Build month and delays.....

[emax]

They do that because the management and then the project management has decided it has to be done. ;-)

It depends very much on the requirements of the sales department and the controlling, as well as on the IT project management and the interfaces to their SAP system. Zillions of parameters.

If not "agile" project management, there is, after a 'development freeze' of a certain version a number of QA tests and stages, usually a rollout date which everybody has to be aware of. Bugs are fixed, testing goes back to the beginning of the current stage and if everything passed the QA checks the next step is carried out which follows the same rules. The 'rollout' is to a certain degree subject to the same procedures. 'to a certain degree' because going public can hardly be simulated (as we have seen with the first version of the configurator).

The change to an estimated delivery date at Ineos is likely closely dependent on the SAP software. And non-trivial changes in SAP is a process which can often last for months. Apparently, if I got this right, they are now close to the rollout of a new rendering for end users (otherwise the build slots wouldn't have disappeared). If something goes wrong, it might take a while to get it right because massive systems like SAP follow very strict rules of fixing, QA, documentation and all the meeting-discussion-protocols-etc fuss.

"Agile" development is very different, but I suspect that they are following the "v-model", which basically is what I described above.

 

[ECrider]

You lost me at 'SAP system' emax!

 

[emax]

SAP is an ERP solution and constitutes a de-facto IT-standard for business administration, finance and production planning (global players only: an SAP consultant may cost you from $800 up to $3000 a day).

 

[DaveB]

I have just made a call to INEOS direct over build dates disappearing and it is just updates being done in the back end so they shut the front end down whilst they do this. (Front end, being the part you see)

You are officially a leg end.... sorry legend

 

[Shaky]

SAP is an ERP solution and constitutes a de-facto IT-standard for business administration, finance and production planning (global players only: an SAP consultant may cost you from $800 up to $3000 a day).

A friend of mine does that for SAP, he is charged out at the higher end of your range.

last time he bored me with it, he was being used as a troubleshooter on projects that got into difficulty.

I think Ineos could do with his services at the minute tbh

 

[emax]

SAP consultants must be certified by SAP for each module they are to work with. It's not a big deal to get that intellectually. But the courses cost a fortune. It's another business for SAP.

The certificate plan is very fine-grained, so you usually need more than one certificate to get a realistic basis for working for a customer. The cost is definitely in the five figures.

And that's why there aren't an unlimited number of consultants, which of course makes them expensive.

 

[nickelnoff]

Ah so my estimated delivery date has been changed to “-“

 

[nickelnoff]

and then I read page 12 of this thread…

 

[Halliwell Jones Chester]

Both issues seem self inflicted by Ineos ~ as admitted by Justin Hocevar, launching before things were really ready...

And both issues would effectively disappear if the customer could configure and re-configure to their hearts content, right up to the point the spec needs freezing for production scheduling/contract signing.

This is completely new to me spec changes of this level as I'm used to having someone sit with me in the showroom and go through everything they need and don't need on the car before they place an order. So once the order goes in it never needs to be changed, as we have gone through everything together.

I can count on one hand the amount of spec changes I did to BMW's each year and they have plenty more packs and options.

I doubled that amount of spec changes with just INEOS October builds! I'm sure in time the spec changes will slow down as people get to know what's needed and what's not on the cars. Plus with agents opening the doors customers will be able to come and see a car making it also easier to know what you want.

 

[DaveB]

This is completely new to me spec changes of this level as I'm used to having someone sit with me in the showroom and go through everything they need and don't need on the car before they place an order. So once the order goes in it never needs to be changed, as we have gone through everything together.

I can count on one hand the amount of spec changes I did to BMW's each year and they have plenty more packs and options.

I doubled that amount of spec changes with just INEOS October builds! I'm sure in time the spec changes will slow down as people get to know what's needed and what's not on the cars. Plus with agents opening the doors customers will be able to come and see a car making it also easier to know what you want.

Hi. I don't get it either. People are acting like children keeping on changing what flavour ice cream they want. With my company once you place the order you have 5 days to make changes. Then there is a 100% restocking fee if you want to cancel.

 

[Davman]

To be fair though Dave, I would think that anyone that purchases your products from your company would have the chance to liaise directly with one of your product specialists, prior to placing an order for a product. They would/should know exactly what they were getting from you.
This hasn't really been the case with INEOS to date.

 

[Camskii]

Hi. I don't get it either. People are acting like children keeping on changing what flavour ice cream they want. With my company once you place the order you have 5 days to make changes. Then there is a 100% restocking fee if you want to cancel.

The only reason I want to add a few things is due to the dropping of the LCT. My original order went in before the ruling so it means some of the options are now more affordable.

 

[Halliwell Jones Chester]

To be fair though Dave, I would think that anyone that purchases your products from your company would have the chance to liaise directly with one of your product specialists, prior to placing an order for a product. They would/should know exactly what they were getting from you.
This hasn't really been the case with INEOS to date.

Once people can come and see and sit in these cars and talk face to face with someone the spec amends should settle I would have thought. By that time though we should be able to spec change in the Portal..... hopefully.

 

[ECrider]

Ive requested the steering wheel upgrade because you guys talked me into it!

 

[ECrider]

It's only money after all!

 

[bemax]

Ive requested the steering wheel upgrade because you guys talked me into it!

So it definitely isn’t your fault!

 

[Michael H.]

All this talk about changes to orders does my head in. We were told when we paid our deposits that we could make minor changes WHEN WE SIGNED OUR CONTRACTS, so all the drama over the past few months has, in my opinion, been pointless.

I have a very early build slot (hopefully still next month) and I have not yet received a contract, but when I do I will be able to make any minor changes I may require. (We have already been told that major changes could affect our build slot.)

 

[Michael H.]

And it was Ineos that decided to change this by de-linking spec changes and signing contracts. Early orderers got the email to say specs were locked unless you clicked a link. The email was actually even worse as changes had to be in by a specific date, but then they weren't contacting you until after the deadline expired!

I wasn’t aware of that. I placed my order on the first day orders opened, and I did not receive such an email.

 

[Michael H.]

Hey, I can't speak to your circumstances but there's already someone else on here that missed this email and suffered the consequences - amglounge - the thread's here:

https://www.theineosforum.com/threads/special-vehicle-launch.12410339/page-6#post-1333126644

I definitely did not receive such an email, but actually it doesn’t matter because I don’t need to make any changes to my configuration.

Incidentally, when I spoke to INEOS the other day about when I would be receiving my contract, they mentioned that they would be contacting me to confirm my specification just prior to issuing the contract.

 

[emax]

All this talk about changes to orders does my head in. We were told when we paid our deposits that we could make minor changes WHEN WE SIGNED OUR CONTRACTS, so all the drama over the past few months has, in my opinion, been pointless.

I have a very early build slot (hopefully still next month) and I have not yet received a contract, but when I do I will be able to make any minor changes I may require. (We have already been told that major changes could affect our build slot.)

It's even still in the FAQ's. I can only recommend that everybody takes a screenshot of this so if necessary we'd have a collective evidence in case this suddenly disappers. Here is the German site, but I saw it on English sites as well:

To get there, I made steps 1, 2, 3: