Technology SUCKS

[BIGNASTY]

Technology is the downfall of AT LEAST this country. Went to a Cummins Dealer in Indy for filters. Their computers were down so I gave the dimwit behind the counter the numbers. He still was dumbfounded so a mechanic walked through the door I said hey bud I'm looking for a Stratapore filter for my Dodge with a cummins diesel. He walked to the shop came back in less than 2 minutes with a box asking how many do you want?

If computers in this country have a problem THE WORLD STOPS


THAT SUCKS!!

 

[jgillott]

I still like to do math with a piece of paper and a pencil. My kids have never had to spend a day in school without a calculator. What a difference in a generation.

 

[Wayne M.]

Ive witnessed my parts division move from a card catalog and minimal tech to a total web based and dependant system.
Once we were able to function without computers, but now, unless we can find it by memory, or need it ordered, were screwed. Chances are the kids in the warehouse will be the same story as BIG’s.

 

[Tuesdak]

Technology is the downfall of AT LEAST this country. Went to a Cummins Dealer in Indy for filters. Their computers were down so I gave the dimwit behind the counter the numbers. He still was dumbfounded so a mechanic walked through the door I said hey bud I'm looking for a Stratapore filter for my Dodge with a cummins diesel. He walked to the shop came back in less than 2 minutes with a box asking how many do you want?

If computers in this country have a problem THE WORLD STOPS


THAT SUCKS!!

Even in the future Nothing Works. However you forgot about "The Dark Ages" before computers. Let me remind you of the pain before computers...

You would have been laughed out of a Cummins Dealer because "We don't put these engines in pickups." After showing them the truck "Wow I didn't know Cummins did that!"... "That's probably a (Dodge) RAM Dealer only item."

Further you would be holding the old filter attempting to read the part number off it - no internet to help you find a current number.

Half hour in the greasy pages of the parts book would get a obsolete part number. Couple hours squinting at the Microfiche would come up with an new updated part number. IF the Microfish update arrived and wasn't sitting on someone's desk unopened, was put back in order, etc. And the last place you look for it: the reader itself and the missing one you want is still in it...

Going to the shelf would be out of stock "because the damn mechanics never tell me when we are out of them!" (or we never ordered that filter before). We will put it in our weekly order. No, tracking numbers require computers that are not invented yet so if it's out of stock at the warehouse it could be a couple weeks longer to get. Yeah, I tried to call but the line was busy. Maybe one back east but they are closed now.

Meanwhile you put the old filter back on that now leaks at the damaged gasket.

You call back a week later and busy signal. Finally you get through and the parts person is out sick, the other person can't find the notes on what you ordered to tell you if it is in or not. No I don't handle the incoming orders, I am just answering the phone.

A week later you get hold of the parts person and, no, your order didn't make it on the truck.

Next week yes it's in. You get there and they can't find it. A mechanic walks in and drops a box with your part number in the trash while finishing up handwriting a carbon copy service order on a garbage truck.

Out of desperation you go by the dealer (that takes an hour to look up a special rare diesel engine option while handing out common gas engine filters by the case) you bought the truck from and pay 2x what it's worth for whatever is in the low bidder OEM painted can.

You destroy the gasket coming off this time and "Oh, yeah!" I got a early Model Year production 5.9 not a 6.7 (aka 0.5+) so Wrong Filter! Of course it's Saturday and the Dealer Parts Counter isn't open.


Maybe you ought to further take advantage of Modern computers. Instead of going by a Cummins Dealer that can't be bothered to spend enough money on computers and technology so that it works when there is a sale to be made... A few swipes on your smartphone you can see a live track of the said dimwit (moonlighting on Sundays as a delivery driver out of their own car) tossing a filter box on your front door, alternate location, etc. Unless, of course, your address is a problem for GPS... Because like I quoted the movie SpaceBalls: Even in the future Nothing Works.

 

[BIGNASTY]

The ISB engine is a staple in MANY trucks besides Dodges, so its not like its a ******* part that is rarely seen in use. I don't buy the idea that the dark ages were anywhere near as bad. In commiefornia I used NAPA as my parts-house Mike the counter guy remembered the model, year of my cars, Same in Seeley Lake MT the retired Air Force supply Sgt didn't have as may customers as the Commiefornia NAPA but I NEVER witnessed him use the computer OR book to look up a part number and NEVER had to take back something that didn't fit.

People JUST DON'T CARE to do their job anymore!!

 

[Wayne M.]

I get the nobody wants to perform part.
But especially with auto parts, complexity has taken a stronghold.
Your example of a fuel filter is no good. Since 2002, Cummins hasn’t used the drop in, plastic cap fuel filter in ISB’s other than Rams.
Look at oil filters and wiper blades in passenger cars. You could just about run a gas station with 15-20 numbers. Nowadays, just one car brand would need those 15 numbers just to get by.
And I’m just talkin American and Asian cars. Pull in with a Euro car? FORGET IT!

