Should I go to the Big Cheese about this?

[Barinthus]

Also does this accountant take care of your paycheck?

If not, I'd go with Ming and DanS.

[Alexander's Horse]

UR needs to learn from the accountant

[Ted Striker]

Mings advuce us good, but I'd offer another solution.

You can go the quiet route and let your bosses know that you NEED to decide which system that you are going to implement, but that you have not yet heard anything back from accounting. It should be your bosses job to interface with their bosses and find out what the heck is going on, that's what management is supposed to do.

Anyway, when they ask you WHY things aren't moving along, tell them simply you haven't heard back from accounting, but don't go into all the personal reasons of what you THINK about the accountant.

It makes you look like an ass to badmouth another person, and plus you may be wrong about many of your assumptions.

Focus on the project, don't make it personal, and if it's not moving along, it will be plain for everybody to see just exactly who the roadblock is. And if anyone gets on your case, you can show them that you did in fact raise the issue. Best bet is to get that in email and SAVE IT.

[Alexander's Horse]

no, no, no all this advice is all wrong - what big bosses want is solutions not problems. They like to have peaceful days. So you need to thrash it out with the accountant first and then present an agreed solution to the big boss.

Maybe the accountant thinks the current sofware doesn't need upgrading or he is afraid of change or doesn't understand either package and so can't make a decision.

[Ted Striker]

Oh, I had assumed that Urban Ranger had already spoken with him a few times. I agree he should approach him first, and then if that doesn't work, he could do what me or Ming said.

If he went to his boss he will probably say what you just did anyway.

[Alexander's Horse]

I just don't see what the urgency is - every office worker knows IT people are untermensch - this accountant could be quite appropriately ignoring UR

[DAVOUT]

The Company had a great risk with the old system : the lack of backup. Question to be asked to the accountant : is the new system considered now as a reliable backup? If the answer is yes, you just have to mention it in the project status report (and this would be credited to you AND to the accountant). If the answer is negative, you should offer a solution to the accountant, and mention it in the PSR.

[Alexander's Horse]

ah - so the real problem is if the accounting system falls over you could get blamed but the real reason will be because the accountant took no action

If so, what you need is a paper trail so its clear its in his court. This may actually stimulate action. Certainly the fear of being blamed is one of the few things that will move something out of my in-tray....

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse

If so, what you need is a paper trail so its clear its in his court. This may actually stimulate action. Certainly the fear of being blamed is one of the few things that will move something out of my in-tray....