Team Outing with an Obstacle

Planning isn't everything

We had planned the route weeks in advance. Planning and organizing are our specialty, after all. When we'd be where, where we'd stop for a meal, where we'd rent the bikes. On paper, the day was seamless.

On a warm, sunny September day we cycled from Melk toward Spitz on the Danube. The mood was great, so were the conversations, and the route was a pleasure to ride.

Then we stood in front of two signs on the riverbank. "Low water." "Ferry suspended."

First there was a moment of silence. Then came the question that always comes in moments like these: "So, what now?"

The website said nothing about it. The bike rental hadn't mentioned a word that morning. At the responsible office, nobody picked up the phone anymore. The ferry wasn't running, and even the most careful planning couldn't change that. We had to replan.

Almost like on the construction site

Many of us were reminded of everyday project life. You can plan as well as you like, in the end something unexpected happens. PLANFRED makes sure plans and tasks are properly documented and everyone works with the current plan revision. That's the foundation.

But software can't replace conversations. When a supplier drops out, the ground turns out different than expected, or the authority doesn't pick up the phone, no program will help. What helps is a call, a meeting on site, a clear agreement. The project room makes sure everyone starts from the same facts when they talk, and that what was discussed is recorded afterward. In the end, though, it's the people who count.

Back in the saddle

It was no different for us. Right next to the ferry crossing we worked out a new route together and decided how to go on. In the end it turned into a beautiful fall outing. The view from the castle ruins in Dürnstein was fantastic, and at night countless stars lit up the sky. On the second day we cycled on from Spitz to Krems, always along the Danube.

The best part: we had time to talk. "Talking brings people together," as the saying goes, and it's true. In everyday office life, between support tickets and feature plans, there's often too little room for that. During these two days in Lower Austria we talked about everything. How we're doing, what we enjoy, what we're looking forward to, but also what's really annoying us right now. And we got some exercise on the side, a win-win.

We'll plan the next outing just as carefully. If things still turn out differently, we'll handle it as a team. We've had the practice now.