New found love for hassles

I used to feel contempt towards administrative
works. Now I love them - they are important.

I worked as a field engineer- a project engineer
responsible for field operations - before I have
switched career to become embedded software,
systems, solutions for a lot of industries.

As a field engineer after finishing the long and
tiresome job, I have to ask client representative
sign the P.O so that accountants can invoice the
clients. Not only that I have to check do QC of
data, package the data, give unofficial but crucial
field interpretations to the client and logistics
the way back to the base. Engineers have to fill
what tools we used, what services we sold, how
many crew were used for how many productive
hours and loss time, which specific systems or
equipment we have used into the database that
will be synchronize later when we will be back
in the office.

I switched my career to become design engineer,
software engineer for embedded systems based
products development. Then I fill in the tasks
I undertake, estimated time to complete tasks,
and percentage of the completion of those tasks.
I used to think that why should I waste time in
filling in forms while I can use time for real work.

But now, I understand that those are feedback
channels, raw data in to management information
systems. Without accuracy and completeness in
filling those data, no managers make an educated
guess, schedule and shuffle resources, predict and
plan operations, forecast future sales, cash flow to
finance capital and cash reserves, maintain service
quality, etc..

No wonder now I love those administrative works.