My boss stole my database!

[paindivine]

I made a call trackign database for a small tech-related call center I work in. Total of 5 people using it. It was your basic Contact info with a subform for tickets...

Well my boss was all excited about it and was showing it around. Now suddenly our IS department is taking it over and I am supposed to help them 'convert' it... from what I'm seeing and hearing it looks like they are just buying some pre-made call tracking tool and importing my data. LOL They are paying for something rather than use my free tool.

What a crock. Have you guys ever had this happen?

 

[FoFa]

Not meaning to sound callous, but so what.
Sounds like you are taking it a little personal really.

 

[KenHigg]

I was thinkning you should see what the short comings are of the new application and build 'em a better one yet.

 

[Jakboi]

Well its prob a little insulting and such...but yea...check out the new one, make a better one and then make them pay for it!!!!haha

 

[KenHigg]

In fact, stay below the radar for a while with your ear to the ground and see if you can pick up on the problems with out them knowing it....

 

[paindivine]

In fact, stay below the radar for a while with your ear to the ground and see if you can pick up on the problems with out them knowing it....

I use the database myself... I'll know before anyone else.

They aren't going to use Access... I promise you that. We are going to get some horrible pre-packaged ticket system. I bet it will be web-based as well... Some horribly slow Java behemoth. We already use Right-now-web for our email work... and that's the biggest piece of trash I've ever used.

 

[KenHigg]

I use the database myself... I'll know before anyone else.

They aren't going to use Access... I promise you that. We are going to get some horrible pre-packaged ticket system. I bet it will be web-based as well... Some horribly slow Java behemoth. We already use Right-now-web for our email work... and that's the biggest piece of trash I've ever used.

Just a thought..

(So build 'em a better web based version...)

 

[statsman]

Personally, I'd send them a bill.

 

[rpadams]

Unless I'm missing something, it seems that if you wrote the system as part of your employment, used it when you were working and are being asked to "convert" it on your employer's time, you have little ground to complain. When the new system is implemented, it would be an opportunity for you to show your employer a "new, improved" version superior to the purchased variety. Sometime being able to show your employer how valuable you are is worth far more than complaining about a management decision.

 

[Keith Nichols]

I am in a similar situation.

The DB I created has been found to be very useful to my department. They were hostage to fortune as I was the only person who could adminster/maintain the DB. I flagged this a long time ago, but they only took me seriously when I handed in my notice

Our corporate policy is to NOT support user created databases and NOT to use Access for IT created databases. To protect themselves, the department asked the IT dept to take over ownership. As my DB is not too gnarly (thanks one and all ) they have agreed, against normal poilicy, to take over the DB as Access and in the longer term, navigate it over to Oracle. I am instrumental in this handover.

Personnally, I am grateful to the company for allowing me to learn Access from scratch over 2 years on full wages. I'm flatered that they highly appreciate the product I produced and I am pleased that the IT department will look after it once I am gone.

As to your particular situation; It maybe that a commercial contact management database may be more robust, or better in some other way, than the one you created. The only likely downside is that you may not be able to fine tune it to your companies needs.

 

[GaryPanic]

Same problem here - i built a system to do the job and they have spent £,s on one that does not and are constantly having to spend more and more to try and fix the problems that my system already resolves - some people will never listen - I've built one system to do the job required compared to the one they weant us to use it saves 15-20% on time costs next to nothing and is easier on the eye and does 95% of the job (no system ever does 100%)

but other people always think they know best

 

[Brianwarnock]

Unless I'm missing something, it seems that if you wrote the system as part of your employment, used it when you were working and are being asked to "convert" it on your employer's time, you have little ground to complain.

Couldn't agree more, we own nothing that we do in work's time , using work's equipment etc.

Brian

 

[Brianwarnock]

.....does 95% of the job (no system ever does 100%)

I saw and worked on many systems that did 100% of what they were asked to do during my career, of course the requirements usually changed as soon as you got things settled, if not before, and that is why Companies are wary of systems developed outside of the "system".

Brian

 

[fverdone]

I made a call trackign database for a small tech-related call center I work in. Total of 5 people using it. It was your basic Contact info with a subform for tickets...

Well my boss was all excited about it and was showing it around. Now suddenly our IS department is taking it over and I am supposed to help them 'convert' it... from what I'm seeing and hearing it looks like they are just buying some pre-made call tracking tool and importing my data. LOL They are paying for something rather than use my free tool.

What a crock. Have you guys ever had this happen?

It seems That you should be happy your boss was so excited by your work. As far as IT they are just doing their job by using your collected data. Maybe you should email them and ask if they need some more help in data collection!

 

[fverdone]

It seems That you should be happy your boss was so excited by your work. As far as IT they are just doing their job by using your collected data. Maybe you should email them and ask if they need some more help in data collection!

 

[grnzbra]

I've been in that situation twice. On both occasions, the conversion was a real bear. In both cases, someone in charge of the new data repository didn't think we needed certain fields so they weren't supplied. We had to ask for them. Sometimes we got them and sometimes they didn't think they were needed so they discarded the data.

You did it on their time, so, while there is some understandable level of insult associated with it, they have every right to do it. You are selling them your time for some money per hour. What they choose to have you do during those hours are up to them.

You might want to look at the shortcomings of the new system and, on your own time on your own computer, improve your database to make it better than the new system. Then offer to sell it to them. What you are selling are the improvements, not the original database, which is theirs. Of course, before wasting your time on this, check your contract to be sure that they don't own all intellectual property that you may produce while in their employ.

 

[gold007eye]

I too have been developing databases for years for different companies I have worked for in an effort to reduce associates time by having the database(s) do the brunt of the work for them. If you read into the company/your initial paperwork with the company you will probably see somewhere in there a clause that says any work, programs, etc. created by you for the benefit of the company done on company time is property of the company. It sux, but that's how they cover themselves from sabatoge, blackmail, etc.

The best thing to do is what I did. I created databases to show them how it reduced time from the employee, heightened security / PHI, & made data easier to track for audit purposes. Now it is in the works to get my Job Title changed to something more appropriate to the database designing that I have done for the company.

So if you look at it that way; in the long run it will be better on your resume and in your pocket $$$

 

[neileg]

In my workplace, only Oracle based systems are supported by IT. What usually happens is that Access based systems are treated as working prototypes and migrated to Oracle if there is a sound business case.

 

[gold007eye]

Our IT will only support SQL Server Database so I am actually in the process of converting the data over to SQL.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Happened to me, too. In my case, we had a sh|t-pot full of servers with very haphazard record-keeping. One of the other Sys Admins in our group put together a totally gnarly little DB with design flaws all over the place. It took me 3 months to clean it up and normalize it. By then, the offending Sys Admin had left for sunnier climes and I could only curse his empty seat.

The short version of this is that the government quickly took over this DB because it was operating in a vacuum. We didn't even have a third-party tool to do the job. Of course, they had grandiose ideas about migrating to an ORACLE WEB server. Didn't happen due to Hurricane Katrina, but I got a nice letter in my personnel jacket about how happy they were to get such a nice product so appropriate to their needs. No money, just a nice letter. But what the hey, it meant job security.

I'm with the other posters about owning the DB. You don't unless you were employed under a very unique contract. Most of the time, your employer owns anything you do for pay. (In our case, as a contractor, the U.S. Government owns it.)

Your problem is internal, to a certain degree. There is a natural amount of pride in a nice product, but you have to distinguish between the product itself and the pride you feel in your accomplishment. This is sometimes tough to learn, but you'll be happy you did so. Don't worry about someone taking over "your baby" either. Like real-world babies who eventually grow up and leave the nest, your product is going through a very natural evolution.