🚀 go-pugleaf

On and off over the last decade, I have been a small supplier of products
and services to DEC.  A former consulting partner summed the nature of this
relationship as being like sleeping with an elephant when you are a mouse. 
We always imagined a small mouse perched tenuously on the edge of a big bed
on which a huge elephant was sprawled.  The mouse has bloodshot eyes since
it is not getting any sleep in anticipation of the elephant rolling over
and crushing it.

In 1991, I organized a DECUS session around this topic and version 1 of it
was presented at the 1991 Spring Symposia in Atlanta.  This session
featured war storied and commentary from Jim Ebright (Software Results of
IBM interconnect fame), Bob Denny (Alisa Systems - of Pathworks fame) and
me (Ray Kaplan of training and consulting fame).  We had a great hour
telling everyone what it was like to be a small supplier to DEC and making
comments on the ebb and flow of DEC's relationship with its third party
suppliers over the years.  Bob and I were in Atlanta at the session and I
presented my interview with Jim over the phone since he could not be there
in person.  I think that it went very well.  A transcription and an audio
tape are available if you want one.

The 1 hour Sleeping With The Elephant session is again scheduled for the
upcoming Fall, 1992 DECUS U.S. Chapter in Las Vegas.  I am again soliciting
participants to help me tell people how to do business with DEC.  Tales of
both positive and negative experiences are welcome.  Well thought out
commentary on the overall directions and demeanor of DEC and its
relationship to small suppliers is desired.  Here is the abstract of the
session:

So, you have had an interesting time being a customer of Digital Equipment
Corporation?  Being a Digital supplier is much more complicated and fraught
with many special problems.  This panel discussion of small suppliers of
services and products to Digital will discuss the problems of how to
survive when doing business with Digital as well as how to capitalize on
the inherent opportunities.

If you are interested in helping with this session - either as a live
participant or having me present your points of view or stories, please
contact me:

Ray Kaplan
P.O. Box 42650
Tucson, AZ  85733-2650
FAX (602) 791-3325
(602) 323-4606
Internet: kaplan@mis.arizona.edu
BITNET: KAPLAN@ARIZMIS