The Other Way of Fixing

So, Paul the line manager called us all over to a corner, looking stressed.

This is not a good sign.

"Don't panic," he says, "but I've just run the first report, and we have about 70 phones over TAT (Turn Around Time, our version of a deadline) - and that's only one network provider."

"Wasn't me!" says someone.

"No, it's not you guys, it's not me - something happened on the night or early shift and we don't know whose fault it is, but we have to get these done and out the door fast..." Paul starts explaining.

"The night shift!" says someone.

"They're not to blame either," Paul continues.

"Was it Gosia's fault?" says someone who knows this place well.

"... I'm not saying anything." says Paul, and authorizes us indirectly to switch to another mode of working.

Git 'Er Done Mode.

We all develop x-ray vision, and can see from one side of a main board whether there is damage to the other side; we time-travel, and phones are sent along as repaired before the new screws have arrived for them; our psychic powers kick in and start diagnosing the phones before even removing them from their bags.

The method switches from 'run through the tests to be sure there are no other faults before you fix the phone, run through them again after the fix to be sure you didn't miss something, then QA will double check' to 'eh, QA will find it'.

Our confidence soars; suddenly we don't need to use the battery tester or Willtek machine 'to make sure' anymore.

None of the management has anything to say about this, although the technical manager does seem to find it easier to work turned away so he can't see us at it.