmas present even bigger .... right? Wink

knight0334 · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:31:26 Post Subject:

clicky on it, then clicky on it again to full size it. lol

Didn't save them anything.. lol they did that neglecting poles for the last 40-80 years. I literally found some poles and anchors by tripping over them in high grass and brush. I was on my cell phone with one boss discussing the job while in the field, I mentioned to her that there should be a pole somewhere nearby - then whooops.

I forgot to mention that they will be dishing out to a farmer too for damaged crops(corn) for 5 poles rotting off and falling over then wiping out about a 1500ftx10ft patch. ...that poor old man wasn't happy at all.

And doesn't include 4-5 weeks of my wages & mileage, wages for 4 drafters for 2 weeks, the planner's wage either.

BeerCheeze · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:42:19 Post Subject:

Well there goes your next 10 raises!

heylinder · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:50:42 Post Subject:

knight0334 · Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:38:42 Post Subject:

yeah.. there goes my pay raises for awhile. and everyone other Verizon engineer in the state too. lol

I have a justification meeting in the morning. Luckily enough I was smart enough to take pics with my digicam and cell phone to show how f'd up the poles are.

3 coworkers and predecessors turned down doing that job in the last 5 years. ..was just too much for them. My present coworkers are jokingly harassing me that now they will be expected to do the impossible with not enough time. I got the nickname "superman" now in the office.

Charlie · Posted: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:05:28 Post Subject:

You are going to be a very popular guy at the morning meeting... Laughing