Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Let me try to explain, the meridian phone systems that Kmart has. Was installed in the early 90's when the stores were remodeled. The phone systems are Kmart are older than the registers.

I know the phone systems at Sears are a little newer because they have a system called interactive voice recognition.

I want you guys to look at this. The only major changes that were done at Kmart in the last 15-18years were decor swaps, and employee uniform changes. Not much else.

@1pgv, thanks for the post you hit the nail on the head.

What company limps along on 20+ year old mission critical hardware? Usually it's out the door by year 3 or year 5. Keeping certain software around that long is understandable (although not ideal), sometimes it is specialized and isnt just "pulled off the shelf". Besides, software doesn't have physical parts to fail, and with some work, it can be adapted to work with newer hardware in most cases.

Most, if not all banks, airlines, etc. are working with IBM CICS transactional software originally from the '70s, yet it's running in an IBM zSeries mainfraime that is only a few years old. Unix, same thing, and I'm sure there's something like a Novell Netware environment out there, running on a spiffy new Dell blade server (albeit virtualized, for sure) and not on a 486.

Hardware that old can fail at any moment. It is literally running on a prayer at this point. I wonder what they have done when certain components failed? Most of the technologies from 20+ years ago are NLA (no longer available). This is why most companies upgrade their systems every 2/3/5 years so they aren't caught in a bind when different technologies evolve.

@aoj- we used to do the same thing. We would blow out the inside of the registers and computers once a month and we had no problems. But then we stopped carrying compressed air so we havent done it for two years and now all we have is problems.

@aoj, I am guessing you work at a Sears FLS? I think the IBM units at the FLS are slightly newer than the Kmart units?

@aoj, you must be in school for IT?

Hey this is great, thank you OP!!! Really appreciate your effort.

But in honesty I’m surprised anyone is having a problem with their NCR gear, ours works great, do you guys do any maintenance? We blow any dust out once a week (ASM brings a portable compressor from tools around and we blow everything out ) usually we do this on tuesdays before opening. Can’t remeber any time in 4 or 5 years where we needed support - they Just work.

I made this thread to help you guys out. Some of the NCR techs are useless.

@tvq - Eddie, that must be you. All of us recognize your nasty attitude!

I want to make this clear to all posters. If you cannot get through to support central use google to trouble shoot the issues.

Also, to prevent overheating. You need to have the NCR tech show you how to remove the front cover to expose the mother board. Blow off the mother board with canned air.

If it is a keyboard/monitor/printer issue see if you can strip the parts off another register to hopefully get that one back online.

@OP- as a former employee, not only WHY do you care, but WHY should WE care what a former that can't do anything about the situation writes about

Unless your fast eddie move on, your SHC life is over - focus on your current situation

Over 60% of the front end registers at our Kmart were nonfunctional. We went through the laborious process of trying to wade through Support Central's scripted call center drones, and only after a long time were we able to get an NCR tech in to even look at the things. I wasn't there, but from what I'm told, he basically just fiddled around with them for about an hour, turned around, and left. We still have the same amount of nonfunctional registers now.

I care because I understand how hard it is to deal with irate customers and equipment crashing at the same time.

I guess the question is why do you still care if you were laid off in 2014?

Guys Let what I am saying sink in. IT is the backbone of any company.

I actually do want to hear about how bad the IT failure rate is at store level. At both Sears/Kmart banners.

I did not have enough space to write the posts so I had to break the up.

I am the original poster. Is the failure rate on IT equipment at Sears FLS as bad as Kmart?

If anyone in here works at the Troy DataCenter please chime in to let me know how bad things are.

I know store maintenance/staffing is horrible.

I want you guys to look at this thing from an IT standpoint since a lot of you guys are griping on here about failing registers and long lines.

The reasons they are pulling out register lanes/Cash Wraps at Sears/Kmart is to reduce the stress on the store systems since they are so obsolete.

If I remember at a Kmart those pulled registers are being stored in Layaway so parts can be pulled off them so the remaining registers can function.