That was our first option. Relying on human communications leaves too much on uncertainty. We have to make it completely idiot-proof. This option is not fool proof. Somebody might claim that they did not get message.

Our second option was to re-program fire alarm system to exclude all areas in clean rooms. This option was a bit tricky as there were some uncertainty as to how alarm bells were wired up. We had to admit that although everything was drawn on paper on as-built drawings, we were not 100% sure whether re-programming will cover all alarm bells inside clean rooms or not. Moreover, there had been some renovation done on existing building and nobody had taken trouble to test alarm bells then. So this option was also shelved.

Our third option was to re-wire existing bells specifically only for offices, so that we can trigger only office areas. This seems a pretty good option, except that preparation re-wiring work will have to be done at installation itself. During re-wiring period, office itself would not be protected by fire alarm system. In addition, original wires would need to be disturbed and re-looped - something engineering people would not be keen to do - as it might give rise to other unexpected problems.

Our fourth option - to fabricate and install addition bells with triggering switches and fix them just beside existing bells seemed to be best option. By using additional bells, batteries, switches and getting them wired up at a portable stand in a workshop, they could be tested, carried along and put in place within a very short time. The best feature of this option is that original fire alarm wiring need not be disturbed at all.

Choosing fourth option, we fabricated three sets of alarm bell triggering units and placed them at appropriate places at offices. When time for triggering alarm bells came, an order was issued through walkie-talkie and bells were triggered by technicians at those stations.

So, we managed to organize fire evacuation drill for offices only. Nobody evacuated from manufacturing clean rooms because bells were not sounded there. All office workers had their evacuation drill and everything went on smoothly.

A potentially huge manufacturing loss was avoided by adopting a simple idea. A workable idea born out of necessity.

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The Bottom Line

While this advice probably sounds very basic, at Computer Consulting 101 we’ve found that a substantial percentage (as many as 10-20% of problems) of trouble calls for IT support become unnecessary after a reboot. And of course, because you probably pay every single time you pick up phone, why not conserve your IT budget for those projects that can help your company drive more revenue, improve productivity, reduce overhead, and boost your bottom line. Remember, before you call a computer consulting professional, reboot first... so you can conserve your computer consulting budget for those problems that really require expert assistance.

About Author

Joshua Feinberg, co-founder of Computer Consulting 101, is a 15-year computer consulting veteran and has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To get Joshua’s proven computer consulting secrets, sign up now for free training at http://www.computer-consulting-101.com

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