 

[BIGNASTY]

I get the nobody wants to perform part.
But especially with auto parts, complexity has taken a stronghold.
Your example of a fuel filter is no good. Since 2002, Cummins hasn’t used the drop in, plastic cap fuel filter in ISB’s other than Rams.
Look at oil filters and wiper blades in passenger cars. You could just about run a gas station with 15-20 numbers. Nowadays, just one car brand would need those 15 numbers just to get by.
And I’m just talkin American and Asian cars. Pull in with a Euro car? FORGET IT!

Wayne Ill buy the complexity part, just the other day I was in the shop looking into a problem that a Driver had with one of our KW 660 trucks. One of the wrenches had the interior of another one taken apart to almost bare sheetmetal. I must have looked surprised because he said ITS A PRETTY BIG MESS AIN'T IT? I regained my composure and said I've got two questions (1) WHAT THE "F" WENT WRONG THAT YOU NEED TO TEAR IT DOWN THIS FAR? He told me but again with the complexity of these new trucks I didn't want to Prove how inept and out of touch I am so I just said "IF YOU SAY SO" (2) I asked him if he knew where all the parts went when he put it back together ( I COULDN'T BELIVE THE DASH PARTS ALONE) He said that as long as theres not TO MANY parts leftover its not hard to hide them, and say the job was done. Im sure that he was just joking around because our equipment is in Excellent shape.

But an Oil filter of the ISB series motors isn't a problem. He asked me for the engine serial #'s Before I went out to get the # off the rocker cover I commented that Im not sure about the 1st gen motor but the rest of them until present day are most likely the same. Thats when the wrench walked in two save me from going out to lift the hood.

NEXT TIME I'LL USE AMAZON

 

[Tuesdak]

I get how common filters are on Cummins. My satire is plausible and biased on actual true events. Of course it's been embellished to illustrate how computers handle inventory control, break the dealer only knows what's going on via internet information, ordering special or out of stock parts... I have lived in remote backwater towns where a dealer couldn't order a part (seat belt) for a late model in warranty vehicle in the near Dark Ages of 1992. A month later I took it 100 miles out of my way to another bigger dealer who was able to order/get/install the part. So the embellishment is specific to the part used on actual true events.

Lets not forget information to troubleshoot vehicles available today via forums like this. You found the best filter to use via the internet rather than relabeled Wix: "what NAPA carries".

When the computers are down it may be cheaper to loose a sale rather than screw up inventory, do incorrect totals by hand on paperwork, esp for taxes that later cause state/federal tax issues... It may cost more than it's profit to put the paper transactions into the computer system later esp. with accounting having to "fix it". Seriously take a high school graduate and the first thing you got to teach them is how to fill out a time card: even with a computer. So give the dimwit credit that they were able to get a job, pass a drug test, and IMO just were not trained on how to handle a computer outage. Training is expensive and risky, as the employee can leave, so to maximize profit do the bare min of training. Disaster of the computer going down is just a write off so most places should simply lock the doors when the computer goes down.

You didn't mention paying with cash and having to calculate the change for them... +10 points if they whipped out their smart phone to do the math rather than standing there "DUHhhhhhh... "

 

[jhenderson]

It gets worse. My buddy walked into one of the chain parts stores with the number of a fan belt he wanted. It was for something he had cobbled together. They had the belt but the counter man told him he couldn’t sell it to him without an application. The computer is supposed to ensure the belt fit. I’m sure someone ( manager?) could get around the problem but the guy he was dealing with couldn’t. He left empty handed.

 

[mwilson]

Let me present a different view....

I too learned on a card system, had to call orders in three times a day to the warehouse. Kept notes on the cards, flipped them upside down when on order, flagged with different colored tabs for the stages of various back orders. Billed invoices by hand, calculated Sales Tax in my head, know probably the pricing for several hundred part numbers off of the top of my head simply from sheer repetition.....

But there is no way that I could do what I do now without the computers.... $2,000,000.00 in inventory between 5 locations...no way...moving stock between stores, tracking inventory movement between store, keeping track of cores (some weeks $30,000.00 in Detroit Diesel Cores alone, that does not count Thermoking, Cat, Cummins or Fuso.) Warranty, Shop Orders, etc....there is no way to keep up that pace by hand...even if you several helping...

As far as the Cummins Noob, well that's how he is trained....ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER!! Cummins supplies so many variations of engines for a gazillion applications that the ESN is how it needs to be done. PLUS it protects the dealer....when you start freelancing on parts you are liable to buy customers a few engines and that doesn't go over well with the front office if the correct part was identified in the system by the ESN.....favors can quickly turn into major issues these days...

 

[BIGNASTY]

Problem solved I guess, I had a call from our Head-wrench in the shop. He asked me what filter #'s I wanted? when I told him about the Cummins dealer trouble he said THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM GOING TO CUMMINS!!! He gets ALL PARTS through the KW Dealer.

 

[Wayne M.]

I gave Ryder Fleet a shot in some Truck Lite numbers I was after. They seemed like a good place to deal with. No stupid questions.

 

[Timd32]

Had to run out tonight for some Mercon V ATF for my nieces car, while walking back to grab it 4 people trying to figure out the oil type for a newer Audi, I was there maybe 8min and they never did figure it out in that time. Were reading off all sorts of notes from the computer, It was amusing for sure, not that I have any clue what they are supposed to run either....