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Here's how Microsoft describes it: > Productivity Score identifies areas where you can offer people training to learn how to use the tools to their fullest cap

Here's how Microsoft describes it: > Productivity Score identifies areas where you can offer people training to learn how to use the tools to their fullest capacity In other words, it's a score that tells the Microsoft sales rep where to target their sales. If you score highly on everything, they'll give you a pat on the back to tell you that you're amongst their most "sophisticated" users. This seems common in the enterprise sales world. Another example I've seen is Adobe, which holds an annual Symposium every year where they hand out awards to the most advanced users of their products. The "winners" get to feel like they've been recognized for their incredible digital marketing skills and the rest of their clients are shown how to increase the amount of vendor lock-in and dependence on Adobe. Everyone wins!

enw 6y ago
> Productivity Score identifies areas where you can offer people training This reads to me as “identifies people that should be managed out”
- httpsterio 6y ago
  > This reads to me as “identifies people that should be managed out” That's a very pessimistic outlook I think. I work as a consultant for a company with approx 100 employees. Average age of workers is somewhere around 45 and most aren't really that good with computers, decent at best. I've handheld their digital security officer when he configures a Zoom webinar. So far, he hasn't been sure enough to do it all alone and still asks me to check the settings. This company produces word documents as their core business and if their digital security representative is that bad with computers, you can probably guess the average skill of the rest of the company. Nobody is getting fired though, they still get the job done and management invests in training. I'm currently helping build their entire IT ecosystem and one key aspect of the tools selected, is that it's simple enough to teach to their employees. I'm sure they'll love those metrics as they can actually see the biggest pain points and proactively do something about it.
  - sbergot 6y ago
    Microsoft tries to soften the pill with positive vibes, but they literally named their product "productivity score". As a manager, I would expect a "productivity score" to reflect the productivity of my employees. If someone has a low productivity what should I do? Of course I can provide training. I should also avoid raising his salary. And when I have to fire people, I will fire people with the lowest productivity. I don't think this is a cynical or pessimist point of view. It is exactly what Microsoft is selling here.
  - tester34 6y ago
    >So far, he hasn't been sure enough to do it all alone and still asks me to check the settings. Hey, but at least he cares about security and instead of doing it badly, he reaches the expert!
  - Nullabillity 6y ago
    > digital security officer [...] Zoom webinar Yeah, there is definitely an incompetence problem here.
    - prepend 6y ago
      Incompetent in Zoom, super competent in digital security. Lots of people are incompetent in things that aren’t important. Feynman famously said he was incompetent in administration [0] to stop people from assigning admin work. Competence isn’t a universal trait where people are perfect in everything or stupid in everything. I don’t get mad at a wizard because he’s incompetent at full plate. [0]
      - Nullabillity 6y ago
        No, the point was that anyone who remotely cares about security wouldn't touch Zoom with a 10m pole.
        prepend 6y ago
        I don’t think that’s true. It depends on what you’re using zoom for and how. Tons of security conscious people use zoom, and use it appropriately. I assume any firm big enough to have a digital safety officer is going to have some large user base needing and using zoom.
pfortuny 6y ago
Yes, so not train people to do their job, just to use the tools........
m463 6y ago
Actually, my impression is that microsoft software targets IT more than the employees. The more power and convenience they give IT, the more likely they will get sales, because... who picks the tools and approves the sales? Not that great for the employees though. As tools they are very meh. I'm surprised people are able to get anything done.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
  > The more power and convenience they give IT, the more likely they will get sales, because... who picks the tools and approves the sales? I don't believe I've ever worked in an organization where IT chose the tools and approved the sales. It is, in my experience, quite common to have to code around a lot of shitty tools who's purchasing decision began at some executive's golf outing.
  - m463 6y ago
    You're right of course. I guess I meant the users were not choosing their tools.

enw 6y ago

> Productivity Score identifies areas where you can offer people training This reads to me as “identifies people that should be managed out”

httpsterio 6y ago
> This reads to me as “identifies people that should be managed out” That's a very pessimistic outlook I think. I work as a consultant for a company with approx 100 employees. Average age of workers is somewhere around 45 and most aren't really that good with computers, decent at best. I've handheld their digital security officer when he configures a Zoom webinar. So far, he hasn't been sure enough to do it all alone and still asks me to check the settings. This company produces word documents as their core business and if their digital security representative is that bad with computers, you can probably guess the average skill of the rest of the company. Nobody is getting fired though, they still get the job done and management invests in training. I'm currently helping build their entire IT ecosystem and one key aspect of the tools selected, is that it's simple enough to teach to their employees. I'm sure they'll love those metrics as they can actually see the biggest pain points and proactively do something about it.
- sbergot 6y ago
  Microsoft tries to soften the pill with positive vibes, but they literally named their product "productivity score". As a manager, I would expect a "productivity score" to reflect the productivity of my employees. If someone has a low productivity what should I do? Of course I can provide training. I should also avoid raising his salary. And when I have to fire people, I will fire people with the lowest productivity. I don't think this is a cynical or pessimist point of view. It is exactly what Microsoft is selling here.
- tester34 6y ago
  >So far, he hasn't been sure enough to do it all alone and still asks me to check the settings. Hey, but at least he cares about security and instead of doing it badly, he reaches the expert!
- Nullabillity 6y ago
  > digital security officer [...] Zoom webinar Yeah, there is definitely an incompetence problem here.
  - prepend 6y ago
    Incompetent in Zoom, super competent in digital security. Lots of people are incompetent in things that aren’t important. Feynman famously said he was incompetent in administration [0] to stop people from assigning admin work. Competence isn’t a universal trait where people are perfect in everything or stupid in everything. I don’t get mad at a wizard because he’s incompetent at full plate. [0]
    - Nullabillity 6y ago
      No, the point was that anyone who remotely cares about security wouldn't touch Zoom with a 10m pole.
      - prepend 6y ago
        I don’t think that’s true. It depends on what you’re using zoom for and how. Tons of security conscious people use zoom, and use it appropriately. I assume any firm big enough to have a digital safety officer is going to have some large user base needing and using zoom.

pfortuny 6y ago

Yes, so not train people to do their job, just to use the tools........

m463 6y ago

Actually, my impression is that microsoft software targets IT more than the employees. The more power and convenience they give IT, the more likely they will get sales, because... who picks the tools and approves the sales? Not that great for the employees though. As tools they are very meh. I'm surprised people are able to get anything done.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
> The more power and convenience they give IT, the more likely they will get sales, because... who picks the tools and approves the sales? I don't believe I've ever worked in an organization where IT chose the tools and approved the sales. It is, in my experience, quite common to have to code around a lot of shitty tools who's purchasing decision began at some executive's golf outing.
- m463 6y ago
  You're right of course. I guess I meant the users were not choosing their tools.